In February, my husband and I desperately needed an escape from work and our beloved Canadian winter.  We had no specific destination in mind – we just knew that we needed to get away. In fact, as we looked for great last minute travel deals, we considered everything from all inclusives on the beach to spas in Iceland (Yes, Iceland in February made the list. And yes, I know it would have been winter there too).

Then I met Anthony from iStopOver. Over coffee I mentioned off hand that I was debating a quick holiday.  He suggested short term rentals in St. Maarten, sent some options for places to stay and less than a week later we deplaned in St. Maarten for an unbelievable 5-day stay in paradise.

If you should ever find yourself in St. Maarten, here are just a few of our favorite spots: **please note, placements on the map are very approximate!

Guide To St. Maarten

1. Lunch on the beach at Grand Case. Fresh salads, cold beers and “fat boys” (bean bag chairs for the beach) at Hotel Love.

Beach Bliss at Grande Case

2. Laid back night out at Calmos Café in Grand Case.

3. Hiking from Friar Bay to the more secluded (and mostly nude as it turned out) Happy Bay beach.

4. Sunset drinks and snacks at Karakter Beach Bar .

5. Dancing under the stars at Bliss.

6. Saucy chicken & ribs and equally saucy people watching at The Buccaneer Bar.

7. Our Ocean Front accommodations in Pelican Bay – Villa Incognito sleeps 4 and is listed on iStopOver . We loved the oceanside pool and grilling fresh fish on the BBQ.

Relaxing Poolside at our iStopOver Accommodation

8. Meeting the real Johnny at Johnny b under the tree. Best BBQ joint on the island.

I’d recommend St. Maarten for:

  • Honeymooners & destination weddings
  • Beach bums (there are 37 beaches)
  • Social butterflies

We had a fabulous experience on our trip and plan to book through iStopOver again this summer for weddings we’re attending in Napa and England. When booking short-term accommodation from private owners, here’s what I recommend:

1) Use a booking engine that provides protection.

We booked in such a rush, that we didn’t have time to do our normal reconnaissance of the island, the area, owners etc (see tip #3).  We felt confident booking because we knew that iStopOver would hold our funds until we arrived at the Villa and confirmed that everything was as it should be.

2) Talk to your Host or Property Owner in Advance

Our hosts were amazing.  They took such pride in their property and chatted with us before we left to provide recommendations on where to go on the island, restaurants and more based on our travel style.  The best tips they gave us were suggestions to make the most of our 5 days on the island.  For example, they put us in touch with a lady who could deliver groceries and load them into the fridge before we arrived and our rented snorkeling gear was dropped at the airport as we arrived to pick up our rental car.

3) Be Your Own Private Detective

Besides the photos and descriptions listed on the website, there is no harm in taking a few extra minutes to investigate the property yourself.  Smart property owners will highlight all of the positives of their property in a listing, so take a few minutes to do your own research and double check there isn’t anything they’ve left out.

4) What does the house or neighborhood look like on google street view?

Take a virtual walk around the neighborhood and see what shops, restaurants and public transit are like.  Search the name of the neighborhood on Flickr for additional and often candid photos.  Read all the reviews of the accommodations and owners on the site.  And if you really fancy yourself an internet detective (we do!), google snippets of reviews or the property description to see if the property has ever been listed or reviewed on other sites.

 

Andrea is a world traveler and the founder of SmartBrideBoutique.com, a website where brides can buy, sell and save on all things wedding.