My wife and I stayed at this hotel for several days in May, 2006. I have read all the prior reviews from Trip Advisor and have found them to be accurate for the most part.

The good: The suites are large and very well maintained. They are constructed in typical European style - tile floors, tile kitchens, tile baths. The pictures on the resort's web site are accurate. Our suite was large, very clean and very comfortable. In spite of booking a one bedroom unit, we received a two bedroom unit (although management made us promise not to use the second bedroom). Freda, the reception manager at the front desk was very pleasant and cordial. Maid service was good, providing fresh towels and linens every day.

The bad: If the outdoor balcony is an important factor in your decision to stay at this hotel, be certain to reserve a second floor unit. ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN. We reserved our suite, in large part, based upon the pictures of the large balcony and the vaulted ceilings featured on the hotel's internet site. When we arrived, we were informed that no second floor units were available, and were assigned a suite on the ground floor. The ground floor suites don't have a balcony or vaulted ceilings. They have a patio. And while the patio is quite large, it is surrounded by bushes and plants. In the daytime, it is great for preserving the privacy of the guests but offers no view whatsoever, except for the bushes and plants five yards away, which surround the patio. I felt like I was in my back yard. Furthermore, the suites are about 100 yards from the beach. At night, there is total darkness. The only barrier between you and any possible intruder is - you guessed it - those bushes and plants. Naturally, my wife and I felt uneasy about spending evenings on the patio. In fact, management warned us to close the roll-down steel gates, which enclosed the patio, while out of the unit, as there had been some recent burglaries in the (largely residential) neighborhood. Not a very safe or relaxing atmosphere. Having no view at all, we were unable to enjoy the patio during the day, and, given the eerie darkness and lack of security, we were unable to enjoy the patio at night. So much for our dreams of breakfast on the balcony, overlooking the ocean, in the mornings, and coffee on the balcony, while feeling the ocean breeze, at night. The biggest selling point of this unit was gone. And, if you think you can enjoy comfort and some relaxation in the suite, be warned - television reception is VERY limited. There are only 4 channels: HBO-Latino, CNN, and two channels in French. For about half our stay, HBO and CNN did not work. For the other half, I saw movies like Spanglish. So, unless you are fluent in French, I would strongly consider how you will spend mornings and evenings in the suite. My wife wanted to talk. Don't say I didn't warn you.

The ugly: For several days, the scent of the salty sea air was masked by the delicate aroma of the neighborhood sewer, which had backed up into the front walk of the development. The smell did not carry into the interior of the unit. Electricity was spotty. There were several outages during our stay, which lasted from 15 minutes to several hours. These events were only inconveniences, and beyond the control of the hotel, of course, but typical of life on the French side, in a smaller resort. The hotel should have provided an iron in the suite, however, which was conspicuously missing and decidedly inconvenient in a suite at this price range.

Overall, I would stay at this resort again, but only if a second floor unit was guaranteed. You will note that most Trip Advisor reviews which praise this hotel are from guests who stayed on the second floor. Otherwise, for the price, there are better options.

Just returned from a 6 day stay at the Carribbean Princess in St. Martin. The accomodations were excellent. Second floor, two bedroom, two bath condo facing the beach. Just read a review from Utah and I completely agree with their description and review. The kitchen was adequately equiped and we used it a lot! Thought the little bottles of rhum, candies, coffee and cookies were a nice touch. Have visited Orient Beach area many times, staying at different palces. This was my favorite and plan to return.

My wife and I, plus our two children (ages 8 and 16) just spent a week at the Caribbean Princess and had a wonderful experience. We rented a second-floor, two-bedroom unit. It was spacious, clean, and beautifully designed: tile floors, cathedral ceiling, comfortable rooms, 2 bathrooms (shower only), roomy kitchen, and oversize balcony with sliding glass doors. The balcony overlooks Orient Beach, which starts some 100 yards away, across a sand parking lot. You have a private entrance from the non-beach side, plus off-street parking. The neighborhood is full of pleasant condos and second homes. The hotel is operated by the Cap Caraibe Hotel, which is "next door" (but a little tricky to find). You check in at the Cap Caraibe, which has a very welcoming manager, and you receive daily maid service that is courteous and capable. You receive a fresh supply of beach towels each day and can use a reserved section of nearby chairs w/ umbrellas on the beach. While we have been to the Caribbean before, this was our first visit to St. Martin. We rented a car and ate out every night, and saw most of the island. In my opinion, Orient Beach was the best location for us. The French side is full of terrific restaurants and friendly people. During the week of our visit, about half the visitors staying at Orient Beach appeared to be from France, the remaining half were mostly American, plus some other Europeans. The beach itself is lovely and changes character throughout the day. In the morning, it is subdued and open, and it is not unusual for beach visitors to stroll in the nude. After 9:30, the beach near the hotel starts to fill in with families and couples, and takes on a festive atmosphere -- but is always very pleasant. The water is great. There are good places to eat along the beach and in the nearby village of Baie Orientale. We also ate in Grand Case at L'Escapade (excellent French), Spiga (very good Italian), and The Talk of the Town (local joint -- fun barbeque). (Tip: Prices in Grand Case are in Euros, but if you pay in cash or travelers checks you get a favorable $1= 1 Euro exhange rate.) If you have kids, try the nearby Butterfly Farm some morning. Market day in Marigot is also fun. At Loterie Farm in the hills east of Marigot, there is hiking and a challenging "treetop to treetop" zip-line tour (for those in shape and without fear of heights). The chicken and spinach curry at the open-air cafe there was one of the most delicious meals I've ever had in my life!

Third time on St M's, stayed in three different places, this was the best. Stayed in upper unit with beach view, none of thse units are really beach front. Unit was very nice, problem w/ hot water for two days, could not get serviced and on last day a water main break meant no water for a day. But we still had a great time.
Orient beach...way way over rated, spent only one day there, even though we stayed there. If we go again we would do the same thing stay in same place but drive to Dutch side for better water/beaches. The beach was obnoxiously windy non-stop for 5 full days.....took off to Dutch side where beaches are much better and calmer.

Nothing going on at night in the area from what we could see, went to Grand Case for some great food.