Martineau Bay was a very nice, relaxing smallish resort. The rooms are spacious and the views are gorgeous. The beaches are small but very nice, and there was no one on them when we visited in April. I agree with 1 review about the staff, they were not terribly friendly, especially the breakfast staff and lunch staff at the pool. Terrible service at the pool for lunch, all had an attitude.3 waitresses and not one aksed me if I wanted a drink and when I asked for water , they looked at me cross eyed. Lunch was a terrible experience and slow, but the food was good. On the other hand, we had a very efficient and nice waiter for dinner our last night there. It will be interesting when the W takes over to see how it changes. The bones are there to make this a top notch, small resort on a wonderful island.

My husband and I spent our delayed honeymoon at the Martineau Bay Resort in early March. We had a wonderful time, although went with a little trepidation after reading some of the reviews. When we arrived, we were greeted with a delicious fruit juice at the check-in desk – very refreshing after a long day of travel. The staff was informative and helpful in settling us in. About 10 minutes after we got to our room, there was a knock at the door. Room service arrived with a complimentary bottle of champagne and fruit and cheese tray for our honeymoon. What a way to make us feel welcome.

Our room was clean and spacious with a wonderful ocean view. Maid service was timely each day. The room is best suited for couples as there is no door/curtain on the shower and a thin shade that hides the bathroom from the bedroom. The shade can be drawn so that when you are soaking in the wonderful deep tub you can have a view out the window. We had a slight problem one day when the toilet stopped up. I had barely hung up the phone from calling for assistance when a maintenance man arrived at our door and fixed it.

We did not have dinner at the resort, so I cannot comment. We did however enjoy a few lunches at the pool grille. We both thought the food was good, albeit pricey. The drinks were also pricey. We ate breakfast in the restaurant twice – the food was good, but again, expensive. The service was also a bit slow – but we found that to be the case in almost every restaurant on the island. But that’s why it’s called “island time.” I do think that the staff need a bit more training, but hopefully that will come in time.

For a good meal, we went to M Bar across the street from the resort. The food there was delicious and fairly priced for the quality. Randy the bartender is a great source of information. We spent a couple of evenings at the bar and were rewarded with some free tastings from the chef. I hear they might be moving locations into Isabel II, which is a shame as I found that town to be overcrowded and didn’t enjoy spending time there.

The beach at the resort is nice – quiet, private and relaxing. We did rent a jeep for the week and explored other beaches, but it was nice to have a beach right at the resort.

We thought it a perfect place for a honeymoon – not too busy and romantic. We didn’t want a large, overcrowded resort with casinos and night clubs and were very pleased with the Martineau Bay Resort.

We just returned from our stay at the Martineau Bay Resort, April 7-12th. We are seasoned travellers and wanted an upscale resort experience for this trip...and we definitly got it!! From the moment we arrived we were treated as royalty. The staff are warm, accomodating, and go beyond the call of duty to make everything perfect, or near to it!!! That in itself is such a welcome treat these days!! The only complaint is their concierge never seemed to be around. But it is so easy to make your own plans on this island, he wasn't a necessity for us. The reception staff can also give you good suggestions on restaurants and activities. The map is also very reliable!
But beyond that, the resort is situated on a fantastic stretch of swimmable beaches, the grounds are beautiful and meticulously kept. The multi-level pool area is wonderful, and there are plenty of areas to relax . Some are set back and give you distance from the pool activity, so if there are children splashing and playing, you can somewhat remove yourself and relax! There were children there during our stay and their fun in the pool never interfered with our relaxation!
Our room was large and romantic, with tiled floors, and large, pretty, tiled bathroom, with a huge sunkin tub, large tiled shower. It was wonderfully clean, bright, airy, with a sliding door to the balcony, with pool and ocean views. The bed was so comfy.
We arrived too late to venture out our first day there, so we had to eat at the hotel. There was a pasta buffet option that night, not our favorite type of dining!! However, the presentation was beautiful, with an antipasto station, soup and cheeses and fruits, and a large salad bar, along with a pasta station,where a chef sautees your choice of seafoods, veggies, spices and sauces. My husband ordered MahiMahi off the regular menu, and it was lucious. I preferred just the soup and salad portion of the buffet(even included dessert!), and was told I could do that for half the price of the entire pasta bar. They even allowed me to have a bowl of lightly sauced pasta , since I had to eat light due to a stomach virus, and still only charged half price.
The service at the restaurant was impeccable...make sure you have Jorge(?sp) serve you at least one time, he is an amazing server...as is the entire restaurant staff! Richard will make you amazing omeletes at breakfast buffet on weekends, also beautifully appointed and full of wonderful choices, fruits, granola, cereals, real croissants, pastries, rich oatmeal...even lox and bagels (though not great bagels!!!) Fluffy , moist scrambled eggs from the buffet (when does that happen? They are usually dry on a buffet!!) And if you prefer not to have the buffet, there is a menu and you have the option of continental, or lighter fare.
Coffee is served in the lobby every morning and you can always go into town to the local bakery in Isabel and bring back muffins for your mornings!
If you want to splurge, go to the spa and get a massage!!! Make sure you ask for Robert! He is fantastic. It is very expensive, but a real treat.
I know this is a long review, but we wanted to be specific so others can get a real "feel" for this resort. They will be closing soon, and will be taken over by Westin, and it will become a W resort. We only hope they do not change too much here, and spoil what is a wonderful and AFFORDABLE upscale resort. We hear they close in Sept but no one really seems to know for sure. I say, get there before they close if possible...I can't imagine the prices will be the same after they re-open as a W.

The Martineau hotel is a lovely place on 2 small but beautiful beaches. The rooms are oversized and clean with nice decor. My major complaint about this place is its staff. 98% of staff could improve their friendliness, smiles and attention to customers - dining staff especially. Food is alright, very expensive and service incredibly slow. By the end of our 1 week at the Martineau I was fed up of the attitude and slow service of its waiters. Aside from that, its a great place and I would definately stay there again!

Advice: if you book the BioBay, do it yourself, if you go through the hotel they will charge you $20 more than it actually costs!