PRICE:
Frommer's Highly Recommended

The lobby of this well-run "city" hotel runs uninterrupted from bustling Front Street to Great Bay Beach. The public areas are quite stylish, with rotating local and Dutch artworks for sale on the walls. The lively global clientele enjoys the little touches (free international newspapers, beach chairs, and freshwater beach shower). Most rooms have gorgeous polished hardwood floors and large, arched balconies. The muted color scheme favors cream and canary yellow. The one-bedroom penthouse includes kitchenette, large-screen TV, DVD, and fax machine. The $36 surcharge is well worth it for the popular oceanview rooms; but weekly stays in any unit lasso huge savings. The newly renovated beachfront restaurant and bar (crowned by a billowing tent) rock weekends with live jazz; the regular menu is surprisingly good, but opt for the chef's creative, affordable tapas (including Dutch finger food, Vietnamese spring rolls, and Spanish meatballs).

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Portable St. Maarten/St. Martin, Anguilla & St. Barts, 2nd Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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