TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Noise pollution at the Villas at Simpson Bay

The bars on Welfare Road have made occupancy at The Villas at Simpson Bay uninhabitable on Saturday and Sunday evenings. Are there no local noise ordinances that keep Toppers, La Bamba, The Soggy Dollar et al from deafening Villa residents? Want 8 weeks in the same unit? Got 'em!

I would sympathize with the owners who bought not knowing about the noise to come but not so much for a renter who knows in advance and still rents out 8 weeks.

I have read about complaints regarding the Soggy Dollar but I have not read about any actions taken to minimize the issue

Anybody remember when the Indiana Beach Bar was there? Same location as The Greenhouse and VERY LOUD just about every night.

Staying at Royal Palm we get some noise but it is usually done by a somewhat reasonable time. Noise abatement is pretty good in the units at Royal Palm so it is not so much an issue most of the time.

I sympathize with the residents having to put up with loud noise late in the night.
This is precisely the reason why when we bought our TS at Flamingo, we didn't care for being right on the beach, so we picked an interval in Villa 3, 2mn walk from the beach.
We have friends in building 7, ground level, right on the beach, and they could do without the noise and the smell of Topper's trash cans. We're glad to be able to enjoy quiet evenings and nights.

Amen on the noise at the Simpson Bay resort. I t gets worse each year for the 5 years or so we have been staying at the Villas.The Villas have the best location/ view of any place we have ever stayed. We like boats and planes.Sunday there was a DJ set up in the field across the street from La Bamba. They played the loudest music I ever heard from 5 PM till nearly 11 PM. LaBamba is terrible but this beat them hands down.La Bamba plays some nights until around 2 AM. You can not block the noise. Its sad that it spoils a vacation. Anyone that makes comments about knowing what you are going to get, has never tried to sleep at 2am with your entire building vibrating!

Sadly, BOTH of our Divi timeshares have this problem. The one in St Maarten faces Little Bay and the music at Gizmo's travels across the bay. We started requesting a room on Great Bay because the sound from Phillipsburg doesn't travel as much.
Our Divi timeshare in Aruba was lovely until they added a huge pool complex below our room. You can't get away from that noise!

Our unit at Divi faces Point Blanche and we sometimes hear music from across the bay but nothing too loud. Once a schooner was docked across the way, had mast lighted and a rocking party going on but no other noise problems.

i actually like the music coming across the bay at divi. it reminds me i am not home where all i hear are crickets, well in this case snow flakes!

This is why we stay in the Dawn Beach/Oyster Pond area. Quiet and peaceful.

If you think things are bad now, remember The News? People on Saba use to dance to the music that was coming from there.

I remember reading something in the Daily Herald a while ago (maybe a year or more) about officials cracking down on noise from Soggy Dollar and some other places. At that time, it was people from the area who complained. Sounds like people need to complain again..

A member of the management team at The Villas @ Simpson Bay told me that there are no noise ordinances on SXM and that when the authorities are approached about the blaring music, their response is "Well they have a permit." This is yet another insult to timeshare owners and renters that SXM scorns even as they suck up their cash to the tune of $50 a week for timeshare tax. Outrageous!

When we were staying at the Atrium, the noise was bad also. We asked management if there were noise ordinances and were told there was nothing they could do.

There are restrictions on the permits in terms of permissible noise level. I think this press release could be the article Carol was referring to. It contains an email to which complaints can be addressed.

I know the bar that used to occupy the current "Iguana Farm" was a chronic offender and was cited from time to time.

http://www.sintmaartengov.org/PressRelea...blishments.aspx

Actually, that is a much more recent press release than I remember, but it does seem to at least give somewhere for people to complain. I would suggest that people do complain. There is nothing worse to me than trying to sleep at night, when there is a boom-boom-boom bass drum going somewhere, or even worse, audible music.

Thank you! I'll give it a try.

That's why you need to stay on the French side!

Thank you.

Frankly last time we were here 2 years ago and it has become much more crowded. Really think it's the cruises. Great for business but not for those of us who remember a better time
Realize this is high time but it was a shock
Still love the island but will have to think about returning,
. There are many other beautiful islands that are less crowded

I'm guessing this was meant as a tongue in cheek comment, but if not, you have to know there are a great number of Dutch side locations where noise pollution is a total non-issue. We stay on the Dutch side in one of the most convenient yet peaceful areas you could possibly want. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

The whole island is getting too crowded with the attendant problems of various pollution ie. Dawn Beach and the noise pollution you are complaining about
Returning after 2 years I am shocked by how crowded this island has become
Think it's mosty caused by cruise ships but whatever for those of us who have been around I'd have to think twice about returning as there are other islands just as beautiful and a lot less crowded
Great for business but ruining the island
Talk to the locals . They are concerned also

Sorry, noise pollution has zero to do with cruise ships. I have no clue why you would think that is remotely related?

Not only talking about one kind of pollution!
The whole island is being polluted in so many ways
Know you have been here awhile
Don't stick your head in the sand
Talk to the locals. Help preserve St Martin
I live on an island and they can be destroyed
Pay attention!

Some arguments just aren't worth having....... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

I agree with you (and that's one of the firsts <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />), cruisers have no impact on noise pollution or crowding at night. They are long gone by the time all the night life begins.

It's not about arguing
It's about taking the steps to preserve a beautiful place

Having over forty years of annual trips to this island I'm thinking its a little late to start worrying now. Many of us were singing that song twenty-five years ago.

There are a lot of islands, many of which I've been blessed to visit and still more I havent, but based on my own experiences year after year, there is no other Caribbean island, IMHO, that offers all that SXM has to offer at the same prices and convenience levels.

We all have to do what works for Us individually, but when all is said and done, the bulk of my money is still on St. Martin. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Don't give up on the place
YOU can make it better

Mpant, if you want to discuss saving the island, please start a new thread for that. The reason people are objecting to your posts is that this thread is about the specific topic of noise pollution.

It's probably just me but staying at the villas I love sitting outside listening to the music and remembering my younger days.

Do you think residents enjoy the noise? I live close to LaVista where they have karaoke on Wed. night. I'm sick to death of the caterwauling going on over there. It's so nice to have a nice breeze blowing through the house at night while watching tv or having a late dinner but then someone who had a bit too much to drink starts to "sing"! We always end up closing the windows to keep the noise out. So it's not an insult to timeshare owners or renters. It's an insult to everyone who doesn't enjoy this type of thing. A lot of the places that feature live music or karaoke think this is what the tourists want.
On another note, I saw the double decker bus giving a tour to some older tourists. As it neared me, I could hear rap music blasting from the bus. The riders didn't look impressed. In my opinion, they should take a poll on what people actually want or expect on a Caribbean island.

Must have been somebody's wife singing.

SXM??? Wendell

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" /> Inside joke! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> Personally, I don't care for Kareoke, anywhere on the planet.

Ditto Pat.....though the tranquility is occasionally broken by that darn party boat that traverses the lagoon...blaring music.

Unfortunately, the music from my younger days didn't include Rap "music" blasting or bass so loud that it makes my heart "thump" in time to the bass. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> Give me some good reggae music any day but played at a decibel level that is not going to break my eardrums.

Ditto on the reggae which we'd love to hear more of on the island along with more steel drum and pan, and I personally would be very happy to do without the loud rap and blasting base combo!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

The mechanicals at the Villas cause a din that makes sitting on the patios of the C and D buildings behind them. Talk about noise pollution.

LaBamba's bands' volume is deafening and that is from inside the room at Simpson Bay! I can't imagine what it must be like if you are down there!

the loud music is broadcast well into the wee hours (even when the patrons are gone)it is difficult to sleep. if you were a first time visitor to the Atrium or Royal Palm and had to deal with this noise pollution, you most probably would not return.
I had meandered near the beach fire and made an about face when I observed individuals urinating in the open. not very pleasant.

We have serious "noise pollution" from the cruise ship passengers when 20 or more ATV's roar past our house!!