Some very good suggestions here.

I would second Royal Islander Club Le Plage for a first visit and also the idea of getting your car the day after you arrive. I believe there is a Hertz office right there and there are countless eating and drinking places across the street and adjacent to the entire Maho Village area.

I also suggest the ride around the island as one of your first best things to do. There is so much to see and experience on this island and it really is a very easy drive with basically one main road that goes around the entire island. Familiarizing yourself with the bridge and causeway opening times is also a good thing to do to make your drive more pleasant. Traffic around presumed 'rush hour times' - I know - hard to think of rush hour on an island, but people do live there and have to get to their jobs - can be heavy so keep that in mind, too.