If food is the reason you’re coming to St. Martin, stop looking.

Stay in Grand Case.

I’ve eaten all over the Caribbean, and very few places can match the number of genuinely excellent restaurants packed into one small waterfront town.

The best part is that once you’ve checked in, you hardly need your car.

Dinner is a walk along the boulevard.

Breakfast is a French bakery around the corner.

The beach is right there when you’ve had enough eating.

If my wife and I were planning a week in St. Martin, this is where we’d stay.

If it’s your first visit to St. Martin, this is probably where I’d send you.

Everything is easy.

The airport is minutes away.

The marina is here.

There are dozens of restaurants within walking distance.

You’ll find beach bars, casinos, grocery stores, charter boats, and enough activity that you’ll never wonder what to do next.

Some people think it’s too busy.

They’re probably right.

But for a first trip, convenience is worth a lot.

If your vacation revolves around the beach, this is the answer.

Orient Bay has one of the best stretches of sand anywhere on the island.

The beach clubs are lively without feeling overwhelming, the water is usually calm, and it’s easy to spend an entire day moving between your lounger, lunch, and another swim.

It’s a very different atmosphere from Grand Case.

Less about dinner.

More about spending all day outside.

This is where people come when privacy matters more than convenience.

Large villas.

Quiet roads.

Some of the island’s most beautiful beaches.

You won’t walk to dinner every night.

You’ll probably drive.

That’s the trade off.

But if you’re celebrating a honeymoon, anniversary, or simply want somewhere that feels tucked away from the rest of the island, it’s hard to beat.

I’ve always thought Anse Marcel feels a little removed from the rest of St. Martin.

That’s exactly why some people love it.

You can settle into the resort, spend your mornings on the beach, your afternoons by the pool, and never feel any pressure to go anywhere else.

If that’s your idea of a vacation, you’ll be very happy here.

Most visitors only see Philipsburg when a cruise ship is in port.

That’s a shame.

Come early in the morning or stay overnight and you’ll find a completely different place.

It’s one of the best values on the island, it’s easy to walk almost everywhere, and it’s a good base if you’d rather spend your money exploring than on an expensive resort.

If your budget is tight, this is where I’d start.

It’s not a resort.

There isn’t a sprawling pool or a long list of amenities.

What you get instead is an exceptionally well run guesthouse, genuinely kind owners, spotless rooms, and one of the best values on the island.

I’d choose it over plenty of hotels that cost twice as much.

If someone told me they were visiting St. Martin for the first time and just wanted an easy vacation, this is probably what I’d recommend.

Walk to dinner.

Walk to the beach.

Walk to nightlife.

Walk back.

Sometimes simple is exactly what you want.

This is where I’d send couples who want a quieter trip without feeling isolated.

The infinity pool overlooking the water is one of my favorite places on the island to unwind after a day exploring.

Just rent a car.

You’ll want one.

This hotel understands exactly why people come to Orient Bay.

Step outside barefoot.

Coffee is one direction.

The beach is the other.

That’s the vacation.

If you stay here, come hungry.

You’ll spend your evenings walking a few minutes into Grand Case, telling yourself you’ll have an early dinner, and somehow still be sitting over dessert two hours later.

I’ve done it more than once.

This is where I’d disappear for a week if I wanted to do absolutely nothing.

Read.

Swim.

Eat.

Repeat.

Sometimes that’s enough.

A note on the name. This property operated for years as the Radisson Blu Resort, Marina & Spa, and you’ll still see it listed that way on some booking sites. It’s now Riu Palace St. Martin, an all-inclusive resort in the same spot in Anse Marcel.

There are more expensive hotels in the Caribbean.

There are larger ones.

I’m not convinced there are many better.

If you’re celebrating something special and you’re comfortable spending the money, this is where I’d book without hesitation.

The setting on Baie Longue is exceptional, the service is exactly what you’d expect from Belmond, and somehow it still feels relaxed instead of formal.

It’s the kind of place that reminds you why luxury can be worth paying for when it’s done well.