Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, Casino & Spa

This was our first trip to St Maarten but not our last. There was a group of eight of us and we all had a great time. The resort is the perfect size for those that do not like walking a mile or two to get anywhere. The service was...

This was our first trip to St Maarten but not our last. There was a group of eight of us and we all had a great time. The resort is the perfect size for those that do not like walking a mile or two to get anywhere. The service was excellent on most days ( one day the pool side server was more interested in being discovered for his dance abilities then helping guests) BIG shout outs to Altoro ,Rose , Katherine, and Stacy (no E). They were by far there to make your vacation experience the best. The hotel itself was great. Rooms were great, food was great other then we did not care for the one outside the hotel I think called Village. Pizza station was amazing and they actually made to order one for my husband.Buffet always had a grand selection...just a little patience needed as they will serve you themselves, no self serve as they are trying to control viruses being spread...which is a good thing . Italian was probably our favourite for dinner and we LOVED the mexican for lunch. Only one couple got to experience mexican for supper and said it was good. Would definately return here. Went over to casino on Saturday night and watched Rick Price juggling show which was very entertaining. A member of our group helped assist him and it was fun! We rented cars from Hardy's and they were excellent , would deliver car right to hotel and much better price then hotel. Had fun touring island and stopping at beaches . Did the snorkeling at Mullet beach but was not impressed. Would not bother bringing my equipment next time.

This was the ABSOLUTE WORST HOTEL EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD!!!!! I have been all over the world and have never experienced such blatant colorism by black people to black people! The island itself, restaurants and shops we had no issues ONLY at this hotel and they didn’t care at...

This was the ABSOLUTE WORST HOTEL EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD!!!!! I have been all over the world and have never experienced such blatant colorism by black people to black people! The island itself, restaurants and shops we had no issues ONLY at this hotel and they didn’t care at all. They brushed our complaints off like it was nothing.Balcony hand rail was loose, blood stains in the room, toilets backed up, elevators are extremely slow, housekeeping was rude. The rooms are subpar, the food is horrible so the least they can do is have great customer service and that is worse than the rooms and the food. My wife who is a Dr and myself who is a COO was accosted by security as regular looking white people were able to walk into the hotel with no hotel wristband! Her supervisor Robert did nothing but give excuses for her and the hotel guest relations manger Angela thought it was funny! Racism at its best…. BLACK people BEWARE when staying at this expensive DUMP!!

I recently stayed in the all inclusive resort, in the family section because there was a good special for the room when I booked. Other than the fact that the adults only section is in a building that looks a bit fresher and newer, the two facilities are within very...

I recently stayed in the all inclusive resort, in the family section because there was a good special for the room when I booked. Other than the fact that the adults only section is in a building that looks a bit fresher and newer, the two facilities are within very close proximity and share most of the facilities. The adults only section has its own pool and a bit more quiet. But the pool area in the family fiendly section is more lively with music and one that I would prefer even if I was staying in the adults only section. The food in the restaurants was very good, my favorite was the buffet which always had a good assortment of fresh fish, local cuisine and a short wait to be seated. Dont forget to check out the kids food section which sometimes had surprises like delicious oxtail that wasn’t being served in the adults serving table. The accommodations in the family complex were average. I was given a room on the first floor right in front of the pool area with a view of the back of the swim up bar and lounge chairs. It was a terrible obstructed view and at first I was not happy about this since I had asked for a higher room when I booked. But it turned out that it was very convenient to go in and out of the room and get to where I wanted to go quickly. In the morning I was able to put a towel down for my pool chair to relax and drink coffee before anyone got there. It was very peaceful and I don’t think it would have been as convenient in a higher up floor. And yes, people do put their towels down as early as 7am to reserve their chairs which is a bit annoying. So turned out that there were plenty of benefits to having a ground floor room after all. There are many beautiful beaches in both the French and Dutch side that one must explore. Do go out to Grand Case Beach and rent a bed at Rainbow Cafe and other nearby beaches by the resort. But the pool area was also a lot of fun and I enjoyed spending time there as well. The location of the resort is very convenient to venture out and explore other areas. It’s right next to the airport which is not only quick and easy but also an attraction of itself. Don’t forget to walk to the beach right next door to see the airplanes take off and land. The best time to go is in the afternoon right around 2Pm when the large planes start landing and taking off. It’s truly exhilarating! Unfortunately the service at the resort was not consistent. Many workers did not look happy and some weren’t very friendly to guests which is unusual for Caribbean resorts. It looked a bit understaffed when I went which could account for the unhappy faces. That said, this did not take away from my overall experience in St Martin or this resort. Being in an All inclusive was very convenient and it is one of the few on the island. It is not what I call a luxe resort if that is what you are looking for but it definitely has a Caribbean slower vibe that is easily embraced and welcomed. Would I come again to this resort? Absolutely. The island is charming and the resort’s location is perfectly situated in between some of the most beautiful beaches on the island which is just a short cab ride away in any direction. I can’t wait to come again.

My husband and I spent 7 days here (Jan 30/2025 to Feb 6/2025). I will write short form to include as much details (we stayed in room 577). Food: pretty good, drinks very good Staff: most are very friendly - a few have a unhappy face (you wish you were...

My husband and I spent 7 days here (Jan 30/2025 to Feb 6/2025). I will write short form to include as much details (we stayed in room 577). Food: pretty good, drinks very good Staff: most are very friendly - a few have a unhappy face (you wish you were not bothering them) Room: appeared clean, floors only looked swept not washed. Shower area has a lot of water splashing out of it as it doesn't have full doors to close area. Plenty of super hot water was fantastic. Needs caulking around glass to prevent water dripping between vanity and shower glass. Black mold appears on lamp shades. Handle on patio doors broken on first day - after complaining many times, handle was replaced the day before we checked out. Our room faced the casino across the street - much noise from that venue and bright lights flashing all night. Fridge stocked with plenty of soft drinks, water and beer. They will give you more beer if you want (which was our case). The water from the tap should not be ingested - there is no sign or sticker on the mirror that states this. I drank water from it the first day with my medicine not knowing this. I did not get sick, thank God. Someone should have advised us of this. We were under the impression that St Maarten had safe drinking tap water. Appearance of property and pools: very nice and clean Location: close to airport - can walk 15 minutes to Mullet Beach. Plenty of taxis at the door. Bus stops very close to the hotel and are super cheap to travel on. It cost $2 US each to get to Phillipsburg. Should you want to transfer to Marigot (the French side of the island), it will cost you an extra $1.50 each to do so. Now the Ugly: in the middle of our trip, my husband saw a cockroach in the bathroom (it happened on several occasions). He did not want to tell me in case I would freak out. The day before we left, we came back from dinner. As I was walking around the room, a huge cockroach ran behind the closet - this thing was at least 2 inches or more. Trying to kill this thing was challenging. It ran all over the room. my husband the hero had to hit it twice before it died. We complained and housekeeping sent a person with some spray. For this, I would not stay here again.

Close proximity to airport with pretty views and clean grounds. The rooms are spacious, especially if you’re looking for room between the bed and the pull out couch option. They offer the basics and there is a coffee maker in the room. It can be very loud on some nights...

Close proximity to airport with pretty views and clean grounds. The rooms are spacious, especially if you’re looking for room between the bed and the pull out couch option. They offer the basics and there is a coffee maker in the room. It can be very loud on some nights due to club noise nearby or daytime planes. The music on the pool side starts quite early but is low in nature beyond the base beat. The staff was hit or miss in general but I am assuming most of that is due to cultural vibe. Pack your patience because you need to be served, they expect you to slow down, they appreciate you asking how their day is going, and thank you goes a long way. Why 3 Stars? You get towel cards and can only receive one towel (however you don’t have to return until you leave and there were always towels to exchange). Paper cups were only allowed if you weren’t in a restaurant. They would not allow you to take plastic or glass to manmade beach area or up to your room. Pack your insulated cups! The beach leading to Maho is way too rough for kids. No space for beach loungers or making sand castles. However, the water is clear and straight sand through the waves for those brave enough to dash through them. We loved it! There is a part of the beach by the stairs that needs to be addressed for garbage, discarded items cleanliness. The food is served cleanly and slowly. Options for snacks are limited to all-day pizza, burger, or hot dog. Don’t expect mid-day nachos, popcorn, fries, nuts, etc… There were families, large groups, conferences, young and older couples…a total mix of well behaved visually appropriate people. Enough security seemed to be around to make sure of control even though you are steps away from a party scene area outside of the resort. There are no reservations necessary at restaurants and the Italian (which requires a little dressing up) was our favorite.

Arrived during the week and departed on a Saturday. This is a beautiful property on the beachfront with a scenic view of the bay and Maho Beach. The pool area gets a bit busy but has a nice swim up bar and water slides so head out early. The all...

Arrived during the week and departed on a Saturday. This is a beautiful property on the beachfront with a scenic view of the bay and Maho Beach. The pool area gets a bit busy but has a nice swim up bar and water slides so head out early. The all inclusive breakfast and dinner are just right but you may want to venture out to tour during the day for lunch. Bars and great drinks are available all day. You will find mostly couples and a few families any day of the week. Also great for destination weddings and bachelor and bachelorette trips.

The hotel staff were very helpful. The food that was offered met all expectations..my main issue was the facilities themselves and front desk staff. The facilities were not designed for the number of persons staying at the hotel. There is not concigure service and the front desk staff left a...

The hotel staff were very helpful. The food that was offered met all expectations..my main issue was the facilities themselves and front desk staff. The facilities were not designed for the number of persons staying at the hotel. There is not concigure service and the front desk staff left a lot to be desired. The shower in our room constantly flooded. The pool was small for the number of people. There is no beach available. The only sand was in a sandbox style area. I am nit sure if management might respond with "Thank you for your comments. We will pass your concerns to the appropriate department". I already done that for two days with no resolution. I have travel the carribean islands for 13 years and this by far was the worst experience. I would consider long and hard before booking this facility. We won't be back.

The resort staff was unfriendly and rude. The beach did not have enough chairs to accommodate guests. The food and alcohol were below average. The restaurants gave us a hard time seating a party of 8. A friends room had mold which caused an asthma exacerbation. Would NOT recommend!

My girlfriend and I recently stayed at the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort from March 5-12th in St. Maarten. We are not new to traveling, we have stayed at all-inclusive’s throughout the Caribbean and Mexico. Sadly, the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort is not a resort I would refer people to go...

My girlfriend and I recently stayed at the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort from March 5-12th in St. Maarten. We are not new to traveling, we have stayed at all-inclusive’s throughout the Caribbean and Mexico. Sadly, the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort is not a resort I would refer people to go to. The overall culture of servers, hosts, bartenders, & reservationists was terribly disappointing. They all seemed tired, irritable, and in need of additional help. Something as simple as ordering a drink was never so simple. The attitude of the resort staff was that they were doing us a favor and it seemed they would have rather not been bothered with doing their job. The dining experience was a big disappointment. The Jing’s Kitchen restaurant does not sell upgraded wine selections. The food was decent, but we only ate there once due to not being able to order wine. We had a predetermined time meeting our group of eight people at the La Fontana restaurant. The two of us got there 30 minutes before the group, we ordered a $145 bottle of Caymus and were looking forward to having a drink by the ocean while we waited for our group to arrive. Seems simple enough, I had to go back up to the host two additional times to check on the status of the wine. We did get it, 50 minutes after it was ordered. Of all the restaurants this was the one we all enjoyed the most. The food was above average and enjoyable. With this being the only real choice to enjoy dinner, the waiting time to get a table for any size group was extraordinarily long. The buffet’s promote wine sales. On one occasion I had ordered a bottle of wine, and they said after minutes of floundering around that they could not get it for us. On a different evening, I ordered wine at the buffet and did not receive it until after our meal was finished. Interestingly, Sonesta promoted wine sales at the buffet and restaurants. It seems to me they should not bother with wine sales at all. The Village Tavern is promoted as a relaxed dining option with entertainment. I did not see any entertainment and their food selections were limited to just seven choices. The Mexican food at the Cantina Paradiso was not good at all. We ate there only one evening and did not return. When we asked the host if we could all sit together (8 people) we were told the tables could not be moved. There were empty tables of four everywhere and we ended up sitting right next to one another in two tables of four. The man serving pizza at Pizzeria Napoli was rude. He determined the number of slices people were allowed to take and if you were not standing in an exact spot predetermined by him, he would not take your order. Side note, when all of this happened, we were the only ones in line. He was not busy at all. Entertainment was non-existent in the evening. There was only one evening with entertainment, the singer and her group were good and it was robustly attended by the resort guests. The hotel did an excellent job of promoting the Juggler who performed at the Casino Royale across the street. He was great, the entertainment was free, the drinks were not. If you enjoy being in a smoke-filled casino, I suppose this was a “great night out.” The Maho Café was the only shining point. The coffee was very good, the food choices were delightful and appropriate. The staff, normally just one girl, did an impressive job, she was pleasant, but it always seemed like she could have used an extra set of hands. The Sonesta website claims that the resort has 420 rooms. The number of chairs at the pool, raised “beach area,” and the beach itself were inadequate for the number of guests. Some mornings all the chairs were taken as early as 645. There were many people looking for seats that did not exist. How these folks enjoyed their day is a mystery to me. When the eight of us arrived, it was clear from the beginning that we were in for an interesting week of not getting service. Being an optimist, I decided to just go with the flow and enjoy our long-awaited time together with friends ignoring all that was going on around me to the best of my ability. I doubt making complaints to hotel staff or to our travel agent while we were there would have changed a single thing. The current culture at Sonesta needs to be 100% changed.

Would actually rate it as a 3 1/2 star because of restaurants and rooms. The staff were great, I don't understand what people are complaining about. Some people expect extra special service I guess. We only had one issue one evening at the Italian restaurant in terms of service, and...

Would actually rate it as a 3 1/2 star because of restaurants and rooms. The staff were great, I don't understand what people are complaining about. Some people expect extra special service I guess. We only had one issue one evening at the Italian restaurant in terms of service, and it was only with one person so not a big deal. The bartenders work hard!! The alcohol used were good brands and they did not slack on the portions. The food was okay. The Italian restaurant was the best although in fairness we only ate there, the buffet the Mexican and pizza. It would be nice if they put in an authentic Caribbean type restaurant rather than a Chinese restaurant. The rooms were cleaned every day which was nice. The hallways could use some TLC though. The outside facilities are beautiful and well maintained. We're not pool people so we didn't use it. The beach is very pretty and we really enjoyed watching the planes landing and taking off. Would recommend more chairs around the beach area for sure. All in all it's decent value for what you get.

Just came back from staying at this resort and I wasn’t at all impressed. For the price we payed this resort should’ve at least been average. I’ve stayed at many resorts all over the Caribbean and this one was by far the worst. When we arrived the toilet had urine...

Just came back from staying at this resort and I wasn’t at all impressed. For the price we payed this resort should’ve at least been average. I’ve stayed at many resorts all over the Caribbean and this one was by far the worst. When we arrived the toilet had urine stains all around the rim of the toilet bowl. The floors in the room wasn’t thoroughly cleaned. The walls in the bathroom was also dirty. We called to have the bathroom clean they sent someone to clean it the next day. There wasn’t one restaurant where we enjoyed the food at this resort. The food didn’t taste good. Even the drinks were terrible. My husband and I ended up eating outside the resort for lunch and dinner. Our last night there I forgot my purse in the lobby, when I woke up I got a notification from my credit card company that my card was used for $2085. We called the front desk after the person used my card they returned the purse to the front desk. I was able to get my purse and license back but I had to call the credit card company to report the fraudulent activity and cancel the card. When my husband went to speak to the front desk they said they would review the cameras and get back to us. And it’s been 3 days we haven’t heard anything from the resort. Would I stay at this resort again? Absolutely not. If I were to ever go back to Sint Maarten I would rather stay at another resort or airbnb.

I have celiac disease (a severe gluten allergy) and get extremely nervous about travelling. I chose this place after reading the reviews from other people and couldn’t agree more with the amazing staff. Sharon in the buffet section made my trip 100 times more comfortable, relaxing and enjoyable. She always...

I have celiac disease (a severe gluten allergy) and get extremely nervous about travelling. I chose this place after reading the reviews from other people and couldn’t agree more with the amazing staff. Sharon in the buffet section made my trip 100 times more comfortable, relaxing and enjoyable. She always made sure I felt safe and reassured with every meal. She went above and beyond to actually prepare some of the meals for me and even had food ordered to the room for my boyfriend when he wasn’t feeling well. Travelling is always stressful with celiac, but she made my experience so amazing I would go back for her! Jermaine who is the head chef at the buffet was also incredibly kind and attentive to my needs. He came out to speak with me regarding everything that is gluten free and gave me a walk around as well which was so kind. Overall they made the experience so amazing and wonderful, and made travelling with celiac disease so much easier!

NOTE: This review is for the Ultimate Club Level Adults Only upgraded room at the Sonesta Maho Beach. If you stayed at the Sonesta Ocean Point, or in one of the rooms below the 9th floor that's NOT part of the ultimate level, this information may not apply. The Ultimate...

NOTE: This review is for the Ultimate Club Level Adults Only upgraded room at the Sonesta Maho Beach. If you stayed at the Sonesta Ocean Point, or in one of the rooms below the 9th floor that's NOT part of the ultimate level, this information may not apply. The Ultimate is a NEW class of rooms on the 9th & 10th floor of the Maho Beach resort that are adults only, recently renovated, and opened in late 2024. Check In: When you arrive, there's a separate line for people staying in the ultimate level rooms. We were given a glass of sparking wine as well as a cool towel. Each person gets a wrist band (different colors designate resort & level) that serves as your room key and entrance to various places around the resort. We were given an envelope with various information on times and pointed to the elevators. Parking: There's a parking garage that's essentially connected to the building, you have to drive around the block to enter. Your wristband allows you entry to the garage. It's $10 a day to park. What I did not find out until I was there - if you rent through Thrifty Car Rental, it's $5/day - or free if you're there for more than 5 days! Had I known this, I might have booked through Thrifty! ROOM: We were booked in an Ultimate Adults Only King Ocean View Room. The room has a couch that I think converts to a bed, a table with a couple chairs. There's a small balcony with a table and two chairs outside. The room had a great view both of the property as well as of the ocean. You can see the planes coming in to land from the room. Noise wasn't really an issue as planes aren't landing at off hours. If anything, the pool parties below were more noisy than the occasional plane. Air conditioning in our room was comfortable and kept the room cool. Please note that many (most?) places at the resort outside of your room are not air conditioned with many of them wide open to give you a good view. Luckily at least when we went it was 80F during the day and 70F at night so just being in the shade made it comfortable. The bed in the room was NOT very comfortable - I don't think this was replaced in the renovation and really needed to be. It was hard and a little worn like you could feel the springs in places. The website talks about enhanced in-room entertainment, with access to streaming services, but that was not an option on our TV, nor do I think there were premium channels that were mentioned on the site. The site mentions pool towels (which are in the room), but no umbrella. I'm unsure why the website mentions things that aren't there. The bathroom looks nice, but the design has some flaws, I think. It's one room with a transparent blue glass that divides the toilet, sink, and shower. This is a king bed room, so it's aimed at couples, but even couples prefer some privacy when on the toilet! I'm guessing this was a selling point, but you can sit on the toilet and look out through the room out to the ocean! The sink area had good amount of space around it, the sink is more of a statement piece, and the lighting around it really wasn't great. The shower features glass that looks out to the room - thankfully we realized there's a switch that changes it from clear to frosted glass - so you can get some privacy or look out to the water. I did appreciate that there's both a rain and handheld showerhead - and you can have both going at the same time - a real plus! My main issue was again that there's not enough separation, only the blue glass, and it's not all the way, so a lot of water gets out of the shower onto the bathroom floor and even onto the sliding door. Also, while it's nice there's a grab bar in the shower, the shower needs to be a bit bigger as we found ourselves hitting it while turning around. I do appreciate the extras on this level which included bathrobes and slippers. There's a mini-fridge in the room which was stocked with Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Coors Light, and water - it was restocked daily. It was a little temperamental, even though we turned down the thermostat on the fridge, the water bottles would often still freeze! If I turned it down too much, it would start to defrost and there'd be a puddle under the sink. In addition, you're given a bottle of French Sparkling Wine (not Champagne though), as well as a liter bottle of Conciere brand vodka, gin, spiced rum, and whiskey. Apparently that's an upgrade?? I was disappointed with the upgraded selections, I'd expect something more name brand. Ultimate Club Lounge on the 10th floor is a total bust! That was a let down. Up there you can use a coffee machine, or grab a snack. The snacks weren't that impressive - fruit, yogurt cups, pastries, and little sandwiches on white bread including cheese sandwich with yellow American cheese! The space is nice, but we never saw anyone using it. They have someone there until around 3pm to answer questions, they were friendly. The site mentions an iPad, but when I went there, it wasn't working - also unsure why this is a selling point. I really hope they rethink this space - it would be cool if there were better snacks, more drinks, better coffee - something. Cloud 9 Rooftop Bar - this was one of the best additions to the ultimate level! It's only open from about 5pm-midnight (basically when Seascape closes), but a great spot for the evening. It has an upgraded bar, so you have access to brands like Titos. It also has a full view of the airport runway, so you can see the planes taking off and landing. The staff here were top notch and it was never crowded. It's a perfect stop in the evening. They also have a small food menu and kitchen available there including pizzas and burgers. Adults-Only Pool & Seascape Swim-Up Bar - this was another nice perk it's open until around 5pm and has the same alcohol selection as Cloud 9, so it's a good stop during the day. It's much less hectic than the main pools at the Maho Beach and includes a great view. It's really lovely here. Drinks - The wines that were included were generally not great - the rose wasn't terrible and the French sparkling wine wasn't Champagne but was decent. They have a menu of wines you could pay for but the selection was laughable with lots cheap choices you'd find anywhere - although there were some decent ones on the list at a premium, we never bothered. Beer selection was also not great - from what I saw it was Caribe, Coors Light, and Bud. Liquor at the regular bars were cheap brands I've never seen. It's an all inclusive, so I didn't have high hopes. I will say all the cocktails I had at Cloud 9 and Seascapes were great and seemed the way to go here. Spa - We booked a massage at the spa on the 3rd floor. When booking, we were given the option of getting there about 30min before the massage to use the steam and/or dry sauna. After filling out your paperwork, you're given a peppermint scented hot towel for your neck and a shot of orange/cranberry juice. You're escorted to the changing room where change into a towel and robe. You're then led to the saunas - they're right next to each other so you can go between the two, there's also cold towels and water. When it's time, the massage therapist comes to get you. The relaxation massage includes a back scrub as part of it. The deep tissue massage has a menthol rub on your back with a hot towel to relax. The massage was very enjoyable. Afterwards, you can go to another room to relax, there's also a shower in the changing room although if I needed it, I'd just go back to my room. It's a bit overpriced compared to what we pay at home, but we splurged. Cantina Paradiso - Mexican restaurant at dinner. Appetizers are buffet style - ceviche, vegetables, chips, salsa, cheese, etc., then you order your entrees. The meal was ok, nothing great. Jing's Kitchen - It's technically outside the resort in Maho Village - on the other side of the building. It's not open every night and there are no reservations at any of the restaurants. We ended up waiting around 40 minutes to get a table - the weird part was we weren't told this ahead of time. The hostess said ok, wait to the side to us and a few other parties of 2, then she disappeared for a good 15 minutes. When we were finally seated, there were lots of other open tables, so I'm guessing there was a staffing shortage. Service here was extremely slow! They will let you order more than one appetizer. We had the spring rolls and maki to start. The maki reminded me of supermarket sushi - not great. The main dish also wasn't that great, a bit odd and not what we'd expect from a Japanese/Asian restaurant. We didn't even stick around for dessert, we told our server thank you after we had our entrees and left. We ended up getting a snack elsewhere afterwards! La Fontana Restaurant - Italian restaurant by the water. This was probably the better option for sit down dining, although don't expect real Italian food. Oh - they put spaghetti in a little vase as decoration on the tables - lol! The appetizers were either beef carpaccio or prosciutto with melon - however ours came without the melon! The second course was salad either Caesar or Sicilian - the Siclian was weird with Greek (not Sicilian) olives, cheese, balsamic - it wasn't bad, just odd and not what we've had in Sicily. After the salad was the soup course which was surprisingly good - the kale soup was very tasty (although it didn't really taste like kale) and the clam soup was good. Main course we had lasagna which was good, but had neither ricotta or bechamel. They also had a special lamb entrée - that was the best thing we've had at the resort! The lamb was fork tender and very tasty with mashed potatoes and vegetables. Dessert we had bread pudding and panna cotta - both were ok. Service was fine, but not great here, and thankfully we didn't have to wait to be seated. Pizzeria Napoli - located next to the buffet is where you can stop by and get pizza by the slice. It was fine, nothing special but was a good place to stop for a quick bite, especially if you're looking for a bite between lunch and dinner service as this place is open continuously 11:30am-10:30pm. Ocean Terrace Buffet - The buffet is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but it's not open continuously. When we went it was closed 11-12:30 and again 3-6, at those times there are other options available. The food here is just ok - nothing great. Service at the buffet is generally lacking, I don't know if they have enough staff for amount of people that can be at the buffet. We didn't have to wait more than a few minutes to be sat, but it can be a while before someone takes your drink order. It is also unclear who is taking care of you as several servers will pass you. You can choose between inside and outside seating - we always sat outside. It was never too hot in the shade and being on the ocean there was often a breeze. What's weird is that in the buffet, you are not allowed to serve yourself, the staff have to get everything for you. This can be annoying if you only want so much, or if you want to put things on a certain part of your plate. I'd much rather be able to serve myself. The staff inside are generally friendly and if you're specific on how much you want, or if you want a specific piece or say give me more of this, they're happy to do it for you. I'll note that I saw the general manager at the buffet a few times (the magazine in the room about the island had short interviews with a few of the managers of different hotels, so I saw what he looked like) - I also saw him around the resort. Good to see him out and about like that. Breakfast is typical American breakfast with some extras. They generally have eggs, potatoes, vegetables, beans, sausage, and American bacon. There's an omelette station which was a favorite for breakfast. There's also French toast, pastries, fruit, yogurt, and other options - lots to choose from. Lunch has a salad bar, various entrees that rotate throughout the week. There were occasionally some dishes from the area - I wish there were more opportunities to try some of the St Martin/Caribbean fare. I think this a missed opportunity. There's a fish station with a few different kinds of fish and shellfish. Next to that is a carving station which rotates daily, but think roasted lamb, ham, etc. There's a meat section that had pork slices (which were really good), chicken, sometimes beef, and a number of vegetables - all right off the griddle and usually good. Note that the buffet does not have hamburgers and hot dogs nor does it have pizza as there are other places on property for you to get those items. There are also a variety of fruit and dessert options including ice cream. There's also a kids station at each meal which always had at least one or two things that I would want to try as well! Dinner we only went here once at dinner as we usually went to the other restaurants that are only opened for dinner, or we dined off property a few times as well as we wanted to explore the island a bit. While the dinner options aren't the same as what you have at lunch, it's similar format with a few entrees and a few live stations. Service - It was mixed depending on where you are. Housekeeping was great, she was very friendly and helpful when we needed things. She always kept the room clean (mopped each day), towels changed, and fridge stocked. Bartenders, specifically those at Cloud 9 and Seascape pool bar were amazing. They would chat with you and quickly learn your drink order. If you bring an insulated cup, they'll fill it for you. These were some of the best staff on site. There was one woman who we saw a few times while hanging out at the adult pool - she was delivering a cart on the walkway between the pool and the gym and we struck up a conversation a few times. She was beyond sweet - we saw her on our last full day and she said oh, I was thinking about you two - remembered the plans we discussed and asked us about it. We had a great conversation with her and she was a grant ambassador both for the resort and the island. The waitstaff were all fine, some were more friendly than others - all seemed to be a bit overwhelmed. There's no guidance on tipping, but we were sure to bring a lot of 1s and 5s to tip people. We noticed that at the buffet the servers don't take the tips, it's one of the hosts that comes to take them, which I guess that means they pool the tips there. Entertainment - If you've been to other islands where the resort has a big entertainment program, you'll likely be disappointed. There's stuff going on, but not a ton. At the main pool each day there are games and musical acts during the day. There's karaoke at the lobby bar a couple times a week. A few nights a week there's entertainment on the stage by the buffet - one night there was an amazing singer backed by a drummer and guitar. They also advertise the juggler at the casino across the street on Saturdays. There's generally something to do both in the afternoon and in the evening each day - but it's not a big show. The vibe is generally more relaxing than partying. Area - Right outside the resort there's a lot going on all day/night that you can explore by foot. We always felt safe in the area - just be careful crossing the street. There are a number of shops in the area, as well as a casino, and a number of restaurants. It's very much a touristy area, I don't think I saw any locals there, but it's worth checking out. If you do have a car, it's worth exploring the island, there's a lot of cool things outside of the resort. Note that if you're driving anywhere, you'll need to drive around the airport with several roundabouts and speed bumps to get to anything else - I think getting to Simpson Bay area takes a good 10-15minutes. It's worth exploring and I think the longest we drove was 30min to Grand Case or Phillipsburg in traffic. Overall, we had a fine relaxing time. It's not our favorite all inclusive and if we went back I'd be more inclined to check out the Ocean Point resort next door. Being able to see the planes from our room was very cool. Walking out to the beach was nice, the water was beautiful. I wish the bed was more comfortable, the service more consistent, and the food better.

To be clear, we were not expecting the White Lotus, but the Sonesta was good for our purposes. We were looking for a short stay near the airport/Maho Beach after a few days in a quieter spot. Room was clean. Food/drink were fine for an all-inclusive, maybe a bit better...

To be clear, we were not expecting the White Lotus, but the Sonesta was good for our purposes. We were looking for a short stay near the airport/Maho Beach after a few days in a quieter spot. Room was clean. Food/drink were fine for an all-inclusive, maybe a bit better than we were envisioning. Staff was generally friendly. We were satisfied with the hotel’s gesture of a resort credit after the room was unavailable until several hours after check-in. They also made it easy to take advantage of the facilities prior to getting the room and for a few hours after check-out as well, which we appreciated. Beach and pool areas were ok but definitely crowded, like the restaurants and the elevators and really everywhere - I would not recommend this spot you are looking for tranquility or solitude. And there were one or two slightly disconcerting things - like some foul-smelling drainage on the ramp from the upper beach area down to the water. But overall, for a friendly, good-value all-inclusive, we thought the Sonesta fit the bill.

If I could give negative stars, I would. We've stayed at many all-inclusive resorts. This was absolutely the worst. The room was filthy! The entertainment was essentially non-existent. The food was mostly mediocre. Most of the staff (with the exception of the Cloud 9 bartender) were less than friendly. Spend...

If I could give negative stars, I would. We've stayed at many all-inclusive resorts. This was absolutely the worst. The room was filthy! The entertainment was essentially non-existent. The food was mostly mediocre. Most of the staff (with the exception of the Cloud 9 bartender) were less than friendly. Spend your vacation money somewhere else!

Had a fantastic experience at the Sonesta Maho. St. Maarten is advertised as the “friendly island,” and it absolutely lived up to the title. The staff there , everyone from the front desk to the cleaning staff, were extremely friendly and helpful. The location of the hotel was perfect. It...

Had a fantastic experience at the Sonesta Maho. St. Maarten is advertised as the “friendly island,” and it absolutely lived up to the title. The staff there , everyone from the front desk to the cleaning staff, were extremely friendly and helpful. The location of the hotel was perfect. It was only about a five minute drive from the airport, and even the cab drivers at the hotel were fantastic. The beach at the hotel isn’t huge, but it’s definitely nice, and it’s right by the famous Maho Beach spot where you watch the planes fly right over the your head on their approach towards landing at the airport, which is quite the experience! And in the other direction, you’re a short ten minute walk (mostly on a walking path on a golf course) to beautiful Mullet Bay Beach too, which I highly suggest. If you’re interested in excursions, you’re a 15 minute cab ride to the Simpson Bay Marina, and can book excursions to St. Barts, Saba, and Anguilla, and the tours desk right at the hotel can help set all of it up for you The food at the hotel dinner restaurants was great, and we really enjoyed the Italian, Asian, and Mexican restaurants. The breakfast and lunch buffets were good too. St Maarten is a great island to visit, and great place to check off some other islands of your travel bucket list. And the Sonesta Maho is the perfect place to stay for sure!

We stayed in Sonesta Maho Beach Resort last week. The only nice thing I can mentioned is the big nice modern room, great shower and a balcony. The all inclusive food was unbelievably the worst I ever had in all the resorts i have been. The line for the egg...

We stayed in Sonesta Maho Beach Resort last week. The only nice thing I can mentioned is the big nice modern room, great shower and a balcony. The all inclusive food was unbelievably the worst I ever had in all the resorts i have been. The line for the egg station in the morning was like 20 min, same as pasta station at lunch or dinner. Food options are very limited and not appealing to eat. The metal trays was cold instead of keeping food hot. For 5 days I never saw lox, its was only one strawberry yogurt every day. Even the simple oatmeal was sticky like clay. We spoke with restaurant supervisor and provide complain, asking to bring to chef attention that food must be enjoyable , not just food. Service was so slow and not attentive, we have to wait for juice or coffee for 20 min, keeping to ask the waiter to bring it. Bartender at Mexican restaurant was very rude, and not paying attention that people staying at the bar. The Asian restaurant have only few options and appetizer contains only two pieces of roll or two gyoza. The beach has huge waves and no lounge chairs because of the unsafety of the beach. Great option. I did not enjoy the stay in this hotel.

First, the good: The staff was friendly and helpful. The food was good and it has four restaurants and the buffet. The room was comfortable. The pool was fantastic. Access to Maho Beach was easy. The cafe was very good for morning coffee and pastry. The less than good: (mostly...

First, the good: The staff was friendly and helpful. The food was good and it has four restaurants and the buffet. The room was comfortable. The pool was fantastic. Access to Maho Beach was easy. The cafe was very good for morning coffee and pastry. The less than good: (mostly annoyance rather than real problems) The confirmation stated there was a laundry in the room. As a result, we brought less clothes. Come to find out ... there isn't even a laundry on-site. I'm not sure who lied to us ... the resort or RCI. At check in, they said we only registered for one person, when their own confirmation clearly showed both names. It was rectified quickly. The girl at check in seemed like she was on her first hour of her first shift with no training. Other staff were more efficient. There was a charge for parking, which we learned about at check in. The sliding door to the room balcony squealed like a stuck pig. I'm sure it annoyed the neighbors. Reported it to the desk, but no action while we were there. The shower had a halfway glass partition and regularly leaked out onto the bathroom floor. Made a dam with the bath mat. The near view from our room (6th Fl, 'island view' ie: the back side) looked out over the trash compactor, truck road and air conditioner chillers; so some constant noise and an occasional 'whiff' of less than tropical greenery and suntan lotion. The far view was great! A really cool thing: The bathroom wall into the bedroom area was clear glass. You pushed a button and it turned opaque electronically. Saw that in a movie, but had never seen it in real life before. In summary: Not a bad resort by any means and plenty of good vibes. Probably would try somewhere else, or not want an 'island view' room on the next trip.