As Told by Ali

St. Maarten is a must-visit Caribbean country with a unique split between two nations, the French side (St. Martin) and the Dutch side (St. Maarten). They have everything from food, luxury, adventure, and nightlife. Of course, with so much to see and do, choosing the right place to stay in St. Maarten can make all the difference.

When people say the hotel room doesn’t matter when it comes to vacation, I’m definitely side eyeing them. Regardless if we’re staying a week or one night, the hotel definitely matters. For our trip to St. Maarten I found the perfect villa, The Hills Residence located right in Simpson Bay.

LOCATION

The Hills Residence is a luxury vacation rental located on Welfare Road in Simspon Bay. It’s about 15 minutes from Princess Juliana International Airport (can be longer due to traffic at peak times). We chose this location not only for its style/amenities but also since it was within walking distance to restaurants, shops, nightlife etc.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS + CHECK IN

The check in process was smooth, there was a representative at the front office which we just gave our names too, paid and then they took us to our room. There are three buildings with residences, we were in the second (middle); they also had some construction going on around the property. Once we entered the room everything looked EXACTLY as pictured on the site. There was also lots more room than imagined, more so in the main area.

APARTMENT TOUR

I really loved how modern the kitchen was, the refridgerator was a hidden cabinet which gave a seamless look. There’s also a washer and dryer in a closet near the entryway. The balcony was definitely a great touch and we got gorgeous views of the bay.

AMENITIES

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS

• Toppeer’s Rhum Distillery
• Simpson Bay Strip
• Kim Sha Beach
• Mullet Bay Beach
• Maho Beach (Plane Spotting)
• Bell’s Lookout Point

Because of its central location, The Hills Residence makes it easy to explore both the Dutch and French sides of the island without long drive times.