The room needed a proper deep clean, the hardware had lots of limescale buildup. One elevator not working it took over ten minutes to get an elevator with our luggage. On other days we ignored the ‘for emergency’ signs and took the stairs. Staff isn’t friendly and almost rude. The loud plane sounds gets annoying.
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Beautiful resort
The hotel is very nice. The staff were amazing. The location of the hotel is perfect close to everything. We enjoyed the food and look forward to returning. Highly recommend to all my friends
It was a nice touch to be greeted with a rum punch
My only complaint is that there was no hot water in our room
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SueG -
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Excellent
We loved the island, watching the planes, the beaches, resort food and wonderful staff. Resort was very clean. Only negative was smoking and vaping around pool all day, everyday and not in designated areas.
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So much potential
This resort at one point could or would be a gem unfortunately unless you are at the adult side Ocean Point this is where you get the full top class treatment. The Sonesta Family side is not up to par with basic customer service standards of a hotel and this property is listed as a resort.
There is no consistency with the customer service and its always lacking as most of the staff do no care and are not happy working there. When we had issues there was never any empathy or compassion rathe[... read more]r they were more annoyed that we even flagged the issue. Our room had poor AC issues and toilet not flushing and a room with children why allow guests to stay in this broken room as I am sure this issue was previously documented. We should have been moved but this did not seem to be a priority. The guest had to constantly follow up no one would call back or provide a response its left to the guest to continuously call for an answer as they simply do not care. I made the suggestion can I get a fan and one was provided however they never even provided alternative methods or supports and the island is in one of the hottest month August.
The resort is always packed so they do not procure food for the amount of guest as food would run out at the buffet and would not be replenished or maybe it would be done when they felt the timing was right. So if your child is hungry and all the bacon ran out maybe they would refill it or maybe after a half hour some would come out. Food was not labelled properly so good luck for people with dietary restrictions. Again all down to customer service and the staff there are very new and young and simple do not care and the more seasoned workers are very set in there ways and rude.
The plus side is that the food was tasty, the beach was beautiful, the resort was clean and some what modern the few staff that did take them time to smile was so pleasant and genuinely happy to conversate and smile with you. The pool was decent for all age groups. The have kids and teen clubs.
The staff is always quick to tell you when you cant do something or no or no we don't have this however if they saw you with an empty glass or sitting at a table waiting or you needed something answered no one would be looking or offering to help. They assume you know all their processes or even what we can or can not do. We had no idea that there was an infinity pool as it was located on the adult side however all guests had access to this pool and we found that on the plane back home from another guest at the resort who also said they did not enjoy their stay. There was no one that seemed friendly to talk with as most staff was just miserable, unhelpful and unfriendly.
As beautiful as this island was I would never return to Sonesta even on the Adult side I hope a big chain goes in and really shows what a resort experience should be.
Thankfully to a bad experience at Sonesta we ventured off the resort (which location wise is amazing not far from anything) and was able to see more of the island and eat at their restaurants which the food was absolutely delicious off the resort. The island was fun to experience on both the French and Dutch side and we always felt safe.
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Good Family Resort - So Close You Can Almost Touch the Planes!
We just got back from a lovely stay at the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, and overall, we'd give it a solid thumbs up. It's a great spot whether you're wrangling little ones or enjoying some grown-up time. Plus, you're practically next door to that famous airplane landing spot – pretty cool!
Beach/Pools: Good (Plenty of Space to Splash and Relax)
The beach was just right – not too packed, and we never had trouble finding a chair to plop down on. Bonus points for the almost complete absence of [... read more]algae during our April visit! The pools were nice and sparkling clean, with some seriously fun zones for the kiddos. And that one pool bar? Kept the good times flowing (even if the selection was a tad cozy).
Service: Good (Hydrated and Mostly Happy)
The service was reliable. Our room always had a fresh supply of water, plus a few welcome colas and beers. Housekeeping did a decent job keeping things tidy. Just a little tip: the toilet water could get a bit… fragrant, so we kept the ventilation fan working its magic or ask the housekeeping to put some blue stuff to help.
Food: Good (Something for Everyone - Mostly!)
The food options were surprisingly varied, and even this self-proclaimed foodie found plenty to enjoy. The offerings even changed a bit from day to day at the same spot, which kept things interesting. However, a word of warning: steer clear of Jing, the Asian restaurant. Honestly, they might be better off turning that space into, well, anything else! We did venture out once to Jax Steakhouse and had a great meal there.
Rooms: Good (Comfortable Enough for Post-Sunshine Slumber)
The bed and pillows weren't exactly cloud-like, but they were perfectly acceptable for crashing after a day of sun and fun.
Value: Good (Worth It for This Time of Year)
For our April getaway, we felt like we got good bang for our buck.
Location: Good (Planes, Beaches, and a Little Bit of Everything)
The location was a winner for us. Super close to the beach (obviously!), and a stone's throw from the Sunset Bar where you can grab some incredible airplane landing photos (hold onto your hats!). There were also a few shops nearby, a casino for those feeling lucky, and a very handy convenience store. That little shop was a lifesaver for stocking up on drinks, snacks, and even a bit of local "essentials" to spice up our hotel offerings. And don't worry about those planes keeping you up – they mostly stick to daytime hours.
Overall Rating: Good
All in all, we had a really enjoyable stay at the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort. We honestly wished we could have stayed longer!
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Amazing resort except !!!!!
Great resort but there is a real problem with birds in the outdoor buffet for the guests and the lunch time restaurant. The birds are all over the table, walking over the table mats cutlery and dishes. Its very unsanitary and we had to eat many times outside the resort.
I would not go back there unless they install fishnet barriers to protect the restaurant tables.
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Vince -
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Disappointed oh my
Very disappointed in the resort. The buffet was a disgrace. same food over and over and over food was always cold. Potatoes were mostly rotten. Bacon wasn’t cooked and instead of us serving ourselves they had to serve us and when they served us, it wasn’t with a smile. It was a grin like why should I serve you many others including my wife got food poisoning . lined up in front of the hamburger barbeque next to the pool. The chef was cooking the hamburgers maybe 45 seconds on each side and it wa[... read more]s raw inside no thanks. The staff nobody smiled they all look miserable talking to a lot of people on our return trip who said the same thing they all look miserable . The beach, there is no beach. The rooms were OK, but I would not go back to that resort, that resort resort should be a three star not a four or five star . The pool was crowded not enough chairs for everyone. But the biggest beef for me was the buffet and the restaurants that were on the resort. Maybe they should clean up their act.
True crowd was crowded
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Sophie10 -
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Awesome resort
Great family resort.
I would recommend it
to everyone. Can’t say
nothing bad about it.
Staff are all friendly and
can’t do enough for you.
John on the barbecue is
great and makes the best
burgers. A must try.
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Three star resort
Hotel is older.. Our toilet backed up 3 days out of 7 ..Our room faced the rear of the hotel, which has propane tanks, maintenance bldgs etc. Not very scenic. There was also an unpleasant smell, intermittently, so we didn't use the balcony. Pizza station is really good, as is the coffee bar in the hotel... Overall, would consider it a 3 star resort
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Wonderful vacation
Great resort, 5 mins for airport, well maintained, clean, food was very good at all restaurants. Just be warned the beach at the resort is man made and not right off the water. You have to walk down to Maho Beach.
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Wonderful time at Sonesta Maho Beach Resort
Excellent location only 4 minutes away from the airport. The lobby entrance is for Sonesta Maho Beach while the Ocean Point is in the back a little way further.
Located close to the airport, if you’re a fan of watching planes land and take off, this is a unique experience. The vibrant Maho Village is also just a short walk away, offering restaurants, shops, and nightlife. However, while the airport is close by, the noise from planes didn’t cause issues for the stay there.
The rooms are s[... read more]pacious, modern, and comfortable, featuring a blend of tropical decor and contemporary style. My room had a stunning ocean view on the 6th floor. Sunshine peeking through the curtains each morning. The beds are firm and a bit on the small size (doubles instead of queens), but that was expected. The bathroom was clean and well-maintained with high-quality toiletries. The shower and toilet though are open and no doors are available. This is the same on every bathroom on the resort. The bathroom was accessible via a sliding door which was stuck at first. Once we called the front desk they had it fixed in less than a few hours. Super fast and responsive to our needs. I appreciated the small touches, like the minibar stocked with beverages, which was filled daily and without fail at the same time. The ice makers are located on the odd number floors though (ie. floor 3,5,7...)
Dining at Sonesta Maho Beach Resort was good. The resort has one option for breakfast (Ocean Terrance) which unfortunately had only the same offerings each day. A little variety would have been nice. Also it's located at Ocean Point which required walking through the pool area each time. If you are in need of accessibility options, you will find this difficult as there are stairs, water and a long trek to the Ocean Point location.
There are few a la carte options: The Grill (at dinner becomes La Cantina), La Fontana and Ocean Terrance.
Jing's Kitchen and The Tavern are available every other day (alternating days), but are located outside the entrance to the resort on Maho Village. This was confusing at first as there are no signs to indicate this.
The resort offers a range of activities to keep guests entertained. There’s a large swimming pool, complete with a swim-up bar, which is perfect for unwinding after a day of exploring. For those who like to stay active, there are water sports available, including snorkeling and kayaking. The beach itself is lovely, with soft sand and clear blue waters. The resort also offers daily entertainment and themed parties, making it a great choice for couples and families alike.
The fitness center was well-equipped, and the spa offers a variety of services, but we didn't take advantage this time.
The service at Sonesta Maho was excellent. The staff were friendly, attentive, and always willing to go above and beyond to make guests feel welcome. The housekeeping staff was excellent! They took care of us and were very helpful for extra pillows and towels when asked. Most were polite and professional.
The only items I would mention for improvement:
1. The app does not work. The QR code provided everywhere does not open the app on Android. Venue times are available on the website directly. NOTE: La Fontana does not open at 6:00 am even though it is listed on the site.
2. The free WiFi on the resort is abysmal. Max speed was 3 mb/s and averages at 117kb/s. Coverage is also spotty depending on your location.
3. On the 5th day we woke up to a large cockroach in the bathroom. Of all the travels in Caribbean, this was the first time seeing a roach in the room. When we brought it up they went to spray the area and assess the species. We heard nothing back after that.
Overall we had a good time here and recommend it for anyone who is looking for an all-inclusive stay at Sint Maarten looking to enjoy the beautiful beaches and unique experiences from the Dutch side of the island.
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Great resort if you can get a deal
Overall this was a great resort for the price we paid.
The rooms are nice, although there was a sewer smell to the rooms. But this is limited to Garden view rooms, which are facing the sewer. No matter how much we tried to remove the smell, it always came back.
Per discussions with other guests, they did not have the smell, but they were facing the swimming pool, and did complain about the noise, which came from the pool.
we did not use the pool, as the smell of chlorine deterred us fr[... read more]om using it. The pool is quite small, and it appears that there are tons of people in there, mainly hanging out at the swimming pool bar drinking alcohol. There are two slides for kids to use, but one appeared to be flat and very slow. Both slides are extremely short, but the kids seem to enjoy it.
Other than that, the staff is very friendly, the food was OK, the beach was small, and the ocean clear. Waves could get quite high at times. So best to be careful, as there are no lifeguards on duty at the beach, or at the pool. The great part about this hotel is that it is located right next to the airport., So if you are a plane lover, you would enjoy the resort.
Also the hotel does not appear to have a medic on site at all times.
I’ve been to this resort twice before, once in 2014 and a second time in 2016. The quality and selection of the food has gone down, but it appears that the resort has been rebuilt since the hurricane Destroyed 2016.
Overall, this is a great hotel to go to if you can get a good deal on it. I would not pay top dollar though. we have met some guests who stayed at the Ocean point or luxury rooms. Although they paid twice as much as we did, they said the price was worth it.
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Rene and Paul -
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A Good Time
I think we picked the wrong room. We chose a Superior King room and these rooms are located on the street side of hotel where you hear club music all night until 4:00am. This was Thursday through Tuesday. Also, fifth floor has a smell of sewage. So if you stay then ask for a Oceanview or Island view or Pool view otherwise it will be a bit uncomfortable. The food was good and Italian restaurant was best. Beach is great but a bit rough. Pool is okay too but we never used it. Location was great. Ai[... read more]rplanes were fun.
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Sonesta Maho Beach
The walls in the room was durty
The floor was clean
The bathroom was nice and clean
You should clean the wall Very nice view on the 10 floor. To close to the airport. Too nosy airplane comming every 1are 2hours
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Great friendly resort
The food was great in the buffet but the restaurant that should have served the steak on lava rock was on first day closed and then was turned into a Mexican restaurant. They said it was now to be a Mexican restaurant.
Also they stated on website that the beach was right there. That’s not so you have to walk about a mile to the beach. I think the resort should offer a shuttle bus to the beach for guests. The hotel should provide a paper map of the grounds and location of the restaurants and the[... read more] events. The people were very friendly and helpful.A great place for kids. The weather was superb. The space for the karaoke should have been better as was very limited space to sit.
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Over priced
Great location, nice staff and food. Resort is dated,needs a lot of updating. Bathrooms mouldy and rooms are old and dark looking with sunk in matresses. Pool area too small to accommodate the amount of guests and needs a lot of repairs
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Disappointing
The room booked was an Island view. This room turned out to be street-side. The rooftop bar and club opened at 10pm and ran until 4:30am or later every night. The music pounded and blared so that no sleeping was possible. The resort was not only not helpful but disrespectful. They said that was the room you booked and handed us earplugs. There was no notice on the website about the noise nor any warning from our travel agent. Clearly this is known to the resort. Other couple were in the s[... read more]ame situation. There is also almost no beach. The current is too strong to swim and it is too narrow to enjoy. As such it becomes a pool resort. Pool gets the two stars. There is very little to no entertainment unless you want to go to the all night roof top club or the little casino. The island is beautiful and there are many other locations that would have been much better. The food was overall good but not sufficient to make up for the other negatives.
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SADLY WONT RETURN!
Second time at this resort as loved it 1st time. Found staff quite unfriendly and not helpful it was actually hard to get their attention if you had a question! I understand that tourism is the only game in town for employment but for goodness sake at least acknowledge people and pretend you like your job especially given that tips are involved!
There was a norovirus at resort the week we were there soooo many sick guests (probably 70%) based on Facebook posts and general talk at the resort. A [... read more]great number of guests ate off site as a little concerned about food heigene at the resort as virus was revving up during the week. Not the point of going to an all-inclusive to feel safer eating off site! Not sure if resort took this as seriously as they could for eg. Hand sanitizer stations often empty. Know many people who in good faith won't return or recommend.
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Beautiful resort
The resort was great. A terrific hotel and staff. The room cleaning staff was thorough and friendly. The restaurants were conveniently located and served delicious food. I’m really hoping to return to this fine resort in the next couple of years!
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Strongly Recommend for Pool People
Most of the staff are very friendly and do their best to accommodate you.
We first came here in 2022 and again in January 2024. We are beach people and learned on our most recent vacation, this year, that the beach had eroded since our last visit in 2022. Therefore our all-inclusive became not so much of an all inclusive as we spent most of our time on other beaches. On the bright side we divided our days between Mullet Bay and Anguilla beaches.
This resort is very clean and I would strongl[... read more]y recommend it for pool people.
If you are a beach person, you can still go to Maho Beach but you have to walk up past the other resorts, which is fine, but it is quite busy, especially if several cruise ships come in and be prepared to be sand blasted from the airplanes.