Good afternoon, all:

A most pleasant Friday and weekend to everyone.

@vacanakey: That is a long story. Short answer - we ended up renting a unit in Orient Village from a local rental management company. We had used them before, but they rebranded themselves and their name. The unit we stayed at was in the last set of buildings furthest away from Orient Square (and thus closest to the Club O Beach.) It was excellent. A one bedroom that could in theory - if everyone was super close or family - accommodate 4 people. Second floor unit with a great balcony. We prefer this location as it is a short walk to the Club O beach area and Orient Square. We have stayed in other units within the Orient Village complex as well. They are all more or less the same - our experience thus far. We do prefer a second floor unit to a first floor unit, though.

Medium Story in short hand: We initially booked through VRBO/HomeAWay about 12 months in advance. We use VRBO/HomeAway/AirBnB a fair amount. About a month after the confirmed booking, we were told that the unit had sold, and the new owners no longer wished to take vacation rentals. It would have been nice if the listing agent had indicated the unit was for sale on the listing, but I also understand why they would not wish to do that. We booked another unit through VRBO, pre-paid and let time pass. About a week before we were scheduled to arrive on SXM, I had not heard from the owner and sent an e-mail. The owner replied that they had never accepted my booking, and the unit was not for rent. I was a bit frantic at this point. I had paid immediately, as required, and now had to find a new unit and try to get my money back. I would share the name of the individual, but that may be against forum rules? Let's refer to her as Ms C. B. I believe she lives on the island for at least part of the year. Long story short, I involved VRBO (who were not as helpful as I would have expected - no sense of urgency on their part) and was ultimately able to secure a refund from Ms. C. B.. She never did tell me why the sudden decision to no longer rent (or how she could have "forgotten" I had paid her and received confirmation e-mails from her.) Fortunately, with 3 days left before departure, I was able to secure another unit. On the upside, I actually made a bit of money on the refund since the exchange rate had moved in my favor since I made the payment. I'm not sure I would use VRBO/HomeAway/AirBnB in the future now (which is sad.)

Fair thee all well,
S&M