Notice the dates on the good reviews!Visited: February 2008
Posted by manyyears
You will notice that the dates for the good reviews end in 2004. The following year is when Festiva purchaced the Atrium. Since then, the quality of the resort has fallen as the fees and charges to the lease-holders and other customers have risen. Any coincidence?
0 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful.
It was a decent resort with terrible service.Visited: April 2008
Posted by neoking
I took my wife here for our dream honeymoon, a few weeks back and it wasn’t what it was cracked up to be.
Everywhere we went in the hotel, we got a cold shoulder. I tried to order a drink at the bar only to be rudely yelled at because I asked if she was the bartender.
Then, I went to the casino. I had a slot machine break on me and not pay out. When I found someone who fixed the machines, he rudely pushed me off.
My pillow reeked of hair grease every night. I passed by a few rooms that were being cleaned, and found the hotel staff laying their heads on the pillows.
Our view was very beautiful, no complaints there. The walls, however, were pretty paper thin and you could hear people talking in the room next door.
I tried to go on the Jet Ski excursion which was advertised as $160. However, the Jet Ski operator gave us the run around that he would have to charge triple that. I said I only want the basic $160, but he would not allow that.
The neighboring town was very nice and is where I spent most of my time.
The food from the upper restaurants was excellent, and that’s were we went every night. However, the buffet was not so great, and I counted at least three cockroaches walking around.
We also went on a time share and had to spend a mandatory $80 per person per day. You would think with that type of money from everyone they could at least get rid of cockroaches.
7 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful.
The motto on license plates in St. Maarten is the "friendly island". That was not the case at the Great Bay - or the St. Maarten people, in general. No one was nasty, but there was little warmth from most everyone.
We stayed in a one-bedroom, time share "apartment" at the Great Bay. The room was very clean, and the pool for the time share users was wonderful. We pretty much had it to ourselves.
Generally, there was an older crowd at the resort. It would not be a place for singles. Other than swimming, there was not much for kids to do.
If you do go, rent a car and see the island. We found very nice beaches and reasonably priced places to eat off the beaten tourist track.
Also, if you go, get an ocean view room. The mountain side view was not appealing at all.
Finally, some advice to the resort staff....smile!
6 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
The Belair Beach Hotel is clean and tidy. It's 40 years old, but is well maintained.
The service is very good, and the resturant is adequate for what it is .. a beach restaurant! Also, the beach here is beautful, and the hotel staff keeps it clean and neat.
Jodi's Place, which is a little store on the property, is high priced. However, it's only game in town.
11 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
We encountered major beach erosion during our stay in March 2008.Visited: March 2008
Posted by marlena
The beach was washed away in the March storms. I suggest you check the status before booking here if you want to spend any time at the beach.
Our stay was not very enjoyable. We stayed one night before/after our other accommodations were available.
Apparently, it is key to be in a remodeled room, which we were not. Our room, in the main building, fifth floor, was very dated and not comfortable at all.
I would not recommend this to anyone looking for beach time or a "resort" feel.
One positive aspect was that it was close to countless wonderful restaurants.
4 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
My husband, our eight-year-old son and I spent our Spring Break at the Divi and loved the property.
The recently renovated rooms were spectacular. Our one-bedroom room consisted of: full kitchen, dining area, smooth top stove, stainless appliances, Washer/dryer, sleeper sofa, WC with a stellar shower, vanity, pocket doors leading to jetted tub, additional vanity area, master bedroom with private patio, 2 plasma HD TV's, etc.
The resort had tennis courts, pools, beachfront on Little Bay, and fabulous views across Great Bay of Phillipsburg.
Despite an oceanic storm, there was plenty of beach available for all, unlike many other resorts.
The resort also featured duty free shops, mini mart, cafe w/internet and wifi code for small fee.
The staff was all quite accommodating, and Angelique at the front desk and Paul at the poolside restaurant were notably so.
There are onsite "day trips" arrangements, jetski and kayak rentals, as well.
The Little Bay was wonderful for snorkeling, yet there was enough "wave action" for our energetic eight-year-old.
I would definitely recommend this resort for anyone traveling to St Maarten.
14 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
Summit Resort is highly recommended.Visited: March 2007
Posted by dicksteele
I have stayed in St. Maarten for approximately 17 years. I usually visit two to three times a year and have stayed at almost every resort here at one time or another.
The Summit is very quiet and close to activities. The people here are great, and they have an excellent "Kissing Fish" bar and restaurant. It's a reasonable cost for breakfast, coctails and the occasional pizza.
Regularly, friends will join me here even if they are staying in other resorts.
The staff does a great job maintaining the rooms, property and the pool.
2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
I expected more from the hotel.Visited: January 2007
Posted by tlc
This is a nice resort, but some of the property was not open.
The staff was a little rude, and the food was not fabulous. We were glad we didn't do all inclusive.
It's in a good location, and the room was excellent, though. We would return.
2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
La Vista, Simpson Bay (Dutch side) traveler review
It would be good for basic accommodations only.Visited: December 2007
Posted by island_hopper
This small resort had very few sponsored activities, and no list of nearby activities and places to do them (e.g. diving, kayaking, windsurfing, zip lines, butterfly farm).
I may be spoiled by resorts with concierge staffs that help you plan activities, but I felt like precious time was lost researching, finding and scheduling activities on my own.
The small office and adjacent Internet access room were open only until 6:00 pm, and there were times I wanted Internet access or other assistance planning activities after that time.
In my studio unit: a) the microwave did not work, b) despite keeping doors always closed, I killed one or two mosquitoes in my room each night, c) five of 13 TV channels would drop out from several minutes to several days at a time, d) there was a permanent planter box mounted to the floor in the kitchen, making it awkward to position the kitchen table, e) bare hooks on a white wall showed where some type of art previously hung.
Two people primarily staffed the small office. Debbie was extremely helpful. Anna was not.
3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
Am I ever glad we did not pay full price!Visited: December 2007
Posted by eds3
St. Maarten was a beautiful island with lots to do, and perfect weather, and I would go back in a heartbeat. However, I must say, I would never stay at the Great Bay again.
The buffet was nothing to be desired. It was horrible, in fact - and a health inspector's dream. The omelet station seemed to be the only highlight for breakfast, until I got up there. There was raw egg all over where the guy was working (in 80 degree weather). Also, there was not a sink, soapy water, or even a cloth to wipe it in sight. The man would be there for hours, and never clean the egg up. Ewwwww!
In addition, quite often, there was food without a sneeze guard over it...especially at lunch. Again...ewww! I wonder what the kitchen looked like?
For dinner, if you're sick of the buffet there were two restaurants. The first one we tried was called Molasses. It was aptly named considering the speed of service we received.
The stale two-week old roll was the first thing we "enjoyed" at this restaurant. My husband ordered a jerk chicken appetizer thinking in the Caribbean it's bound to be great. It was the worst jerk anything either of us tried.
My "teriaki" chicken consisted of a breaded cutlet and plum sauce...plum sauce? That was just the highlight of that adventure.
At the other restaurant, LaCucina, they served..you guessed it...the same two-week old rolls to start. I referred to it as "Lack-a-flavor". It proved to be just as undesirable as the rest of the food at the resort. The one plus was the Monday night BBQ at the buffet.
Service was much like the food. It left a bad taste in my mouth. It really did seem like a chore for the staff to even do their job, let alone be pleasant. The activities staff seemed the nicest, though. And we did have Jessica at the front desk help us out a great deal...so props to a few of them.
the rooms were musty. It was annoying for the most part. With a mold allergy, I felt like I was going to die. Again, shout outs to Jessica. I explained my situation (the allergy, and the fact that I am pregnant and can't take anything for it), and she had us a room that was on the top floor later that day. I found the room after that to be fine. The view, once we moved, was amazing!
In a nut shell, if you get a great deal, sure, stay here. However, go knowing you are going to want to get out to eat a few (or more) times. And, go knowing the place looks nothing like the web-site.
21 users found this review helpful. 4 found this review unhelpful.
We have been returning to Mary's Boon for ten years. St. Maarten is a wonderful island, with beautiful beaches beyond your stateside imagination.
Yet, there are days that the traffic and local personalities try our patience. Mary's Boon is our respite away from the tourist stressors.
We look forward to seeing the same friendly staff each year, although their reserved, quiet approach may not be interpreted as warm hospitality by some who have written here.
Mary's Boon is a small hotel, with conveniences abounding - if you only ask. We love the location. Simpson Beach is a quiet gem; we spend at least half of our two-week stay right here rather than fighting traffic to get to some of the other busy beaches frequented by cruise passengers looking for action.
We enjoy the airport location, a unique opportunity to view the "big birds" from such a close location. In addition, we have never been disturbed by noise after midnight. Then when it is time to leave, our trip to the airport is a very predictable five-minute drive.
Mary's Boon is not the Ritz, but it is has an island quality that puts it way above the franchise hotels copied over and over around the world. You'll want to come back!
2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
It was an awesome view and setting, but very average service.Visited: July 2007
Posted by mwalker
We just returned from a week at this hotel, and overall were pleased. Like any resort, there were good and bad aspects of our stay.
Positive: The view and location on the beach were second to none. There was a mountain backdrop, and the water was extremely blue and fairly clear. The sand was white, but wasn't very soft as it was basically ground up seashells. This wasn't really a problem, just an observation. There were plenty of beach chairs and umbrellas available as well.
We did the all-inclusive, and the two restaurants were the way to go for dinner! We somehow had the same server, named Dawn, each night, and she was exceptional.
At the Italian restaurant, there was a man paying a guitar for entertainment, and he was very good as well. We also had moments of good service at the lunch and breakfast buffet.
Negative: Overall, the service here was extremely rude! I'm trying to chalk some of it up to cultural differences, but that can only account for so much.
The bartender at the bar by the buffet was the worst part by far - his name was Jose. I wouldn't hesitate to fire him in a heartbeat if I ran this hotel. The overall feeling I got from many of the servers and hostesses was that our being there was a huge inconvenience to them.
As for the food, like I mentioned above, the restaurants were quite good, but the buffet left much to be desired. The breakfast portion was pretty good, but lunch and dinner were sometimes almost unedible.
My wife is a huge seafood fan, but even she couldn't stomach what they served in that arena at the buffet. Everything was covered in different sauces, and from day to day there just wasn't much variety.
One evening they did have a barbeque, which was very good. However, other than that, I wouldn't recommend the buffet for dinner - and I'm quite sure you'll get tired of it for lunch. It would have been great to have some other options, especially on a more round the clock basis. Also, there was no room service, so if you feel like eating at a strange time, you're just out of luck.
If doing the all-inclusive, also be prepared for some strange rules. For example, wine (like other drinks) is included...except at the Italian restaurant where you do have to pay for it. This seemed odd considering the night before I had wine at no additional cost in the other restaurant.
All in all, we had a great trip, and would definitely go back to St. Maarten...just maybe not to the Great Bay. Like I said, there were some real high points, such as our server Dawn, and of course the view. Just don't go there expecting to be treated as a welcomed guest by most of the staff.
60 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful.
Ours was a "home away from home" vacation!Visited: March 2007
Posted by paulak
In my opinion, the Towers is a five-star resort! Some of these posts reflect otherwise. I think these reviews were by vacationers looking for a cruise ship/resort style vacation that has parties and activities all day and night long.
The Towers prides itself on being a private resort. The pool is very quiet (which is a joy to most people). Of course, there is a Tuesday night open bar cocktail party.
The island has so much going on all the time, it is nice to come home and relax in a ocean side/Lagoon pool with ocean winds and a bar where people are not acting crazy and drunk. Although sometimes the residents do have fun, but in a home-like atmosphere. If you want wild nightlife, drive up the street two- to five minutes, and you will have it!
Do not come to SXM without renting a car. It is a beautiful island to explore. The food on the French side is the best. Grand Case rules!
Also, visit as many beaches as you can. They all have their beauties!
The staff will bend over backwards for you if they know you appreciate them. Many vacationers abuse the rooms and don't tip them. Life is hard for them on SXM, as the cost of living is high. If you appreciate them in the slightest bit at the start of you vacation, they will do anything for you.
Also, a little hint: they would love if you tell them you will leave your food and beverage for them when you leave the island. Basically, if you treat them like people and not servants, they will do the same for you!
I hope I helped you decide if The Towers is the vacation destination for you. I know my whole family loves it and can't wait to come here again, and we range in ages from 14 years to 51 years!
26 users found this review helpful. 4 found this review unhelpful.
This is a beautiful part of the island, but the property needs work.Visited: June 2007
Posted by oncebittentwiceshy
The Towers is desperately in need of renovation. Nothing has been updated - it would appear - since it was first constructed.
The bed linens were threadbare, and the furnishings were uncomfortable. Also, there were absolutely no amenities. It left me wondering how this could be gold crown rated.
A car is a must in this area.
12 users found this review helpful. 4 found this review unhelpful.
Notice the dates on the good reviews! 
We had the best time! 
It was a decent resort with terrible service. 
This is a fabulous resort! 
