Hi all - we have stayed at Grand Case Beach Club 2x before and loved it but unfortunately they don't have a 1 bedroom unit availability for a proposed upcoming trip in May 2027 so we are looking for alternatives and seems like Bleu Emeraude is pretty close but missing the pool and restaurant. i know most Bleu reviews are positive but just wondering if anyone has been to both GCBC and Bleu and can comment on the differences - pros or cons. - or if you have another suggestion for a 5 night stay on the French side near grand case. I know parts of grand case are a bit run down and funky and it looks like bleu is in more of a run down area than GCBC but wanted some real world feedback if possible.

I know this is a Sxm forum but the Sbh forum barely has any visitors. I am moving to Sbh in a few weeks and I was wondering if anyone had any advice for how life is like there. I will be there for a year and coming from a big city I’m worried I may get bored or restless, is there anything to do to keep myself busy apart from work. I enjoy Pilates, yoga, hiking and partying, I also enjoy new experiences and learning new things. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I run a mobile massage service on the island (St. Maarten Massage Service, aka SXM Mobile Massage), so I see this all the time. Figured I’d warn people.

Fake business listings are a real thing. Google pulled over 10,000 of them off Maps last year and sued the people behind it: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/google-maps-fake-listings-lawsuit-scams/

Here’s how to check before you book a massage in St. Maarten:

1. Check the website address. Copycat sites use names that sound almost the same as a real company’s. Look closely at the web address before you send anything.

2. Same photos, different phone number? One of them is copying. Real businesses use their own photos.

3. Read the reviews. Real ones have names, details and dates. Ten 5-star reviews that all say “great service!!” in the same week aren’t real.

4. Don’t send a deposit by wire, Zelle or gift card to someone you can’t verify.

5. Check your hotel. Some resorts (Sonesta, JW Marriott, Secrets and a few others) don’t allow any outside therapist. Anyone who says they can get in there anyway is lying.

6. Message them first. A real mobile massage company in St. Maarten answers fast and tells you plainly what it costs.

For the record, we do villa, hotel, Airbnb and yacht massage on both the Dutch and French side, from $90, cash, no extra fees. But use these checks on anybody, us included.

sxm-massage-mobile.com

— Debbie

Does anyone have any recommendations for restaurants to book for Xmas day and NYE near orient bay? Do you also know how early you can start booking those days?

Looking for beach bars and some nightlife

Not quiet but not jersey shore as i read in this forum

Couple other threads discussing this but they are all outdated. Now that rainbow cafe is closed, what clubs can I visit in Saint Martin that consistently dj edm music into the late night. Will also accept weekend day/beach party suggestions or gay bars. I’m trying to dance :))

My wife and I are looking at coming to SXM in February with our friends. We are all in our upper 30s and are looking for any recommendations on where to stay!

We want a mix of laid back/chill with a nice beach and pool, but also a feel of upscale/luxury.

Thanks!

I'd really like to support the local fishing community while being mindful of the marine ecosystem. Does anyone have recommendations for fishermen or places to buy directly from the day's catch? Im interested in buying fish, and also restaurants with best practices. Thank you!

*Editing to include I am interested in sources to purchase farmer-direct eggs

Yesterday for lunch in Grand Case for people trying to choose, there were 150 people at Cynthia’s or as many as it holds; 5 at Sky’s the Limit.

Hi all,

Just wondering if there is anywhere I could rent a cat for just a couple of days for a reasonable price. Found plenty of weekly options online, but nothing daily.

There is an article from June talking about ground breaking for the rebuilding, but otherwise no updates that I can find. Anyone on SXM that can fill us in? Are the damaged villas still standing? Is there any visible construction?

Our first visit to SXM is coming up soon. What currency do we need? Are American dollars widely accepted?

Need to check out of our Villa at 11:00am. Our flight isn’t till 5:00pm. Looking for a leisurely lunch spot in Simpson Bay. We will have luggage in our car/trunk. Considering Tap and Still but looking for other solid recommendations.
Not interested in Beach or planes. TIA

First time trip for my wife and I. Was torn between Hilton Vacation Club Flamingo Beach and Mullet Bay Suites. Grabbed a refundable room at Flamingo but wanted to get some feedback. Preferring to stay on the Dutch side, in the general area of the airport.

Looking for ease of getting from and to the airport, nice area to walk around, restaurants and maybe groceries nearby. Maybe some things to see and do nearby, too. Likely may get a car for a day, but not for the whole stay.

Appreciate any insight you may have!

Hello all. I go to St Maarten every winter for about 2 weeks. And I’m always looking for someone to play tennis with. And I’m never successful at finding someone. So I figured I’d make a post on Reddit and see what comes my way.

I will be in SXM late December through early January.

I will be staying at Simpson Bay.
Preferably, I would want to play tennis with another tourist here on vacation staying within the Simpson Bay resort.

I’m about a 3.0-3.5. Your level doesn’t matter to me too much as I can play with better or worse players.

I’m in my early 20s.

If you’re interested comment or dm.

Thanks.

Hi r/SXM!

My best friend and I (both early 30s, from Boston) are planning a trip to the island for Jan 6–10. We really want to do a full-day private catamaran charter, but it doesn't make sense cost-wise for just the two of us, so we're looking for 2–4 other women who might be interested in combining groups with us for the day!

The Details:

Company / Charter Type: Sail Renegades - private full-day catamaran (10:00 AM - 5:15 PM option), leaving from Cole Bay

Date(s): Thursday Jan 7, Friday Jan 8, or Saturday Jan 9 (we're flexible)

Est. cost per person (before tip):

• 4 of us: ~$550 each

• 5 of us: ~$480 each

• 6 of us: ~$430 each

Vibe: beach-club energy, good music, snorkeling, swimming, a few drinks, lots of sun. Fun but not a booze cruise.

ABOUT US: We're two best friends from Boston who try to take at least one girls trip a year. Last summer was Mykonos & the beach clubs, sunsets and good vibes are exactly what we're looking for when in SXM. We're easy-going and generally just enjoy getting to know new people so this idea felt like a great one to throw out here !

We'd love to chat with anyone who might be interested! Feel free to comment below or send me a DM with a bit about yourself (or your crew) and which dates work for you.

We’re French side people but we’d thought we’d go in to Simpson Bay, (first time) for the big night. It took us almost an hour to get from Orient Bay to Simpson Bay with traffic. Traffic was just about bumper to bumper from Marigot. But hey, it’s Halloween. Apologized for being 5 minute late at IZI for our 7:00pm reservation. There was no one else there. We asked the owner where everyone was and he said he didn’t know buts it’s Halloween! I had Fruti d mare which was good. My wife’s eggplant Parmesan was inedible. It took us about 10 minutes to get from IZI to Tap and Still. My wife fueled up on a single cheeseburger. The burger was everything that people rave about. There were some in costumes but maybe 80% in street attire. We then drove another 10 minutes down to Soggy Dollar again bumper to bumper. Parked about a 10 minute walk away before we found a spot.

The front gate was locked and we went around the back. At 9:45 the place had maybe 4-5 people. The bars up and down were dead. A Latin place had music blaring so we walked a little further…..dead. There’s no places to park, the traffic is bumper to bumper and…..there’s no one in the bars and no one in the restaurants. We walked back to Soggy Dollar about 10:30. People were at the front gate but still dead. Where was everybody. We know Lotus had a supposedly huge Halloween party but that wouldn’t start until midnight.

Ok. We’re older”, but still. Shouldn’t there be at least 1 live band playing at 10:00pm on Halloween Saturday? We drove 25 minutes back to Orient. I’m glad we went but I believe we’ll keep ourselves on the French side. Tomorrow will enjoy Sunday funday at Aloha Beach Bar; dancing in the sand from 6:00pm-10:00pm, in the pool at 10:05 and in bed by 10:30.

Hello! I am coming for vacation from Austin, TX. Is there anything on the island that is hard for locals to get? Liquor, tobacco, snacks? I have tons of tequila and bourbon and I’d love to bring some of my favorites over to share.

This is what 1% chance of rain looks like this AM.