TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Perch lite

It's been many years since I've been to St. Martin, and not at all since Irma. I read that Club O's beach area is still open and there is a vendor with chairs and umbrellas, which is great, but what is Perch Lite? I'm not sure I remember it from the past. I recall the restaurant building and bathrooms/showers, but I don't recall a separate bar building. Is/was it near the old Pedro's? Has anyone been down near the Club O property in the past few weeks? Is it quiet or still pretty popular?

We are leaving tomorrow and are interested in what Orient is like in general? Orient Village as well? Recovered, quiet, busy, etc.? We are staying at the apparently newly remodeled Orient Beach Hotel which I assume used to be something else?

Ken--The Perch used to be pretty close to Pedro's on the beach, yes. Since Irma, they re-built the Perch Lite, and the location is a bit further back from the ocean, and they actually have a larger menu than the old Perch, which is good, since of course Papagayo is no longer there. There are some threads here, stating that the Club O section of the beach is fairly busy, the rest of the beach, not so much.

Orient Village is vibrant and alive, much better than Grand Case, which is pretty quiet still. You also have a lot of shops and stores, including Super U, etc, in Hope Estates, which is also quite busy.

Not sure on Orient Beach Hotel.

Enjoy!

Every day we were there we also walked the textile side. Club O section was busier than any other of the beach bars individually.

That says a lot about the popularity of CO use on Orient. We plan to be there frequently...

Also, in the past I always took the Friars bay side path over to Happy Bay, but have I noticed more information in trip reports, etc. regarding walking in another way. I believe around a gate coming in over closer to the Grand Case side?

Did orient beach hotel used to be La Playa? There is a gate going in toward happy bay from Grand case but I believe it says no trespassing.

The Orient Beach Hotel is south of the Esmeralda. The building runs parallel to the beach, providing each room with an ocean view. To reach it you have to drive down Avenue des Plages, and then, at the last roundabout before Orient Village, turn left onto the road leading to Palm Court and to La Playa (the old L'Hoste). Drive past those two until you come to the end of the road and you'll be there. It's next to the Blue Bay.

When we were staying at Palm Court last February, they still were repairing the Orient Beach from the damage caused by Irma. It did not appear to be open. We're not there now due to Covid concerns--just got our first vaccination shots exactly two weeks ago.

From the directions you gave, it sounds like the Orient Beach Hotel is what used to be Cap Carib, or perhaps Caribbean Princess? You also threw me though with "next to the Blue Bay"... Isn't Blue Bay the old Mt. Vernon property at the end of the beach?

I'd be interested if anyone had any info on Caribbean Princess...

Yes, about 20 years ago the former Mont Vernon Hotel was operated under the all-inclusive Blue Bay Resort name, but that was strictly a managerial arrangement that lasted for just a few years. The Cap Caraibes is now called the Caraibes Beach Hotel and it is adjacent to the Princess condominiums. They both are just south of the Esmeralda.The Blue Bay Beach was just south of the Caraibes and Princess, What got me confused is the fact that upon reopening the Blue Bay Beach now has changed its name to Orient Beach Hotel. So the driving directions are correct, except that the Orient Beach Hotel is what once was the Blue Bay.

Incidentally, to add to the confusion, 20 or so years ago there was an Orient Bay Hotel perched up the mountain on the road to the Mont Vernon Hotel, but that too was converted to residential years ago.