Among my friend group, we have a tradition where when each couple turns 50, we splurge on a luxury house somewhere tropical and treat each other like royalty. This year we went to St. Maarten and the island did not disappoint! In fact, my Dutch friend was able to see the King, Queen and Princess of Holland on their island tour, we swam with turtles, hiked a gorgeous nature trail, and visited several beaches, each more beautiful than the last.
This property is located on the Dutch side about 30 minutes fro the airport. Chris, the property manager met us at the airport and took us first to a market for provisions, then on to the house. La Villa Orchid can be seen from the hilltop and the approach is breathtaking. Guana Bay, where the house is located, is on the Atlantic, making the sea a bit rough, but provides the sounds and scenery to unwind after a day of sightseeing and to lull you to sleep.
The house is as pictured with some color variation, likely attributing to the additional/similar properties in the gated community. It is well appointed, including bath and beach towels, laundry, plenty of cookware, flatware and china, pool floats and lounge chairs. The manual explains how everything works, so do read it. A couple of sharp knives were desired, but with so many people using them it is hard to keep them sharp. One thing to note: the bathtub had a cracked valve that I conveniently found on day 1, when flooding the bathroom while filling the tub. Marble floors, plenty of towels and a top notch maintenance and cleaning crew made the experience quick and painless, and the tub was back in action in less than 2 hours!
Chris communicated so well before during and after the trip. He was a wealth of information about the island, things to do, and places to go. His recommendations for boat/snorkel tours, beaches, restaurants and other activities were perfect.
Check out was a breeze, additional staff, were friendly, helpful and excellent i their work. 100% recommend this luxury villa for your next "royal gathering."