TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Hotel for a Family with an almost-2 year old

Good day my fellow travelers!

I've been a regular visitor to SXM since 2008 (5 trips so far) and they've all involved either a friend or girlfriend. Now, as I'm now happily married with a lovely daughter, I'd like to bring the family to the island around Thanksgiving to get out of the cold USA for a week. I have some good flight options on JetBlue to consider

My previous stays have all been at apartments (mostly the Mount Vernon hotel condos), but since I'll be traveling with my wife and a 22-month old (that'll be her age when we visit), I'm thinking I'd like a proper hotel this time with some kid-friendly amenities and a little more "control" as my wife would say with regards to daily maid service, on-site activities etc. Also, my wife walks with a cane after an injury so a spot with easy access like a proper hotel would be helpful as opposed to the "rough" access with steps/hills to get in and out of Mount Vernon.

As I've been looking into the larger/expensive brand-name hotels (Westin, Sonesta, Riu, etc) where I see they have proper kids clubs, but the age minimum starts at 4 years old, so I started looking into other hotels that may not have kid programs, but kid-friendly amenities nonetheless like a crib or maybe even a pool or a safe play area.

So this is where I ask the experts of TTOL-SXM, as I'm looking for an under-$1000 price (7 night stay) in SXM, and I've narrowed it down to a few hotels that look promising:
1. Simpson Bay Resort & Marina
2. Flamingo Beach Resort
3. Festiva Atrium
4. Summit Resort

I'm wondering if anyone knows how these four hotels measure up to the kid-testing? I'll even hear suggestions outside of the list. Is there a post already related to this question?

I know some of the good kid-safe beaches and attractions to hit up thanks to previous postings and am looking into some occasional day-nanny service from http://www.stmaartennannies.com as well. Any nanny suggestions or reviews?

Thanks to everyone.

Scottsteg,

Can't speak for most of the properties you've mentioned though I think almost all would be relatively child friendly, but personally speaking, as pleasant as the Summitt is for so many, you need to know there are a lot of stairs involved in this property. It might or might not be okay for the two year old but remembering the walkway down to the pool and restaurant, it might be uncomfortable navigating the steps while using a cane. I do seem to recall Royal Islander la Plage does have a kiddy pool if you were lucky enough to rent a unit there.. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

simpson bay has couple of kiddie pool areas and a playground suitable for that age

Many of the buildings at Divi are on flat terrain. If you explained your wife's situation, they would likely put you in one. And there are golf carts available if you have to go up the hill. They have frequent kid activities on the beach.

From your list, I would suggest the first three would be best. The Atrium Resort is very child friendly with a shallow pool and a nice calm beach area which is excellent for children. Also The Buccaneer Beach Bar is right there and they encourage children to be there with their parents if they desire. Friday nights are family nights and you will see lots of little ones having a fun time there. They also have a fire ball on the beach which is fun to see. The Greenhouse Restaurant is only a few steps away with Happy Hour every day from 4:30 to 7:00 P.M. with half price drinks and special prices offered for appetizers. The Simpson Bay Resort and the Flamingo are close by and also have a good choice of restaurants in the area. The beach is nice at these resorts too with lots of sand for children to play.

Another suggestion would be Beachside Villas in Beacon Hill close to the airport. The cost there would be slightly over $1000 for the week, but right on the beach and there is a very nice pool. You can park right at your door so easy walking for your wife. We have stayed in all of these places and can recommend them all.

Hopefully you will be able to find that perfect spot to enjoy the island with your family!

I am familiar with the Atrium having stayed there for a few years now. I agree with Islandgem's suggestion that the Atrium is child friendly and the Buccaneer Beach Bar great for family nights. The resort is relatively easy to navigate and having the Greenhouse restaurant on property is also a bonus for evenings that you want to dine close to your room. Another thought I had is that the balconies have fairly high, solid walls which might be a plus as a safety feature for your little one. Good luck with your search.

I am an owner at Simpson Bay Resort & I would rule them out for two reasons. There is a big drop off into the water that makes it extremely difficult to get out. There is a cute playground but it is up a hill that I don't know if your wife could navigage. I second the Atrium & the Divi I am not familiar with.

I would try to rent a week at the Royal Islander LaPlage. Beach could be tricky, but huge pool area and nice kiddie splash pool. Restaurant at the same level, can watch planes and grounds to walk around plus walk to Maho, which isn't perfectly flat and level, but doable.

Scott--I really can't address the 'kid' part of your question directly, but are you talking about Thanksgiving WEEK? You said "around Thanksgiving", so I'm not sure what you mean, exactly. As far as the hotels you mentioned, have you confirmed that they are available for your price range of $1000 per week? If you are talking TG week per se, that is one of the highest occupancy weeks of the year. The places you mention are all timeshare resorts. You could probably get a t/s rental from a t/s owner for your target price of $1000 a week at any of those resorts. However, if you are renting as a t/s, then there is NO daily maid service, unless you pay for it. I think at most places, it is a midweek cleaning only, unless you pay for extra cleaning. If you rent directly from the RESORT, yes, you get hotel amenities and you should get daily cleaning, although you need to confirm that when you book. But if you rent as a hotel, not sure you can meet your price point, especially if you want Thanksgiving week?

As far as the particular resorts, as far as walking around with a cane, Simpson Bay Resort has MANY different levels in many different buildings and I don't think would be that conducive to someone with a cane. As Pat said, I think Summit has a lot of steps also. Flamingo and Atrium would be better choices from that standpoint. Someone mentioned Beachside Villas. That would be a lovely choice, with many of your criteria, but I fear, especially if you are looking at Thanksgiving WEEK, it will be way over your price point.

Wow, this is a great response list. I just reserved The Atrium on Venere.com for just under a grand all-in.

We'll be traveling from a Tuesday to a Tuesday that runs through the Thanksgiving holiday as flights were actually pretty cheap for us coming from LA through JFK. If we had tried a Sat-Sat or Sun-Sun then I totally agree with Carol_Hill that not only will some hotel nights be pricey, but the flight fares almost double! Ouch.

The solid, high-walled balconies (great comment moontide!) and nearby beach sound great for a little one (she walks like a champ and never stops it seems) and while my wife's cane needs aren't 24/7, but the easy conveniences do help a lot.

Thanks TTOL-SXM crew for helping me with my choices. My reservation at The Atrium has free cancellation so if someone has another suggestion after reading this, please divulge away.

Thanks
Scott (and family)

OK, sounds like you are all set! Enjoy!

The Atrium will be a good choice for you and your family. Like others have said - Buccaneer Beach Bar and The Greenhouse are right there, as well as Kim Sha Beach. Nice little beach and easy to keep track of a 2 year old.

I seriously wish I could click a Facebook-style "like" button on all the help/suggestions on this thread. I am looking at more pics of Atrium on Oyster.com and the balconies are safe while the beach is calm and the pool is small-yet-big enough for the 2-year old. Very cool and we can get some rum punch while we watch her. I got a 1-BR for a sweet deal and the kitchen is just right for us to make b'fast.

Hi there,
Part of the pool at the Atrium, the part furthest from the beach, is child shallow.
Friday night Buccaneer Beach Bar is full of families and kids running around on Fridays.
Have a great time
irina

Great choice! You will love the Atrium Resort. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />