We just returned from French St. Martin (we prefer the French side...Dutch side too commercial). We stayed at a hotel that was new for us, Esmeralda on Orient Beach. We had been staying at another property down the road for almost 20 years. We left that other property because the property was deteriorating year by year.

However, we would always run by and through Esmeralda, and it always looked great. I contacted the property directly, and mentioned that we wished to make a change and why.

We stayed ar Esmeralda from Sunday, Feb. 24 through Sunday, March 3.

I requested a competitive rate, the possibility of a free upgrade, and a room as close to the sea as possible. The rate was ever so slightly higher than the other property, but I felt it was close enough to give Esmeralda a try.

When we checked in, we were greeted at reception by Leo...what an asset to the property. We were also extremely pleased that we were given a free upgrade to a suite, and within short walking distance to the water.

This suite had a full kitchen (we never cooked, though) with large refrigerator, stove, microwave, double sink, etc. We also had a full living area open to the bedroom, large bathroom with a separate room for the toilet. Each set of units has a pool, and parking close to your room.

The only downside was that we only received 2 packets of coffee, one decaf, upon arrival. I can't complain because of the free upgrade, but it would have been nice to have coffee available in the room. I am a runner, and both my wife and I like coffee before we work out. I was willing to go to the breakfast area, but the coffee would not be ready until just before I was beginning my run...too late for the caffeine to take effect.

Free WiFi is available at the reception area, or you can pay to have it in your room...$40 for the week. We chose the latter. $5-$6 a day is not a bad rate to be able to stay in your room and connect any time, day or night. Hopefully free WiFi will be made available at all hotels in the near future.

Overall, the quality was outstanding. We plan on returning, either this summer, or definitely next year at this time. Hopefully we will once again be upgraded, with a room close to the sea.

BV

We stayed here for 3 nights in a deluxe suite with a deluxe room connector. We had never stayed here before but were told the property had gone through renovations and was refreshed. The reason we considered it was because we have always enjoyed Orient beach and there is a special part of Orient we enjoy and that is the beach bar/restaurant attached to this property which is Coco beach. Coco is uncrowded and the food and service in our opinion are the best on Orient.

The rooms were in our opinion adequate. The air condition, which is new, worked great and the bathrooms which were somewhat redone were very nice. Between the 2 rooms we had 3 tv's and only one of them was working. We called the front desk twice and were told someone would come to fix it. No one ever did.

We paid $1100 per night for the 2 rooms and for that price point you would think the suite/room would have the basics: bathrobe, slippers, bottled water, and working tv's etc. In the suite there are no dresser drawers or closets. Everything is located outside the bedroom in the hallway which we found to be a bit odd. Internet was free in the lobby but if you wanted it in your room than it was extra. The continental breakfast was fine. The plunge pools attached to each villa worked well after a long day at the beach.

The only reason we would come back here is because it is so close to Orient and especailly Coco beach. The beach and restaurant made our stay memorable. The beach boy Tai is fun and hard working and went the extra mile to make sure we had a great few days. The restaurant staff were all superb and the lunches, especially the fresh red snapper, were great.

The Esmeralda is one of the nicest spots we've stayed in St Martin. It's right on Orient Bay, and located, fortunately, at the quieter end of the beach - away from the jet skis and the bus loads of cruise ship day trekkers. The rooms are comfortable and very quiet as there are either three or four rooms per building - each building has its own pool as well and a great private deck per room.

As pet lovers who miss our pets while we're on vacation, we were very pleasantly surprised to be greeted by a couple of adorable tabbies on the deck. The cats are in very good shape and are very grateful if you feed them. I know the idea of cats may not appeal to all, but the cats do what cats do and keep the property free of any bugs or other things that tend to pop up in warm weather.

The only thing I'd change is to have the wifi available for free in the rooms (it's free in the lobby and you can also pay for access in your room per device).

I will definitely stay here again as it's a great spot if you want a hotel on Orient Bay.

I often read with interest the reviews/experiences of other travelers. Having recently returned from an amazing one week stay at "Esmeralda", I thought that I would offer a few personal observations about this property. I should first preface my review with a few comments about the writer. My wife and I are seasoned (sounded better than mature or old) travelers. We travel 5 or 6 times a year - and can be critical.
We had been to St Martin (Orient Bay) once previously, but this was our first stay at "Esmeralda". We really enjoyed the layout of our "villa" or pod. While we didn't use the small pool, it seemed that this common amenity to the 4 units (Bldg 55) was a catalyst to our meeting guests in the adjoining units. And we spent exceptional evenings becomming acquainted, and exchanging stories over a glass or two. And I think that the courtyards are exceptionally well kept.
The cleanliness of our room was acceptable. Some minor repairs are needed (screen door), but it is peak season. Sometimes it is small things which make for a more comfortable stay. In our case it was the rain shower systems.
We found the Esmeralda staff (cleaning, groundskeepers, lobby) to be engaging and helpful. Of particular note was the assistance we got from the "concierge". In a word, she is terrific!
Overall, the weather was pleasant, but there were a few showers, so the proximity of the hotel to (Co Co) beach is a real benefit. And our beach walks at sunrise were a highlight.