Villa Leone, Sint Maarten

Guest: St. Maarten (Amherst, MA USA)
Date of Stay: 06/05/09 Review Submitted: 06/15/09

The property was just as the pictures had showed and Simon was waiting for us upon our arrival. The villa was clean, bright, airy and provided everything that we could have needed for the week. The portable cooler was a blessing for packing picnic beach lunches and keeping food and drinks cold. We visited several places on both the Dutch and French side. It is very true that the exchange rate on the Dutch side is much more favorable to those coming with dollars, as the Euro is very strong in comparison. If you want great shopping, cheap food and drinks, the Dutch side on the island is the place to go. Front Street in Phillipsburg was amazing. We got great deals on jewelry, alcohol and electronics. There was a place down a small alleyway off of Front Street headed towards the water that advertised 2 beers and 1 Cuban cigar for $3. We had to find out what the catch was! The catch was that there was NO catch. 2 full sized beers and a decent cigar for $3. A nice break in the day if you need one while shopping. We visited several beaches while on the Island, on both the Dutch and French side. Happy Bay is worth the walk through the woods. Small, secluded with very few people. If water sports and activities are what you are looking for, Orient Beach has everything you could want, but in terms of relaxation and peacefulness, there are far too many people for that. Baie Rouge was very nice and the snorkeling was great with a swim through cave. We highly recommend the conch kebab served at Chez Albert on this beach (watch out though, it is expensive and in Euros). Guana Bay was great for boogie boarding and you can't beat the view of St. Barth's. We ate a very nice meal at L'Esparade in Grand Case. Right on the water, great food, funny host, excellent service, reasonable prices for a traditional French restaurant. But really, every restaurant on the road is outstanding. Try fried plantains somewhere (lots of places have it), there are great when done well. If you are looking to get off of the beach for a little bit, we went to Loterie Farm for part of a morning and did their Zip Line and Ropes Course ($45US for the basic course that took us about an hour and $70US for the extreme). Loads and fun and appropriate for lots of ages. There was a 7 year old behind us having the time of her life on a kids course.

Owner response:Glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay at Villa Leone Sint Maarten in Guana Bay. We look forward to welcoming you back to Villa Leone Sint Maarten or, possibly Dominican Republic for a different island experience. Ciao, Frank

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with teenagers.

Our Stay at Villa Leone Sint Maarten at Guana Bay

Guest: James (Philadelphia)
Date of Stay: 11/19/11 Review Submitted: 12/15/11

Hello Frank, Thanks again for the use of your wonderful villa. It certainly lives up to the pictures and description. We had a wonderful time too, especially being so close to the water. The deck is unbelievable – so large and comfortable. The views from inside are great too. My wife said to mention that we appreciated the nice touches, like the real cloth tablecloth, the curtains and quality sliding door, and the goose down blanket. Making a cell phone available is also thoughtful. The whole villa has such a nice relaxed, comfortable feel to it. Simon was a very caring person too. He was ready to help if anything was needed. I hope we’ll be able to come back sometime.

Recommended for:

Love St Maarten

Guest: None (Baltimore, Maryland)
Date of Stay: 06/27/10 Review Submitted: 10/04/10

Frank Have visited St Maarten for 5 straight years and stayed at Villa Leone the last three. What a wonderful place to visit and love the location of your villa. Lynn and I had a wonderful time this past June/July for the 10 days we were there. As usual Simon was there to greet us and take care of any problems that arose (and they were few). A great place to relax with the deck, hot tub, pool and the beach and beach bar that is adjascent to the villa. I will continue to come back each year to St Maarten and will again choose Villa Leone. Thanks again for letting us stay at the villa Reese Wellmann & Lynn Dubit

Owner response:Hello Lynn, Thank you again for deciding to return to Villa Leone Sint Maarten. Simon is indeed a pleasant and important part of our guests' experience, He has always given his best to address anything that might need attention and even those that don't! As always, I am pleased to hear that you enjoyed your time at Villa Leone and hope to be able to see you back in Sint Maarten very soon. Ciao, Frank

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Great Family Vacation Spot!

Guest: HandyAndy (Jenkintown, PA USA)
Date of Stay: 01/23/10 Review Submitted: 03/30/10

Frank, your place was so fabulous! It was our kids first time to a tropical island and they keep asking to go back. You have the best location, while sitting in the living room you literally feel like you are on the water. Thank you for the FREE internet as well. Check in was so easy, Simon (manager) was there waiting to greet us and gave us the low down on everything from the safe, to the operation of the hot tub. Your information packet was so helpful as this was our first time to the island. You did not leave anything out. The beach next to the Villa was great for an afternoon boogie boarding adventure for me and a short drive to the north to Le Gallion Beach was perfect for our 2yr and 6 yr old kids. Shallow calm water, umbrellas and great food. A short drive to the south were some great places to eat in Simpson Bay as well overlooking huge yachts in the harbor. We would recommend this villa to everyone. Thanks Again!

Owner response:Hello Drew, We are so glad you guys had a good time at the villa and in Sint Maarten. The internet does help with arranging for tours and keeping in touch with the rest of the world. We hope to see you all back soon to Villa Leone Sint Maarten, or perhaps try out Villa Leone Cabarete in the Dominican Republic next time. Ciao. Frank

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Home away from home ... plus amazing surroundings

Guest: John Luke (Quebec City (Quebec) Canada)
Date of Stay: 01/30/10 Review Submitted: 03/28/10

Our stay at Villa Leone in February 2010 was one of our best vacations ever. It was the second time we travelled to Villa Leone. This time, we brought our good friends with us. The villa was more than enough to accomodate our party of 4. Two bedrooms with each its own private bathroom. We felt right at home in this spacious fully furnished villa right over the waves. Beaches at walking distance, private terrace with patio furnishings, jacuzzi & BBQ. A beautiful swimming pool was also part of the accomodation. We were welcomed as special guests by the on-site personnel Simon and Magna. The villa was clean and well furnished with many commodities and more. We especially appreciated the weekly cleaning service and the complimentary Wi-Fi connection. No need to bring your towel, it's already there ! We had great fun relaxing, sunbathing and preparing our own meals on the gas stove, when we were not eating out in Sint Maarten fine restaurants. We rented a car and visited many of the magnificent 37 beaches of the Island, went to the grocery store on the way back and fix ourselves delicious dinners. Among our beach favorites, were Ilet Pinel, Anse Marcel (Radisson Hotel) and Baie Rouge (French part) and Westin Dawn Beach, Orient Beach and of course ... Guana Bay Beach ! Great Dining at Chesterfields (Philippsburg bayview), Fine Dining and Cabaret Show on friday night at L'Escargot (Front street-Philippsburg) and excellent French Cuisine at L'Escapade in Grand Case The villa is very accessible, nearby Philippsburg (great eating & shopping) and also the French part of the island : Saint-Martin. All arrangements with the owner Frank Leone were clear and cordial, he was always available to answer our questions, and he was always in contact with the on-site personnel. We strongly recommend this Villa to anyone who like magnificent views, beautiful beaches, privacy on demand, amenities to feel right at home. We enjoyed our stay and thanks to Frank, Simon and Magna

Owner response:Hello Jean-Luc, Thank you for your time in providing a description of your time at Villa Leone in January. I also love the food and views at Chesterfields! We hope to welcome you back to Villa Leone again and again. Ciao, Frank

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, girls getaway, age 55+.

Wonderful Villa but Windward location a letdown

Guest: NYC in SXM (USA)
Date of Stay: 01/23/10 Review Submitted: 02/15/10

As all the other reviews can attest – this is a wonderful villa with a great owner and caretaker with lots of perks you wouldn’t find in a hotel. The filtered water & ice from the fridge, the cooler, cell phone, grill, hot-tub and free wireless were great amenities which made our stay even more enjoyable. The condo itself is aging but clean and well-maintained; the furnishing, appliances and electronics are relatively new and in great shape. There was plenty of hot water for 4 people at all times. The communication from both Frank & Simon was above expectations and extremely welcoming and friendly. This helped set the trip on the right foot before we even left and certainly made it even more enjoyable while we were there. The community pool was in great shape and during the day we had no issues with mosquitoes outside or dogs. The landscaping in the area is island/dessert minimalist. The caveat in all of this is the location and the windward/tradewind aspect of the geography. There were extremely strong sustained winds with even stronger gusts every day of the entire week we were there at all times of the day. The otherwise lovely terrace was unfortunately not very tranquil or sanguine and it was impossible to eat outside (food would blow away), hard to hold a conversation or read a book and quite chilly even in the full sun. The layout of the terrace is such that the entire portion is windward facing and there is no respite around the house or with something obstructing the direct blast (we found the hefty deck chairs were frequently blown over during the course of the day). The nearby beaches were deserted for this same reason and the water was far too tumultuous to warrant going in far. Ultimately this meant every day was a traveling day to other areas (orient beach, pinel island, baie rouge and simpsons bay were all wonderful) and that time at the villa was largely indoors. I have to assume that that the wind is mostly luck of the draw and had we gotten a few less windy days I would have given a higher overall experience. As we were hoping this villa would itself be a destination escape the constant need to travel elsewhere was a letdown. Guana bay is a ways away and often what should be a 15 minute drive doubles with the islands traffic situation.

Owner response:One of the reasons I purchased Villa Leone is because of it's Windward location. The breezes and waves remind me of my days growing up visiting the New Jersey shore. Many guests want to confirm that there will be waves so they can boogie board. For guests wanting bathtub calm water, I do recommend to them the leeward side of the island. As evidenced by the 32 previous reviews, the wind and waves has never been a point of disatisfaction. I do believe from your description of the winds that their duration and intensity was close to hurricane or tropical storm conditions. I also understand how this unfortunate weather week would have a negative affect on your overal experience and I do sympathize with you. However, I have yet to figure out how to control this very variable element to better ensure a positive experience for our guests. I very much appreciate your very nice comments about Villa Leone and strongly suggest that you give another chance to the windward side. I'm sure the odds will be in your favor next time and you will have more pleasant calm or moderate winds with wich to enjoy the intoxicating views from the deck of Villa Leone. Ciao, Frank and Patty

Recommended for:

WOW!

Guest: Carrie, Greg, & Kevin (Connecticut)
Date of Stay: 03/04/09 Review Submitted: 03/25/09

Breathtaking! Nice beach, great waves! Beach bar is nice. We had a wonderful 2 weeks-we did the zip line at Loitler Farm, Chartered a boat w/ the Garfield 2, and horse back riding on the dutch side. Can't wait to rebook @ Villa Leone! Thanks Frank!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with teenagers.

Guest: Rose Krial-Victor and John and An (Philadelphia)
Date of Stay: 10/27/08 Review Submitted: 10/27/08

Rosemarie Krial-Victor to me: Howdy Frank. Our stay at the villa was lovely. Simon is a really nice guy. I hope the Villa fared well throughout Hurricane Omar. I was glad we were on Saba and over a thousand feet above sea level the night Omar hit. I LOVED the rough rock around the Villa Leone and the crashing waves could be heard at night, even with the windows closed and the AC on. Liked the beach bar down the path too! We had a great time and our little girl LOVED the pool. Thanks again. Rose Krial-Victor and John and Anastasia

Recommended for:

Guest: Frank Leone (Philadelphia)
Date of Stay: 10/27/08 Review Submitted: 10/27/08

Hello Rose, Thanks for your generous comments about Villa Leone. I am happy to report that Villa Leone came through Omar with flying colors due to it's impressive design and strength. We have guests enjoying the breathtaking views from the deck as I write. It also helped that the hurricane hit the southwest side of the island, sparing the east coast from the very high winds and surf. We hope to see you back soon! Ciao, Frank

Recommended for:

Gorgeous Location with Breathtaking views

Guest: Asif and Karyn (Los Angeles, CA)
Date of Stay: 08/26/08 Review Submitted: 09/16/08

We absolutely loved our stay at Villa Leone. The views were breathtaking. It was priceless going to bed and waking up to the sound of the waves pounding against the coral like rocks. Just sitting on the deck and gazing at the ocean and horizon was precious moments. We took full advantage of all the amenities from the jacuzzi to the grill on the deck. It was a great perk to find beach chairs, cooler, and floaties at our disposal. It made our stay more pleasant. We enjoyed our morning strolls on the beach catching the sunrise especially when it's just a few minutes from our door. We love that this is a peaceful, quiet area of the island. You get the feeling that you have the place all to yourself. We have decided we will be back in St. Marteen and stay at Villa Leone again. One more thing, the caretaker, Simon, was very pleasant, sweet, and helpful.

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