This was our 6th or 7th trip to the island with our 6 year old.

Last Minute
We usually plan our February trip to SXM at least 6 months in advance, but we had some things going on this year and weren't sure if we would be able to go. In late January I was really itching to get down there and checked American Airlines for fares. What a surprise when I saw that we could get non-stop flights from JFK for $370 round trip including tax. I booked it and then starting trying to find a hotel room.

Travel Agency
With only 3 weeks to go, finding a room on the French side with reasonable rates was turning out to be very difficult. So I contacted Sandy Molloy and she found us a room at Palm Court in Orient. She was great and I would definitely recommend her to anyone.

Cell Phone
The Queen of SXM - Sharon Harris gave us a cell phone for the week at a very reasonable rate.

Car
AAA - picked us up at the airport, a quick visit to the lot and we were on our way. Great price & great service.

Hotel
Palm Court, Orient -- this was our first time staying here, and it wasn't bad. We usually stay at Alamanda, and this was not as nice, but certainly acceptable. They have a brand new pool and breakfast (included) was served next to it each morning. The room was spacious with a King size bed and a day bed, TV, mini fridge, coffee maker, microwave and a safe. The bathroom had a stand up shower and the world's tallest toilet. (That was my only complaint as I could hardly reach the floor.) Guests can also get free beach chairs at Waikiki or La Playa.

Restaurants
We had a fantastic meal at a waterside table at Restaurant Le Soleil in Grand Case, good beach food at Waikiki, Baywatch and Friar's Bay Beach Cafe, and fun watching the planes and eating burgers at Sunset Beach Bar. We also had excellent thin crust pizzas from Bounty Pizza in Grand Case and a decent and reasonably priced meal at Turtle Pier.

The Not So Good
Traffic was the worst we have ever seen and truly limited our visits to Marigot and the Dutch side. We also heard a story from someone at Friar's Bay Beach that a woman had been robbed on the path to Happy Bay during the early morning hours. I can't say if the story is true or not, but I don't know if I will feel like making my way over to Happy Bay again.

Even though it's not perfect, we love St. Martin for it's beautiful beaches, great food and wonderful people. We had a great time and will definitely be back.