Time flies when you’re….busy. Hubby and I celebrated fifteen years of marital bliss(ish) last week with a quick getaway to Saint Martin (or Sint Maarten). We’d both been to Saint Martin, but only as a stopover on our way to other spots in the Caribbean, like St. Barth and Anguilla. I didn’t realize how much Saint Martin has to offer! Ben and I were late planning our trip (travel restrictions, work and childcare had us scrambling) and we chose St. Martin for the direct Atlanta flight and the fact that the Belmond resort on the island had availability. Since our anniversary fell so close to Easter, many of the other places we looked into were booked with spring break travelers. I am thrilled things worked out the way they did. https://www.belmond.com/hotels/north-america/caribbean/st-martin/belmond-la-samanna/
Belmond La Samanna
We booked an ocean view and were greeted with champagne and a sweet treat upon arrival. We were also given an early check-in, which is such a convenience. We did have one minor snafu with our airport transfer (they didn’t show up), but the hotel staff quickly got us a taxi. That was the only hiccup the entire trip. Once we checked into La Samanna, we felt like we were in heaven.
We wasted no time checking out the view and scoping out the beach. The water is the prettiest shade of blue. The style and design of La Samanna exude a Greek feeling. I loved the tiled staircases leading up to each room.
Around the Resort
Dinner our first night was at the resort. The food was good and the menu had plenty of options. Almost everything at the resort is outdoors, which allowed us to enjoy the sights of the island even during dinner. The hotel has a resident cat, Sam, who spends her evenings lounging by the restaurant. She’s a total sweetheart.
Our first full day brought lots of reading, sunning, relaxing and imbibing. I wouldn’t change a thing.
Beach
I bought this hat last minute on Amazon and I have zero regrets. It did a great job keeping the sun off my face. I love the extra protection the wide brim offers. Get one here: https://amzn.to/3KxMC0u
I could not put this book down during our trip. It’s a not my usual type of book, but it tells the wild and almost unbelievable story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos. Grab a copy here: https://amzn.to/3Kws8Fd
The concierge at La Samanna gave us some wonderful restaurant options for the nights we wanted to eat outside of the resort. All the incredible reviews we could find about La Cigale led us to book that for our actual anniversary dinner. The setting is romantic and the food is out of this world. So was the service. This is definitely one of the most memorable meals of my life. I highly recommend La Cigale if you find yourself in St. Martin.
La Cigale Anniversary Dinner
Our final dinner was at the Italian eatery Sale & Pepe. The food at Sale & Pepe is equally as impressive as the delicacies we enjoyed at La Cigale, but the atmosphere is not as intimate. However, it’s completely worth the cab ride. Again, we had impeccable service. St. Martin is known as “The Friendly Island” and I can certainly see why.
Three nights away from my kids is about all I can handle, but I was still super sad to leave La Samanna. We WILL be back, although I hope the Covid testing is a thing of the past next time we go. Not going to lie, I was nervous waiting for those results. However, the testing was done at the resort and we had the results with official documentation within twenty minutes. Please reach out if you have any questions about a stay at La Samanna.
