Has anyone been to the new Westin Resort- Dawn Beach?
it's very new-how would you rate ?
tell me about the restaurants, spa,and casino...
any suggestions for places to eat on that side of the island?
any information would be most helpful
thanks

There have been a couple reports of people staying at or visiting the Westin posted on the TTOL board. None have been real complimentry,

There is a person who runs a blog entitled an Ameraican in SXM that can be found at ww.sxmliving.blogspot.com who lives in Dawn Beach and leaves almost daily updates of the area with plenty of pictures to see what is going on. We are staying at Princess Heights in March, as that got good reviews, and is next to the Westin.

I just got back. No major complaints. The casino/restaurants/spa/pool are all up and running. My room was beautiful and very clean.
Rent a car and see the island. There are far too many things to do to just sit around the hotel.

thanks for the info...can you suggest any GREAT restaurants ?
this is my first trip
went to Angilla last 2years and love it--have no idea what to do in St. Maarten

Toni
if you are staying at the Westin, I recommend 2 restaurants in the area.
1. Mr. Busby's is a beach bar on the other end of the beach. At night it becomes Daniels by the Sea, an excellent Italian restaurant in a very romantic setting.
[www.dawnbeachsxm.com]

another one on the other side of the Oyster aAPond itself is Tabba Khady.
[www.tabba-khady.com]

I recommend both of them
and of course there are fabulous reatuarants all over the island depending on where you want to travel to.

Mr Busby for breakfast was great but the service at dinner time was beyond pitiful!

I watched my server, Felix, walk by my salad and soup for 10 minutes, looking at it many times yet never served it to me and my husband.

Breakfast there was a much better experience.

Spiga has a great reputation for mediterrain/Italian food but we never made it. L Escapade in Grand Case was awful! The fish taste like it was a week old.

Temptations over at the Atlantic Casino in Mullet Bay was wonderful.

Have a great time! I can't wait to go back.

How about the Dinghy Dock for drinks. Happy Hour, u can pour your own liquor (as much as you want). You order the drink and the bartender hands you the bottle and a glass with ice. He makes the fru-fru drinks during Happy Hour.

Captain Olivers has a great view of the marina especially at night. The food is average. The worst meal I ever had (only really bad meal in St. Martin actually) in 10 trips was lunch at Mr. Busby's. The chicken wasn't cooked, it was raw in places; potatoes were hard, rice was dry and macaroni salad tasted spoiled. Try Ms. B's for Lunch. She has the hugh white tent on Dawn. Great ribs and other dishes and the woman Joan who owns and runs the place is a very nice women. Sorry I can't recommend any other restaurants or not recommend some in the area as we normally stay on Orient or in Simpson Bay.

fabila
when did you have that bad meaal at Mr. Busby's.. I always have had excllent lunches there..
havne't been there since last year though..
has it changed??
and I forogt about recommending Ms. B's... that's very good.

thanks for all the info--very helpful--
have you ever been to KARIBUNI RESTAURANT- ILET PINEL or KAKAO BEACH RESTAURANT & BAR
I just read about them in this month's Conde Nast- Traveler