Belair Beach Hotel

Read previous review Wouldn't let me add pictures. And we walked into Philipsburg from the Belair not St Maarten. Forgot to mention if you re going to the BBQ go at 6 It says 7 but if you go at 6 there are free drinks and appetizers. Don't wait for the desserts Once they re gone they don't refill

First off, this is a time share hotel. This is something important to note. The hotel itself is in a fantastic location on Little Bay. You get a view of Saba in the distance from your balcony and the snorkeling off the beach along the wall by Divi is incredible. So the location is a true 5 star location. The people there were all very laid back and friendly. Housekeeping comes daily to change towels. The front desk folks are happy to answer any questions. The beach attendant will provide chairs and umbrellas for you (badly needed with as hot as it was in May). Parking lot security is friendly as you come and go. They even take care of the stray cats and dogs (only a few on the property). Service is also five stars. Gingerbread cafe is on the property and is factored in to this review. Where the rating goes downhill is the room itself. I read the “older, needs updates” reviews and thought it might just be tacky, dated decorations. However, the fact that the A/C didn’t work right the entire time we were there (and we still paid full price) is frustrating. The staff were apologetic and thanked us for understanding as they were doing their best to find someone to fix “the chiller”, but we had to crank the A/C to high just to get it down to 76. There’s other things that didn’t work. Hot water was hit or miss. Sometimes it worked great. Other times, you got nothing. Toilets ran all night (luckily couldn’t hear since the A/C had to be on full blast just to get to 76). Beds were not comfortable at all. The room has potential though if things just worked. It’s a two bedroom two bathroom condo with a decently stocked kitchen (fridge, coffee maker, toaster oven, microwave, range). It’s nice and convenient to stock up on groceries from Carrefour and have a few meals or snacks in the room. The room is kept very clean by the staff. The second bedroom is tiny but it’s just for sleeping so who cares…you are there for the beach. Plus the balcony overlooks the ocean. Fix the A/C and hot water, this is easily a 5 star stay. But a full week of blasting the A/C puts this at 3 stars only.

Absolutely love the Belair! Although not a fancy hotel, the staff and the location are better than any fancy hotel. I have returned every year for over 20 years. I even bring other family members and friends. This year they helped my family celebrate two engagements and went above and beyond in how they handled them. Although the kitchen is small, Its ample and I am not looking to cook a gourmet meal. You are assigned your own beach chairs for the entire stay. So, no need to get up early and claim them for the day. Beach attendants are wonderful and work very hard. They have a amazing barbeque on Monday nights with entertainment. Gingerbread restaurant is on site and is very good. Happy hour every night with a wonderful staff including Bradley and Dwayne. Beach is usually very calm, and there is rarely seaweed on the sand unlike other beaches in Sint Maarten. There is a store onsite that carries just about anything you need. I utilize a service where they grocery shop for me ahead of time. So, the owner Neelu, communicates with me ahead of my arrival. She is amazing. My units are stocked when I arrive, beer, wine, snacks, whatever you want. That means you are on vacation from the time you check in. Just put your bathing suit on, poor a drink, and go to the beach. Car rental is also onsite, and they meet you at the airport when you land. This is a hidden gem.