St Maarten is not Cancun. Not Punta Cana. Not Jamaica.
There are no endless rows of all-inclusive mega-resorts here. No wristbands as far as the eye can see. The island works differently — and that changes everything about how you should approach your stay.
We’ve lived here for years. We’ve watched travelers arrive expecting one thing and find another. Some loved it. Some wished they’d known sooner.
Here’s what we’d tell a friend before they book.
Not in the way Cancun or Punta Cana are — and that’s exactly what makes it special.
St Maarten / St Martin is built around boutique hotels, private villas, beach clubs and some of the best restaurants in the Caribbean. The island has its own identity. Its own rhythm. And the few all inclusive resorts here reflect that — smaller, more intimate, nothing like the giant resort complexes you find elsewhere.
There are only a handful of true all inclusive options on the island, mostly on the Dutch side around Maho and Little Bay. Which means less crowds, less noise, and a much more genuine Caribbean experience than you’d get at a mass-market resort destination.
For travelers who want everything taken care of — meals, drinks, activities, all in one place — St Maarten delivers that without sacrificing the charm of the island. You’re not locked inside a bubble. The beaches, the restaurants, the French side — it’s all right there when you want it.
That’s what makes an all inclusive stay here different. And honestly, better.
No. And it’s worth knowing this before you book.
The French side of St Martin has always been a different world — boutique hotels, open-air restaurants, beach clubs where you linger over a rosé until the sun goes down. It was never built around the all inclusive model, and honestly, it never needed to be.
There was one exception. Secrets St Martin Resort, tucked into the bay of Anse Marcel — one of the most beautiful spots on the island. It closed, and as of early 2026, there is no confirmed reopening date. We’ll update this page the moment that changes.
For now, if you’re set on all inclusive, you’re looking at the Dutch side — Maho, Little Bay, Simpson Bay. That’s where the resorts are, and that’s where this guide focuses.
If you’re staying on the French side, most travelers go a different route — a villa or a small hotel, and the freedom to eat their way through Grand Case every night. Not a bad plan either.
Few destinations make this decision easier — because there are only three resorts worth seriously considering.
No endless comparison charts. No scrolling through dozens of options that all look the same. St Maarten keeps it simple: three properties, three very different experiences. The hard part isn’t finding options — it’s knowing which one actually matches the kind of trip you want.
Here’s our honest take on each one.
⭐ 8.5/10 — 1,244 verified reviews · ✅ Free cancellation
This is the one we recommend most often to couples.
Not because it’s the flashiest option on the island. But because it gets something right that’s harder to find than it sounds — genuine calm. The kind where you arrive, drop your bags, look out at the water, and feel your shoulders actually drop.
No kids running past your sunlounger. No entertainment team with a microphone. No pressure to be anywhere or do anything. Sonesta Ocean Point is adults-only, and you feel it from the moment you check in.
The suites are oceanfront. The pools are quiet. The service is the kind that’s present without being intrusive. And the views — especially at sunset facing Simpson Bay — are the type you still talk about two years later over dinner back home.
For a honeymoon, an anniversary, or simply a trip where the whole point is to actually rest — this is the right call.
⭐ 8.1/10 — 1,317 verified reviews · ✅ Free cancellation
If Sonesta Ocean Point is about elevation, Divi Little Bay is about something simpler — and just as good.
The location does most of the work. The resort sits on a small peninsula, which means you have water on both sides. Caribbean blue in front, calmer water behind. You wake up, step outside, and that’s it — your day has already started well.
The beach here is one of the best for actually swimming. Calm, clear, no strong current. The kind of water where you float on your back and stare at the sky and forget what day it is. That’s not nothing.
Divi Little Bay doesn’t try to impress you with grandeur. It’s not that kind of place. What it offers instead is space, ease, and the rare feeling that a resort isn’t competing for your attention every five minutes. Even when it’s full, it never feels crowded. The pace is slow by design.
Families work well here. Couples too. Anyone who wants a trip that feels genuinely restful rather than performatively luxurious.
⭐ 7.8/10 — 3,865 verified reviews · ✅ Free cancellation
This one is for a completely different kind of traveler.
Sonesta Maho doesn’t do quiet. It doesn’t do slow mornings by a peaceful pool. From the moment you arrive, there’s music, movement, people — that constant low hum of a place where something is always happening somewhere.
And that’s exactly why some people love it.
You’re right on Maho Beach — one of the most famous beaches in the world, where planes from Princess Juliana Airport pass so low overhead you feel the jet wash on your skin. It’s absurd. It’s spectacular. And it never gets old, even for locals.
Beyond the beach, everything is within reach. Multiple pools, bars, restaurants, a casino, nightlife — all without leaving the property. For a group trip, a family with teenagers, or anyone who wants their holiday to feel full and social rather than quiet and restorative, this is the obvious choice.
It’s the loudest option on this list. Also the most fun, if that’s what you’re after.
There’s no ranking here. No resort that beats the others across the board. Each one is genuinely the best choice — for a specific type of traveler.
The real question is what kind of trip you actually want.
If the answer is calm, intimacy, and waking up to an ocean view with no children and no noise — Sonesta Ocean Point is your place. Book it, don’t overthink it.
If what you’re after is a beautiful beach, easy days, and a resort that feels human-sized rather than overwhelming — Divi Little Bay delivers that better than anywhere else on the island.
And if you want energy, people, planes flying ten meters over your head, and something happening at every hour of the day — Sonesta Maho is exactly what you’re looking for. No apologies.
Three resorts. Three completely different experiences. The right one is whichever one sounds like your kind of holiday.
The biggest surprise isn’t the resort. It’s the island.
Most people who book an all inclusive in St Maarten end up stepping outside it at least once. Usually more. Not because the resort disappoints them — but because the island pulls them in.
Grand Case is fifteen minutes away. It’s a single street of restaurants, right on the water, where the best chefs on the island have been cooking for decades. One dinner there and you understand why food writers keep coming back to St Martin. Staying all inclusive doesn’t mean you can’t go — it just means you might wish you had more evenings free.
The beaches do the same thing. St Maarten has dozens of them, each completely different. Orient Bay on the French side. Friar’s Bay. Long Bay. Happy Bay, which requires a short hike and rewards you with almost nobody around. A rental car for a day or two and you’ll see more of the island than most visitors ever do.
None of this is a reason to avoid all inclusive. For plenty of travelers, having everything taken care of is exactly the point — and the resort becomes a perfect base for short explorations rather than a place to stay locked in.
But if you want the full St Martin experience, the smartest move is simple — a few nights all inclusive on the Dutch side, then a villa or small hotel on the French side for the rest. Best of both worlds. And honestly, the way most locals would recommend doing it.
St Maarten is a small island with a short list of all inclusive resorts — and availability moves fast, especially between December and April.
If you’re traveling during high season, don’t wait. The best rooms at Sonesta Ocean Point and Divi Little Bay go first, and prices climb as the season peaks.
Check what’s available for your dates below — and lock it in before someone else does.
Yes — but only a few. Most all inclusive resorts in St Maarten are located on the Dutch side, mainly around Maho and Little Bay.
The most popular all inclusive resorts include Sonesta Ocean Point, Divi Little Bay Beach Resort, and Sonesta Maho Beach Resort — each offering a different type of experience.
If you want a simple, stress-free stay, it can be a great option. But many travelers also choose to explore the island beyond the resort.
No — as of March 2026, there are no confirmed all inclusive resorts on the French side of the island.
Sonesta Ocean Point is widely considered the best adults-only all inclusive resort in St Maarten, with a quieter and more refined atmosphere.
Yes — resorts like Divi Little Bay and Sonesta Maho Beach Resort are great options for families.
I've been living on this island for 25 years. I know which beach is empty on a Tuesday morning, which restaurant in Grand Case is worth the wait, and exactly why you should never book the first car rental counter you see at the airport.
It started with food — SXM Epicure Club, a culinary blog I ran on Facebook for years, connecting locals and visitors around the best tables on the island. Over time it became something bigger.
BookStMartin was born from the same idea : connecting people with the real St. Martin. Not the brochure version. The one we actually live in.
Everything on this site comes from that — 25 years of knowing this island the way only a local can.
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