Returned to Orient Beach for about 40th time .. flying on US Air and staying this time at Club Orient. Most amazing was airport check-ins .. at both IAD & SXM, we simply walked up to counter as lst in line and with no luggage inspection, boarded the plane. Seemed that everyone else allowed 3 hours, so when we arrived 90 min before, there was no wait!<br><br>Reinspected the hotels we rep .. all in fine shape with 2 totally sold out during those dates. Highlights .. the road into Club-O has been resurfaced .. now with gravel rather than potholes .. the new Alamanda Resort near Kakao is already soldout for the May 16 opening, but with much finishing yet to be done .. construction of the villas behind the Alamanda is well underway and individual units for sale in the $400-$500k range .. the most notable change was at the Sunrise Hotel where the new manager has made significant improvements along with completion of the adjacent 3-bedroom villa.<br><br>Some changes in restaurants .. Robert has departed Le Piccolo - our meal there was very enjoyable, but quality was not as exceptional as in past .. Le Pinel has a new chef that came from the Fish Pot - a very nice and relaxing dinner. Pleasant meals as well at Papagayo and an exceptional one at L'Alabama. As we had a full kitchen, the deli at Le Bounty provided gourmet at-home dining .. and the L'Arabe du Coin deli, good carry-outs for a couple of lunches. <br><br>The issue of nudity beyond Club Orient seems to us as being over-hyped on the internet as we've seen the same concerns expressed many times before with no particular effect. Most hotels do not support a ban on beach nudity; the issue is plainly an economic one. With further development of Orient Beach, there is concern for a change of law, but note that current hotel brochures for the Cap-Caraibes Hotel and Caribbean Princess, and web page for the Alamanda mention the opportunity of au naturel sunning at the beach.<br><br>We were pleased to see crews collecting roadside litter, increased presence of gendarmes, and an effort by both the French and Dutch sides to protect natural environments.<br><br>Jim