TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Villa Advice

Hello--we've been on the BVI forum for years and have been intrigued about the idea of a St. Maarten/St. Martin trip. We're finally pulling the trigger!

We're hoping some of you regulars can help us find the right villa. It will be just my wife and me, next April or May and probably for 3 weeks.

I'll be working parts of most days and will need reliable, relatively fast internet access. We'll be coming from winter in the mountains and will need A/C--preferably central.

We'll rent a car to explore, eat out, etc. But it would be nice to be relatively close to a good beach or two. We don't need to be on the water but a great view of it is a must. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Eric

Eric--I would say that, from a price standpoint, May would probably be a better choice, as many places go down in price sometime in April.

When you say a 'villa', does that mean a standalone villa? And what is your budget? There are a LOT of condos in SXM that provide your own living space, but not technically a stand alone villa, per se. Are you looking for something with ultimate privacy and your own private pool? If you don't need a total private stand alone villa, Beachside Villas sounds perfect for you. It is RIGHT on Simpson Bay Beach, and a great value, for what you get, directly on what I think is the BEST beach on SXM. Or, if you want a totally private villa, we just completed an amazing stay at Villa Canoua, amazing views out toward Anguilla, walking distance to Happy Bay, and an easy drive to Orient Beach or Friars Bay. Canoua has a better internet connection, as far as speed, but Beachside internet is very reliable. Canoua is obviously a lot more expensive, but it depends on what you want. Both are TTOL sponsors. Click on the TTOL sponsors list, for links to both of their websites. Both have a/c in the living room and bedroom.

I have not had time to do a proper trip report from Canoua, or a review of the villa itself, as we just returned yesterday, but would be happy to answer any questions about it. I have stayed at Beachside Villas MANY times and I think it provides the ultimate in a comfortable home on island, for off season prices that are much less than a private villa.

Thanks Carol. I'll check out both Beachside but we're looking for more privacy than typically found in a condo setting. We're focusing on standalone villas. Private pool would be nice but not required. Budget is not set in stone but we were hoping to stay at or under $300/night.

This will be our first time on SXM. How does the Happy Bay area compare to Simpson Bay? We want reasonable access to good restaurants/bars but we always gravitate to the quieter side of islands.

Thanks again for your help.

In addition to Canoua, we're looking at a villa on the point between Indigo Bay and Little Bay. No reviews on Homeaway. Anyone have a sense of what that area is like? Thanks.

If you're looking for three weeks in April or May, I figure you might be able to get a deal on Canoua, for a longer period of time like that, IF they have availability. You can look at their calendar for next year and see. Canoua definitely has a VERY private pool. I have started on a review of Canoua, which I hope maybe to be able to post this weekend, not sure.

Regarding Simpson Bay versus Happy Bay, uhmn, totally different. I gather you've never been to SXM before?? I think you should do some reading here on the board, to decide what area of the island would be better. Happy Bay is on the French side and is 5 minutes from Grand Case and Orient Village. Happy Bay is a beach that is totally inaccessible, except on foot. There are no facilities there, other than one fellow who comes in and cooks there occasionally. Happy Bay is walking distance from Canoua, yes, if you are pretty physically fit. I did not attempt the walk, as I have knee issues. Simpson Bay AREA is the most built up on SXM. There are many bars, restaurants, and casinos in that area.

I'm unclear when you're talking about the location of this other villa you are thinking about. Can you give an actual listing for the property? To ME, I doubt I would want to be in that area, if it is where I think it is, as it would be a fair distance drive to restaurants at night.

Yes, first time to SXM. Here's the listing for the other villa: https://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p651606vb?adultsCount=2&noDates=true

Thanks again.

Villa Islandtude is available beginning the second half of April. I sent you information in a private message.
Russ

That's definitely down in Indigo Bay development. Neither Carol nor I will drive down that road! lol

I agree that Villa Islandtude is a fabulous suggestion. We have stayed there several times and the property, view, pool (very private), and neighborhood are the best.

Oh, H*LL no. Not for me, in a MILLION years. VERY far from anything, and you wouldn't get me on that road to Indigo Bay for ANYTHING. That's the standard very modern looking villa, which most or many people want, but no WAY I would stay there. If that's the look that you want, Canoua will not be for you, but there are plenty of villas on island that would suit your taste, that are in MUCH easier places to stay than there. No..

Don't know much about Villa Islandtude, as I haven't viewed it. It is a pretty large villa, which I would have thought would have been more than your budget. But SXMLovers own it (which they should have said in their response), so they should know what they would rent it for.

Like the tub at Villa Island. Difficult to find normally.

Carol,
Sorry if my post to Eric was inappropriate, it was intended simply to alert him that I had sent him a private message. My private message to him gave information, a link, and a price that we could offer on our villa, with the link also showing me as the owner. I purposely did not provide a link or try to sell the villa on TTOL. Villa Islandtude was a sponsor for one year on TTOL, and your recollection of the villa that it is large is correct. Please feel free to take my post down as inappropriate and I will be more careful on any future posts.
Apologies,
Russ

Russ--you are fine, just when you respond on the board, please state that you are the owner of the villa.

Just checked today and Canoua is available for May so make a quick decision. It books quickly. I think April was fully booked.

We've stayed many places on SXM and to us Beachside Villas is the best compromise between a resort condo and a private villa in that there are only 14 units on a beautiful beach, quiet. Last March visit we shared the pool with 2 people only. Inside the villa we felt like we were at home. Never heard or saw many people. WI-FI was quick. What we liked most was feeling a bit isolated but not really. Where as, God forbid, had we had an emergency we wouldn't have to phone for help, wait while they located the villa. As I said a compromise between condo and private villa.

What's the back story with this road?????

It's a road on the side of a mountain, with a HUGE drop off on the side. I'm afraid of heights.

Thanks for all the help. We'll look at Beachside Villas.

We enjoyed Sunrise Villa, there are two by that name on the island, the one up the hill from Orient beach is where we stayed. It was pricy but fantastic and private.

Eric- If you have any questions about Beachside, feel free to post here or send me a PM.

I am really confused. Where is the drop-off? I drove to the new beach bar, and there was certainly no drop-off on that paved road.

I'm talking about what you can see of the road from Cake House Hill, but never mind.

We have stayed in several different villas in TERRES BASSES on the French side. All were Wonderful. You can book them through FrenchCaribbean.com ans several other sites. I think this is what you are looking for.

My impression is that most of those villas are larger there, and thus might be out of the poster's price range. Do you have a suggestion for particular villa(s) that would suit their needs?

Some larger villas in Terres Basse will rent fewer rooms. The inquirer can search on http://www.carimo.com/ They list the villas by room size. I have been renting from them for over 20 years. I like them, because if you have any problem whatsoever, they address it them same day. If they find that an owner does not keep up their property, they drop them from their listing.