Divi Little Bay Beach & Racquet Club

Just got back from St. Maarten have been going there for 18 years and this was the first time I stayed at Divi. Would I do it again, only as a last resort. The parking is awful, so far away and my unit was all the way at the top of the hill with no view. Also, have many friends that work late and want to come over for a drink, big problem. They do not allow any guest thru the gates after 10:30.

We just returned from our annual family holiday trip to St Martin. We stayed at Divi Little Bay for the entire time. The resort just sparkles. It has been renovated, and everything looks so nice, neat and clean. It is a large resort, however you do get to know just about everyone and if feels nice and cozy. This resort sits on the most beautiful location in St Martin of all of the resorts I have seen (and I have been around the island for years and know it very well). Every room has a great view of the water, and there is always a nice breeze. We stayed in the newly renovated beach side condo's. Our only complaint is that it is really HOT at that location of the resort, the sun sits and beams down on the walls and the heat really builds up. The other side sits in more shade and is much cooler. The waves sound wonderful and put me to sleep at night. The pools were in fine condition, as were the bars and the entire resort. We have a car the entire time on the island (it is not expensive) and that is the only way I would go to St Martin, as the Island has so much to do and so many different areas that are just a stones throw away (Marigot, Rouge Beach, Cupecoy, Marigot, Marigot Harbour, Grand Case, Bay Orient, etc). Divi is quite a bit of fun and they had (2) parties during the week, with crab races, dancing and raffles. My son played quite a bit of beach volleyball and soccer. The sea was very rough this winter and we could not do much ocean swimming even in Little Bay which is typcially very calm. We did go to Friar's bay, which is never rough, and of course Bay Orient which is a destination in and of itself. There are things that are not perfect at Divi, in the service areas that are being addressed. I am not sure the Island(s) will ever hold up to the service we get in 4 star hotels in the US and Mexico, so you do need to take that into consideration. If you want to go to a fantastic island, explore and have a great time, DIVI is a fantastic place to stay.

We just got in last night (Nov. 8/09) and I have to say that this is a super resort...It has been thoroughly renovated throughout. We had one of the newer two story units on the beach (room 1025). Great location...and just a few steps out your door to the beach. I would recommend a unit on the 2nd floor as we got quite a few bites from sand flies...perhaps due to being on the first floor right on the beach. Plus the water was amazing...We swan every day! I thought the location of the resort was great...as it was just minutes from Philipsburg. The resort's beach is very private and November was the perfect time to go because there weren't a lot of people fighting for a chair on the beach. You have to go to Serafina's french bakery in Marigot...as it has amazing croissants and french pastries. There is also an outdoor market there where the locals display their goods and the prices are quite reasonable. Also, take the time and go to the italian restaurant called Spiga in Grand Case...Excellent food! Try the carpaccio...and osso bucco...plus the gnocchi was amazing! Do not miss out on this restaurant!!! The restaurants at the resort are nothing to rave about but they serve a very simple and small breakfast buffet for $14.95 including your coffee and juice which is cheaper than going a la carte. There's a great little coffee shop with a small grocery store on site so I would pick up my morning coffee there. The weather was perfect even though the weather.com kept showing rain for the week...We were in St. Lucia in April and St. Maarten has more to offer...We're so glad that Westjet is flying there now! For Canadians...wait and buy your Grey Goose or Belvedere vodka in St. Maarten as the prices are very good...The newly renovated airport is quite a nice change for the Caribbean and has some nice duty free shops...The other islands in the Caribbean could take a few lessons from St. Maarten...

The resort is currently renovating some of the buildings, but with the exception of one pool and the laundry being closed, there wasn't any inconvenience. Some of the hotel units were being combined and converted to 1 BR units

The pools are smaller than I expected, but sufficient for the occasional dip. The beach is large enough to accommodate the guests with plenty of lounge chairs available (poolside lounge chairs and umbrellas are taking quickly).

You cannot park near your unit, but even the furthest buildings are no more than a few minutes walk. Staff is available to help with your luggage. If you have problems walking, you'll want to get a unit close to the pool and beach otherwise you'll be depending on staff to give you rides to/from your unit (golf cart).

Some units face Great Bay (buildings B1-B12) and you can see the cruise ships come & go, but the winds came from that direction so sitting on the balcony was a bit windier than sitting on the beach.

Our 1 BR unit (#621, Bldg B-8) was listed as a Full kitchen, but it was more of a limited kitchen (No dishwasher or oven). There was a built in stove-top, but it was only a two-burner. Since it was just my wife and me it was not an issue. The other odd thing in our unit was that there was no dresser (or bureau) in the bedroom. The only place to keep your clothes was in the combination TV center/dresser in the living room. I saw other units that had a 4-burner stove top and dressers in the bedrooms. Dishwashers for the 1 BR units are probably overkill anyway, since there are not enough spare dishes fill the DW prior to running it.

Except for the wait staff, everyone was courteous and helpful. The wait staff wasn’t rude, just indifferent. I had to chase them down on occasion. I thought the food was about average, though I did not sample the entire menu.

Downtown Phillipsburg is a short drive away, but parking can be difficult and you might find yourself parking a fair distance from the shopping on Front Street and the beach.

The resort has a small store, which is good for picking up a few food items, but it is a bit pricey. The grocery store just outside of Phillipsburg (Le Grande Marche) is the best bet for food shopping. If you are looking for duty-free liquor, the store at the resort (located in the jewelry store) had better prices than some of the stores in town, so shop around.

When you check in pick up your Divi Discount card, it offers some discounts on stores, restaurants, and activities.

This was my first trip and I’d return, but I would probably not eat too many meals at the resort restaurants. There were better choices in Phillipsburg (Chesterfields & Mark's Place) and nearby Simpson Bay (Pineapple Pete's) If you go to Orient Beach check out Andy & Cheryl’s, which is towards the southern end of the beach right before you get to the clothing optional section.