The Caravanserai Beach Resort

This resort SITS on the water...most all rooms have an incredible view due to the way the resort is set up...you can WALK to casino and bars and restaurants and entertainment...although we ALWAYS rent a car to travel and explore the island...this resort has recently been completely rebuilt, from the ground up so everything is new and clean. Employees are stressed..there has recently been new mng..guess that happens!

It's a nice resort but not in a great location, St. Maarten is small but you will need a car for this one. A word of caution, don't buy a timeshare anywhere in St Martin. Rent or Exchange in. BTW as far as my review is concerned, it's accurate but they didn't ask all of the questions that they should have.

First thing to understand are that Timeshare Owners own nothing, your status is that of a long term lessee (a tenant), look at the contract. The owner of the resort (usually a numbered company) owns the land, buildings and is recognized by the government. Timeshare "Owners" have No legal rights to speak of, no voting rights on resort issues, no right to audit books. The real owners also take pains to not let other tenants network and organize, supply a members section on their web site etc.

We have an 80 year lease for 1week at the Belair Beach, previously we had one with the Flamingo, we have been going to the Island since 1990. We are sent a newsletter once a year, it's most important function is to present a list of expenses (unsupported by any detail) which they claim justifies their ridiculous maintenance fees. We bought this one in 1995 with a yearly fee of $305.00, today it has risen to $932.00 (add the $50 tax to it and your near a cool $1,000), an average yearly increase of 8.5% compounded. It's actually higher if I included the occasional special assessment. They charge those fees because they can get them (you have no recourse) and also they inhibit your ability to sell (they claim they have resale programs but they are typically shams) Consequently, as maintenance has climbed, purchase value of the week has dropped (it's an inverse relationship). The week we bought for $14,000 in 1995, I can get for $1,200 - $2,000 from a number of sources, people who own a mid-summer week are at $500 - $1,000. So your left with a decision, pay this years maintenance or walk and start taking advantage of deals around the world. Every time I'm called an owner at the resort, I get annoyed.