Staying at the Belmond La Samanna St. Martin
All about our recent trip traveling to St. Martin! I don’t know about you guys but we have had a very hectic springtime in our household – Kenny and I have been busy busy busy running our resort wear business Kenny Flowers, launching new collections, and even opening our very first retail store on King Street in Charleston, all while attempting to get sleep with our wild (and absolutely wonderful) 11 month old baby boy, Harrison. It’s been FULL STEAM AHEAD over here pretty much ever since Harrison was born, and, it got to the point this spring where I said, we need a family vacation.
The thing is, as much as we wanted to jaunt off to Europe or somewhere far away, we really only had a few days to spare. Between the store opening, our KF team offsite, family coming into town, and so many other little commitments, after going over our calendar and moving some things around, we decided we had a window of four nights to getaway, which meant, since we are on the east coast, it was time to jet off to the Caribbean. Last year, we had the BEST time babymooning in Anguilla, and we swore we’d come back with our baby, since Anguilla seemed so baby-friendly! But at the same time, I wanted to try something new! One place that I have been hearing about a ton lately is Anguilla’s friendly next-door neighbor, St. Martin!
St. Martin, or Saint Maarten, is an island with both Dutch and French sides to it, that are actually separate countries on one little island. So, we typed in the airport, SXM into google flights, and saw it was pretty easy to get there! St. Martin has direct flights from major airports like NYC, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Miami. We booked our tickets from Charleston through Miami for our four-night getaway.
hat linked here, dress linked here, luggage linked here, sunnies linked here
Where we stayed: The Belmond La Samanna
The Belmond La Samanna is the nicest resort on St. Martin. It was built to feel like Greece, but in the tropics, and is characterized by stunning white stucco Mediterranean architecture decorated by lush tropical foliage, colorful details, and bouganvillea that makes you feel like you’re somewhere between Italy and Greece. Belmond La Samanna is an exclusive luxury resort secluded on the absolutely stunning beach of Baie Longue. Belmond never misses, but this is one of my favorite hotels. There are 83 beautifully-decorated ocean-view guest rooms, suites, and multi-bedroom villas, and all of the facilities here are colorful, chic, tropical, and make for an absolutely perfect Caribbean vacation.
From the second we arrived on property, I could already tell we were going to love it here. They offered us a welcome drink, their signature La Samanna Kiss, which was an upscale Caribbean rum drink that was DELICIOUS.
From there we were checked in and whisked away on a golf cart to our room, which was one of the cottages on the far right side of the hotel. I loved our location because it was beachfront and felt like we had a private beach – unreal!!!!
We immediately went for a dip in the ocean, and Harrison was at home right away. The water was balmy-warm and PERFECT. It was also calm and easy to bounce around with the baby in the waves. And the views were UNREAL. The whole vibe of this hotel feels like you could be in Europe, but at the same time you’re in the Caribbean and you have all the color and Caribbean culture that I love.
The service at Belmond La Samanna was good. It’s not on par with some of the seven-star service in destinations like the Maldives or Bora Bora, but I found it to be a really wonderful resort with great people, and we had no concern.
The room we stayed in was an oceanview suite with terrace. All of the rooms at La Samanna, A Belmond Hotel, St Martin have stunning private balconies and some even have a plunge pool. I don’t think it’s necessary, however, since the beach is right there! And the main pools on property are SO beautiful (and kid-friendly!).
What is the best time of year to visit St. Martin?
We traveled to St. Martin in May, which we found to be absolutely perfect weather. The best time to visit is the shoulder season between high season (December through April) and the hurricane season which starts in June/July and goes until November.
How long does it take to get to St. Martin?
It’s a four hour direct flight from JFK, a 4 hour from Charlotte, or a 3 hour flight from Miami.
Is St. Martin safe?
We found St. Martin to be very safe, it’s known as the friendly island, and you feel that right when you touch down at the airport. It was easy to get a taxi and the taxi operators were the best ambassadors for their friendly island! They were awesome.
The main tourist areas of St. Martin are generally safe, but you should take sensible precautions as a traveler. Don’t wear too flashy of belongings while walking around in public places, etc.
Is St. Martin baby-friendly?
Yes! St. Martin is one of the most kid-friendly destinations in the Caribbean, and a great destination to travel with little ones due to its calm beaches, soft sand, kid-friendly restaurants, and warm weather (we also didn’t experience any wind on the beach – at least in May – like we did when were in Anguilla in March!) We had the best time in St. Martin traveling with our baby. The hotel (Belmond La Samanna) felt extremely safe and easy to navigate with a baby!
The best restaurants in St. Maarten
La Plaj – located at the Belmond St Martin
Laplaj at the Belmond is the most instagram-worthy aesthetically pleasing restaurant of all time – one of my favorite spots for lunch or dinner! Also, on Wednesday through Saturday nights, it turns into an Italian trattoria for dinnertime and the food is to die for!!
Le Temps de Cerisses in Grand Case
Located on the edge of the Bay of Grand Case, Le Temps des Cerises is a hotel restaurant that is a gorgeous spot for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Head to this stunning private beach to grab a bite, then bask in the sun and enjoy a sun lounger and parasol.
Photo via Le Temps de Cerisses management, OpenTable & TripAdvisor
Grand Case Java Restaurant
For unreal views, head straight to Grand Case Java. A mediterranean restaurant with fresh fish, the perfect set up with live music, and views of the sunset over the ocean.
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Bacchus
This French-european style elegant bistro is a great restaurant to pop in on any trip to St. Martin.
Le Bistronome SXM
If you’re looking for an intimate date night restaurant in St Martin with amazing food run by a great husband-and-wife team, this is your spot.
Bamboo House
If you’re looking for good food and a chic party atmosphere, Bamboo House is your spot!
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The Bar at Belmond La Samanna
We loved the food and cocktails at the bar at Belmond!! It’s a great casual spot to dine (especially if you’re staying on property!). Highly recommend the fish burger or poke bowl!!! And a bellini, of course.
What to do in St. Martin
Pinel Island – Yellow Beach Beach Club: get the lobster fresh from the ocean! SO GOOD!
Mullet Bay is a secluded and spacious beach on St. Martin. You can rent chairs and umbrellas from the snack bars on the south side, or go to the secluded northern end for a little privacy. I’d recommend getting a reservation ahead of time at Kalatua Beach Club.
If you’re looking for an outdoor party scene, or visiting on a holiday like New Years Eve, this is your spot. Mykonos is set amongst the crashing waves and incoming planes on the shore of Maho Beach. The focal point of the club is their zero-entry pool making every night feel like the ultimate pool party.
Maho Beach to see the airplanes land in St Martin
You’ve probably seen videos or Tiktoks of Maho Beach when looking up St. Martin. Maho is a unique beach in St. Maarten, where travelers flock to experience the thrilling rush of airplanes flying extremely close over your head! The best time to go to Maho Beach is in the early afternoon which is when the larger jumbo jets land. Head to Sunset Beach Bar for the best views of the planes!
Get out on a sailboat!
What should I pack for a trip to St. Martin?
I packed a good amount of swimsuits, beach cover ups, and cute dresses for dinners at the resort or out and about. Click any of the below to get to the links to my outfits I wore!
Swimsuit – aqua velvet shimmer bikini from here ( my favorite), cover up resort shirt linked here (wearing S), hat linked here
Our favorite matching family vacation outfits in the Caribbean print. I’m obsessed with this silk vacation dress. And Harrison & Kenny’s matching daddy and me hawaiian shirts!
Pictured here with these pants, this top, this hat, this suitcase, and these shoes
