Radisson Review
Beach: The beach at the Radisson is very calm and great for kids. I actually loved being able to hang out in the water and not worry about the waves and was able to float peacefully! If you are looking for a long beach for a walk, this isn’t it. However there are a ton of beaches on the island so renting a car is your best bet to explore different beaches. The hotel provides floaties, canoes and there is a place where you can rent wave runners as well.
Pool: The pool is gorgeous and is open 24/7. I can’t say anything bad about the pool. The hot tub is large and can probably accommodate 15+ people.
Security: One thing I appreciated is that there is very good security on this hotel. There are 3 checkpoints before you can even enter the hotel, during the daytime only 2 are manned, but at night all 3 checkpoints are manned and you have to show your Radisson room card to enter the hotel property. Also, there was a security guard at all times throughout the night at the pool.
Food: Breakfast was provided every morning and has everything you would ever want. It's not just muffins and pastries, there is an omelet station, and a buffet spread with sausage, potatoes, pancakes, bacon, etc.
Besides breakfast, food in general was really expensive, so just know that when you come into the property. The best thing was convenience. You can order food beachside AND poolside! If you want to save money, go to Grand case and eat at the lolos (10 min away).
There are 2 restaurants across from the hotel that we quite enjoyed, try them out if you’re sick of hotel food. Also up the road are more restaurants… Ti Bouchon (a French restaurant), a burrito place and a pizzeria type place that are also good.
Room: We stayed in the basic room. The room was clean, neat and minimal. We barely stayed in our room. The bed was a sleep number bed and it was very comfortable but got really warm at night under the comforter. Also, if you are travelling with someone you are comfortable with, you will not mind the bathroom but if you need some privacy in the bathroom, you will be disappointed. There is an opening in the sliding doors so whoever shares the room with you can hear and see (and smell!) almost everything you’re doing in the bathroom if they wanted to.
The room does not have a refrigerator. You can have one delivered to your room for 10 euros per day. The minibar is activated by sensor. So just a warning if you open the minibar and pick something up you will be charged. We were never charged because the bellman warned me of this when we first checked in.
Turndown service was good. You get chocolates by your pillow which was a nice surprise. You also get clean new towels and your room tidied up. We left change, our laptop, and camera out one day not thinking we would get turndown service and nothing was touched.
Gym: Gym is small and had up-to-date equipment. However I had to unplug and replug the treadmill to make it work and in the middle of a run it stopped all of a sudden, freaking me out! The gym has weights, a weight bench, 3 ellipticals and 3 treadmills.
Spa: Spa service was good. I was happy with my reflexology treatment. Book 2 days in advance to get the slot you want.
Concierge & Service: Service was completely OUTSTANDING. I can’t say enough about the Radisson staff, they are really nice, calm and patient with us (but then we are not picky travelers). They came on time, and followed up with us on every request. For instance – Jetblue lost my luggage and the concierge called me the next day to make sure that my luggage came. The concierge also had a special connection to someone at Jetblue and called and got an answer for us since the phone number we had always had a busy signal! And after 2 days of ordering skim milk for breakfast, they remembered me and brought me skim milk without me asking for it the next morning.
Activities: The activities desk was very helpful in finding us something to do. They took care of everything and gave us clear directions. For the convenience of being right at the hotel, these excursions cost about 30-40 euros more than elsewhere, so just know that. We took the Scoo-bee catamaran trip to Tintamarre and Anguilla and it was WORTH EVERY PENNY. We had the best day ever on the trip, the captain and his assistant was great, included was food and alcohol for the whole day and a mud bath. We could not have asked for anything more.
Money: There is an ATM onsite at the Radisson that dispenses both Euros and USD! It was extremely convenient and everyone was happy to calculate USD for us. If you have a capital one card you will not be charged a foreign transaction fee so check it out!
Overall: I was extremely pleased with our experience with the Radisson and St. Martin in general. We went during low season so there was not that many people on the beach and it felt very relaxed. We live in NYC and don’t care for the hustle and bustle on vacation so this was perfect. We drove to the dutch side and to other areas and was glad we decided to stay in Anse Marcel. The French side is beautiful and very European…
Other stuff:
Loterie Farm – HIGHLY recommended. I believe this was one of the best things I have done in my life. I couldn’t stop talking about my experience at Loterie Farm. I glow just thinking about it.
Ti Bouchon Restaurant – The owner is so happy and bubbly! You know he’s serious when he’s friends with top chefs in NYC. He told me to tell the TTOL community that he’s closing on July 15th to make the restaurant even nicer.
Philipsburg – It was dead because there were no cruise ships, but the water there is strikingly blue. It was too much jewelry, I preferred shopping in Marigot instead!
Grand Case – AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME. Loved the lolos there, I’m hungry just thinking about it now. Best cheap meal we had all week.
Orient Beach – very nice and just a great vibe
Baie Rouge Beach – Romantic and very pretty beach
Scoo Bee Catamaran – Worth every penny, go to Tintamarre and Anguilla, the 2nd best time on my trip besides Loterie Farm.
Pacsafe beach safe - This thing rocked, we left our valuables in the pacsafe on the beach and went jetskiing and all was good. I felt very secure not having to worry about my stuff while I went swimming or took a walk. Used it everywhere.
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