major hotel recap: belmond la samanna
Welcome to paradise in the Caribbean! St. Martin is often seen as a stopover destination in the Caribbean, but we’re here to tell you why it’s worth staying. Meet Belmond La Samanna.
St. Maarten is an island in the Caribbean owned by both the Dutch and the French. The island is home to a cruise terminal and is a jumping off point for many other islands in the Caribbean – think Anguilla and St. Barths. There are many reasons we love this island and we think you might just be convinced on a visit by the time you finish this post!
We spent a week at Belmond La Samanna, which opened in February 2021 after a full refresh. They completely redesigned the rooms and all of the common areas – they are truly stunning. There are many things I fell in love with at Belmond La Samanna. First, I love the ease. From the states, it is about a 3-hour flight from the east coast to St. Maarten and a 15-minute drive to La Samanna. It’s rare to have such an easy travel day!
Second, I love the décor. There are few gems around the world that have such a sense of place – that feeling where when you wake up you know exactly where you are. The hotel isn’t too modern, but it doesn’t feel dated either. It’s perfectly Caribbean. Upon arrival, you’re greeted with a glass of champagne and the most beautiful ocean view. Nothing says welcome to paradise more than this entry!
The Rooms
The rooms at Belmond La Samanna follow the same theme – understated yet chic and elegant. The rooms are casita style – each individual casita holds 1-4 rooms, each with a beautiful ocean view. In fact, you are just steps away from the ocean and your personal dedicated beach chairs. After the first day, the beach attendants get to know you and will set up your reserved chairs in your preferred spot each morning. There’s nothing better than an ocean front view!
Our Favorite Part
Perhaps my favorite part of La Samanna is the slowness. Time felt on my side here. Like I had all the time in the world to do all of the things I wanted to do. I could work out in the morning, relax on the beach, sip rosé or eat fish tacos at the beach club, Laplaj, equipped with all of the Veuve you could desire…
Isn’t it refreshing to leave a vacation feeling truly relaxed? So many times, I hear clients say, “I need a vacation from my vacation”. Let’s vow not to do that anymore, okay? There are ways to create space and slowly rediscover the world’s magic. Maybe that will be the theme for the coming year. Slow rediscovery. Don’t we all deserve it!
From Cap Juluca to La Samanna
Belmond La Samanna is so fantastic and even has a sister property – Belmond Cap Juluca in Anguilla. You’re just a 30-minute boat ride from the magical island of Anguilla, making these two properties the perfect split-stay. Read more about Belmond Cap Juluca here and see why Anguilla is one of our very favorite islands in the Caribbean.
As always, we would love to make your travel dreams a reality! Reach out via our contact form and let’s get to planning!
Belmond La Samanna is one of our preferred partners, so you will always receive daily breakfast, $100 resort credit, upgrade on arrival, early check-in and late check-out and of course all of the VIP treatment!
