TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Grand Case Beach Club Loses 200 Room Nights During "Protests"

Tourism is a very fragile thing. Most people get a vacation once a year and don’t want the risk of it being ruined or getting in the middle of volatile protestors. They are lucky that the French side cancellation are no worst than that. Hopefully no more problems but many just will not take that chance and book on the Dutch side.

Or discover another island and never return to SXM.

RonDon--agreed. The fallout from the protests will continue for years and years. Especially when someone starts a rumor that they will start up again. My next trip is planned for the Dutch side. I truly loved our trip in June 2019 staying on the French side, but right now, I personally wouldn't make a booking on the French side. Sad..

Not a good thing for SXM tourism. They're shooting themselves in the financial foot! Sadly.

The protests will soon be forgotten and tourism will snap back even on the French side. I remember being in Aruba in the late 1070's when the population held protests and they soon were forgotten and tourism flourished.
After Hurricane IRMA the press world wide declared St Maarten and St Martin disaster zones that would take many years to rebound. Well St Maarten has rebounded dramatically and construction is booming .

Tourism has not "snapped back" on the French side since Irma. It is more than the protests that is hurting tourism on the French side.

Uh, seems like the government itself is the biggest roadblock to recovery in every sector.........

Imagine that!

benni--construction is definitely booming on the Dutch side. Not so on the French side. And as Pat said, the government seems to be the biggest impediment.

I am also worried about the restaurants in Grand Case, some are our favorites. Is the cup half full or half empty? We love the French side and will continue to vacation there, as long as we feel safe. As bad as the protests were, I don't know of any violence committed to humans. Let me know if I am wrong. I do know there was a fatality when a motorcycle hit one of the burning cars. Our first trip to SXM was in 1999, which was 4 years after Hurricane Luis had hit the island. There was a feeling of freshness, with lots of new restaurants and hotels. Of course, this was 4 years into the rebuilding process. This is all part of the "circle of life" on an island that periodically gets hit by a hurricane, which also includes changes to building codes and legal ramifications. We are used to it now.

I would consider barricades that prohibit free passage and the implied threat they convey to be a form of "violence committed to humans". Just me.

Sometimes articles like this can do more harm than good. It actually though was well written. For me though, the beauty of SXM is sampling both flavors when you want to.

Correct, I was just sharing the article and people can make their own decisions. Sadly, to us the French side is not what it was 10 years or more ago.

Nothing against you Rural, you were right in posting this. But sometimes less is more when people write stuff that causes thousands to cancel and possibly undeservedly so. However, regardless of the recent problems and mostly staying on the French side with about 6 trips after Irma alone, Marigot and GC has been greatly impacted with not much help that I can see from their Government. I always marvel at the unbelievable potential by the Ferry in Marigot and then see those awful stand alone huts by the market that are not being used and think what a waste. Who the hell is in charge here?
I used to be in my working life a basic trouble shooter and called in to sort failing situations out and try and turn it around.
Oh how in an earlier lifetime I would love to have the job of sorting the problems out and then again, politics, (possible.. alleged) money disappearing, “not what it appears to be” scenario to the common man or woman might be more of a headache and a long term process. But damn it, I feel for these people, the ones that work hard for a living and they should be rewarded with a steely determination and at all costs to promote tourism, harmony, peace and prosperity. I can assure you that this will never happen in St. Barth’s.

Fully respecting the opinions of others, but I have never been a huge French St. Martin fan, usually choosing to stay on Sint Maarten, but I’ve always been a huge fan of Grand Case Beach Club and when we were unable to reserve all the dates we wanted in April at our first choice Dutch side resort I booked our extra time here. I have to say, I’m having second thoughts about that booking now since the three month moratorium will be up fairly close to our GCBC stay and I sure don’t want to run the risk of having to deal with any of this nonsense.

I have great concern for all the people on both sides of the island but I really do think the French homeland government is killing St. Martin and they really have to get a grip on the real needs of the islands peoples. Lord knows they’ve been through more than their share of late.......

I share your optimism, badbenni. We will continue to stay on the French side and spend most of our time there. In fact, Orient Village has recovered nicely and with new additions is better than ever.

Biturbo--Orient Village is wonderful, yes. To me, it is much more worth visiting at this time than Grand Case, totally separate from any demonstrations, etc. Everything is open and thriving, and there are no places which are lying abandoned and desolate, like in Grand Case or Marigot.

And I'd like to think this is so because of all the fine people at this site who make a point of visiting there and telling the rest of us about it. Example: after reading posts here I can't wait to eat at Telegraphie!

We had both dinner & lunch @ Le Telegraphe and they were excellent.

I think the people that frequent this site are a very small percentage of the tourist that visit St Maarten.

And I'd like to think this is so because of all the fine people at this site who make a point of visiting there and telling the rest of us about it. Example: after reading posts here I can't wait to eat at Telegraphie!
[/quote]
I think the people that frequent this site are a very small percentage of the tourist that visit St Maarten.[/quote]

You missed the point. I was saying that people here post good things about the island and because of it I want to visit parts that I haven't before. In this case Carol's comment that Orient Village is now worth more to visit than Grand Case. I wasn't referring to tourism in SXM in general.

Okay , I didn't want to read everyone response. The French side problem is that , the French side is direct part of France , hence locally the Collectively which they are called can only do certain small things for the French side. The President Macron is has to do his job properly and not just dissed the locals. That's the problem a lot of so called red tap for them to money for reconstruction. And you can't demand that people that were living on the side of the lagoon in Sandy ground for a long time to just give up their land for 40,000.00 Euro and them have the rich white French move in that are building lavish places. That's what's the "beef". That's why also the current Sous Prefect was removed and replaced by someone that dealt with that ares way back in 2007. Facts.

Thank you, Lesley. I was told pretty much the same thing back in November. Homeland France taking care of the wealthy and/or Well connected at the hands of the locals.

Yes Dear , that's why Sandy Ground is totally messed up getting around now. There is a picture somewhere on Facebook that shows a White French guy is building his big house . Harsh reality.

The protests are understandable and I have been on the island during road blocks. This seems different from past protests IMHO and I feel there is a divide now that did not exist in the past... Rich, poor, white, black and a melting pot of everything else I don't even understand anymore? I am not spreading a rumor or stating a fact just expressing my freedom of speech and feelings about recent unrest.

Our French cup is half full.

You are right on Lesley! I've tried telling people all that you've posted to no avail. Perhaps now reading an islanders view will help some understand the plight of the islanders. Injusties exit on both side of the island but the French seem to be suffering more.

Thank you for posting.

I feel very bad for the French people and the establishments on that side. We decided to stay on the Dutch side so far, been here since 12/27. Walked from Cupecoy Beach as far as Dany’s and today drove as far as Buc!! Still having a great time and plenty to do!!!