Hello thank you for letting me join your group . I use tripadvisor and cruise critic and finding another source is great! We (hubby & I) have opportunity at timeshare in December this year at either Oyster Bay Beach Club or Simpson Bay Resort & Marina. We are in our 60's, not drinkers really - enjoy the beach & sight seeing. We have been to St. Martin twice already but it's been 10+ years. Wondering which of the two resorts would be best suited for close proximity to good beaches, restaurants? We will have a rental car and driving daily is no issue. So any good or bad info concerning the two resorts would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance. - Brenda

Sure you don't have any other choices? Oyster Pond is beautiful a bit out of the way and just a few nearby restaurants and no great beach without a drive.

Simpson Bay Resort has a small beach. That area is busy, lots of good restaurants but nothing unique, heavy traffic, very little parking and no sidewalks for walking places, several bars but you're not drinkers.

As someone in my 60's I 'd chose Oyster Pond and rent a car to drive to all the beautiful beaches on the island, some with places to eat.

I'll send you a private message. Look for a flashing envelope next to your name.

If it were ME, I'd choose Simpson Bay Resort. You are in the heart of Simpson Bay, with tons of great restaurants close by, a decent beach there at SBR, but close to Mullet Bay Beach and Simpson Bay Beach. All of the units at SBR have been renovated within the past couple of years. Not sure about OBBR. I know some of the units there are renovated, but I don't think all have been. I am not partial to Oyster Bay, because there is not much right there in Oyster Pond that I am that interested in, and while there are a few restaurants there, there are many more, close to SBR, as well as casinos and nightlife. I am not fond of driving that road to OBBR at night, as there are large ditches by the side of the road. OBBR is closer to Orient than SBR though.

Thank you both. Looking forward to hearing more RonDon when you have the time. No those are my only two options. We are fairly early eaters for dinner - say 6:00pm and would likely head back to condo after that. So not out late. Gosh we sound boring! The tripadvisor reviews are better for OBBC than Simpson but they are pretty close. Most agree the beach at OBBC is better...from pictures I can't really tell if Dawn beach is easy walking distance or not. I obviously need to do more research . My week choices are 12/16-12/23 or 12/9-12/16...airfare lower for the 12/16 week..don't know if it makes a difference on the island from one week to the next. Another question - water temp in December? Comfortable? upper 75's to 80's? Thank you again..feel like I am asking too much!!

Honestly, do not put too much stock in Trip Advisor reviews. They can be swayed by many different things. And as I said, SBR just finished a major renovation of all rooms in the resort and so older reviews could be still there from before the renovation.

Water temperature in December is definitely cooler than in summer. That time of year could be a problem with what they call the Christmas winds. It's often pretty windy around that time, so it could feel cooler because of that. As between those weeks, 12/9 to 12/16 would probably be less crowded on island than the week after. The weather should be about the same for both weeks.

Oh, and I forgot to say--welcome!!

I would go with Simpson Bay Resort and Marina.

Hi - I see you made it over here from TA. Dawn beach is far better than the one at the Simpson Bay Resort and yes you can access Dawn beach directly from Oyster Bay resort, just walk down a staircase and short tunnel to the beach.

If you want more nightlife Simpson Bay is the place to be, many restaurants, casinos bars all within walking distance.

Me, too. From December on we often read comments about people staying on Orient and Dawn beaches having to flee to the Simpson Bay/Mullet Beaches due to the Christmas winds. I read about sand ablation and being 'pelted' by the sand but since we generally prefer Mullet and Simpson we've not had the experience personally. Besides which, there really are a lot more restaurants that are convenient to the Simpson Bay Resort. My daughter stayed there in March before her timeshare week started and thoroughly enjoyed the location and the fact there was so much they could do without having to drive to do it.

I would definitely choose the Simpson Bay Resort as well. Oyster Pond area is fine, but a lot more isolated if you want a quiet area. I have stayed in both areas and I much prefer being close to good restaurants and beaches in the Simpson Bay area. I like the Orient Beach area too and often travel for the beach there during the day.As Carol said Trip Advisor does not always give accurate reviews so beware of that.

Gosh, you guys are split it seems . Does SBR have a beach you can walk to on property? If I don't want to go anywhere one day, that would be nice perk to just laze about. It seems OBBR does have that. Not much of a pool person prefer the ocean. On the upside if I take too long to decide, one of them will fall off being available and I won't have a decision to make . I'm feeling that neither place is "great" but neither place is awful either!

Dawn Beach is right next to OBBR, not a long walk at all. There are a few places to eat. I think it would be much quieter at night.

SBR has it's own man made beach if you do not feel like leaving the resort. One problem you may have is the walk back up the hill from the beach to the A, B or C buildings. I am sure you don't know where on the resort you will be. We used to own there when it was Pelican Resort and we were in the C building. At the end of a long beach day, the walk up that hill can be tough.

That being said, I would still choose SBR. There is much more to do in the area. Many more restaurants. And you are renting a car so getting to the many prettier beaches SXM has to offer we be an option.

Just my own 2 cents. Whichever you choose, enjoy your stay. Have Fun

bbfg,

Regardless of where you stay there will be pluses and minuses to almost all choices. And yes, Simpson Bay Resort does have its own beach. I think the trade offs are part of the process.

The reason so many opt for the Simpson Bay Resort is obviously because of its convenience to so many things many of us want/need to make our vacations more enjoyable. But these are some of the reasons people will say the same thing about the Dawn Beach area.

If I were in your case and really didn't have a true preference, I think I'd still opt for Simpson Bay Resort and the convenience, knowing the drive to the 'other' side is a lot easier in daylight. But we're of an age when a lot of nighttime driving in areas we're not totally familiar with really matters.

In the end, either is nice and both are good choices. I doubt you'll be disappointed either way. Good luck on your choice.

I think SBR. There is Kim Sha Beach, an easy drive. If you just want to lay around this is fine.
Plus Buccaneer Beach Bar for bar food and grocery store right down the hill.
Peli Deli, casino, lots of stuff to do in that area.
Good views too! Lot's of yachts that time of year.
cheers
irina

Another consideration, while Dawn Beach is a nice beach it is also more prone to seaweed as is Orient. Nobody can predict when seaweed might be an issue but it is almost always less prevalent at other beaches.

The island is not that big but you will have to drive longer distances to most activities if staying in the Dawn Beach area. As others have stated, it is rather isolated.

Yes, there are two beaches. One is right on the property and the other one is beside Buccaneer Beach Bar next door. Just book The Simpson Bay Resort. You can't go wrong with that choice! Enjoy your trip when the time comes.

Another vote for SBR. I would say the two closest beaches which are very good are Mullet and Simpson Bay Beach which are very short drives.

There are very few times that everyone here agrees on something, and there's no reason why we should. By my informal count, the great majority here would vote in favor of SBR. Regardless of where they choose, I think the OP will enjoy their trip!

I would suggest Simpson Bay Resort and Marina. You have a variety of many restaurants and bars in the immediate area and if you want calm water there is Kim Sha beach.

When we stay on the Dutch side we find ourselves spending a least one day at Kim Sha where it's guaranteed to be calm and I can float around without dodging the waves. It's also a good excuse to eat at Buc's and visit Greenhouse for Happy Hour.

By all means I would stay at Simpson Bay Resort. Some of the most beautiful sunsets right out your front balcony or patio. You'll maybe get a sunrise at OBBR if your up early and have a view to the east but no sunset. Better beach conditions at SBR that time of the year too. More options staying at SBR.

Thank you all - wow, such a helpful board I have found thanks to RonDon on tripadvisor. I have a little time before I have to decide but I'm certain I will enjoy wherever we stay...there just aren't really bad days on vacation .

Good attitude! And so true.

I would go for SBR in a heartbeat. I will admit I am a bit biased 'cuz we have been going there for over 15 years.

We are in our mid-60's and walk just about everywhere except for Happy Bay and Sunset Bar although we have done that (SSB) walk a couple of times.

As was mentioned there are plenty of restaurants, a couple of decent beaches but, with a car, you have MANY beach options. Units were all updated and , yes, there is a hill depending on which unit you get. We stay in the upper B building 5th floor so we have the most hill of any building but it is fine...and good exercise. They do have an every 15 minute shuttle that will go from check in to any building if you choose that method..

A nice walk down to the drawbridge and you can see some of the largest private yachts in the world go by you.

Casino on site if that's your bag. Supermarket just "down the hill (different one <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" />)" and definitely a car event for ease of return. Four tennis courts also.

I will agree, traffic is bad at times (most times) but this is not unique to Simpson Bay...there is just a LOT of cars.

Good luck

I will be the contrarian that each string here seems to require. We hate Simpson Bay and love OBBR. We are exchangers so we are restricted to what is available through Interval. We were a bit disappointed with our first experience at OBBR but we soon concluded we were guilty of comparing SXM resorts to those in the States. Once we got over that we came to enjoy OBBR greatly.

The fact that it is a bit remote is what we like about it. There are several great restaurants there as well as choices for pizza if we want to take one to the room. We are not night life people and prefer to spend most of our time on the beach at Club O. OBBR is a short drive from Orient.

On our last trip (and the one we are taking the first week of May) the Westin was available. It is a significant step up from OBBR so we will stay there when we can but OBBR would be our preference over Simpson Bay--no contest.

I'm surprised Norm has not chimed in, he is an owner at OBBR and can provide much.

I would definitely go with SBR. Much more to do in that area and water is typically much calmer. We are both 60 and have been going to St. Maarten for over 20 years.

I didn't read all the replies, so forgive me if I'm repeating what others have said. We stay at La Vista Beach, which is right over the hill from SBR, and we find the area to be very convenient. That said, we always travel to different beaches during the day, as we prefer those on the French side for the most part. Still, returning to the Simpson Bay area in the evening allows for convenient access to a plethora of restaurants, many of which I find to be quite unique (sorry Rosemary, but I have to disagree with you on that one). You can find just about any cuisine you want within a ten minute drive of SBR, and plenty of choices if you prefer to just walk.