TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Orient beach

Are the resorts and bars along orient planning on rebuilding? So sad to see all the destruction. From many of the pictures it looks like a ghost town.

The café at Hotel la Plantation is now open to the general public for breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 days a week. Lodging is not expected to be available until after the new year. ...Jim

Jim--what do you know about sewer and water in the Village? Bruno from Dreams was quoted as saying something to the effect that the sewer system was destroyed, if we understood what he said?

I was watching a drone video of the area and it reminded me of Orient Beach years ago before they did all the building. Of course, minus the horrible destruction. So sad to see the trees and bushes. Amazing what one storm can do. We were on Orient when wrong way Lenny blew through, wow! But this is just something indescribable. I think the thing that bothered me the most on the video was the lack of activity. It was like everyone just gave up and left. So sad! Has to be so disheartening for all the business owners.

I've been wondering about Kakao.

From the aerial videos that I have seen, all the restaurants on Orient were basically wiped away.

That's what I saw as well. Very little left.

Before everyone writes the R.I.P. of Orient Beach, I was there until Saturday afternoon. On Friday, I met up with a friend (think "Calmos") who said he was under the impression Bikini and Kakao would be open before the new year and the other 3 would come after. I talked with Thomas at L'Astrolabe who indicated he would be open before Christmas. Rancho is open 7 days a week now for lunch. I am glad the airport opened back up, as flying from Florida to JFK, then to Antigua, then a private plane to SFG was a pain.

What was the situation on the ground at Orient? Has the debris been cleaned up? Is anyone rebuilding? What do you know about this business about having to get permission from the government to build because it's too close to the water?

Pretty sure I have seen pics of "Perch Lite" being constructed at Club O.

Yes, I've seen that, I was wondering about Orient Village itself.

I did see where Cristelle of Le Piment hopes to open in March.

Carol: The French government is planning to promulgate new building regulations for the beach (which, if history serves , may take years). Debris is being cleared from the village, and the beach is a little more complicated, as a lot of the low walls in front of the carbets, as well as Kon Tiki and Bikini, which were tossed around like toys...upended, twisted, etc. It is my understanding Luftmann is not going to wait, he will construct something to serve the tourists.

OK, will be interested to see how it turns out.

i will be there on 11/19 and take a live video,,, lets see what it looks like by then

Not sure if you saw this youtube video;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWx-bRIMne4

saw on FB that La Petit Bistro in Place du village opened I think last Saturday and that le Piment would open in March. The owner of La Rhumerie is still in
France but will return to SXM....no idea of rebuilding plans. It does appear that the progress is much faster on the Dutch side.