Seven Tips for a St. Maarten Day Pass
Enjoy a day of St. Maarten hospitality!
Are you visiting St. Maarten only for a day because of a cruise or yacht stop, or due to a layover at Princess Juliana International Airport, and you feel like full indulgence in our island hospitality? A St. Maarten hotel or resort day pass might just be the solution.
Many St. Maarten hotels offer day pass opportunities to use various food and beverage packages and amenities at a special price if you intend to only stay during the day. Passes vary from hotels offering extra food, beverages, rooms, cabanas and / or services to full access to all-inclusive resorts. Take a look at St. Maarten’s highly varied day pass offer below!
St. Maarten Hotels and Resorts providing Day Passes
Some great St. Maarten day passes that are at your disposal on island:
1. A Cabana (or regular) Day Pass at Seaview hotel
Seaview Hotel has the unique feature of offering cabanas on the Philipsburg boardwalk. Seaview’s private beachside cabanas come with personal television, toilet, sofa, welcome Prosecco bottle and use of the only pool along the most popular boardwalk of the Caribbean. You can also take day passes out for Seaview without taking a cabana but including food and beverage vouchers. In any scenario, do not forget to try one of their local Pelikaan craft beers.
Seaview Hotel is located on Great Bay Beach in Philipsburg and can be reached within a 20 minute walk from the AC Wathey Cruise Terminal or by the shuttle boats from there to either the Captain Hodge pier jetty or the Walter Plantz square jetty on the boardwalk.
2. A Holland House Beach Hotel Day Pass
High end boutique Holland House Beach Hotel provides a chic Great Bay Beach day experience. It includes a set of drinks and beach chairs on this famed beach and is a great base to explore spend a beach day or to explore Philipsburg as Caribbean shopping mecca. It has a dedicated bar at the boardwalk catering to your needs. Combine your day pass with a lunch at Ocean Lounge restaurant.
Holland House Beach Hotel is located along the Philipsburg boardwalk and is within 15 minutes walking distance from Port St. Maarten. It is also close to the Captain Hodge pier where ferries from the cruise ship disembark.
3. Divi Little Bay Resort Day Pass
Divi Little Bay Resort is located at the slopes of historic Fort Amsterdam, on the opposite side of the cruise port on Great Bay. It offers beach chairs, snorkel gear, sixty minute free use of paddle board and kayaks and access to its resort amenities like pools and restaurants with its day pass. The snorkeling outfit comes in handy, as the water in front of the cliffs next to Little Bay Beach are one of the greatest places to go snorkeling on St. Maarten / St. Martin.
Consider combining your day pass stay with a sumptuous lunch or dinner at its restaurants Pure Ocean fish restaurant, Gizmos, Mix rooftop bar or Slices pizzeria.
In theory it is possible to walk from the cruise port to Divi Little Bay resort (45 min) but during a hot Caribbean day this is ill advised. It is best to take a taxi from the port which will take you ten minutes.
4. Oyster Bay Beach Resort Day Pass
The resort day pass of Oyster Bay Beach Resort offers a room for day use, washer and dryer, and of course access to the resorts’ famed infinity pool looking over the Atlantic towards St. Barths. Clearly, adjacent Oyster Bay Beach is at your disposal too. When your day stay is over, book a dinner at Infinity restaurant or Veranda to finish your Oyster Bay day in style.
Oyster Bay Beach resort is slightly over ten minutes a taxi ride from your cruise ship.
5. The Morgan Resort Day Pass
The Morgan Resort & Spa offers a “daycation” pass including use of its unique beach styled infinity pool, jacuzzi, lounge chairs, fitness, parking and access to its restaurants and bars. A day pass at this resort combines well with plane spotting at Maho Beach right outside the resort. You can also book an exclusive Cabana day stay at the Morgan Resort.
The Morgan Resort is half an hour by taxi away from the port, though this can vary depending on traffic. It is also possible to take a bus from the Emmaplein bus stop, and to get out at / walk along Maho Beach to the Morgan.
6. Sonesta Maho Beach Resort Resort Day Pass
As the name suggests, Sonesta Maho Beach Resort also is close by famous Maho Beach where planes fly over. In addition, this vast resort is the largest all-inclusive hotel on the island of St. Maarten / St. Martin. It offers a full amenity access day pass including food and beverages.
Sonesta Maho Beach Resort can be reached by taxi from the cruise port or by bus from the Emmaplein bus stop to Maho Beach. As traffic can be unpredictable at times, make sure you return back to the ship timely.
7. Sapphire Beach Club
Located on an impressive pink cliff formation with hideaway beaches and in between of Cupecoy Beach, Mullet Bay Beach and its golf course, a Sapphire Beach resort day pass is a good way to get acquainted with the upscale Cupecoy area. A complimentary brunch is included in your pass, as is use of its two outdoor pools and fitness amenities.
Taxis from the cruise terminal to Sapphire take about 35 minutes; buses slightly longer. Take traffic into account when making your way back to the ship to be back in time, especially during rush hour.
As offers and prices may vary, please do not hesitate to contact the individual resorts what options are available and how they can best cater to your day of St. Maarten fun. Next to this snapshot of resort day passes, you can of course also decide to spend your day with shore excursions on water, under water or exploring the island instead! Whatever your decision might be, enjoy your island day!
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