Friday’s report on Grand Case Beach Club felt encouraging. The seaside town was extremely hard-hit by Hurricane Irma and having more hotels and restaurants there available again is crucial for the recovery of the entire island.
After all, one of the things that make this an attractive destination in the first place is its diversity, with a Dutch side and a French side, each with its own related characteristics, separated only by an open border. The culinary experience that typified Grand Case is as much part of that unique product as the Simpson Bay and Maho evening entertainment areas, Great Bay Beach Promenade and the Philipsburg shopping area or chic Marigot.
The same goes for “glitzy” Orient Bay, where several restaurants have again been opening of late. There are plenty of other nice local beaches, but that one with its clothing-optional part radiates a certain ambiance many visitors love.
Also Oyster Pond has a special charm and its full restoration is equally important. It would therefore be nice to be better informed on the plans of, for example, The Westin at Dawn Beach.
With Sonesta Ocean Point now online and the ground floor of the airport terminal scheduled to be in operation from early December, the high season should at least have a decent start, as additional properties get up and running during or after the first quarter of 2019.
A lot remains to be done, but “The Friendly Island” is well on its way back.
