Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
To me, there is no better deal. Especially if you love the beach and plan on spending a lot of time in the resort. Didnt stay at the snaziest place, in fact, it was one of the cheapest as far as price goes, but the staff is awesome and you meet people from all over. The fact that you dont have to spend a dime on any of the food or booze is almost unbelieveable. I probably got my money's worth in El Presidente and rum alone.
G Man
ha - that's cool, again I can see how it could appeal, but again we aren't heavy drinkers and plan to bounce around and not hang at the resort most of the time, so I don't think it's for us.
We're now looking at using a friend's timeshare, but avail times for St Martin don't work. Shifting back to Mexico.....any info on any timeshares on either place appreciated though. Tripadvisor.com and the like have reviews, but they're all over the map, hard to know what's "correct" (and obviously subjective anyway).
From your posts, it seems like you would enjoy the same type of vacation we do. Our favorite place on St. Martin is the Esmeralda Resort on Orient Beach. It is tucked all the way at the end of the beach, away from the crowds. It is not 5 star by US standards, but it is clean and comfortable. You would be an easy walk to Orient Village, with it's dozen or so restaurants. We have never had a bad meal. Generally we eat breakfast on the beach at a little open-air place called Cocoa Beach. You can also walk to the village and get a fresh baguette and coffee. We keep cheese and wine in the room for a late afternoon snack, then go out for dinner. Family obligations have kept us local this year, and I am just hoping to get back in a couple of months.
Looks like Riveria Maya (Puerto Adventuros) or Puerto Vallarta now. Unfortunately the resort we would get at R Maya is not on a beach (or much of one) - they said Omni beach is about a 5 min walk. Info anyone (on that or these places generally)?
the place I was going to stay at (Aventura Spa Palace) had more of a man made lagoon as opposed to a formal beach - they did provide transport to their sister resorts though for an actual beach
In fact St Martin has opened back up A place called Oyster Bay. Frankly the pics give me the impression it's not as nice as the Mexican places but we lean to checking out St Martin vs Mexico.
Info anyone? Again appreciate all the replies so far.
First of all, I have not personally been to Cancun, so I'm not qualified to give you alot of information about it, however I have been to St. Martin/Sint Maarten (I stopped there for a day on a cruise 4 years ago).
From what I've heard, Cancun/Riviera Maya has beautiful beaches, good nightlife, nice resorts, etc... but considering that you are not into laying by the beach and drinking all day, I'm not sure if you would like it as much. My parents went to the Riviera Maya a few years back and they loved the resort they stayed at (it was all inclusive, can't remember the name) but they weren't really comfortable venturing too far away from the resort.
St Maarten on the other hand, is steeped in history and culture, much more so than Cancun/Riviera Maya in my opinion. Half of the island is Dutch, the other half French. You can really feel a difference in culture between the 2 sides of the island, which I thought was really neat!
If you're into hiking/sightseeing, there are plenty of opportunities in St Maarten. On the French side, there is a quaint little village called Marigot nestled in some hills. There is a hiking trail that winds up the side of the hills that leads to an old fort named Fort Louis (I beleive it was built in the 1700s). The hike only takes about 15 minutes. St Maarten is full of hills, which makes it much more interesting than the flat topography of the Riviera Maya in my opinion.
The water and beaches in St Maarten were beautiful: the water was crystal clear. Orient Beach is a clothing optional beach if you are into that sort of thing!
If I had to pick, I would definately choose St Maarten. It just seems more interesting to me, and there's just something sexy and enchanting about the Caribbean islands. Good luck, let us know which destination you decide upon!
You can go to Mexico anytime as it is much cheaper to get to as are the hotels.
I have not been there but it is on my list of places to go. Some close friends did visit there and LOVED it. They have been to every tourist city in Mexico and several islands in the Carribean.
The great thing about St. Martin - apart from the sun and the beaches - is that you get two countries on one small island. The French side is very French and you feel like you are in France. We really enjoyed walking around Marigot the main French town. The Dutch side is more commercial especially when you get the cruise ships coming in but nice none the less.
I don't know the resort but it looks pretty nice.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Shifting back to Mexico.....any info on any timeshares on either place appreciated though. Tripadvisor.com and the like have reviews, but they're all over the map, hard to know what's "correct" (and obviously subjective anyway).
A place called Oyster Bay. Frankly the pics give me the impression it's not as nice as the Mexican places but we lean to checking out St Martin vs Mexico. 
Again appreciate all the replies so far.
