Esmeralda Resort

dream spot

this is a beautiful secluded tropical resort. the staff are responsive to requests without being intrusive. it is a restful ans relaxing vacation.

Will return

Beautiful location, excellent restaurant, friendly staff

Will go back

Looking forward to going back.. only complaint I had was the beds were very hard..

Shabby hotel with rudest front desk ever

We booked two nights, changed rooms 4 times and checked out after one night. Front desk people, including the manager, were unbelievably rude. The resort is in an ideal location, but is clearly run down, even shabby. We overhead others complaining about their rooms and dissatisfaction with how the front desk handled their concerns. Avoid this place at all costs.

Laid back and Location

The Esmeralda is a comfortable spot steps from the famous Orient beach on the French side of St Martin. What it lacks in amenities it makes up for in simple comfort. This was our second time there and did not disappoint the staff makes you feel like you’re at home and the proximity to the beach and the beach bars/restaurants is a luxury. If you are looking for fancy and big you’re at the wrong place, if you’re l;ooking for cozy and comfortable not many compete.

Traveler's tip on dining

Dinners in Grand Case are a must

would not go back...

The hotel is run down ,not well maintained and way to expencive for what has to offer. This is a 2 star hotel. We would not go back and would not recommend to anyone.

Love this Place

Second stay here and always beautiful. Great location, love the pool.

Good place, but we had problems...

Esmerelda has a great location and the villas are nicely appointed. I have stayed at La Plantation and would consider it slightly better in terms of location, quality, and condition. However, we did have problems with the hot water in our room. I had to complain 3 times over two days before they eventually changed our room which was an inconvenience. They compensated us with free internet which was unreliable, slow and basically unusable.

4th time here

After staying at the Esmeralda 4 times I can’t believe the negative comments I have read on this review site. My wife & I both love this place. We are not 5 star hotel nuts, so this relaxed atmoshpere suits us just fine. We both agree that not a lot of time is spent in our rooms, so what this hotel has to offer is just great with us. We just spent Nov. 8-15 there, the weather was tremendous, as was the food and the shopping. I must say that on our 1st trip it took us 15-20 seconds to get used to the clothing optional attitude of the beach & pool areas, but it’s really no big deal. The rest. at the hotel is great as are the beach restaraunts. Daily I went to Tap-5, a little shop down the beach, to get breakfast that we ate on our deck. That’s what a good vacation is all about, relaxing & enjoying yourself. When choosing a hotel on St. Martin, look at the big picture. Your in Paridise. We’ll be back in 2 years to stay once again at the Esmeralda.

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

Rent a car, don’t be afraid of the local drivers and explore. We found great shops just by making a wrong turn.

Time to try another...

This being the third time our group of friends have stayed at the Esmeralda and considering the slumping economic conditions wafting throughout the Caribbean we somewhat expected to be taken better care of. Even after requesting close rooms, one was at the rear of a unit,we were moved , one had more problems with a/c, the safe, electrical issues and the other had no incoming phone service for the entire week. Simple requests were heard but not acted on in an efficient manner, the biggest advantage here is location...period. There has been some renovations done over the past three years, but for the amount you spend they still are not enough.We will return tho in a few years, this still is one of the most beautiful locations on the Island.

Traveler's tip on saving a few bucks

Buy Buy Buy everything on the Dutch side & save a lot of $$, Grand Case French restaurants still tops, Talk of the Town not as good as previous years, Rancho Del Sol Steak House is a must avoid,5 negative stars, incredibly pitiful cooking, Peg Leg Pub is a MUST eat there restaurant...absolutely the best steaks on any Carbbean Island, bar none,5 stars, BayWatch on Orient Beach super breakfast and a better lunch 5 stars. Jo Jo’s Steakhouse by the airport is 3 negative stars...yuck.

A true gem.

This resort is unique in its design--private pools for each unit of four rooms instead of large pools. The beach is a short walk away. The restaurants/bar are outstanding, as is the service. I highly recommend this Caribbean gem.

Traveler's tip on dining

Be sure to include at least one night dining in one of the fine restaurants in Grand Case.

awsome vacation

This was our third stay at Esmeralda resort and by far the best trip yet,the room was very clean. We had a very short walk to the beach. The water and sand on Orient beach are awesome. The local restaurant CoCo beach has great food,the LaDiva pizza made there is great, there beach guy David is a very attentive server.A little more Exp. due to weak U.S. dollar. The only complaint was pillows where to small for king size bed and mattress was a little to hard.

Traveler's tip on dining

Be sure to check out Andy and Cheryls Restaurant down the beach, great food and super nice people. And they deal in God WE Trust the U.S. dollar

We loved the Esmeralda and the area.

This was our second trip to the Esmeralda. We enjoyed the resort and going to Grand Case for dinners.

Wonderful

Just got back 1-12-08 had a great time.Just can’t say enough about Saint Martin.Had a wonderful stay at Esmeralda Resort. we have stayed at Esmeralda 5 times all have been great.Love coco beach everyone is very friendly.Been gojng to Saint Martin for 8 years cant wait to go back

Traveler's tip on dining

coco beach is a must L’Astrolabe great Lobester Mr Busby’s Beach Bar great food Loterie Farm wonderful

needs a lot of room repairs--kitchen and bath is not very functional

Couldn’t lock patio door, no hot water for two days, broken faucet & light switch in bathroom, shower head sprayed water everwhere, floor wasn’t cleaned the entire visit, asked for shower and shampoo and didn’t get it, when we asked late afternoon receptionist for hot water to shower and it made her mad, was our fourth trip to Esmeralda and room maitenance has definitely gone down hill, all other people were real polite, only one plug-in in kitchen for all appliances--unplug one appliance then plug in another, toaster oven door was missing handle & we had to open it with a fork, refrigerator wouldn’t cool because it needed defrosted

Traveler's tip on saving a few bucks

evenings out---go to the Dutch side especially to eat out and purchase groceries on dutch side to eat in

Very relaxing

Nice, quiet, tranquil place. Adjacent Coco Beach Bar had great food at lunch. The hotel is located on the end of Orient Bay furthest from where the cruise shippers are dropped, so not as noisy or crowded!

Good place to stay with teens - lots of activities on Orient Bay - parasailing, jet skis, water taxis to nearby islands

We’ll never go back!

We found the hotel staff very unfriendly and not at all helpful when we would ask directions on how to get to places. They advertise ocean front, however, the only way to see the ocean is if you bring a chain saw to cut down the trees or a ladder. It also took us awhile to figure out how to get the toilet to flush properly. There were no comfortable chairs in the room to sit and relax, nor were there any outside on the porch that were comfortable. You couldn’t sit on the porch for any length of time due to the bugs eating you alive. The tub did not have a shower curtain so the water spilled out onto the floor. It was inconvenient to have to constantly clean up the floor after showering. The light switches did not operate from wall switches. The one floor lamp was in the corner and you had to bend over behind the chair to turn it on from the switch located on the floor. The one good thing at Esmerelda’s was the waiter at their restaraunt. Three television stations but most all in French. Occasionally there was a movie in English.

Traveler's tip

Bring plenty of bug spray.

Good Hotel to get away

This was a good hotel for the traveler wanting to escape everyday life. There is no clock in the room and only one station on tv so it allows you to forget about having an agenda and just be outside enjoying what you came to the island for...the outdoors. The restuarant had a beautiful atmosphere and the staff was very pleasant. I enjoyed the convenience of being able to charge expenses from several of the other beaches to my room.

not impressed

no tv no alarm clocks restrooms on beach out of oder we were told they had remodeld wrong rooms very old put towels under boor to keep bugs out could not pay cash for 15.00 with a 50.00 no change 7pecent charge to cash momey orders new beach towels hafe the size of old ones

We’ll be back!

We visited St. Marten May 2007. Esmeralda was a great resort! We loved the small villa’s, each with its own pool. What a convenience when coming back from the beach. We were on the far end of Orient Beach, very quiet and relaxing. If your looking for a great beach, great food & relaxing atmosphere, this is the place. We’ll be going back next year for sure!

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

There are small kitchenettes in the rooms, so pick up some grocery’s. There is a small store within 10 min walking distance.

Great for relaxation.

The beach is great and having a pool in your complex is very nice. There are not many other things to do on the island and since there are only 2 tv stations in English with poor reception, time grew long on the days which were cloudy and drippy.

Traveler's tip

Great if looking strictly for quiet, r and r, and a great beach.