I'm sure that there are some people that may be bothered by the sound but the people I have met at the Royal Islander have never really found it bothersome at all. In fact, after a few planes leave (and the larger planes are spaced FAR apart) you don't really notice it at all. The planes that come in, come in VERY quietly (They are gliding in) and the sound of them stopping is really at the other end of the airport (far away). At night, there is one Air France 747 that comes in around 9:00PM. It is enormous but unless you see the lights of the plane, you would never even know a plane was landing. Actually it is exhilerating to watch or even hear these planes take off. The first minute (literally) that I arrived I was hurried to a side balcony overlooking the airport to watch in awe as a 747 prepared to take off. It can't be explained in writing. One must watch one to believe it. Two years ago it seems that all the planes took off further down the runway rather than right next to the beach. It may be because the thrust of the air is so powerful that too many people were getting injured standing to watch from behind the plane (on the small beach). I was actually disappointed. Obviously if the Sunset Beach Bar does well and it sits right on top of the airstrip at the beach end, it can't bother too many people. Also, the traffic in and out of the airport is not like JFK. It is a small airport. I'm not trying to persuade you to stay there. I would hate to see you go and not like being next to the airport. Our friends as well as my husband and I just don't find it a problem but maybe someone can send you info on the other resort so you'll have another objective opinion. Good luck in finding the place of your dreams altho you can't go wrong picking any of the majority of the places in sxm.