Gateway to relaxation

Guest: Oregon Cindy (Salem, Oregon)
Date of Stay: 11/03/11 Review Submitted: 11/13/11

We spent the week of Nov3-10 at this charming studio owned by Francoise and Yves. Both are very welcoming and made us feel at home and cared for. From the breakfast basket of eggs, baguette, jam, butter, milk, and juice to the daily checks to see if there was anything we needed, we were well looked after. The studio itself is a large room with king-sized bed (very comfortable) and a huge newly-refinished bathroom. There is a small refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, electric tea pot, and toaster inside, and a two burner stove and gas grill on the patio. We ate breakfast on the patio every morning. The property is fenced and well-secured. We were given a key to go through the gate to the adjoining property that leads down to the private beach. We enjoyed visiting with the horses that roam the property and watching the pelicans cruise the shore line. My husband, an avid snorkeler, thought it was the best snorkeling he had found in the Caribbean -- sea turtles, a few eels and rays, lobster, and even a small barracuda. A car rental is a must as it's several miles to Grand Case, the nearest big village. There's a new US Market that has everything -- we loved having cheese, salami, wine, and fresh baguettes every day. There's a lot to explore. Beautiful Orient Bay is a short hike over the hill or you can drive and be close to the shops and restaurants as well. We went into Phillipsburg once but decided that crowds weren't for us so spent the rest of our time enjoying the peaceful and beautiful French Cul De Sac. If you're someone who wants nonstop entertainment every night, this is not the place for you... but if you want a place to reconnect with each other and also with yourself, this is paradise. One visit is not enough.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+.

The best of St. Martin . . .

Guest: Laurel and Craig (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Date of Stay: 03/25/11 Review Submitted: 04/10/11

Our week at the seaview studio in French Cul de Sac was not good . . . it was excellent! My husband and I spent a wonderful week at the apartment of Les Terrasses de Cul-de-Sac, enjoying the lovely studio and private deck, the beautiful setting and the almost-private, wild beach nearby. The peacefulness of the setting and the gentle companionship of Francoise and Yves' critters were a welcome bonus. But the best part was the lovely hospitality of our hosts and their easy willingness to provide help, information, and the occasional libation over good conversation. St. Martin itself is a lovely island to visit, but the people made it memorable.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+.

The best spot!!

Guest: Catherine (Santa Barbara)
Date of Stay: 01/15/11 Review Submitted: 02/04/11

My husband and I are used to come to this sweet island twice a year and the studio is the best place to stay we've found so far. A little charming studio, quiet, peaceful and very clean with all the advantages of a villa ( swimming pool, beach... ). So don't think and book it !

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children.

A Rustic Getaway

Guest: Canuck (Toronto, ON)
Date of Stay: 01/03/11 Review Submitted: 01/11/11

My wife and I enjoyed our stay with at the studio. It really is a quiet, restful place to be. We do have some suggestions for improvement, however. First, the patio door doesn't lock. Therefore, we needed to close the hurricane shutters at night. Since this patio door is the only window, there was no sunlight at all waking us up in the morning which was a bit depressing. Also, there is no screen on the patio door, making it impossible to allow a breeze in at night, since there are mosquitos. As well, there was no shower curtain on the shower, resulting in either in a daily flooding of the bathroom, or showering with extreme caution holding the shower head. To get to the studio, there is no real path around the owners backyard, and it is not all well lit. As mentioned, the owners have dogs, so avoiding stepping into their doodoo a bit difficult to do at night with the lack of light. There is indeed a secluded beach that there is access to via a small gate, however one should note that this beach and the land that one must walk on to get there is a horse pasture filled with abandoned hotel buildings, so don't plan on having romantic strolls at night if you want to save your sandals from muck. All in all, we did enjoy our stay, though it was a bit more rustic than we expected.

Owner response:Our studio is closed with an electric shutter that, for a security reason, we warmly recommend to CLOSE at night or when leaving during the day, even though the property is all well gated. The unity is equiped with a recent ( silent!) airco as well as an electric fan, which allowed you to feel comfortable and at the same time safe while sleeping. Of course, you can wide open the window door when awaking to enjoy the breeze, flowers, birds song and sea.... The small beach below is a wild beach that is more appropriated to snorkeling and enjoying turtles, lobsters and tropical fishes in the day time than a romantc stroll at night. One will certainly find that kind of beach better in a resort than in our vacation rental. Regarding our 2 dogs inconvenient, the property is cleaned up every day and , as much as we can, twice a day . But an accident may always happen . We are really sorry and apologize for the inconvenient this renter went through... It's right that the path from the garden gate to the studio is not paved and .....we like it like it is . It is lightened with electric spotlights that switch on automatically when you approach and off after your passage. The "caribbean showers" are "deep enough" to avoid floods but have no curtains. We certainly will ask to the next renters their opinion about it and add a curtain if necessary .

Recommended for:Romantic getaway.

Memorable vacation

Guest: seadolman (NYC)
Date of Stay: 11/07/10 Review Submitted: 01/07/11

Hello everyone! Great place for those who wants to get away from the crowd of big cities. Very quiet and especially beautiful in the morning with all the flowers and warm breeze. We had our 4 year old daughter with us, and the studio is just the right size for 2 adults and a little child. The studio has all of the neccessary appliances for a stay and an outdoor little deck is just great with the table, chairs, and sun umbrella. The owners, Francoise and Yves had been very accommodating and helpful in explaining what's around and what's worth a visit. Definately need a car to get around and to go to the supermarket, which is about 7-8 minutes drive. Upon arrival, we had a welcome basket awaiting for our first morning with fresh french bread, mango preserves and milk, which added a nice touch to the stay. Francoise had been very friendly and courteous, as we had numerous pleasant conversations throughout our stay. The weather was great, the sea warm, and we just had a great time staying at this place! Will definately come back soon. Thank you so much! Slava, Irina, Anna

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, age 55+.

Wonderful stay at a beautiful studio

Guest: Susan Braidwood (Toronto, Canada)
Date of Stay: 11/25/10 Review Submitted: 12/04/10

We absolutely loved our time at the studio. It's incredibly quiet and peaceful, and the garden is lovely. The studio is very comfortable, and we loved the terrace. We started and finished every day out there. There's absolutely no noise, other than the sound of the birds and the waves from the beach below. We had no security concerns at all. Françoise is a wonderful host, providing a finette, home made mango jam, eggs, coffee, milk and butter for our first morning's breakfast. One evening she dropped by with a delicious apple crisp. They have 2 dogs and 2 cats. The dogs are friendly but not intrusive. The young black & white cat was barely around - out hunting, I guess, but we totally enjoyed the older ginger tabby cat. Very friendly and he hung out with us a lot. We walked over to Orient beach a couple of times, and also checked out some of the other beaches around the island. I am so glad we stayed on the French side of the island - I was not impressed by the Dutch side - I felt you could have been anywhere. In summary, I was so pleased with this studio. It was everything I wanted and more. I would definitely stay there again, and would highly recommend it.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+.

Definitely as nice as the photos

Guest: Paul/Marilyn W. (Los Angeles, CA, USA)
Date of Stay: 11/22/10 Review Submitted: 12/02/10

We found this to be an immaculate, attractive and spacious studio apartment in a nice area with gracious owners. It is possible to walk to restaurants and beaches nearby, but now that we've stayed there, we would suggest a car (merci, Francoise!) as there are lots of areas within a few miles to also visit. The pool, grounds, view, deck and other amenities made this feel like a luxurious retreat. We look forward to our next visit!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+.

Wonderful place to stay! Book it!

Guest: lsmtih (Hopewell NJ)
Date of Stay: 08/01/10 Review Submitted: 09/19/10

This is a beautiful property! The studio is in a lovely garden with a pristine pool that the owners let you use whenever you want. There is a gate with a path that leads to a secluded beach. They will help you with anything you need. There is a great patio where you can sit under the stars and have dinner or grill!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers.

Sans Soucis

Guest: Jenna (Poolesville)
Date of Stay: 03/30/10 Review Submitted: 08/18/10

When I was little my grandmother taught me a phrase on how to view life, "Sans Soucis." That was our feeling the moment we walked into François and Yves' yard filled with blooming bougainvillea, oleander, allamanda, hibiscus, and shady calabash trees. The everyday hustle and bustle floats away and the simplicity of life takes over. Mornings consisted of baguettes, jambon, les formages, melon, juice, and cafe under our red umbrella in our secluded, beautiful outdoor kitchen/ dining area. A nibble here and there with our surrogate cat, Rouge (our name, can't remember his given name). After our leisurely breakfast, it was time to plan our day. Would it be down to our private beach which was wonderful for swimming, sunning, snorkeling, exploring, or simply reconnecting? It is so private that not a soul, save but a few friendly horses, would wander. Would it be a drive to Marigot? Where we would visit François and Yves' lovely gallery, an excellent bakery (ask François for the name and pick up a la finette), and then to the market? We took home an oil painting by the same artist we enjoyed throughout our stay in our perfect accommodations. Would it be a water taxi to Ile de Pinel? Be sure to leave the people behind and hike the perimeter of the island. Or, would it be a stroll over to Orient Beach? OB offers many diversions and after sampling as many as we could we determined our favorite spot. Our plan turned into getting there in the early afternoon for cocktails and a swim. No matter, as we were without cares. We found that with an unhurried breakfast, lunch was unnecessary and a trip to Grand Case for dinner a must. Three of five nights we ate Grand Case, no need to go to any other town for dinner. The studio is clean and perfect for a couple looking for privacy in a beautiful location. Your first morning's breakfast is there for you when you arrive: la finette, butter, jelly, coffee. It is truly an amazing place and our time with Francois and Yves on the morning of our departure beautifully concluded a wonderful experience. They are fantastic hosts! Now, our only worry is determining when we will return next spring!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway.

Guest: Norm & Marge Engel (The Woodlands, TX)
Date of Stay: 03/12/10 Review Submitted: 03/12/10

A little bit of French and a whole lot of Caribbean is this wonderful island Studio. As you approach the Studio, through a canopy of Caribbean flora, you encounter a small white picket fence that welcomes you to the decked patio and a quiet and relaxing retreat. The large bedroom / dining area, a large bathroom, and an outdoor kitchenette are all well appointed and decorated in a Caribbean theme with artwork from local St. Martin artisans. We so enjoyed sitting under the umbrella on the deck in the early morning with a cup of coffee, or evening with a glass of wine and watch the Sugarbirds and Hummingbirds flutter around the bougainvillea, oleander, aloe, and cacti that surround the patio. Both Francoise and Yves are great hosts, and are there to assist you as necessary, or allow you all the privacy you desire. When it came time to leave, we felt that Francoise and Yves were more than great hosts; they are great friends! We enjoyed our visit so much, now we can't wait to return. What a great place!

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