Booming tourist business, more cruise ship passengers than ever before, and the island seems to enjoy an unbroken attraction for many visitors. Is it better than some of the other destinations? Yes, because many other islands have either too little to offer, or fight with unbelievable crime, extremely high prices, or lack of attitude. St. Maarten and St. Martin is on a critical path and got to be very careful not to stumble into the same mistakes others were running in! The photo (above)shows the present status of the Marriott construction at the Southern end of Dawn Beach!
Is it the time to look somewhere else? Not necessarily! It does matter, where you go and what you want to see. Believe it or not, the two photos are taken from exactly the same spot at the same day! This 'sea and sand' photo shows beautiful Dawn Beach with St. Barth at the horizon.
Ask your hotel, your condo agency, your villa rental about construction close by before you book. If you don't mind construction impact, some grant discounts during the construction period. Relatively untouched areas with little or no construction are Orient Bay, Terres Basses, Oyster Pond, and some other quiet spots. The Dutch side has more development ongoing than the French side.
