Cathy

We are planning on going to St.Marteen/St. Martin in August. There are three of us, myself a babyboomer, my daughter 17, and my partner who is 65. I am concerned about everyone having a good time. Has anyone stayed at this timeshare. My daughter was going to take a friend with us, but they got into an argument and now the friend is not going. Any suggestions about hooking up with other teens. My daughter is not exactly an extrovert, but she does speak french fluently, maybe there will be some connection that way. Jim does not like commercialism. I'm afraid the island will not be organic enough for him. It sounds like the Dutch side is not pretty. Jim is very outgoing and again if we can hook up with other people that will make him happy<BR><BR>Any thoughts out there?

Susie

Hi Cathy,<BR><BR>We visited St. Martin in April of this year. Mullet Bay has a very pretty, very public beach (ALOT of people). From the outside, the Towers are kind of rundown looking - looks like an old high-rise from the 1960's. It is also right "in town", and not on the water.<BR><BR>Yes, the French side of the island is much prettier. The northeastern end and far western end are the greenest. There are not many hotels right on the beach on the island. We did some hunting around for future trips, and we found 3 that we would consider: there's a new Radisson opening on Dawn Beach (not sure if it's open - most of the rooms were completed); LeMeridian is very, very nice; and there's a something-Beach Hotel on Dawn Beach. Be careful - there are 2 with similar names (one's a dump and one's gorgeous). I'd have to look them up in the literature I brought back. <BR><BR>The beaches are all very unique - everything from calm as glass to surfers! The nicest beaches are on the French side, particularly on the northeasten shore. Dawn, Orient &amp; LeGalion are beautiful. Orient has a nude section, and they stroll the entire beach, so depending on how your daughter feels about that ... All other beachs are top optional, and most women were topless ... again, not a problem for me at 45, but not sure if your daughter might be uncomfortable. <BR><BR>If you visit Dawn Beach, plan on eating at Mr. Busby's Beach Bar. You can park right there, walk down the beach a ways and have it all to yourself. Or if you stay at either end of this beach (Radisson is at 1 end and the whatever-Beach Hotel is at the other, and the dumpy place is in the middle), you will find both of them not very crowded. There's decent snorkeling here. I say decent - not great - most of the coral around St. Martin is dead because the fishermen formerly used cyanide to capture fish for the aquarium trade. We are avid divers, and this island is a disappointment for diving.<BR><BR>We did a day sail to Prickly Pear on the Tahuna II. Terrific time! Nice snorkeling there - only live reef we saw, lots of fish, but current - use a vest if you're not strong swimmers. Likewise with snorkeling off Dawn Beach.<BR><BR>Crime is an issue here. We were warned by our travel agent about a new crime spree that started in April. It involved armed robberies and forced entries into hotel rooms. In fact, she offered to switch islands, but we went ahead, took all the normal precautions, and we were fine. I'm not sure what the status of this is now. They knew it was a group of younger men, and had caught 2 by the time we got there.<BR><BR>The room safe in our hotel was missing, and we could see where it had been torn off the wall. In our friend's room, their wall safe was on the wall but broken, and the safety latch on their door was broken in two - someone must have forced their way into the room with the occupants inside it. We heard from people staying in all different hotels that they saw or experienced similar things. We took a backpack, and wherever we went, our camera, credit cards, etc. went with us. We also noticed that when we visited the casino, the guards would not let you go outdoors until your car, or in our case, bus arrived, and then they escorted everyone. We were also told to get escorts when leaving restaurants after dark. When we were in Phillipsburg (waste of time, sleazy city, shop in Marigot), a young woman came up to me, offered to braid my hair while another young woman tried to pickpocket my backpack - my husband interceded and they ran off. <BR><BR>DO NOT stay at the LeFlamboyant - it is horrendous. It was so bad that our travel agent refunded our hotel costs and sued the hotel for reimbursement.<BR><BR>The restaurants on the French side, particularly in Grand Case are terrific. Again, use caution when coming &amp; going after dark.<BR><BR>If you have any specific questions, feel free to email me. We would return to this island in the future, and stay on the northeastern end.

Susie

Cathy,<BR><BR>I forgot to mention ... Mullet Bay is close to the airport. The "big boys" come in from 4 pm on (747s from Europe). The noise and jetwash around Mullet Bay, and even more so on Simpson Bay, are unreal! You don't want to be on those beaches when these jets land &amp; take off again. In fact, there are signs in certain areas warning you to stay clear.

philip

We went in April and loved St. Martin. The French side is much more interesting than the Dutch side. (I agree that Mullet Bay is not the best choice of locations.) There is a run down time-share development that is boarded up which makes the area near the golf course unsightly. <BR>In terms of safety, the Island is no worse than anywhere else in the Caribbean in terms of crime. We had no incidences as never once felt unsafe. <BR>There is a website for the island that lists all the hotels.

Doni

I was saddened to hear the negative response on The Towers. We have owned there for over 10 years and I assure you the buildings are very nice looking and beautifully landscaped and kept. The rooms are spacious and furnished beautifully. We have a wonderful pool looking out over the bay and it is a short walk to Mullet Bay beach. Unfortunatly hurricanes have destroyed the resort of Mullet Bay and a terrible court battle seems to have delayed any plans for some time it seems. I have not been to the resort for a few years as we traded for Italy last year and Spain this year. I read all the Europe posts and by the time we left was thinking of taping my valubles to the inside of my thighs and figuring out how I was going to stay alive long enough to have a good time! As ever, we felt completly at home and never threatened in either location. I think the Towers is actually one of the nicest places you could stay on the Dutch side. We have been to all the beaches and I like Mullet the best. Orient is overrated as far as I'm concerned. Also at the towers you are close to Cheri's and many shops that you can stroll in the evening. Cheri's always has a great band and you can dance outdoors. I know the people of St. Maarten have been hurt by the hurricanes and so much bad publicity but we plan to spend two weeks there in May and can't wait to get back. Take a catamaran trip to St. Barths or Prickly Pear, and eat on the French side and have a ball! It's a great place.

dtour

THEY NO LONGER EXSIST.WHOLE AREA BY GOLF COURCE WAS WIPED OUT BY HURRICANE AND HASNT BEEN REBUILT

x

DTOUR: You know not of what you speak. Cathy asked about the Towers, you are talking about Mullet Bay resort.

kim

Does anyone on this post know what they are talking about??? The Towers at Mullet Bay is not "in Town" near the airport, that is the Maho!!!! The Towers is off the beaten path on the lagoon and the golf course. It is a gold crown resort with 81 units, yes it is a high rise, wonderful pool on the lagoon and a short walking distance through the golf course to the beach. I own two weeks there and have been going to the island since 1983. The Mullet Bay REsort and Casino, which has been closed since 1995, was not timeshare, the land is owned by one person and the buildings were owned privately, it was run as a huge resort and the building owners could stay there. Unfortunately a dispute between the two sets of owners is what has tied them up in court all these years. But the Towers has nothing to do with that, its just that the Towers sits at the end of the resort property. Cathy, I hope you didn't change your plans beacause this is a wonderufl place, I actually when 3 different times last year because you just can't get enough of the island.

kate

I cannot understand how so many people have so many different opinions about the safety of St Martin. How is it that some people are staying in hotel rooms with broken off locks and ripped out safes and having to thwart pickpocketers and then other people say safety is not an issue at all.<BR>I have to say that if I was on vacation and someone tried to pickpocket me or I had to have an escort walk me to my car I would be horrified.<BR> I have only been to the USVI and BVI and cannot imagine (except maybe for St Thomas and not even I think to this degree) having to take such precautionary measures. Isn't a vacation supposed to get you away from all that??<BR> I live in NYC so I know crime is everywhere but really why would anyone go to an island where you would have to worry about leaving a restaurant after dark. If these claims are true the island should be ashamed of themselves..there is always in a foreign place a certain level of awareness you must have about what's going on around you but this is ridiculous. <BR>Years ago when I was a teenager back in the 80's a good friend of mine's parents had a timeshare in St Martin and was almost raped by a local right outside a restaurant...She was attacked from behind and forced into a unlighted area and if it wasn't for her father walking out at the perfect time to find his daughter (she was sneaking a cigarette outside) she would have been raped.<BR>At the time I thought it was a freak thing but from all the posts and press I have read about this island I think it is appalling that such things could go on ...

infoplease

Has anyone stayed here lately, wondering how it was, heard its a beautiful place, just too bad about the sourounding resort??? any info??

Anon

Did anyone read the post NOT to respond to Dtour? I think that's good advice - so I would advise everyone not to respond to him in any way!

infoplease

hey anon, doesn't this make you as bad a dtour, i asked a quesiton??? so are you saying we should not bring up any posts that Dtour has commented on!!! Dtour commented on this in 8/01 its 4/02!! If you can't respond to a question than don't!!!

peter

kate and suzies responses.<BR>They have posted the same stuff all the time.<BR>Its all bull.<BR>St. martin is the best.<BR>Go and enjoy!

Shar

We stayed in French St. Martin last year and did have an adventure. We overheard at a bar that some locals are following people in rental cars and signaling for them to pull over as there is a "problem" with the car. When you pull over they rob you. Well, it happened to us! We were followed by some men closely while driving around the Dutch side of the island in the daytime and the men signaled for us to pull over--forget it--my husband pretended to slow down and then stepped on the gas and flew out of there--they followed us but when we started entering the French side they backed off. We never had a problem after that but we did notice a lot of policemen in Grand Case so I did feel safer on the French side. It's a great island but you do have to be extra vigilant.

?????

Did they signal for you to pull over, or get out of the way because they drive like nuts down there??? This type of story goes back to the early 80's. They caught the guys doing this, usually there would be a car infront of you also to slow you down. any way, what does this have to do with the topic!!! Info on the Towers Please!!!!

topper

any responses?

Linda

Am slightly shocked reading about the crime spree on St.Martin. My husband,son and I have been going there for almost 20 years and have never personally had anything even attempted to us. We stay on the French side and take all normal precautions that one should always take. Recently we have stayed at the Hotel Beach Plaza right in Marigot, and, although we have a rental car, we walk to dinner in the Marina area at night. Only once, years ago, we saw a local man verbally accost a tourist and accuse the tourist of driving too close and damaging his car mirror. It got verbally ugly for a few minutes and my husband stepped out to offer assistance to the tourist. Other than that, I have read of some crimes in the local papers, but have never witnessed anything firsthand.