Flight Options

In shoulder season, there are fewer direct flights into St. Maarten (SXM) than usual, which was exacerbated by Hurricane Irma a couple years ago. The hurricane decimated the airport in SXM and overall visitors to the area when flights were cut.  

But this could change for the better if airlines start adding flights. For example, Jet Blue recently started direct flights from Ft. Lauderdale (FLL) to SXM, which Korinne and I flew in November. 

Sandy Ground from above.

To get to SXM:  

From NYC, you can fly direct from JFK to SXM on Delta and Jet Blue. From Newark on United as well.  

From South Florida you can fly direct from FLL on Jet Blue or Miami (MIA) on American.  

From the West Coast, Midwest and Texas, the only other direct flights to SXM, as of today, are on Delta from Atlanta (ATL) and American from Charlotte or MIA, so you will have to fly through one of these cities to get to SXM.

Another option is to fly directly into San Juan, PR (SJU). There is a flight right into AXA on Seaborne (Silver Airways) that is not that expensive, and you avoid having to go through customs twice. Silver has codesharing with a number of airlines so you can book on your favorite airline all the way through to AXA. 

Overall, flying in and out of the AXA airport is a lovely, easy experience. We did this on the return from Anguilla a month ago on Delta. The Silver flight to AXA is at 2:45pm so you'll have to arrive an hour before that in SJU.  You'll need a little more time on the return going through US customs so you'll need a late flight out of SJU or stay there overnight.  The AXA to SJU departs AXA at 4:20 and arrives SJU at 5:25pm. 

Getting from SXM to AXA
You have two options for getting to AXA if you do fly into SXM - you can take the ferry into Anguilla or fly on Anguilla Air Services into AXA, which is a six-minute flight, and they take you straight through customs.

"Experience the Magic"

We can aggregate travelers arriving around the same time for boat or air transportation. Or if you want to book your own, we recommend either Funtime or Calypso boat charters. Your hotel might also offer ferry booking options. The ferry is about $60-75 pp.

As for flying into AXA from SXM, we recently did Anguilla Air Services, which we really liked. You land and an agent walks you through customs, you don't even see your bags, and you board a small plane for the six-minute flight. It was around $120 per person. It’s very convenient especially if you like a small plane and don't love a bumby boat. Ahem, Korinne.

Please contact either one of us if you have questions about booking travel.

Hotels

Happy New Year, friends!

We were back in Anguilla around Thanksgiving and nailed down some hotel options. We definitely recommend booking as soon as possible as rooms are limited mainly at Turtle's Nest and Carimar.

Party planning has exhausted The Deej.

Party planning requires XL glasses of white wine.

Our plan with selecting these hotels / condos (see more below) is to have guests all stay on Meads Bay – just as we did five years ago. It makes getting around and hanging out so much easier. For those of you who don’t know, Meads Bay is one of the best beaches on the island with lots of restaurants all the way up and down. However, the beach is never crowded. The water is pristine and the sand is soft and cushiony. It’s one of our favorite spots.

We are totally open to guests staying anywhere they love on the island. Unfortunately, Malliouhana Hotel is booked up for a wedding. But Cap Juluca just reopened last year as a Belmond Resort. We stayed for a few nights over Thanksgiving and it was pretty damn amazing. If that’s the case, just let us know, and we can give you some insight on Cap Juluca or any other property you’re considering.

One other thing to keep in mind… Nothing new here, but since there is no income tax on the island or really any other taxes, they charge taxes to people that stay in hotels. The post-Irma government rate is 12 percent and the service on the hotels range from 3 to 10 percent depending on the property. So when you are thinking about the total cost, add approximately 20 percent to the hotel rate.

Private Villas for Groups / Families

If you are thinking of bringing down your family or groups of friends are interested in sharing a villa, please email us directly. There are some amazing options on island that we can help you find and book directly.

If you’re going to do some research on your own, look for villas on the West End. That will be very close to Meads Bay and some of the other festivities we’ll be planning.

Airbnb and VRBO have options. Or check out www.islanddreamproperties.com, under Rentals. Again, we’re happy to give you some insight on the location and properties and connect you with Jackie who runs this real estate company. She will be able to help you find what you’re looking for!

Hotels - Tranquility Beach

www.tranquilitybeachanguilla.com

Tranquility Beach is a brand spanking new condo property right on Meads Bay. It’s been developed by our friend Neil Freeman and just welcomed the first guests over Christmas.

The property consists of three villas. Each villa is three floors with the top floor being a three bedroom, second floor can be either a two bedroom or converted into one bedrooms, and on the first floor there are two one bedrooms. Floor plans on the website can give you a good sense of the layout and exact square footage in each type of suite. The three and two bedrooms are great options for friends/family to share! 

Each suite has a full kitchen, dining and sitting area and a terrace with a hot / cold tub. While the first villa is considered “beachfront,” the other two villas are no more than 100 yards from the beach and have unobstructed ocean views from the side.

Other amenities on the property include a full gym, full beach set-up with attendants (drinks!), and a concierge to help with anything you need. While there is no restaurant on property, it’s just a few steps down Meads Bay Beach to a number of other restaurants, including Malliouhana Hotel, Blanchard’s Beach Shack, Straw Hat at Frangipani Hotel, and Jacala.

Neil offered us a generous discount, which we’re so happy to share with you. They are also offering our guests a seventh night free if you book for six nights! 

1 Bedroom / 1 Bath - $506.25 until April 30, $337.50 starting May 1

1 Bedroom / 1 Bath Premium - $618.75 until April 30, $375 starting May 1

1 Bedroom / 1 Bath Beachfront - $712.50 until April 30, $487.50 starting May 1

1 Bedroom / 1 Bath Premium Beachfront - $937.50 until April 30, $562.50 starting May 1

2 Bedroom / 2 Bath - $1012.50 until April 30, $637.50 starting May 1

2 Bedroom / 2 Bath Beachfront - $1425 until April 30, $937.50 starting May 1

3 Bedroom / 3.5 Bath - $1425 until April 30, $1012.50 starting May 1

3 Bedroom / 3.5 Bath Beachfront - $2062.50 until April 30, $1312.50 starting May 1

*Rates do not include 12 percent government tax and 10 percent service charge.

To book, contact Lisa at lisa.delong@tranquilitybeachanguilla.com or call or What’s App (county code Anguilla) at +1-264-476-8488. Reference the Belock Anniversary rates.

Hotels - Turtle's Nest

www.turtlesnestanguilla.com

Turtle’s Nest is a beachfront hotel / condo right on Mead’s Bay. It’s next to Frangipani Hotel, home of the Straw Hat Restaurant. You can’t beat the location!

If you’re interested definitely book as soon as possible as they only have four to five studio condos available. Studio condos sleep one to two people with either a twin or king bed set-up. All condos have full air conditioning. The 500 sqare foot studio includes a fully equipped kitchen, dining area and a patio overlooking the beach.

The hotel has a nice sized pool right on the ocean and full beach set-up with chairs and umbrellas. There is no restaurant, but Straw Hat is right next door and open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. There is also a small café with coffee, pastries and snacks next door at Meads Bay Beach Villas. You are a short walk down the beach to all the spots on Meads Bay. There is also a concierge on property to help with anything you need.

Studio Condos – $215 per night

*Rates do not include 12 percent government tax and 3.5 percent service charge.

To book, contact Jacquie at info@turtlesnestanguilla.com or call or What’s App (county code Anguilla) at +1-264-497-7979.

Hotels - Carimar Beach Club

www.carimar.com

Carimar is situated right on Meads Bay next to Malliouhana Hotel.

The rooms are one or two-bedroom, and each has a full kitchen, living room/sitting area, and patio. And there’s a major post-Irma improvement: all rooms, including the living room have full air conditioning. The bathrooms have also been fully updated.

There are three beachview rooms still available, so if you’re interested book it as soon as possible. The beachview rooms are in a horseshoe around a garden area backing away from the beach. But the furthest villa building is about 100 yards from the beach, and you have ocean/beach views from every room.

The resort has beach set-up, free bikes and tennis courts, and a concierge that can set up anything you might need to do. There is not a restaurant at Carimar (that's why there are kitchens), but you are obviously right next to Malliouhana Hotel including their new beachfront casual spot called Leon’s, in addition to the hotel’s fine dining restaurant. Meads Bay Beach is also home to a number of other restaurants, including Blanchard’s Beach Shack, Straw Hat at Frangipani Hotel, and Jacala.

Beach View 1 Bedroom – $320 until April 30, $270 starting May 1

Beach View 2 Bedrooms – $440 until April 30, $370 starting May 1

*Rates do not include the 10 percent government tax and 12 percent service charge.

To book, email carimar@carimar.com. Or call 264-497-6881 or 866-270-3764.