Flamingo Beach Resort

My wife and I will be staying at the Flamingo in April...we would welcome any reviews or any tips that anyone can give us.

Based on a current report, the free wifi is very slow! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />

Do you know what kind of room you have? Most of the rooms at Flamingo are studios, but they have a full kitchen, including a fridge with ice and water, dishwasher, full stove, etc., and a living room couch and chair, but all in one room. All have been recently refurbished, in kind of 'hotel normal' decor. Doesn't look like the Caribbean to me, could be anywhere, but there are granite countertops in the kitchen and bathroom. Again, most of the rooms are in the one main building, but I've never stayed in one of the villas, or the 2 BR units, so don't really know anything about them. In way high season, sometimes the parking is a bit tight, but hopefully by April you shouldn't have a problem parking. The beach is pretty decent, shared with the Simpson Bay Resort, and you have a nice view there. If you know what your actual room number is, some others here can tell you where it is exactly. Toppers by the Sea is at the resort, not my personal favorite of someplace to eat, but there are a ton of other places to eat within walking or very close driving distance. The Red Piano and the casino at SBR (Hollywood) are right across the street from Flamingo.

If your staying in the main building seven where the studios and one bedrooms are ask for a room ending with an even number as they are all beach view. The one bedrooms are all beach view but some of the odd ending studio rooms are parking lot, garden, pool or beach view. The ones closest to the point have a smaller ending number and the second number of the four digits is the floor. Hence 7101 will be first floor closest to the point. 7502 will be on the fifth floor closest to the point with a beach view and so on.
Buildings starting with 6,3 or 4 will be the two bed lock outs with an A or B side. B side being the largest with an ocean view. first number is building number. Again the second number in the four digit room number is the floor. 3101 bottom floor, 3301 third floor. Building 6 is pool side and buildings 3 and 4 are the hillside villas.
Any other specific info just ask me as I am glad to help.

"Based on a current report, the free wifi is very slow!"<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />

Why is that funny?

Our units have new bedroom furniture, bed and dresser, new dresser/new sofa in the LR, sisal rug on the LR floor, 2 new cocktail tables, new dining table and chairs, new bar stools in the kitchen. Also new window treatments (draperies and blinds), new fans, new ceiling fixtures and lamps.
Everything is functional and looks very good. Outside, the Resort is going through a major renovation/extension of the lobby.
I was told yesterday by an employee at the Resort that the plan for 2015 is to paint the inside of the units during low season this year.

Is this in the villas? I was told last year they were being refurbished but I wasn't sure it would actually happen. And I was also told the villas were to be repainted. Which our unit desperately needs as paint is peeling on all the doors & woodwork - last year it looked like a run down tenement. I actually took pictures & sent them to Clobeck. No response.

Geez, louise, if you have no idea why that is funny, you have no funny bone whatsoever..

Sorry, when I was talking about recently refurbished, I should have said I was talking about the main building, in which the studios are located. As I said, I don't know anything about the other buildings.

Yes, we're in Villa 3. No painting done yet but I was told it's planned for 2015.

Thanks a lot for the update. I'm pleased that they did what they said they were going to do. Can't wait till May. They are also going to be replacing all the toilets in building seven and getting away from the airline type vacuum flush. Hope you got your conference call figured out. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

Thanks.
I'm sure I'll find a place with a good internet connection for my conference call tomorrow. I'll try Palm Beach today on Orient Beach, hopefully the connection will be fast and I'll be able to find a secluded place there. Otherwise, I'll try the Westin on the way back to Flamingo this evening.

http://www.timeanddate.com/sun/netherlands/philipsburg?month=4&year=2015

Here are the sunset times for April. Some of the rooms at the Flamingo have great views of the sunsets from their balcony. If that is not the case with your room, then just go to the pool area or the beach in front of Topper's By The Sea.

Wi-fi update:

I went to the front desk at Flamingo and asked the staff if they knew a place close to the Resort where I could get a much faster and more reliable wi-fi connection for my business conference call.
They suggested to go to the Mail Box but they also passed me a Scarlet wired ethernet modem to try in the unit and see if it worked better. After installing it and connecting to the web, I found the speed to be excellent. It was pretty much as fast as what I get in the US with Comcast HSI with boost technology. I called them back from my unit and told them that the Scarlet modem did the trick. They told me to keep the modem until the end of the week and they added that they won't charge me for it. Needless to say, I was very pleased with their gesture.

That's great for you and much less hassle than having to go to the Mail Box. Great customer service too. Glad to hear Scarlet works up there in Building three.

Thanks for posting the update! Hopefully that means that Scarlet works everywhere at the resort.

He is on the top floor of Hillside Villa Building three which is one of the highest units at the resort. He is right next door to our unit there. I would think that since the office gave them the modem to use and the office is in the main studio/one bedroom building seven that it should be resort wide. Maybe he'll post a response to this.

Actually, as I understood it from Scarlet, the problem at Flamingo and LaVista is that they were DOWN the hill and somehow the signal didn't carry there. Units up closer to the top of the hill, like that one, versus in the main building, might have a better connection. I THINK that the Scarlet modem would be connected to the Scarlet system, not to the Flamingo system??

Yes. My only thought was that the office had the modem and the office is located on the ground floor for the office to use if needed there. I can't see them having scarlet's modem for any other reason. Surely not there just to loan out for the two hill side villas. I was hoping someone would know for sure and post if scarlet works for the whole resort.

I don't know if Scarlet works everywhere in the Resort but it does work perfectly in Building 3, on top of the hill.
Remember that Scarlet charges $60 for 1 week which is kinda steep, but if it's the price I have to pay to get a very fast connection where I'm located, in case I have to work while I'm there next year, I'll pay.
Diamond Resorts also told me that they're aware of the slow and unreliable wi-fi connection and they're working with their provider to solve the problem.

for what it's worth, my review from about 4 years ago.. I DID go back last summer... and learned a few things.. I like it at the Flamingo. http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserRevie..._St_Martin.html

Read your review. The reason there are no charges to the room is that Toppers By The Sea, Gift Shop and the pool bar are all private concessions and have no affiliation with the resort other than renting space for their business.
Flamingo also does not have a Safe charge anymore.