I'm looking for suggestions of places to stay near Simpson Bay (my in-laws stay at Flamingo Beach and we want to stay near them). We have been to St. Maarten twice (we stayed at Flamingo Beach in 2006 and Towers at Mullet Bay in 2015) and both times used timeshares but this time we have to rent something. We will be staying December 16th-23rd 2017 and it will just be my wife and I.

You will find many rentals on this site - the sister operation of RCI open to the general public and AARP members save 25% on many bookings - a little early for December 2017 - I suggest checking back in two months and forward for availability.
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Maybe try AirBnB

You can also rent directly from Diamond for Flamingo or Royal Palm.

I really don't know what you want from your note. What is your budget? I assume it's just two people? Do you want to be on the beach? Do you need cooking facilities?? Hard to know what to recommend..

Just to be sure, what do you mean by having "used timeshares" in the past? For instance, did you rent someone's timeshare or were given someone's timeshare to use?
And,by saying you "have to rent something" are you looking for a villa?
Because it is fairly easy to rent someone's timeshare through VRBO or TUG if you haven't already considered that.

Thank you everyone for your help!

I was given someone's timeshare to use previously. We prefer to be on the beach and cooking facilities isn't a necessity, other than having a microwave and fridge. I never thought about VRBO/TUG or renting directly from diamond (thought they were timeshare only).

What's wrong with staying at the Flamingo?? Very nice place.

Here is a link to timeshare rental sites, if you want to check out rentals at Flamingo or other timeshares, through owners.

You can also rent them through regular rental places, like Travelocity, etc., if you are interested in Flamingo in particular. Flamingo itself is on the ocean, but not all units there have an ocean view. If you don't necessarily want to be in the exact same resort, I might recommend LaVista Beach, which is very close to Flamingo. They are a much smaller resort than Flamingo, all units right on the ocean (although truthfully there's not a good beach there). I personally LOVE Beachside Villas, which are as ON the beach as you can get in SXM. For December, a bit pricier, but fantastic ocean views!