What People are saying
Survived Hurricane Irma because of the sturdy construction and caring staff
_rweberphd on 30/09/2017 00:43
We survived a Category 5 185 mph hurricane while at the BelAir Beach Hotel due to the construction of the facility and the attention/planning of staff. It is built of reinforced concrete, has Kevlar hurricane curtains, strong doors/windows, its own generator and water supply. But above all it has the best hotel staff that anyone could ask for. Valerie's experience was ours as well. The staff was with us (literrally) all the way through the storm up to forming a convoy to the airport for evacuation, staying with us until everyone got on our C130 planes to San Juan. While the storm devastated the island including the homes of the staff, they were there for us. The advanced planning resulted in our relative comfort after the storm. The staff stayed at the hotel. After the storm passed, houskeeping showed up to mop the wet floors, give us towels, etc.The Gingerbird Restaurant had been reinforced during previous years, had its own generator and was stocked prior to the storm. The day after the storm we had meals available and a very happy happy hour. The small store had stocked up prior, so we had whatever we needed. The generator went out during the storm but was working within 24 hours. As Valerie stated the Divi resort next to us did not fare as well. Their roofs were ripped off, they had no water or power. We have been visiting the BElAir Beach Hotel for over 25 years. Beleive me, we will be returning next summer if the island is receiving visitors.
Prepared for Hurricane and Helped Get us Out!
Valerie H on 13/09/2017 21:34
We ALWAYS travel in early September. There is always a hurricane brewing. This time Irma hit. Belair is a solid hotel and had armor/wind/tarp/screens for the balconies and exterior halls. We were on the fourth floor and felt pretty safe considering the situation. They checked on us once during the storm (!!) to ensure we weren't flooding. The restaurant stayed open, even though we helped everyone get served. They had happy hour post-hurricane every day to help us all cope.
The Internet worked in the rooms only until the hurricane of course.
BUT most importantly, Paulina helped get us out on Saturday! She took the initiative to go to the Airport and find out we could wait there in case planes came. So they convoyed us there and waited for us as we waited FIVE hours (2 storms) to get us out of the Dutch Airport. The resort next to us didn't have that luxury.
Would I stay here again? YES. Pool is smaller but the beach is lovely and they have a mini mart on site and they CARED ABOUT OUR SAFETY!
Thank you to the staff at Belair for helping us be as comfortable as possible after Irma. We felt a sense of community and had a wonderful adventure at Belair after Irma. Wishing the best to the people of St Maarten as they recover from this disaster.
It's all about that beach
Ellen28 on 18/08/2017 02:41
If you're a beach bum, this is a good choice for you. Particularly if you have kids because you are literally on the beach and you won't have to drag stuff -- and the water is calm. The facility will have chairs and umbrellas assigned to you for the duration of your stay. There are body boards, noodles, and sand toys available for guests to share. The beach itself has beautiful sand, clear water.
The units are dated, but clean. Ours had plenty of space and it was good to have a kitchen to keep some stuff. We had packed coffee and a few granola bars/snacks, although you can readily find a grocery store on the island. The kitchen has a microwave and general supplies, like that coffee maker.
The best rooms are the lower floor as the sliding glass doors go to the beach. The pool is small but seemed to work for the kids and fits the property.
Staff is kind and helpful. Brenda and Brandon at the Gingerbread Man were great. The onsite restaurant actually has good food and drink prices and really enjoyable food. We ate there a bunch.
The staff will help you book tours for the week. On Monday mornings they have a 30 minute presentation with an overview of choices. They also do a 25$ tour of the island Monday afternoon so new people can get a sense of the island/what they want to do (which was just OK). It's useful to know that some boat trips leave from Little Divi, a two minute walk away, instead of Simpson Bay. There is also car rental on site.
Philipsburg proper was a 5$/person cab ride; Simpson Bay is 20$; I think Marigot/Grand Case was 35$.
All in a good, non-luxury trip, with tons of relaxation. I'll be back next year.
Decent family vacation
Talia Q on 11/08/2017 01:54
We were somewhat apprehensive about this place at first, but the rooms turned out to be very nice, a nice kitchenette in all rooms to use. Very nice balcony overlooking the beach and the water, we got to watch the sunset when we were in. Very friendly owners, there was a sense of community that we could see as first-time visitors, but it didn't exclude us. Decent restaurant downstairs, very nice beach, soft sand, clear, calm ocean water and a quaint pool. Wifi was somewhat slow and unreliable at moments, which made working from the room a bit difficult at times. Overall a good experience, better than we had expected based on their website!
LOVELY!!!
zitigirl on 09/08/2017 16:02
We bought at this resort 25 years ago and we still love it. We come by for 2 weeks and it goes very quickly. The hotel is very clean small and quiet. We didn't want to be at a noisy resort and this fit the bill. They have a great beach and pool. We are on the 1st floor and all have large terraces.....Love!