TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin trip report April 5 - 21

My wife and I visited the island for the 13th time arriving on April 5 and leaving April 21
A few general comments to keep it short: (please remember these are our opinions based on past experiences starting in 1992).
We stayed at Bruno's bungalow's; they were adequate accomodations but rustic; Bruno and Gerri were great host's.
The weather was perfect the first 14 days; the last two days it was windy and uncomfortable. The storm brought in lots of grass which was a problem.
We spend most of our waking hours on Club O beach. The beach has lost much of it's unique appeal. Maybe because it's lost a lot of beach due to erosion; maybe because it is "older"; maybe because it's changed so much with the rockery and loss of palm trees; the "vibe" on the beach is different; don't know but it has changed which we don't like.
We don't care for the look on the other end of the beach - lots of sea grass just raked into the sand - ugly. The new buildings, the rockery, and the stairs give the beach a different feel - don't like that either. We were big, big fans of the whole beach as it was about 10 years ago.
In the past we didn't have to think twice where to go for a long vacation - SXM was the only place - but now we would have to think a long time before we decide to go back and spend our 5K.
Just a few thoughts and our opinions.
TandP

Thank you for your frank observations. Things change and people change and not necessarily always at the same pace. I do kind of wonder what you mean about the bungalows being 'rustic', as it's been a few years since we have been there, but I would describe them as somewhat modern and European and sparse, which is not necessarily my first choice, but I would not call them 'rustic'. Club O is certainly 'rustic' in the cabins, to my mind.

Thanks for your honest observations during your most recent visit. I agree there have been many changes over the years, some good and of course some not so good. I agree Orient doesn't have the same vibe it once did and hope it improves as things get worked out there. We still love the island and the people there, but have recently visited a few other islands which were very appealing for various reasons. Government is a big problem there now and this certainly has a big effect on everything. We really hope that things will improve in some areas so that the visitors will continue to come and the businesses will once again flourish.Unfortunately, there have been many changes in paradise!

Hi Carol,
Maybe rustic wasn't the right word to use to describe the units. We have stayed there three previous times and this stay was pretty much the same as the others. The units were not real clean, lots of mosquito's in and outside the units, no couch to sit on, the safe did not work, the door handle kept falling off, the grounds were not kept and not much in the way of household supplies to work with.

Sorry to hear the recent vacation wasn't your best one. This, to me, is an interesting post. We have had trips to the island which were definite "10's" and some which were "4-5's" and a whole bunch in between and it isn't always readily apparent why.

OK, thanks for your reply. I really think that you should send a note to Bruno with your thoughts regarding your stay. He cannot fix things if he doesn't know about problems.

As you describe it, it does sound quite rustic. On the other hand, the last unit we stayed in at Club O was anything but rustic. #115 was completely remodeled, everything new, and spotless. I agree with the vibe you got from the beach there. It's still our favorite beach, but something is different, and the narrowness of the beach is a large part of it. Thanks for posting - I enjoyed it.

Interesting. It has been a while since I have seen the inside of any of the units at Club O. Do you have some pictures you could share?

We just got back from SXM also and I have to agree on many of your points, I loved the feel of the old beach the old slapped together Carribean style buildings. How ever I'm not one for change and the beach erosion is terrible the traffic seams to be getting worst each trip however it is still our favorite island till we can find a replacement

Hi Carol,
We talked with Bruno most every day. He seems very busy with Dreams and the store. His wife does most of the work with the rental units. They both know about the issues.

OK

Hi Eskimo,
Good description of our feelings too. It's not the same with the beach conditions (small Club O beach, sea grass, rockery, new buildings, coarse sand, rough surf, uneven bottom, and many older folks than we're used to). We went this year with high expectations but were quickly disappointed from what we saw and experienced. Not sure if Orient beach will ever meet our expectations again. We left Hawaii because of heavy traffic and lots of tourists and poor beaches - a lot like what we see happening in St. Martin. We're searching for a replacement vacation.

Sorry, no pictures. Whenever I see some of the great pictures on here, I feel guilty of not taking some more of my own. We've stayed in really nice units the last 2 times, other times they were badly in need of updating. One other thing that gave the beach a different vibe was that the Nov. crowd was quite older (I should talk) than the July crowd that we had gotten used to. Not any less enjoyable, just different.

When is one considered a member of the "older crowd"...50s, 60s, 70s, 80s? One day I peered into the mirror and realized "Ich bin ein Geizer"... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" /> All tongue-in-cheek of course, I think the older crowd is just the natural reality now.

So, I'm guessing that the units 'badly in need of updating' are the units as I remember them from the past. Do you know whether the unit you rented this time was owned by Club O or by a private owner?

This year we stayed in a unit that was privately owned there we several upgrades to the one the year before.
A much better stocked kitchen a better mattress a table with chars instead of a picnic table just a few that comes to mind

Oh a couple points I forgot the staff at Club O are the nicest we have ever dealt with and the Papagayo has had a huge upgrade to the food quality and entertainment most nights which was nice

So, how does one snag one of the privately owned units? Jim Ruos???

We booked trough the resort and won't guarantee anything but if you walk through the resort you can see the ones with private ownership most have started painting the shutters in brute Carribean colors

"brute" colors?? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> I do wonder whether this is something that Jim could help with. Having a renovated unit would make a huge difference there.

Carol - we did rent through Jim Ruos. M/S Deluxe #115 is privately owned, as is Studio #18, where we've also stayed. The fixtures and furniture in 115 (which is near the wall next to the driveway going to Pedro's) looked brand new and it was freshly painted. I guess the reason why an older crowd gives a different vibe is because in July there is more of a family atmosphere. As I said, neither is better or worse, just different.

As Sun4m said ""Ich bin ein Geizer", also, so the crowd wouldn't bother me at all. I was asking about booking through Jim, as I know when we used to stay there, YEARS ago, Jim had a better chance of getting the unit we wanted than if we booked it ourselves. Those days, it was all about location. These days, it sounds like there is a HUGE difference between the quality of the units there. In the old days, they were ALL very rustic, with tile that looked like it had been installed by a drunk squirrel...

Sorry bright colors

I figured that was what you meant.. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Smile.gif" alt="" />

What is "rockery" and where is it a problem?

It was very easy booking through Jim - and, yes, we've noticed quite a difference between the "nice" & "not so nice" units. Especially in the décor; I remember one Studio that had a painting so ugly, we took it down until we left. The Club requires certain essentials, the décor is left mostly to the owners. For those unaware, you pay nothing extra for Jim's service (you even get 2 extra free drinks). We were very happy with the room and the service.

The "vibe" on the beach--age, attitude, activities--changes nearly every week, sometimes in the middle of a week, depending who arrives and leaves. Age also changes--for instance a "family discount" in June brings more kids and infants, which we enjoy having on the beach. Main cruise ship periods--Christmas, Easter--bring a larger group of day-trippers. Bottom line--if you find a week that really works for you, try to keep that week, as many of the same people return at the same time each year. The same can be said for people you want to avoid. Certain weeks are more "party crowd." Personally, there are a few groups and couples we now avoid by careful selection of weeks. That worked well the last trip. However sometimes a week is affected by a moving holiday period like Easter. Major holidays--Halloween, Christmas, July 4--huge regular crowds show up. The odd thing about the beach our last trip--chairs near the Perch were so limited by beach erosion the Perch crowd moved to the other end. Lots of drinkers mixed in with the quiet readers. And the Perch had little business because everyone was doing shots on the beach from their own bottles. So, another example of how things change week to week, and group to group.

Why would you bring up Club O as an example of "rustic" if you admittedly have not been in them recently? Most of the units have been renovated. It is my understanding that the majority of units are now privately owned. I believe all the Chalets, except one, are in private hands managed by Club O. The Club still maintains fixtures and appliances. For instance, this year, new bedroom reading lamps were installed in all units along with flat screen TVs.
Not right to color the resort rustic if you don't have knowledge about the present state. Maybe you should contact Stephane Payne, the director. He can set you straight.

Gee, zippy, I didn't coin the phrase "rustic", as it applies to Club O. That's the way it has been described from the very beginning. I rather think that was very much on purpose, as to how the Brinks designed it to begin with. I certainly was aware that TVs were added last year. And not to put too fine a point on it, but it appears that the units that HAVE been renovated are the privately owned ones, and NOT the ones actually owned by Club O?? If so, I kind of understand why that would be. I think the idea of a bulletin board is to disseminate information and a first time visitor to Club O should be made aware that there is a large difference between different units at the resort. If you're booking through someone like Jim Ruos, he would explain that, but if you are booking online through the resort, you would think that all the units in the same category of room would be the same. And I actually just looked at their website, and their FAQ still asks why there are not TVs in the rooms. Guess they should update their website a bit.

That's the point. This isn't the beginning. Things have changed. You are putting out incorrect information that could affect the resort. As I stated before, very few units are still owned by the Club. Before making blanket statements that could have an effect on one's business, I would suggest you check your facts. You are always the first one to warn people about what they post in regard to the legal ramifications. I suggest you follow your own advice.

Mercy, do you own one of the units there? Lots of heat..

You know what they say. Get out of the kitchen.

The point is that there's a lot more heat in your attitude than the situation deserves..

I disagree. It infuriates me when I see misinformation bandied about.
Whatever....

Enough, already.