TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin I thought I loved Beachside Villas before..

I know, I already made this post once!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> I'm not sure how many trips this makes for us to Beachside Villas, but I can honestly say that I think it was our best trip to Beachside and one of our best trips to the island.

Our tastes in what we want on island are different now than they used to be. Now, we cook in a lot and honestly, most of what we want to do on island is a lot of nothing, staring at the sea. Beachside Villas is the best place on earth for US personally to do that.









Each unit consists of two or three bedrooms

,
and if you only need one bedroom, they lock off the other one. We almost always go by ourselves, which is the best way, for us.

The grounds are lovely and peaceful





This time, we were in number 9


for the first time, although inside the units are exactly the same.

And there is a lovely pool, which is usually crowded, like this.



And one of my favorite places is the gazebo by the pool, where I read to my heart's content



Beachside is family owned and operated and all the staff, from the housekeepers, to security, to gardners, to the manager, have been there a long time, and they take pride in their resort.

Recently they have embarked on a major improvement to the resort and most of the rooms are now finished with the renovation. In the center of the units had previously been an open air atrium. They have closed in the atrium, added skylights and lights and placed the dining table out there. They took out the windows between the kitchen and atrium and installed a granite counter top on the new pass through, as well as removing the sliding glass door between the living room and atrium.

[img]http://traveltalkonline.com/bsv2017/bsv15.jpg[/img]


[img]http://traveltalkonline.com/bsv2017/bsv12.jpg[/img]

The effect is that the living room and atrium are now one space and it makes it seem so much larger inside, with so much more usable space.

Most of the time during the day, as before, we would sit with the front and back doors wide open, and there would be a lovely breeze straight through the unit. This made even 'work', like being on the computer, a joy.

[img]http://traveltalkonline.com/bsv2017/bsv104.jpg[/img]

And there is now air conditioning in the living room! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />
It was such a joy, usually late in the afternoon, to close up the sliders, turn the a/c on and still enjoy the fabulous view out the sliders or perhaps watch a little TV before turning in to bed, in air conditioned comfort.

[img]http://traveltalkonline.com/bsv2017/bsv115.jpg[/img]

That comfort really did enhance our trip this time. But most of all, we did what we wanted to do, when we wanted, we didn't go anywhere or do anything we didn't want to do. We RELAXED. Who can ask for more? FINIS..

[img]http://traveltalkonline.com/bsv2017/bsv111.jpg[/img]

[img]http://traveltalkonline.com/bsv2017/bsv60.jpg[/img]

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />

It is amazing how ones tastes do change.

I am also a fan of Beachside. Thanks for the pic's. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for jogging our memories of happy times. Regrettably we no longer go in the spring thanks to Manek and Allegria.

You captured BSV beautifully in your photos Carol.

Wow. I saw from your other post that you had A/C in the living room but I didn't understand that the atrium was enclosed now.

Unit 5 that we were in last week had not been done yet. Since we are wearing light clothing or sometimes nothing at all, I'm fine with indoor temperatures in the mid-80s and the fans moving the air, but frequently the LR was around 90 or so(I bring a room thermometer with us).

Closing in the atrium makes a HUGE difference, in terms of usable space inside.

We have always had the front and back doors open, so that air can go straight through the house. Perhaps you didn't do that? With the doors open, we found it pretty comfortable in the living room without the a/c on from the 15th to the 26th. In the mornings, we would get up and open the back doors immediately, and not the front door until later, and we always found it to be much cooler once we open the front door. We would generally not turn the living room a/c on until late in the afternoon. I'm not exactly sure when they will have all the units done, but I have to assume it will be definitely before the end of this year.

We had the screen slider to the open air atrium closed but the glass slider open. We generally leave the door to the parking area closed. I just figure that any air that want to come in from the ocean side slider can easily pass out the open atrium.

Also, trying to limit the mosquito inside. Our screen slider to the atrium was in need of repair. It would take two hands to move and jump off the track, but I was too lazy to go over and ask for maintenance on it.

Speaking of mosquitoes, they had one of those racket looking bug zappers in our unit. I love that thing. Stalking and zapping mosquitoes can qualify as entertainment.

Honestly, we have always found there was always MUCH more air flowing through the unit from the front door, than through the atrium. The straight shot through the unit generates MUCH more air than just through the atrium roof. And mosquitoes do NOT like wind. I couldn't really figure out how to use that bug zapper thing, but the maid was batting like 1000! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Smile.gif" alt="" />

Is there any places within walking distance to eat or drink. At any time of day?

Depending on how fit you are, you can walk to Sunset Bar and Grill, Tacho Macho, (and anything else in that complex, which I just don't know what else is there), or a bit further to Maho, you can walk to Karakter, or to El Zafiro, during the day. I would not recommend walking to any of them except El Zafiro at night.

That sounds fabulous and just like how we do our beach vacations!