St. Maarten my second time around was ehh 
For context, I’ve been once before and had fun. I also had a very local experience, staying with my friend who lived there at the time, so she was able to show me all of St. Maarten and Anguilla and it was an experience I will always cherish. But that was before the hurricane that hit the country in 2017 and the island in some respects is still recovering from it.
They say second time’s a charm so when my sister invited me to her birthday in SxM , I was actually excited to have a resort experience this time around. (You know how most people say they want the local experience? I am the opposite, show me the resort and leave me alone, I don’t want the local experience….I’m leaving a very local experience in NYC).
I stayed at Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, Casino & Spa and Sonesta Ocean Point Resort. On a scale of 1-5, I would give Sonesta Maho Beach Resort a 2. The rooms were nice and newly remodeled and I can say that for the whole hotel, it’s decent. The casino was noticeably small, but the hotel advertises it in its name. The food was less than ideal and I didn’t particularly care for the service at all. It’s weird and could be me, but I felt like the workers catered more to the Europeans than us fellow black folk. The night-time entertainment was mediocre, and I really wanted the resort to be better.
It’s a family hotel so the pool area was fun but you’re surrounded by the kiddies. We did have one amazing day at the pool though. My cousins and I drank, swam, talked, and laughed until the pool closed down. I am down for whatever during the day but at night, I just want to be in my bed, yes even on vacation.
My sister had the most amazing birthday dinner at the resort’s Italian restaurant. They literally serenaded her and treated her like the queen that she is. The hotel had a few night spots outside of its vicinity but for the most part, I spent my time on the beach. The beach is stunning.
For the well-rounded experience on this resort, I decided to stay at the adult-only hotel called Ocean Point for a few extra days. On a scale of 1-5, I would give this hotel a 3.5. The hotel was a total upgrade from the Maho Beach hotel and both hotels are located on the same resort and share the same beach. There were a few perks. The rooms are more amazing and there’s a singer who sings R&B songs while you’re in the pool, drinking champagne. Hurricane Dorian was also upon us, which kept us in for one of the nights. Luckily, we were able to escape before it got too bad.
Overall, I would totally suggest that you visit this beautiful island, maybe just consider another hotel or maybe not—you may love this hotel. Whatever you decide, support St. Maarten and the surrounding islands like Anguilla and St.Barths.
Travel By Ky 