TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

The resort needs to update the buildings and rooms! The grounds are beautiful, the view of the ocean while you dine is beautiful! BUT none of that matters due to the HUMAN experience. My husband and his childhood friends decided on this resort to celebrate their 60th birthdays. 60 people looking to enjoy life, vacation AND TIP! when you do not have too! The staff had the WORSE attitudes! I mean, you could smile and say good morning and they just look at you! It's all inclusive and we had to argue for more than 2 slices of pizza! The bar attendant at the pool side bar had the worse attitude and actually got upset when my friend asked for a can of soda along with the glass of soda she was just given! She literally gave her an open can of soda she was currently using for drinks! There are so may rules and restrictions. There were so many room issues with the AC and with the televisions. Two of the couples from our group were cut by glass in their swim up pools. The resort moved them to new rooms, but there was no true concern, they had such an "Oh well" approach. It was mind blowing! We were all also blown away by the severe hazard in the Sunset roof top lounge. There are SO MANY loose and broken tiles, it was a severe walking and (or) dancing Hazzard! We decided to put objects in the various areas so no one would get hurt. It rained a little bit before our scheduled birthday party on Saturday night of our stay. We asked a staff member if it were possible to have someone wipe up some of the water, we were told no that would not be possible! The best part about our stay, was the friendly people from room service! My husband and I had the pleasure of having "Smiley" deliver our room service HE WAS GREAT! Another great part was our wonderful experience when we dined for dinner at AZUL. It's a beautiful restaurant right on the water. The food was tasty, but the best part of the experience was JENELL. She is a gift, a true spirit. I cannot find enough words to express how amazing she is! If you do take a chance on this resort, go dine and ask for Jenell. Please make sure you tip her and the young assistants that are helping her give you a beautiful dining experience. I recommend going to AZUL for breakfast as well. It's a beautiful view and the hostess NICOLE, she is so sweet. So welcoming. Her smile is infectious, and she is genuinely courteous. The biggest and BEST overall experience was our time spent in the rooftop lounge with EDDIE! The resort needs to really have him train the other staff members. He is the true definition of whistle while you work! He was amazing on so many levels. He knows how to make the guest feel special. He understands that we want to have a good time and unwind. Sorry for this long review. I hope people read every word!

My recent stay at Sonesta St. Maarten was extremely disappointing. From the moment we arrived, it was clear that the hotel’s standards were far below what was advertised as a five star resort. Here are the specific issues we encountered: 1. Air Conditioning Issues: The hotel knowingly placed us in a room with a non-functional air conditioning system. We were told they needed to try four different things to fix it, and there were no other rooms available. We had to involve our travel agent, and a portable AC unit was finally installed at 1 am. We changed rooms and watch them continue to check more guests into that room. Three days later the AC was not working again in the second room. The staff repeatedly lied about fixing it all day long and finally fixed it when they saw us walk off the resort for dinner. 2. Poor Room Conditions: The room showed significant wear and tear, including a ripped couch and microbial growth on the lamps. The showers leaked water all over the floor, making it hazardous and unpleasant. 3. Inconsistent Dress Code Enforcement: The hotel did not consistently enforce its dress code, particularly regarding shoes, leading to a lack of standardization. 4. Lack of Entertainment: The advertised entertainment was nonexistent. Live music events were always canceled, and there were no other forms of entertainment available. The schedule for live music when it did happen was unreliable, with times changing without notice. Events often started late and did not run for the full scheduled time. 5. Closed Facilities: Two of the restaurants and the cliffside massage area were closed due to storm damage. The repairs took longer than the five remaining days we had at that point. 6. Maintenance and Security Issues: Maintenance staff entered our room without knocking while I was undressed, which was extremely distressing. We reported this to the GM only to be told that we were being removed from the hotel if I didn’t stop crying in his lobby. 7. Lack of Proper Security: Security staff were unhelpful and refused to call the police when needed. One of the maintenance personnel that walked in on me undressing the previous day said to my husband as we walked past him “you better keep her safe.” When the police eventually arrived, they deemed the issue internal. Security falsely claimed a problematic individual was removed, but we saw him again later. They refused to restrict his access to our room for 24 hours. When we expressed our safety concern, we were told we could stay elsewhere without a cancellation fee, pending further security investigation. 8. Poor Communication and Accountability: Throughout our stay, the front desk managers Thyme and Ederkys, and the GM, Eddie, were either unresponsive or unhelpful. We were given a letter at our room that said “we’re sorry about your experience, please contact the GM at this email address.” Five minutes later they knocked with another letter that said “violation for use of profanity” Security staff failed to provide documentation or take proper action at any time. Despite these numerous issues, I must acknowledge that the food was good, and the pools were enjoyable, although the pools were never vacuumed. We have made multiple complaints with case numbers and no one has contacted us back on them. Our travel agent has made multiple attempts to get a response from the company through her contacts, no response. Given our experience, I cannot recommend staying at Sonesta St. Maarten. Don’t be fooled by the influencer five star reviews, they are paying them to come stay there. The combination of poor management, lack of communication, and numerous safety concerns made for an unacceptable stay. If you value your comfort and safety, consider booking elsewhere.

Went here for my birthday. Had a decent stay but the part that was alarming was we met some of the staff and one person who was in charge of room service, became unpleasant. There is a rooftop bar area that we would very nightly. This person (staff) engaged wit us often. My cousin would order room service every night and this particular night , when we left the rooftop, he walked us to our room which was 301. Right by the stairs and elevator and CAMERAS. He proceeded to deliver the food himself this night. My cousin retrieved the tray and he pushed her aside looking for me. All the lights were out, as it was after 1am. I was awake. But he couldn’t see me due to the lights being turned off. He repeatedly screamed COUSIN. Trying to awake me. My cousin asked him to leave TWICE. Totally inappropriate. We decided we would report it once we was leaving the property because we felt in danger. Sent a email upon exit. The resort manager did absolutely NOTHING. Told us it was nothing on cameras to see but they were right in vicinity of our room and the elevator and stairs. How not ? Where is the audio ? Smh safe to say, they protect their staff. I have included the email from management. Be careful at this property. Outside of this, the food was amazing at azul. The room was decent. It got changed twice for lack of ac. It was hot every single day and we loved Anguilla. But pay attention to the men. Took me awhile to come and post due to been super busy with work but i didn’t forget. See the emails for all the details. Not sure if they will fail in order.

You pay a premium price for Ocean Point, but it's well worth it. We had a great room overlooking the Pointe Pool and the ocean and watched dozens of planes a day fly past our balcony. The two other pools were also great and never overly busy. Where Ocean Point really excelled was its Azul Restaurant with its amazing ocean views and the service provided there. Thanks to servers Dianica, Matalene, Shingai and Jernale. They all offered fabulous, friendly service. Our room was exceptionally clean and the air conditioning was always a nice greeting after spending time outside. Ocean Point guests can also use the facilities at Maho Beach, but we soon learned they were hit or miss. Ocean Point was always a sure thing.

First this resort literally is less than 10 minutes from the airport which is a huge win. We had prearranged transportation which was easy and convenient. Check in. We got in around 2PM and were greeted at the Maho family side. Given a golf cart ride to Ocean Point. The gentleman who got us was wonderful. We became fist bumping friends all trip. Check in was allowed early. ONE BIG THING. They required us to pay a $300.00. $50.00 a day incidental charge to our credit card. This is no where mentioned. I was very surprised by this as we have travelled over ten times out of country to all inclusive resorts and this was a first. I did tell my credit card company about my travel but for some reason my card was declined. Luckily I carry cash every time we travel. I was able to give the $300.00 which was returned at check out since we didn’t buy anything at the resort. However they should only allow a card on file. Do not attempt a charge until check out if necessary. We did get in our room immediately. We were given room 604. Top floor which is great. However ONE ELEVATOR only goes to the 6th floor. That can be very annoying. Room. The room was a Junior Suite Deluxe. It was front facing the sea, perfect view of the runway at the airport which I loved. The room control panel had the AC set at 71. We always move it to the lowest it can go because you’re in the Caribbean. It goes as low as 67. TIP - Make sure the panel is not on the fan mode or your room will never get cold. They do fill your mini fridge but I rarely used it. Basic Coke products and some beer. They did put balloons, a bottle of champagne, and a small plate of deserts for us because of our anniversary. Then a small greeting card. Nice touch. Just after day one please remove the balloons. The room had a private bathroom with dual sinks, and a rain shower head. I wish the shower door would close fully but it doesn’t. Overall a nice room. COMPLAINT to be fully aware of. The room lost power at least four times. It came back on but can be annoying. The plumbing from the sink, shower, and toilet stopped working multiple times. This means no water so you cannot flush the toilet or wash your hands, shower etc. It would come back on but those waits especially when you’re in the bathroom or showering could be intrusive. The biggest issue was we had to reset and turn off the AC box over ten times. It would just stop working. The last morning our AC never worked. If we were not checking out we would have called for maintenance. This definitely needs to be addressed and not blamed on the islands power plant. Food. As many have mentioned. Azul was the best. I could go on for days about how great the service was there but yes it is the best. Me and the omelet guy became friends. He knew my order each day. Lunch was always on par. Dinner is where Azul shined. Best steaks and short ribs I’ve ever had at an all inclusive. We did try other restaurants on the Maho side and they were fair. One lunch our beef fajita was dripping in grease. After that moment my wife and I decided to stay on the Ocean Point side and only eat there except the Cafe for coffee and pastries. Blue fin was amazing too. The bowl we had was amazing. Service was top notch. Our waitress had us laughing and wine refilled all meal. Even for our anniversary gave us a plated desert with a candle. The buffet we tried a couple of times. It was what you’d expect. Nothing special except the chicken nachos were good. Overall without sounding redundant eat only on the Ocean Point side. Beach. You share with the public. They go have people offer massages. We declined each time. The water is beautiful most days and you can get out there. The undertow is rough at times. However it’s nice but you honestly spend most days at the pools. Pools. There are three. Only one had a swim up bar. The swim up bar is nice but kind of small. The pool with the infinity look out is ok but it has a rock wall and you eventually run into other guests swim out suites. The BEST pool is the middle one. This is where the famous Sheryl is. If you’ve read reviews about her I can tell you one thing about her. SHE IS AMAZING! Whomever said she was rude probably was rude too. We never had issues with her. She always took timeout to talk to us about the island, the resort, life. She made my wife the Malibu bay breeze and my wife couldn’t get enough. She always had two cans of beer waiting on me. She will not be a waiter to you but she’d always be ready when you came up to the bar. Keep in mind the bar is thirty feet from the pool steps. MANAGEMENT PLEASE READ THIS! One thing I could not understand was they did not have beer SXM on tap. I asked Sheryl about this and she said hotel management wouldn’t pay the extra $20.00 for it. I said I can give you the $20.00. Of course it wouldn’t have worked but management needs to not be cheap here. Gift shop. Avoid. Way over priced. Terrible selection. HOTEL MANAGEMENT. Please invest in a bigger gift shop. That was the smallest and most over priced gift shop we’ve ever seen in an all inclusive resort. We never went to the jewelry store. Trust me you can do better on gift shops and jewelry in Maho. Even though there’s only two gift shops down the road. The one closest to the roundabout is better priced. The jewelry store we selected was better and yes you can haggle prices there. Always remember if there is a calculator you can haggle. Cash is king. Room service. Never used but heard was efficient. Housekeeping. AMAZING. Every day room was cleaned, garbage removed, beds made perfectly. I one day saw a housekeeper and told her if you are out housekeeping. Thank you for your hard work. I gave her a $10 bill and she was so appreciative. Airplanes. Yes you hear and see them from 8AM-5PM with a few later on. Yes it can occasionally get noisy. However you adjust and like me admire it. You get used to afternoon rush hour. It’s definitely a cool experience you can’t get elsewhere. Check out. Every thing went fine. We got our money back and have no complaints. The hotel front desk manager did ask why we didn’t use any resort coupons and we said just no need. We decided to take a cab this time to the airport. It was $10 for my wife and I with three bags and two carry ons. EMPLOYEES. I want to take a second here on this. We read a lot of reviews before leaving that employees were rude and disconcerting. I cannot think of one bad apple. They all were super nice and approachable. I don’t know what others seem to encounter but they were all great. Maybe be like us and be friendly. Please and thank you go a very long way. Tipping. PLUS ALWAYS TIP! You don’t know how many times we don’t see this. It doesn’t have to be a lot. A couple bucks on drinks, $5s and $10s for meals goes a long way. Tip your luggage handler, housekeeper, etc. Excursion. Don’t use the hotel. We booked two through TripAdvisor. The island tour and Anguilla day trip. I’ll save the island review for the one on TripAdvisor. However Humphrey was amazing and it’s better priced on TripAdvisor. Pro tip go to Retailmenot and get a discount code. The island two for 4 1/2 hours for two was only $77.00 before tips and any souvenirs, drinks or food. The Anguilla trip got postponed/cancelled unfortunately due to bad weather. Not the tours fault but I heard it was amazing from others that went. Overall this is a very nice resort on the Ocean Point side. I’d stay again but would maybe island hop after day four.