Sonesta Ocean Point Resort

This resort is beautiful, friendly staff, always accommodating to our needs. The drinks were great. There were umbrellas in our room, which we needed. The only complaint is that the food at the buffet and room service was cold and lacked seasoning. We had a great time.

I recently stayed at this property 10/18-10/21 solo and it was amazing. 10/10 I have zero complaints. The room was very clean and spacious and the view was breathtaking. The food was very good. Perfect resort for a solo trip. The resort wasnt crowded and i didnt have to wait long for food even room service came within 15 mins. I will definitely be returning to this property again

This was my first time leading a group to a Sonesta resort. I brought a group of 21 adults. Almost all of my other all-inclusive resort experience has been with Iberostar organizing almost 10 group visits to 3 different Iberostar resorts and 2 visits to Rui resorts. Let’s start with the good/great. The location of Ocean Point is absolutely beautiful and really the most beautiful location of a resort I have been to. Stunning views and an amazing location. Having the airport right next door is convenient for obvious ground transportation reasons but having that additional beach attraction with the planes landing and taking off is really cool. The service staff we interacted with at the restaurants and bars were truly exceptional and some of the most friendly and engaging staff I have encountered, including the Baha Mar and Four Seasons. A shout out to Shingai, Jennifer and 'Mr Smiley' at Azul and Cheryl at the Point Pool - they were exceptional!. The Sonesta restaurant staff was very accommodating with our larger group and always got us good seating times for our entire group to be together for dinners and did so every time without concern or trouble. The food at the restaurants was amazing – never had a bad meal. We had two folks with dietary restrictions and every restaurant handled their restrictions perfectly. The restaurants and food were amazing. Now the not so good. The deck service at the Ocean Point pools was non-existent. You could always get up and go to the respective bars at each pool to get a drink, but they never had anyone away from the bar providing service, taking orders, delivering drinks etc. It was very much self-service – if you want a drink, you were going to have to get it yourself. The main pool for the Maho was under construction and the Maho guests were all in the one pool with a swim up bar so it was constantly packed. We didn’t even use that pool it was so crowded and only used the two pools at Ocean Point. The bar that services the Edge/Azul Pool had terrible service and as a result, we only spent one afternoon at that pool. It was a bit of a walk to the bar from the pool and there was typically no staff at the bar when you got there – you had to wait to be noticed and get service. The bartenders at the Point Pool were super friendly, but there was no lounge or table service there either. We ended up spending most of our time at the Point pool because at least the bartender was there and friendly. Usually 5 star/luxury resorts have servers that provide pool deck service with great attention – that is not the case here. They have lots of live music at the Point Pool and the roof top bar, but it is all blaring loud – so loud, you really can’t have a conversation. It was ear piercing. The last day, as we made friends with the bartender at the point pool, she advised that artist to play at a reasonable level, which was much appreciated. The check in process was very clunky for our group and they do not provide a bell service to take your bags to your room, which was very surprising for an advertised luxury resort. They brought your bags into the lobby, but that was as far as they took them. There seemed to be a couple of these small service misses that I have come accustomed to at 5-star/luxury resorts. It felt like we were just checking into a regular type of hotel and not a luxury resort. The only major disappointment was our room and how they take care of their trip leaders. Everyone in our group had much better rooms than me, who organized the group and brought them to Sonesta. Typically a resort will offer some benefits to a trip leader that brings a group like this, at least a room upgrade. This was not the case at Sonesta. We were originally given a room with a roof as a view (see picture). After several asks (there is a lot to this story) they did move us to a new room the next evening, and it was not much better - still the worst of our group. At that point we decided to give up on the Sonesta and just enjoy the balance of our trip with our group. Very disappointed on how they handled our request for a different room and/or upgrade. With all of that being said, the trip was a success. The lack of service here and there was noticeable to me, but not to most of the guests in our group. Then again, I travel to lots of all inclusive 5 star resorts so it might be more obvious to me. I think overall, in my opinion, from a service perspective they feel short of a luxury resort as they advertise. The staff we interacted with at the restaurant and bars were top notch and the setting is breath taking. The only major disappointment was that they do not have a policy for trip leaders, they didn’t treat us well as a group leader, and they don't incentivize group leaders to bring groups to the resort. This will be a significant factor into future decisions to bring a group to a Sonesta property.

I just ended my stay on Oct 15th at sonesta ocean point and I must say I had an incredible time. The staff there is truly amazing. They made me feel right at home. I must shout my 2 of my favs from the resort. NIA who worked in the restaurants. Her expertise was on point. She took her time and helped me with the menu and recommended dishes that was so delicious. Throughout my stay whatever restaurant she was at I made sure to be there for dinner. Also MS SHERYL at the pool bar. This lady was there from sun up to sun down serving theee best drinks in the heat and always kept a smile on her face. Along with great conversation when sitting by myself, she definitely kept me entertained. The manager Kenton (i hope im saying his name right) was very helpful as well. I will definitely visit again. The property was very clean, staff was very friendly, food was amazing and the views was astonishing.

We researched St. Maarten hotel venues, a wise investment. We’ve visited SXM 10+ times in the past, stayed at Maho (family side) 24 years ago, and Simpson Bay Area as well. It was a pleasure to return to where it all began. Ocean Point exceeded expectations Service: Consistently throughout the stay, our encounters with all staff throughout the resort was very positive. They were polite, inquired if assistance was needed, and greeted with a smile. Butlers: To say the service was impeccable would be an understatement. All Butlers provided exceptional, timely, above expectations service. They have an excellent communication system, coordinate all tasks as a team. Vigillio showed us the property and set everything above standards; Dane provided exceptional service and went out of his way to ensure all extras were on point, Alex ensured all needs were happily met. Grateful for these gentlemen. Rooms: We stayed in a Butler’s Suite, One Bedroom Butler Penthouse unit 501. It was very very spacious, we could have managed with half the space and still had more than enough comfort. The balconies are 180, the view is a beach sunrise view. The bathroom was spacious as well. The furniture was comfortable. Grounds: Everything is very well maintained. Our visit had pool and walkway construction underway which did not impact the property’s beauty. Restaurants: All are first come first serve, we didn’t have a problem with seating. There is room service 24/7 and food areas throughout the property. Even the lobby bar has small refrigerated bites displayed. Azul - breakfast buffet and omelet station was great. The chef prepared to specific expectations, much appreciated. Portofino - dinner was good, food was delicious (smaller portions but that’s to be expected with all-inclusive) La Fontana - we opted for the romantic dinner for two, the food was outstanding, ambiance unforgettable, and service was on point (thank you Rasheed!) Jing’s: sushi serving was small (2 pieces), bowls were average. Beach: The beach is small set among cliffs, water can be rough. Ocean Point offers chairs set up nicely overlooking the beach near access. Great point about St. Maarten is the numerous beaches to explore if that’s your thing. Pools: The zero entry pool has a few swim out suites on the far side and is available for all guests, very spacious, gorgeous and relaxing. Lots of chairs to relax in. The Deck pool with cabanas offers ample chairs, bar, music (not too loud, just enough). There is the hammock village just behind this area which is nice. The main pool was shared with Maho family during our stay and more crowded for our preference. Bars: There are many bars throughout the resort and at least one was open until approximately 11 pm. Entertainment: Nightly band entertainment, daily music and activity entertainment as well. What’s nice about this property is you can engage louder entertainment if preferred or relax at another pool without hearing the louder. Location: Maho is an upbeat location and offers quick taxi access to other areas of the island. Cleanliness: I have high standards for cleanliness, our room was very clean as well as the hotel in general. I did not notice any areas that grossed me out. Cons: We did not experience any major negatives to report. The only note is specific to my needs where the room didn’t provide good lighting for getting ready; doing hair and makeup (pack small travel makeup mirror) or electrical outlets near room mirror (extension cord needed). The week we traveled the main pool was shared with Maho guests and far too crowded for adults only and our vibe. It’s understandable work needs to be completed and it didn’t impact overall rating. Casino: We stopped in Casino Royale, the majority of dealers were rude, pit bosses unfriendly, and unwelcoming. Past years we’ve gambled at other casinos and did not have the same experience. Will not return to Casino Royale. Activities: Ocean massage with Serenity Spa was amazing, better than most I’ve had in the states. Pinel Island, quick boat ride from Marigot and you have calm waters, excellent service, very good food, and refreshing drinks. Maho Nevis tours buggy/4 wheeler excursion - excellent way to see the entire island but too hot for my liking. Our tour guide Andre was very knowledgeable and super nice. Off site restaurants/bars: Palapa Hidden Oasis in Simpson Bay - Highly recommend, what a gem! Amazing food, one of kind ambiance, excellent staff and service. Truly an oasis and one of a kind experience. Perch Bar & Grill Orient Beach - burger and wings were good, service was great, sangria was excellent. Dirty Sanchez Crew Philipsburg - best mojito! Le Moulin Fou Maho - best French onion soup and excellent food There were several places closed due to off season in Oct. Disappointed to miss but if looking for an upscale dinner, I recommended Rainbow, Mario’s Bistro, and Hibiscus.