March 27 – April 3 Trip Report
Airline - USAirways from CLT. Within 30 minutes of listed departure and arrival times. All seats were as reserved. Everything was standard USAirways. Nothing special to report.
Rental Car – AAA. We reserved via email. We were met at the airport and our Suzuki jeep was right there. We hopped in and were off. Myra stopped by the hotel later to finalize the paperwork. We returned the vehicle to the airport and they were there waiting for us. This is our second time using AAA and we can’t say enough how pleased we were. The service is OUTSTANDING!!!
Hotel – L’Hoste Hotel. This was our third time staying at L’Hoste and we loved it. The hotel is clean and comfortable with a great location. Fred (night) and Karl (day) were outstanding hosts. We will go back again!!!!!
Is OB Clothing Optional? – I’ve seen this debated many times over many forums. I will now share with you my personal experience. On Wednesday afternoon at about 4:40 I was walking down OB in a most natural state (I was sober, flaccid, and quietly whistling my favorite song) when a gendarme rushed up to me yelling quite loudly. He none too politely informed me that this kind of behavior was for in front of the ClubO property only and he would fine me if he caught me again. While I endured his tirade, streams of other people in the same attire as myself walked right by. The whole week I never saw anyone else reprimanded. I found the gendarme’s behavior unacceptable, He had the opportunity to be polite, but instead found it important to protect society by literally screaming. I was quite polite to him and used my very best “yes sirs.”
Food – We are not big gourmet eaters. We usually go for simple basic food that is of good value. Here are some places where we ate:
Madras – L’Hoste restaurant by the pool.
· Breakfast is provided each morning. We probably ate there about half of the time. B
· Dinner/drinks are available in the evening. David and Fred (female) are the proprietors. This was a favorite. We spent many evenings here in the casual friendly atmosphere. The food is great, but with a limited menu. The other Fred (male) is the cook. Sitting here feels like you are at a neighborhood establishment with friends (new and old) coming and going for a bite to eat or a cocktail. A+++
Talk of the Town – LoLo in Grand Case. We ate here twice and it is a favorite. Great Ribs! The prices are some of the most reasonable on the island. A
Le Fish Bar – In the Orient Square. Good food. Service could be better and credit cards are not accepted. We had Ceveche, Fish Fondue, and Pate. All were good. B (improve the service and accept CC and it would be an A).
LaPlaya – Beach Bar for L’Hoste – Great food, good service. We had burgers, fish, salads, etc. all were good with consistent quality. Julian is the best beach boy we have had. Emily is a great waitress and we enjoyed seeing her again this year. A
Bamboo Bernies – Near the airport. Sushi was good. Emily from LaPlaya waitresses here at night. Service was great (thanks Emily). Wednesday night is Ladies night. Lots of young ladies taking advantage of free drinks at the bar. We had a great time dancing. A
Calmos Café – Grand Case. Fair food, slow service and an outstanding location. The unreal location on the beach makes us not mind the slow or indifferent service. The food is average. Location, Location, Location. B (the location saves it)
Los Gauchos – Phillipsburg. Great food, Outstanding staff, Immaculate dining room. See the TTOL Party review. A+++
Papagayo – Club Orient. New painting of the building and new tables are a plus. Maude is a good waitress. The food was passable, but uninspiring. B
Baywatch – Orient Beach. WOW! The Mussels and Chicken Philly are outstanding. Cheryl and Adrianne were great hosts. The view and attire requirements throw it over the top. A+++
TTOL Party – Los Gauchos - Lisa is one of the co-owners. We had tapas and drinks. All were outstanding! Service was superb! We will definitely dine here in the future.
Do yourself a favor and attend a party when you are in SXM. We knew no one and had a great time. Lots of great casual conversation.
Here are some pictures of the party:
http://groups.msn.com/sxmphotos/ttolpartymarch282004.msnwSt. Barts – Met another great couple and decided to day trip to St. Barts with them. Took Voyager (ferry) over, as all of the flights were booked. We had a great time. Expensive island!
Tiko Tiko – Just as good as the first time! Sun, swimming, food, drink and mud. The people always make this fun.
DK Jewelers – We met Deepti at the TTOL party. What a nice person. I had planned to purchase a piece of jewelry for my wife and made a point of privately talking with Deepti at the party. Upon arrival we asked for her and spent about an hour shopping for just the right piece. Deepti never applied pressure and told us up front that because of TTOL she would quote us a great, but fair price that we were welcome to shop around with other stores. We made a purchase that we are extremely happy with. I must confess it was much less expensive than I expected. We will certainly go back to Deepti even electronically. The message is simple…if you want jewelry get in touch with Deepti!
Weather – We had one day of rain showers the rest were sunny or a few clouds. Certainly not the 10 days of rain someone had predicted!
It’s about the place and the people – After 3 trips to St. Martin we now really feel comfortable with the culture. Our evolution from our first trip has been subtle, but the rewards great. Our first trip we simply expected great service. We made no real small talk with the staff of the hotel or restaurant, no formal introductions. The service was always passable, but rarely outstanding.
Now, I always introduce myself. Offer a handshake immediately. Try to ask where they are from, and make other small talk. The results are nothing but spectacular. The service we receive is outstanding. However, the real reward is that we have met some really great people and had a window opened into their lives.
Here are some picutes:
http://groups.msn.com/sxmphotos/march27april32004trip.msnwNote: This is not a commercial post the writer has no commercial business connections with any of the merchants in this report.
