From great fashion boutiques, to fine dining to Deloitte and KPMG consulting offices, you've got it all on St. Maarten. A hilly island divided between the French and the Dutch, it’s very busy and lively. If you prefer to be in the center of the action, definitely opt for the French side of the island. I like quiet and lowkey, so I chose the Westin Hotel on Dawn Beach as my home base. I enjoyed the hotel and would definitely stay there again, but there are a few things to consider (see below).
St. Maartin is very close to its sister islands of Anguilla and St. Bartholemy's (St. Bart's), so it's very easy to take a jaunt by ferry to either of these islands and the waters are calm on the way. Most of the ferries have open seating on the top (first come, first serve) so the rides are absolutely beautiful. I spent a day each on St. Bart's and Anguilla's beaches. See my links on the left Navigation Bar for each island to get my impressions.
Plus side of staying at the Westin: As a solo female traveler, you’ll find the Westin to be a very comfortable hotel with just about everything you’d want if you plan to remain beach bound. Located on the Atlantic, the hotel’s beaches easily rival their Caribbean counterparts on the other side of the island. Usually the Atlantic is a lot rougher than the Caribbean side of smaller islands, but I did not find this to be the case, at least in July. The Westin was newly renovated a couple of years ago after the chain purchased another hotel that was devastated by a hurricane in the 1990’s. The service is excellent with friendly staff, a nice restaurant and an excellent Sunday brunch. Curiously, the hotel does not provide umbrellas to its guests so be prepared to head out to the beach early.
Downside of staying at the Westin: The hotel is decidedly outside town (Phillipsburg) and away from EVERYTHING so getting to the French side, ferry docks, etc will cost an automatic $15-20 USD each way – each trip. This adds up very quickly so again, I’d recommend renting a car for at least part of the trip. Want more information? Visit St. Maarten's official Tourism site or read Tripadvisor reviews.