My wife and I just spent a wonderful week at the villas on great bay. It has a lot of wonderful attributes--great location for walking into Phillipsburg--wonderful view of ocean and cruise ships--secure--great location to explore from--and the price is reasonable. Josh, the property manager also does a wonderful job of making your stay enjoyable.

We recently returned from staying at the Villas on Great Bay, what a wonderful place to stay. They are right on the beach which in the off season is rarely crowded, you pretty much have it to yourself. The townhouses are immaculate, and nicely laid out. There is a living room/dining area, kitchen and half bath on the first floor in addition to the covered patio area that overlooks the bay. On the second level there are two bedrooms, one is facing the water with a veranda off of it and a full ceramic bathroom. The manager, Josh is the nicest guy you will ever meet, very personable and helpful in giving you directions to anywhere you want to go on the island, he also gives great recommendations on restaurants to dine at. Josh was also helpful in arranging a car for us, Donicio (car rental manager) was right there at the airport when we landed with the car, he escorted us to the Villas in another car which was great as you can sometimes get lost when in a new location. One of the great things about the Villas is you can walk into Philipsburg for dinner or shopping, you can either walk on the beach or go out the back of the Villas and walk on the street. Having breakfast on the second floor veranda in the morning and seeing the cruise ships dock across the bay will forever be a great memory for us. Places to eat are either within walking distance on the beach in Philipsburg or a short drive away, right on the beach is the Greenhouse, great food and ask to be waited on by Chris, she was a doll! Also try Pineapple Petes for the best Lobster Thermidor ever, Josh recommended it and he was not wrong. Le'Escargot in Philipsburg is wonderful for a special meal (pricey but worth it) the owner and his wife have been there for 25 years and treat their customers with such hospitality you feel at home from the moment you walk in.
For a fun afternoon go down to the Sunset Beach Bar (Maho Beach area)and have lunch and watch the planes land, they have the scheduled landings on a surfboard chalkboard, make sure you take a camera as the photos are amazing when the planes land. The island is only 37 miles around so you can take a day and drive around the whole island and see many different beaches, they all have a different personality and each is spectacular. Traffic can be a problem but you just have to take the bull by the horns and jump right in and take your place in line. For grocery shopping go to Le Grand Marche, just like your grocery store at home with one exception, they have international items you will never find at home. If you shop there the bag boys are not employees of the store so make sure you tip them for helping you with your groceries. One thing we found out is the grocery stores do not sell any kind of pharmacy items, you need to go to a pharmacy for those, I needed something for mosquito bites and could not get it there. There is a pharmacy right in Philipsburg, again you can walk there on the beach. This was our first trip to St. Maarten and as soon as we were on the plane heading home we were ready to go back, its a wonderfully friendly island that just beckons you to come back!

First time to the Villas on Great Bay in April 2007, going back in June since it was so nice. 9th time to the island. Went first time with my wife, two boys, and neighbor. Very comfortable and conveniently located. Beautiful view and relaxing. Nice distance to shopping, restaurants, and beaches. Going back in June with just my wife.

Clean, well maintained, and good management. Not too crowded. Nice people. Our unit had 2 bedrooms and 2 and a half baths. Central location on the island. Close to new boardwalk in Phillipsburg. Go to the Greenhouse for half price appetizers and to Chesterfields for a great dinner. Majesty Jewelers was also a great place for good deals on jewelry as I have bought 5 times from them. Email me and ask me for manager's name for very nice discount.

This is the 2nd time we have stayed at Great Bay Villas. The oceanfront villas are the best. Short walk to Phillipsburg via the brick road or the beach. Close to restaurants and the management are the best. Arranged a car rental both times at a wonderful price. Great view of the beach, Great Bay and the pool. Hope to go back for a whole month. 1 or 2 weeks isn't enough. Food, liquor prices are some of the best in the Carribean with an amazing selection. Shop at the Grand Marche for best selection. New airport is very effiicent complared to the old one. Fun beaches to visit and bargains on jewellery. Day trips galore and super scuba diving operation Scuba Fun at Dock Maarten.