La Samanna
Hotel Information: Popular with couples, the resort combines Gallic charm and relaxed Caribbean hospitality. This St Maarten resort's 55 acres fall gently from a 30.5-m (100-ft) limestone cliff to sea level, with a paved path winding through tropical gardens. (Complimentary shuttle service is available throughout.) The resort's staff speaks English, and U.S. currency is accepted.
Insider tip: Located at the base of the island's signature 455-m (1,492-ft) Paradise Peak (Pic Paradis), a 150-acre nature preserve 15.25 km (9.5 mi) from the resort called Loterie Farm offers guided and unguided forest hikes and features an obstacle course through the treetops.
La Samanna in St Maarten offers 81 guestrooms and suites in 13 two-story villas arrayed above the beach, in two two-story villas on a limestone cliff above the sea, and on three floors above the lobby in the main building. All buildings are white with rustic tile roofs. (None contains an elevator.) Lawns and shade trees front beachfront villas. Guests of cliffside villas walk about 100m (109 yds) to the beach. Main-building guests reach the beach via a stone path. All rooms and suites feature balconies or ground-floor patios with Caribbean Sea views.
Rooms and suites vary in size, furnishings, and decor, reflecting the resort's origin in 1973 as a small inn, its subsequent growth, and annual renovations during autumn closures. Cream walls, tropical-color fabrics, terra-cotta tile floors, fresh flowers, and mahogany, rattan, and bamboo furniture create an informal Caribbean ambience. Television/VCR combinations offer U.S./international cable channels, with complimentary videos available. High-speed connections (surcharges) supply Internet access. Bathrobes/slippers furnish lounging comfort. Ceiling fans complement air conditioning. Guests depart with complimentary bottles of local rum.
