Orient Beach/Palm Beach question

[xplor97]

We are looking to visit Orient Beach with a couple of adults. This same group with some newcomers was there two years ago and we were dropped off by Pedros. Not doing much prior research we just stayed in that general area.

Doing some research this trip I cam across a beach club on Orient called Palm Beach. http://www.palmbeachsxm.net/ Has anyone been here and can tell me if the area looks as nice as it does on their website? How about service and just overall feel. I'm looking for a fun/relaxing visit, good food, great drinks and lots of smiles.:D Thank you!

[Spurs Fans]

Never been there, but I agree it DOES look nice!

[Karysa]

I like the beach closer to the c/o section. I find less Seagrass and many of the beach bars have a $=E at that end of the beach.

[xplor97]

Any new info out there on Palm Beach at Orient beach?

[sippican]

Any new info out there on Palm Beach at Orient beach?

 

Looks like you found a gem!

http://www.tripadvisor.com.my/Restaurant_Review-g1073588-d2434785-Reviews-Palm_Beach-Orient_Bay_St_Maarten_St_Martin.html

 

We'll have to consider a visit ourselves.

Thanks!

[vplsh]

This place looks really nice and the reviews are great.

 

Any other good places people would suggest?

[xplor97]

We are keeping Kakao Beach as a 2nd option just in case Palm Beach doesn't turn out to be all that I hope it is...

[BoxerGal]

We were fortunate enough to have happened upon this beach club during our port stop in January, 2012. We had rented a jeep, toured the island and planned a stop "somewhere" on Orient Beach. As luck would have it, that left turn led us to the Palm Beach Club. My first thought was "this looks pricey" and maybe even private. It was neither.

 

We parked and made our way toward the beach, passing a quaint boutique selling fashionable swimwear and the restaurant, which has inside and (covered) outdoor seating. We settled in at the outdoor bar and quickly ordered three native cold beers (which I think were only a couple dollars a piece). We got to talking to the very nice bartender who explained how things worked. They have various areas/levels of seating along the beach - some more private than others (you can see them in the photos on their site). We were only going to be there for a couple of hours, so we just inquired about renting a couple chairs and an umbrella. Turns out there was no fee if you ordered lunch at the restaurant, which we had intended to do anyway. I believe you can also rent the chairs/umbrella for a nominal fee ($15?).

 

We were hungry, so we arranged to have our lunch right away and chose to sit at a table upstairs on the outdoor patio - beautiful view, warm ocean breeze and the food was outstanding - fresh and upscale. My husband and mother-in-law both ordered burgers and I ordered a grilled mahi-mahi sandwich. They are listed as a "snack" on the menu, but they are large enough to share (unless you have a hearty appetite).

 

The wait staff was attentive and very friendly. After our meal, our waitress brought the bill in a woven box, along with a bottle of their homemade spiced rum. She poured us each a shot and left the bottle for us while we negotiated the bill. The only semi-surprise we got was we hadn't noticed the menu prices are in Euro, not US dollars. So it was a little bit more than we expected, but it was well worth it. I wouldn't have changed a thing and only make mention of it for those on a strict budget.

 

We headed down to the beach where another gentleman showed us an area with a bunch of chairs/umbrellas to choose from. We settled my mother-in-law in on the beach and then my husband and I took a long walk up orient beach to take in all the flavors (I believe the nude beaches are on the extreme opposite side of the beach from the Palm Beach Club, which we didn't get too (fortunately, LOL)). Unfortunately, we only had a little over an hour left to spend on the beach after we ate. We had to allow enough time to get back to the ship to return the rental car. We soaked in as much as we could and sadly, headed back to the ship.

 

One thing to consider if you are short on time is having your lunch served on the beach. We would have, but my mother-in-law is more comfortable eating at a table.

 

We're visiting St. Maarten again in January, 2013. This time we are planning to head straight to the Palm Beach Club so we can spend the day there! It's our last port stop on the cruise and I can't think of any way I'd rather spend my day!

 

Hope this helps...Enjoy!

 

Susan