TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Club Orient Beach

I just heard that they have demolished mostly all the beach front chalets, maybe a couple left. Does anyone know about this?

Technically, hurricane Irma destroyed the beachfront chalets. The Administrator had a contractor remove the remains of 6 chalets and Papagayo. I think it was last fall. The government, I think it might have been the Coastal Conservatory, required the clean-up.

The hurricane was in 2017.

Yes, Irma did do that back 2017. But a friend of ours that is there now said more chalets have been taken down. Just wondering.

Im hoping the OP is hinting at maybe some additional cleanup beyond the Papagayo job months ago.

Based on what I can glean by reading other posts and talking to people on the island and other guests who enjoy the beach at was once Club Orient, I don't think the government is going to do much to bring back Club Orient in any way in the short or long term. On the upside, it will provide more beach space for those who enjoy the beach au natural.

has anyone been on the club O beach lately? Tell us what it's like.

We were at Club O beach Saturday and Sunday. It was packed. All chairs taken. Parking was a challenge. We have a Shibumi and our own chairs so we set up down the beach a ways where it is less crowded and quieter. Water is great. Wind is steady but not horrible.

CharlieandElai,

Thanks for that update, did you notice any more of the Chalets being taken down. I have heard they have removed more of the along the beach.

At Club Orient front row chairs are gone by 6:30 am. Beach is at capacity by 10 am if a claimed chairs are not occupied by 10:30 they will be offered to others. Never seen the beach so busy

Did you read earlier in the thread?


This is all that has happened recently.

Glad to hear the beach is thriving, But I just want to know if anymore chalets along the beach have been taken down. I know that Papagayo was removed and maybe a couple of buildings were taken down last year.

As of late November,nothing else has been taken down. Walking the beach to the southern end is still a mess of destroyed buildings

Sounds like cruise ship hell. Never been that bad even when Club O was open.

We are looking to take our chair carts and a shibumi so we can wake up and arrive whenever.

No other chalets down. Still a mess. Yes it's quite annoying to get there at 9:45 & chairs all marked with towels or flip flops. At 10:30 they will remove your stuff & take it over to perch. We were there for January. First week and 1\2 great then the masses started arriving & nothing available around 10. They had a third row started but ran out of chairs. If you bring your own chairs you can't park in lot. Someone sits at entrance to make sure.

If someone pays for the chairs I got no problem with them being vacant.

I do have a problem with them being taken before they open. If I were Cedrick if I make the first payment pass and they aren’t there, they are available to the next customer.

Perhaps a sign to please be in your chair with cash or your stuff goes in a lost/found pile.

Yes but they aren't paid for until the people come back.

Thus, if they aren’t there when he makes the first cash collection, their stuff goes in a wheel barrow. Sounds like he needs more chairs further down and more rows. Next will be a charge for first row premium.