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All 12 Philipsburg hotels

Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort & Casino: Traveler Reviews

3.5 of 5
19 Little Bay Rd, Philipsburg, St Maarten-St Martin
Hotel amenities
Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort & Casino
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58%
Ranked #6 of 12 hotels in Philipsburg
Most recent review
5 of 5 stars Reviewed December 9, 2012
Digbyduck Digby, Nova Scotia
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Rating summary
  • Location
    4 of 5 stars
  • Sleep Quality
    3.5 of 5 stars
  • Rooms
    3.5 of 5 stars
  • Service
    3.5 of 5 stars
  • Value
    3.5 of 5 stars
  • Cleanliness
    3.5 of 5 stars
Date Rating
Digby, Nova Scotia
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
3 hotel reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
“Would definitely go back and recommend!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed December 9, 2012

My husband and I spent a week at Great Bay Beach from November 28 - December 6. We had read other people's reviews prior to booking and based on what we read we were concerned about the food quality. We are both foodies and found the food to be excellent. The quality of the buffet was a great deal better than what we've experienced in Jamaica, Cuba or the Dominican Republic. The new Italian restaurant served a nice variety of well prepared dishes. The jewel of the restaurants at this resort is the a la carte restaurant, Molasses. The food and service was impeccable. Special mention must go to both Ruffino and Gilberto who made our dining experiences at Molasses something we won't be forgetting. Both are extremely friendly, knowledgeable and a credit to this resort.

We had requested a room with a bathtub and when we checked in found that our assigned room had a shower only. We brought this to the attention of the front counter supervisor, Julian, who found us another room without delay. We ended up staying in the apartment section of the resort.

The beach and pool areas are well kept and the ocean swimming is fabulous.

We flew Sunwing and our rep, Martha, advised at the orientation that a taxi into Phillipsburg would cost $4 per couple. We took a taxi into town the first day we were there and were charged $10. We did get the taxi drivers name, Ash, and took that back to Martha to let her know. She said she knew the driver and then changed her story about telling us it would be $4. We booked 2 excursions through Martha, the island bus tour and the catamaran tour. The bus driver for the island tour was 20 minutes late, the air conditioning didn't work well and the van was packed with 12 people plus the driver, the loud speaker didn't work so half the passengers could not hear the island descriptions and he took us to Orient beach for 45 minutes when none of us had our bathing suits. This tour was only $45/head but I'm not certain if I would recommend it. The catamaran trip was the best excursion we have ever been on ... bar none.

All in all a great trip. We would definitely go back and recommend this resort.

  • Stayed November 2012, traveled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Digbyduck about Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort & Casino
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
New York City, New York
1 review
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“great hotel”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed December 9, 2012

my wife and i were at sonesta great bay for a week , and i must say , it was the nicest place we have ever been , the people were so freindly ( staff & guests ) . we are already planning are 3rd anniversary for next year at sonesta . great place to visit .

Room Tip: any room is good . we were on the 3rd floor and had no problems at all .
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  • Stayed August 2012, traveled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 2
Ask joeyc22 about Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort & Casino
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Ancaster, Ontario
1 review
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“Animators make for memorable holiday”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed December 8, 2012

Having gone on numerous vacations throughout the Caribbean, my daughter and I were both impressed with the Island of St. Maarten. The natural beauty of the Island with it's mountainous terrain, many bays, harbours and beaches is truly a delight. My daughter found shopping in nearby Phillipsburg to be excellent in its choices of high end stores. It is a short walk from the resort to Phillipsburg by both the main street, or along the beach which is great to walk along without any plans for shopping.
We both found the Animators to be great fun and made our trip truly amazing! They organized great & entertaining events - loved the water arobics, poolside Bingo, Name that tune and of course the exciting (and our favorite) "Flip cup" championships!! Kudos to our fav animators Kevin and Denroy who made our vacation truly memorable. Marie was great get involved with the dancing / Kareokee in the disco. Michael at the lobby bar is a lot of fun and an excellent tour guide. Our fav poolside bartenders Nigel and newcomer AnnMarie straight from Amsterdam were super friendly and looked after us very well. Best open oven pizza in the oceanside Italian restaurant for lunch and great spot for dinner.
Not the most luxurious hotel we've stayed in, but the warmth, friendliess and good vibes made it a destinaion of choice for us
Great staff, great fun, great memories - we'll defiinitely be back!
Mrs Jones & Nicole

Room Tip: Delux Oceanview rooms well worth choosing. High floors give exceptional view of Great Bay, the pools...
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  • Stayed December 2012, traveled with friends
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 2
Ask MrsJonesCanada about Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort & Casino
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
toronto
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
8 hotel reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
“Location and price will bring me back”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed December 7, 2012 via mobile

I was nervous having booked this trip through wagjag because I read mixed reviews on here. Let me start with positives. It is easy walk to town where I took the bus everywhere around the island. The ocean view was beautiful from my room and I loved watching the boats from the pool. Bartenders and entertainment staff were great at their jobs. As a single traveller I liked that the resort was small enough I could meet people easily. The food at buffet changed nightly and was great. Especially caribbean night. I liked the upstairs a la carte restaurant.Now for negatives- the Italian restaurant at night was not good. Too many people left and went to buffet. The only good thing on that menu was lasagna. The service at restaurants was slow. The flooring in one elevator needs to be replaced. Did any of the negatives have an effect on my vacation absolutely not. I will be back in a second if I find a good deal.

  • Stayed November 2012
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 2
Ask francine_16 about Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort & Casino
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Canada
1 review
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“Denroy, Entertainment Supervisor (Animators)”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed December 2, 2012

My husband and I chose St.Maarten, Great Bay Resort and Casino as our Honeymoon destination. We chose to go to St. Maarten because of the great reviews from colleagues and friends. However, the reason we will go back is because of the friendly, knowledgeable staff. In particular Denroy. We not only enjoyed the rest and relaxation, but the fun events put on by the Animators. Everyday was filled with games, entertainment and lasting, unforgettable memories.

A huge Thank you to Denroy and his staff for the amazing vacation. We hope to see you next year!!!!

J.I.H.

  • Stayed November 2012, traveled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 4
Ask Izabela B about Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort & Casino
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
 
 
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Additional Information about Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort & Casino

Also Known As:
Sonesta Great Bay Beach Hotel Philipsburg
Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort And Casino
Sonesta Great Bay Beach Hotel
Great Bay Beach
St Martin Great Bay Hotel
Sonesta Philipsburg
Great Bay Beach Hotel
Sonesta Great Bay
Philipsburg Sonesta
St Maarten Great Bay Hotel
Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort & Casino St Maarten-St Martin/Philipsburg
Address: 19 Little Bay Rd, Philipsburg, St Maarten-St Martin
Region: Caribbean > St Maarten-St Martin > Sint Maarten > Philipsburg
Amenities:
Bar/Lounge Beach Business Center Casino Fitness Center Free Parking Kids Activities Restaurant Swimming Pool
Hotel Style:
#5 On the Beach Hotels in Philipsburg
#6 Family Hotels in Philipsburg
Price Range: $$$
Hotel Class:3.5 star (3.5*)
Official Description (provided by the hotel):
Overlooking beautiful Great Bay Harbor and a short, 10-minute walk from the exciting capital of Philipsburg, Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort & Casino offers the best of both worlds: great shopping, dining and entertainment in a quaint downtown setting, and a tropical escape within a beach front oasis. With spectacular views, unparalleled service, a full range of amenities and a mile of white, sandy beach, the Sonesta Beach Resort provides the ultimate Caribbean experience. ... more   less 
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