Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort and Casino - St. Martin/St. Maarten

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We had a great time - it was the best. Visited: April 2004 Posted by kel_53089 My husband and I went to the Great Bay Hotel thinking "What did we get ourselves into?" after reading all the negative reviews about it. But we were all booked, so that was that, and we were going. To our surprise, it was the nicest place in the world. The hotel was so pretty and clean, and the people were all nice. The food was good, and the drinks - let's just say the bartender kept them flowing! The views were the best I have ever seen. The room was really nice. It was kind of like a Holiday Inn room. Also, the island was a dream. Go - you will not regret it! We will be going back soon. 4 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was perfect. Visited: November 2003 Posted by soul_attitude I truly do not understand anyone who has not had a great time at Great Bay! Unless you only like five-star accommodations, this place is fantastic! Indeed, the only negative remark would be on updating the rooms. Other than this, the resort was huge, always something to do regardless of your age or the weather! We arrived in St. Maarten during a tropical storm, (which never happens) and enjoyed our five rainy days out of the seven! They had to dig a huge canal right there on the beach giving way to to big sand dunes to allow the water and rocks from the mountains/streets give way to the sea. It was an unbelievable sight! And hey, we loved every minute of it! In other words, this might have been the worst vacation for most because of the weather and having no access to the sea, but for us, just the food, entertainment and lest we forget great service, was enough to make this trip memorable. We will be back for the real Carnival in April! You have your pick between five languages and 80 different nationalities combined on this little island population of a mere 30,000! If you can, rent a jeep and tour the island in an hour! Just go and meet all these wonderful people, you won't regret it for one second. 3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? A very good hotel with great food and service. Visited: August 2003 Posted by sdifat_ We were two families from the states traveling for the first time in St. Maarten. We stayed at Great Bay Beach Hotel for five days and our stay was most enjoyable with many good memories. The hotel was very clean and the rooms were kept clean with towel changes twice a day. The food was very good with a lot of choices on entrees (I know what good food is!). My compliments to the chef! The staff could not have been more courteous and helpful. They were attentive to our every need. The beach was lovely and it was where we spent a lot of time. There was nightly entertainment and the casino was nice. We felt very safe on the island and we loved our stay at Great Bay Beach Hotel. We were very sad to leave. Yes, we all agreed we would love to return. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This place is a pit. Visited: May 2003 Posted by dwilliams21 The staff was very unknowledgeable about anything. Our room smelled of smoke or something, maybe mold. When opening the patio door, it was so noisy because the main road into town was right there. The beach was made from crushed seashells and very painful to walk on. The hotel has a policy of making you sign out umbrellas for the beach; if you don't return them you are charged $40. These umbrellas were all broken and wouldn't hold up in the slightest of winds. They were all taped together. We were not on the all-inclusive plan and when we paid for meals for what we received the food was marginal. I would recommend that this is not a keeper and we plan on never going back to this location. 3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We enjoyed our April Fool's stay. Visited: April 2003 Posted by annepaterson13 We first visited Great Bay in 2002 and then arranged to be married here on the beach on April 1, 2003. Fifty of our friends and family joined us and everyone enjoyed this hotel and island. The staff treated us like family on our return, and the hotel gave a wedding reception on the patio by the pool that was storybook. The rooms were big and clean with really nice washrooms, cable tv and air conditioning. The restaurants and bars were great - just like home. There were two pools, two restaurants, two bars and a casino. Michael in the bar will keep you laughing. You can rent sea-doos at the hotel for a tour of the island or walk ten minutes down the beach to Philipsburg - make sure to stop at Big Wave Beach Bar and say "hi" to Bob - he's the most friendly Dutchman on the island. We'll definitely be back. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This resort was amazing. Visited: April 2003 Posted by gotchaditzbris77 I have never had such a wonderful vacation as the one I had this past spring in St. Maarten. The hotel was wonderful because there was something for guests of every age to do. The location was great - the beach and pool combination provided for a healty variety. I especially enjoyed the evening activities in both the Chrysallis and the Golden Casino. I would not hesitate to return to St. Maarten and the Great Bay Beach Hotel in the future! 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Get a magnificent view from most areas of the resort. Visited: February 2003 Posted by missfidget Seven of us (from Ontario and New York), from ages 50 to 80 stayed at this resort in February 2003. Because of the low price and some of the negative reviews I had read, I was a little leery of the place. When we arrived, our assigned rooms were on the second floor with the smaller pool right outside our balcony. We requested different rooms on a higher floor, and in an hour or two we were moved. Our room was very nice (the balcony was very small) and the cleaning staff kept the rooms immaculate. The view was picture perfect (gorgeous) and every day different cruise ships were in the bay at Phillipsburg. One evening, the Disney Cruise Ship was there and you could see the Mickey Mouse head and ears lit up. It was very cute. There was an open-air restaurant and bar by the newer pool. You could sit there all day either in the sun or shade and feel the breeze (which you need). I had many pina coladas in the afternoon (delicious). We had the all-inclusive plan, and the food was good, but not spectacular. Italian night was really good. Top shelf beer, wine, liquors and mixed and frozen drinks were available and included if you had the all-inclusive plan. They had great bartenders! And the dining room staff went out of their way to seat all seven of us together. We were not impressed with the activity staff as they were hard to locate, and sometimes ignored us. Also, the nightly entertainment was marginal. The casino was small, but okay. On either Saturday or Sunday, there were vendors in the lower lobby and pool area selling clothing and crafts which supposedly were made locally. They offered lovely colorful dresses and beachwear at great prices. i shopped for me and had a blast! There were several unclean, stray dogs running on the beach looking for food, though. And of course, they did their business on the beach. But they were very sweet, and we felt sorry for them. The ocean was very warm, with a heavy undertow. And the beach was not soft, but seemed softer closer to Phillipsburg. You could walk the beach to Phillipsburg where shopping (jewelry) was amazing. I shopped for me again and had even more fun! Although I missed the crunching of the ice under my feet when I walked on the beach, I forced myself to tolerate the hot sunny weather for the week and tried not to complain too much. Even though we had the all-inclusive plan, we tipped the bartenders, waiters and cleaning staff as they worked very hard and provided excellent service which made our vacation wonderful. We would definitely stay here again, but would rent a car next time. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? An excellent property for the value. Visited: January 2003 Posted by coolheat We traveled to St. Maarten for the first time. Great Bay Beach was an excellent value for the money. The food was of good quality - especially the bacon and French toast, club house sandwiches and prime rib (not mentioning the ribs, chicken wings and hamburgers for afternoon snacks). The rooms were very clean with towel changes after supper and your beds turned down. We managed to lose money nightly in the casino, but it was great fun. The beach was beautiful and the resort had plenty of chairs on the beach and around the pool. There was no need to save chairs at 4:00 am in the morning. Best of all, the staff was very friendly and looked after the vacationer's every whim. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Complete dump Visited: December 2002 Posted by dyny1 Our bathroom didn't work, the water temp would change from burning hot to cold throughout your shower, the ac never cooled the room below 85 degrees, there were loads of roaches in the dining area, the lamp next to the bed didn't work, and when I sent a letter to the manager of the hotel (Mr. Dubourcq) to complain, he actually wrote back to me (in terribly broken English, I might add) to yell at and insult me!!! You should not even think about staying in this pit! Go to French St. Maarten, which is 1000 times nicer. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Nothing great about Great Bay. Visited: November 2002 Posted by aabdullah We picked this hotel because it offered a free night (and because my two friends are cheapskates). The staff (not all mind you) were very rude and unaccommodating, especially during meal times. Our room had a musty smell that lasted the entire trip (7 days) and whenever we tried to air it out via the patio door, we were greeted by an awful smell, which was coming from the dirty pond right next door to the hotel. In my opinion the beach is horrible! There is no sand at all, it appears as if you are stepping on crushed rocks and seashells and the water was very rough when I was there. I wouldn't recommend bringing children to this resort. If you do stay here, please get the all-inclusive package because we noticed a difference in the attitude of the staff if you do. Another thing that is a must on this island, you need to rent a car. I believe that saved us and made our trip to St. Maarten more enjoyable. Be sure to visit Pinel Island, go horseback riding (I suggest the French side), go to Maho and Orient Beach and take a day trip to Anguilla, which includes snorkeling at three locations that are beautiful. 0 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We were very pleased. Visited: August 2002 Posted by sierragm84 We had a wonderful time at the Great Bay Beach Hotel. The staff was very friendly and took good care of us at meal times (tipping helps). Most people don't tip figuring because its all-inclusive, but the staff work their butts off. Some of the activities didn't happen, but most did - although not usually on time. Island time is what we called it! The rooms were okay, nothing fancy but we didn't stay in the rooms much. The food was wonderful and the show was great. The entertainment in the lounge was very good, there was something different every night. We met a lot of nice Canadians, and only when a bunch of Americans arrived the day before we left did it get really noisy there. Yes, we would definitely come back here. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Was a little disappointing Visited: July 2002 Posted by tfermin The hotel was nice enough but there were a few things. My Husband picked this up, he said the staff did not look happy and when he mentioned it I noticed. The food was good but there was a bad smell coming from the bar area all the time. There was nothing much to do at night and the shows were not all that great. The casino staff and size was good. The room we had was very nice and the view even better. There is no a/c in the lobby or hallways which made for a hot walk to and from our room which was down a mazed hallway. There were a lot of families which made the 2nd pool which was supposed to be a quiet pool a little more noiser then we liked. We would not return to this hotel. And we would not do all-inclusive again in St Maarten. Food and drinks are cheap. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was "great" - just like the name! Visited: March 2002 Posted by alringer Of all the resorts we have been to, we have never met a nicer and more friendly staff than at Great Bay. This was also the best dollar value in the whole world, all things considered. If you compare price, you will not find another resort that offers all-inclusive meals and drinks, a gambling casino, a nightclub, a variety of watersports, daily activies, and tours at the fabulous low price of "Great Bay Beach Hotel and Casino". We started visiting St. Maarten in 1985 and have only missed one year since then. In 1996, we found Great Bay Hotel, and have been returning twice a year. We plan on making it a tradition! 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? There were long lines for meals and rooms smelled musty. Visited: February 2002 Posted by bunny_nw The hotel rooms smelled very musty. The line-ups just for seating at all three meal times at the buffet were unreasonable. Plus, people lined up half an hour before, just to get a table. The food was generally tasteless. The bar service was very slow - there was always a long line. The Casino was unfortunate - they only had two $5.00 bet blackjack tables for 200 people. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Great Bay Beach provides a good location. Visited: December 2001 Posted by txgrh I stayed here after returning from a Windjammer cruise for only for one night. It was not in the middle of Phillipsburg, but was within walking distance. It was close to the shops, beach, restaurants and was an excellent location for prior or post cruise stay. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Wow! Visited: August 2001 Posted by sophia What a breathtaking beach! However, we found the hotel to be mediocre. The rooms were very clean and spacious. The pool was very small. The two restaurants were so-so, but the drinks (especially the strawberry daiquiri) were excellent! The staff was also very courteous. By 10:00 p.m. everything stopped in the hotel (entertainment, drinks and food). For all drinks (excluding tropical drinks) you had to go to the casino. A car was a must to visit the island. We were within walking distance to Philipsburg, but the stores closed at 6:00 p.m. We would recommend this hotel for the price, but keep in mind that a car is a must! 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Great Resort Visited: June 2001 Posted by revrin If you are looking for 5-star service, you are not going to get it here! But if you are looking to get fed 4 times a day and all you can drink this is the place to be. The food here is great! But I warn you this is a place where steak and potato types will need to experiment. Breakfast buffet is standard anywhere in the world. Lunch is a mix of Caribbean treats such as red snapper. (No, this is not Snapping Turtle as one lady from Texas thought!) Jerk chicken, beef stews, rice, potato, and veggies, fresh bread and the sweetest fruit you've ever tasted are all there awaiting you! The mid afternoon, when one is slightly drunk, munchies served are great BBQ ribs and hamburgers with a wonderful salad. Dinner each night has a theme and if you don't sign up for the special dinners (Tuesday and Thursday night) you are out of luck. The dinner/dancing show is great if you go for dinner and leave! I'm serious! The alcohol is well plentiful and the beer is great. The beach has coarse sand but it does wonders for your feet! The water is warm and inviting. The topless women here do not appreciate morons with cameras! Don't take your camera to a nude beach because I saw 3 thrown into the ocean! This is a great resort if you like to serve yourself! If you are looking for someone to bring you a drink poolside, it’s not going to happen here. I loved this place. The 10-minute beach walk to downtown is great. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Fantanstic Visited: June 2001 Posted by jvance1 This was our third visit to the Great Bay Hotel. This time we traveled with another couple and we had a great time. The hotel staff is the nicest we have met and we travel at least three times a year. This hotel is a great value they are giving you three-star prices for four-star service. Take the all-inclusive option; it is well worth it. The food is great. You can have buffet or al la carte for breakfast and lunch. For dinner they have three nights al la carte and the rest are buffet style. The views from the hotel lobby and pool deck are beautiful. This hotel is very clean and the rooms are comfortable. We are planning on returning next year for two weeks. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Very nice indeed Visited: April 2001 Posted by Didipeter We enjoyed our week with the all-inclusive package. We had an oceanview room and loved seeing the sun come up and cruise ships come into the bay. Rooms were clean and simple. Fresh towels were brought twice a day and the bed was turned down in evening. Food at the buffet was good and there was lots of it. There was a different theme each night, i.e. Pasta Night, Seafood Night, BBQ etc. The service staff did a good job. The beach was in good shape. The sand was a bit coarse, but kept clean. Being at one side of the bay, the beach was semi-private. The pool/beach loungers and towels were in good supply. Two nice bus tours were included in all-inclusive plan. We felt quite safe on the short walk to Phillipsburg for shopping. Do not be surprised by North American facilities i.e. McDonalds, Burger King etc. all around, but there were nice local places, too. We have been to higher and lower rated hotels on other islands and I think this one is underrated in the travel books. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? A "great" place to stay Visited: September 2000 Posted by markgasmo My wife and I spent our anniversary week in prefect delight at Great Bay. The property and staff was very good, and the food was superb. The location was ideal for shopping in Phillipsburg. I recommend Great Bay to anyone, and hope to return there myself again soon. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. 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