It caught some by surprise when storied South Beach luxury hospitality brand The Setai recently announced that it’s first-ever hotel property in the Caribbean will be in Sint Maarten / St. Maarten, the Dutch side of the divided island of Saint Martin in the Lesser Antilles. The French side of the island, known as Saint-Martin, has long been the more sophisticated, luxurious and stylish of the two, while the Dutch side has primarily been known for freewheeling fun and duty-free shopping—mainly popular with cruise ship crowds.
We saw this start to change in early 2024 when we first reported on upgrades to the Sonesta Ocean Point “resort within a resort” which made it the Dutch side’s most luxurious accommodation to date. Not long after, on the site of a Westin hotel on the eastern coast which had been closed since Hurricane Irma hit the island in 2017, a new multimillion-dollar JW Marriott resort, St. Maarten’s first true five-star accommodation, opened its doors. Now that we’ve had a chance to visit that property and see what else is happening on the Dutch side, the Setai move makes perfect sense.
The JW Marriott St. Maarten Beach Resort & Spa, part of the upper-end Luxury tier of Marriott Bonvoy, is located on Dawn Beach, one of St. Maarten’s most immaculate stretches of sand, with views toward the neighboring island of St. Barths. This positioning on the quieter, less developed eastern shore distinguishes it from the busier beaches near Maho and Simpson Bay, “offering guests a more secluded Caribbean experience while remaining accessible to the island’s main attractions.”
The property is designed to maximize Atlantic Ocean views from guest rooms, restaurants, and public spaces; while some venues also offer a vantage on the neighboring Caribbean Sea. It was also designed to meet international standards for true high-end hospitality. The resort brings numerous features that Dutch-side hotels have historically lacked, with a quiet-luxury vibe, multiple dining concepts, award-winning wine lists, a full-service spa, and gorgeous, understated design throughout.
Carambola serves as the resort’s signature seafood restaurant, sourcing local ingredients to create seasonal menus that highlight the freshest catch, with preparations that “showcase Caribbean flavors while maintaining fine-dining standards.” For a more elevated dining experience, the white-tablecloth Liguria brings worldly coastal Mediterranean cuisine to Dawn Beach, celebrating what the restaurant describes as “the sun and the sea” through abundant fresh vegetables, seafood, citrus, grains, and herbs.
Beyond the main restaurants, the property features multiple bars and casual dining venues that extend the resort experience throughout the day, including the Opal Lobby Lounge, which serves as the property’s cocktail hub. The stunning pool areas are home to two distinct bar concepts. Breeze serves tropical handmade cocktails and small bites to guests lounging poolside on the many daybeds and in cabanas. Liquid Pool Bar meanwhile is a stylish swim-up bar. The resort also operates a JW Culinary School, where an in-house chef leads interactive cooking classes teaching guests to prepare local or international dishes.
The Hibiscus Spa represents another significant component of the JW Marriott’s luxury credentials. Featuring 16 specialty treatment rooms and a dedicated relaxation area, the treatment menu “incorporates local ingredients and Caribbean wellness traditions while maintaining the technical skill and service standards that define luxury spa experiences.” The facility includes properly designed treatment rooms with attention to lighting, temperature control, and soundproofing that creates genuinely relaxing environments rather than repurposed hotel spaces.
Other new establishments are reshaping the Dutch side’s social and culinary landscape beyond the resort itself. The best of these is the Babacool Beach Club in Simpson Bay, which opened less than six months ago and brings a slice of St. Barths style by way of St. Tropez to an area that has long been lacking. During the day, Babacool functions as a proper beach club by day and evening, where guests lounge on plush daybeds, sip carefully-crafted cocktails, and enjoy food that goes well beyond typical beach fare.
That’s thanks to Michelin-starred chef Jérôme Ferrer, whose restaurant Europea in Montreal has a coveted Michelin star and is part of the impeccable Relais & Chateaux association, which gives Babacool bragging rights and is already attracting numerous fans thanks to his delicious and innovative food. A member of the world-renowned association Les Grandes Tables du Monde, “Chef Ferrer is celebrated for his creativity, precision and human-centered approach to gastronomy.”
Babacool’s success serves to bring attention to the fact that St. Maarten has some culinary stars of their own worth bragging about. Big Fish on Oyster Pond has seen increased interest of late thanks to the JW Marriott’s opening just down the road. The restaurant focuses on seafood cooked and presented at a level that rivals respected coastal restaurants anywhere in the Caribbean. The kitchen prepares it with skill and flair while allowing the highest-quality ingredients to shine.
Another Dutch side gem is Emilio’s, located at the historic Emilio Wilson Estate in Cul de Sac Valley and housed in a beautifully restored, 17th-century stone sugar-cane plantation building. Named after Emilio Wilson, a local figure who purchased the estate in 1954, the restaurant is “deeply tied to the island’s cultural heritage and preservation efforts.” A fine-dining restaurant blending casual Caribbean character with gourmet cuisine and an extensive wine program, it is a must-visit.
On their own these various venues might be dismissed as anomalies. Taken together, along with the news about The Setai’s impending opening by 2028, they add up to a range of options at the top end of the market, that simply didn’t exist before on the Dutch side. This shift toward luxury doesn’t mean St. Maarten is abandoning its roots or becoming exclusively high-end. Rather, it is coming to represent the best of both worlds.
The timing of this luxury evolution makes sense when you consider St. Maarten’s recovery trajectory following Hurricane Irma in 2017. The devastating storm essentially reset the island’s tourism infrastructure, destroying or severely damaging much of the existing hotel stock. It has taken this long to rebuild and renew, and many projects are now coming into fruition, complementing places like Big Fish and Emilio’s which were previously known mostly only to locals.
Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM), which is on the Dutch side, has increasingly catered to private jet and high-end general aviation traffic, and today it’s one of the stronger private-aviation hubs in the Caribbean. In addition, IGY Marinas recently completed a new state-of-the-art guest reception building at Simpson Bay Marina, elevating the luxury yachting and superyacht experience; St. Maarten having long been a favorite of yachtsmen thanks to deep water and protected moorings.
