Hotel L'Esplanade - St. Martin/St. Maarten

In the pretty village of Grand Case, L'Esplanade Caraibes sits perched "on the
hill, above the rest," like the brochure says. The five-year-old condominium
resort enjoys panoramic views of the town and its harbour, which attracts an
eclectic crowd of yachters. It's a short walk to the beach and the town's too-
good-to-be-missed restaurants, although the view from the resort is so
splendid, you may not want to leave.

Nestled against a bluff, the resort's two-and-a-half story stucco structure
sparkles with wood and tile accents on its facade. And the exterior polish is
carried indoors to your studio, loft or one-bedroom suite.

The studios boast most of the features of the more expensive suites, except for
the separate sitting and kitchen area. The air-conditioned units come with an
oceanview balcony; television and phone, and a full kitchen with a four-burner range,
oven, refrigerator, coffee maker, toaster and cooking and dining accessories.

The loft suites on the upper floors are worth the extra cost, even if the
double sofa bed goes unused. In addition to more space and all the amenities,
you get a master bathroom upstairs, a partial bath downstairs, and a king bed.

If relaxing on the premises is more your style, you can lull away the hours on
your terrace or swim in the large pool below your room and have a drink.