Les Balcons d'Oyster Pond — Hotel in Saint Martin (France)

Stay: April 2019

My husband (then fiancé) and I fell in love with both Saint Martin and Les Balcons d'Oyster Pond online just before Irma, and when the hurricane hit we decided to postpone our honeymoon a year instead of choosing a different destination, and boy am I glad we did so!

We stayed in the Sweety cottage and let me just say, the online pictures do not do it justice. Attached is a picture of our view from our patio. The pool is wonderful - and nice and secluded. The kitchen is a good size and comes equip with all appliances, dishes, glasses, and essential cooking tools so it is easy to whip up a quick meal. While you hardly need it in Saint martin, the living room has a nice fan and the bedroom (and connected bath) has AC which works surprisingly well. The bathroom was also nice with a good size vanity, well working toilet and hot water for the shower. Finally, I want to note that the Sweety cottage is separated a little bit from the other villas, and it has a very nice private gated parking lot which, and while Saint martin is actually very safe, this being both my first vacation and my first rental car, made me sleep so much easier at night. The ONLY thing that I have to note, which I know they are working to improve and is a direct effect from Irma, was that the internet never really worked for me, but I think it helped me stay unplugged on my relaxing vacation!

In case you are still reading, here couple of things to note when preparing for your vacation: As of April 2019, while the water is safe for cooking and cleaning it is not recommended to drink. There is a shop called bread and butter just down the road for essentials like water (and bread and butter) I found an international phone plan to be an essential for Saint Martin. We have AT&T and paid $11 for every 24 hour period we used our phone. We only had one small spot where we did not have service, otherwise it was better than in the USA. If you are renting a car (unfortunately I read about this but completely forgot to check when I was renting my car) I recommend renting from a company on the french side, as the dutch rental cars have a license plate with "R" signifying a rental. And as I mentioned before, which Saint Martin is safe, I did hear that rental car break-ins are more common. We did not have any problem, but were careful to not leave anything in sight. If you have somewhere to be at a certain time LEAVE EARLY. On our last day, there was a parade in Phillipsburg so we had to drive on the french side. We were in the car nearly 4 hours and almost...

Just got back from Les Balcons after a week there - in total there were 10 of us in 5 bungalows. Claude was amazing to work with and connected with us over WhatsApp so we could contact her anytime. These units were fairly well stocked, making it easy to get together on each other's balconies to share a meal or charceuterie while overlooking a fabulous view of Oyster Pond. The units were extremely clean and well maintained. The beds were very comfortable. Parking was ample. The units are built into a hill so if you have mobility issues this may not be the place for you. Likewise, if you want to be loud and party a lot, Les Balcons is probably not a good choice as it is a quiet and restful location. The views are absolutely spectacular. The provision of a gas BBQ on each balcony provided the opportunity to have a lovely steak and chicken dinner outdoors in the evening one night as well. You have to drive if you want to go to the Orient Beach area, grocery stores (there is a small store/cafe called "Bread and Butter" at the bottom of the adjacent hill where you can get fresh pastries and coffee or buy wine, some food and a few necessities, but selection is limited), or any of the larger cities, so a rental car is needed. The Oasis restaurant is also at the bottom of the adjacent hill and the food there is very good. Les Balcons is not fancy but it is very functional, very clean, well run and provides an 'at home' experience we really enjoyed. Good value. A true gem. Thank you Claude for your hospitality - I look forward to returning...

Lived up to our expectations and more We stayed in the Sweety Cottage in early Feb 2013 which is situated just down the road from the Les Balcons but is owned/managed by the same couple (David and Carine). The cottage is beautiful: It has it's own plunge pool with a deck that is more than adequate size. While you relax in the pool or sit on the deck you have a stunning view of Oyster Pond and the villas on the hillside beyond. It is very secure - surrounded by a wall that is nicely landscaped with tropical vegetation. Everything you need to cook meals is included in the kitchen as well as a nice bbq outside. The bedroom is air conditioned and the rest of the cottage you cool by opening the large patio doors and let the breeze in. We loved the bathroom with it's large walk-in shower. David and Carine were great; very helpful with activity choices and getting around. David helped me with a small mechanical problem we had with our rental car during our visit. To sum it up this cottage is perfect for a couple looking to get away and relax or even a small family as there is a pull out coach in the living room. Oyster Pond is close to some great beaches, restaurants and is only a 10-15 minute drive from downtown Philipsburg where the all the shopping is. If you are looking for something close to the night-life on St Maarten/St Martin then this location is probably not for you. To sum it up, we had a wonderful time and we...