TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Les Balcons

Hi TTOL,
We are looking to return to SXM after an absence of several years. We used to stay on the dutch side but it seems prices have changed considerably in the last few years (never mind our Canadian dollar). We are considering a stay at Les Balcons in Oyster Pond but the area is unfamiliar to us. My French is not quite grade school level and I am struggling to interpret the website. Our only must haves are air conditioning in the bedroom, king size bed, parking and a great view. Walking to restaurants would be ideal. I can see the great views are taken care of. Any feedback from those who have stayed recently is appreciated. With thanks, Trish

Hi, we stayed Jan / Feb in 2015. Carine and david were great hosts. The web site has an english button, top of the page click on the British flag. Rooms are basically studio's, king bed, good kitchen [sharp knives and a convection cooktop], and a great outdoor space, table, loungers, BBQ, covered. The units are on the hill so depending where you stay, some stairs involved - I thnk we stayed in #17, no stairs to the unit. Some complained about the internet, we did not have any issues. The view was Oyster Pond with an ocean view over OBBR. Some resto's / bars in the area you can walk to. We drove to Orient most days, about 10 minutes or so.
Overall very nice, we moved on to Orient as we preferred to walk to the beach, but apart from that would reco Les Balcons

J&B

We own one of the condos at Les Balcons. The site has a icon of a British and French flag on the top of the page towards the right. Click on the British flag for the site in English.

Most of the units are the size of a studio appartment, although there is a one bedroom and a two bedroom unit. A/C is cold and most units have king size beds.

There are a number of restaurants within walking distance including BZH Creperie, Mama's Pizza, Captain Oliver's, Dinghy Dock, and Quai Ouest. A short drive will get you to Big Fish and Canoa are a short drive to the Dutch side.

PM me if you have other questions.

If you click on the British flag at the top of the page it takes you to the English version of the website.

We stayed at Les Balcons twice during our many trips to SXM and we were always pleased with the accomodations and our hosts, Carine and David. We selected a unit with a large balcony and we were very comfortable. Like John and Bev, we now stay on Orient as we spend our days at Club O. But we would return to Les Balcons in the future. There is a walking path to Captain Olivers and the Dingy Dock restaurants and we brought a little flashlight to guide us. If I remember, there is also a little pizza place on the road just past Les Balcons which we also frequented. Overall, Les Balcons was a good choice for us.

Thanks everyone. Completely missed the flag to switch to English. It's much more comprehensive now. I appreciate the positive feedback.

We have stayed there perhaps 5 or 6 times, a few times top level and a few pool level. Great place to stay and you will meet other guests. Just to add, the parking area is gated and gates close around dusk, you do get a device to open gate. The gated parking area is "snug" so suggest a small car.
Very easy access, limited traffic, to Phillipsburg or Orient Beach. The coastal route to Orleans is very scenic but suggest not to drive this after dark unless with other cars.
Several good small grocers in immediate area with good selections. We also used to be able to order in morning baguettes with Corine. There is also a laundry service next to one of the small grocers, NE corner of the residential area, grocer is Au Pain D'Espices. Dinghy Dock bar is fun, good bar food, and Iguana bar on the water, far side of Cptn Olivers is a great place for evening breeze and a cold one.
Enjoy

We stay at Les Balcons for 4 nights every trip before moving to the Westin. We love it there, Carine and David are wonderful. MaMa's pizza, dinghy Dock, captain Oliver's are close by, Mr Busbys is a 3 min. car ride. The only down side for me is that there are only French T.V. stations, I like to fall asleep with the T.V. on (but my husband doesn't lol)

There are a number of units with American TV, including the one I own and one owned by David and Carine. Check with them, or use the Les Balcons website to select a unit with American TV programming.