Hotel L'Esplanade is the best small hotel for honeymooners in Grand Case, the French Saint Martin village famous for its restaurants. It sits on the hill at the edge of town, with 24 sea-view rooms and suites stepping down through gardens. A gently sloped footpath takes you to the boulevard and the beach in about five to seven minutes. That means you can walk to dinner every night and still sleep somewhere quiet.
Every room has a full kitchen, a king bed and a private terrace facing the sea. The lofts add a sleeping level upstairs. Guests share a heated pool with a poolside bar, a guest-only spa and complimentary daily yoga. A continental breakfast buffet is included.
The Petrelluzzi family opened the hotel in 1992. Marc and Kristin Petrelluzzi have run it since 2000. Children under 12 are not accepted at any time of year, which keeps the mood calm. L'Esplanade suits couples who want a personal, stylish base for a food-focused trip. It has no full restaurant and no beach of its own, so couples who want a resort should look elsewhere on the island.
Highlights at a glance
- 24 sea-view rooms, lofts and suites with full kitchens
- Five to seven minutes' walk to Grand Case's Restaurant Row
- Heated pool with a poolside bar
- Guest-only Ti Spa and complimentary daily yoga
- No children under 12, year round
Why Couples Love L'Esplanade
Grand Case is all about dinner. L'Esplanade is designed around that. You spend the day at the pool or the beach, watch the sunset from your terrace with a drink and then stroll down the path to one of dozens of restaurants on the boulevard. Afterward the walk back uphill is short and quiet, away from the music and kitchen noise of the main street.
The rooms feel more like apartments than hotel rooms. Full kitchens mean you can keep breakfast fruit, rosé and snacks on hand and eat lunch on your terrace whenever you like.
It is also run with care. The hotel is family-owned. Its small size means staff can help with restaurant bookings, boat trips and car rentals without the feeling of being one guest among hundreds.
Rooms and Lofts to Book
There are four categories, all with sea views, full kitchens and king beds.
- Deluxe Studios, about 560 square feet on the garden level, have one private terrace and are the simplest option.
- Deluxe Lofts, about 780 square feet on the reception level, put the bedroom on a loft above the living area with one terrace.
- Oversized Lofts, about 980 square feet, add a second private terrace plus a Juliet terrace and are the pick for most honeymooners.
- One Bedroom Suites, about 1,025 square feet on the garden level, have a wraparound terrace and a separate bedroom without stairs.
The lofts involve an internal staircase. If either of you prefers to avoid stairs, book a suite or a studio. Ask for an upper position if you want the widest sunset view.
Food, Drink and the Spa
L'Esplanade does not have a full-service restaurant, which is intentional. Restaurant Row is a short walk away and has some of the best dining in the Caribbean, from white-tablecloth French rooms on the sand to the lolos by the pier, where ribs and lobster are grilled over open fires and served on plastic plates. Reserve the popular places a few days ahead in high season.
At the hotel, a complimentary continental breakfast buffet is served each morning. The poolside bar handles afternoon drinks. Your kitchen covers everything else.
Ti Spa is the on-site, full-service spa reserved for hotel guests. Book a couples treatment on a day off from exploring. Complimentary yoga classes are held daily, which balances the long dinners nicely.
Why guests fall for it
Things to Do
The heated pool, which the hotel says is the only one on the island, means a comfortable swim on cooler winter evenings. Grand Case Beach, at the bottom of the hill, is calm and shallow, good for a morning swim before the heat builds.
Kayak or snorkel out to Creole Rock, a small islet off the bay where reef fish gather. Take a boat to Pinel Island or the nature reserve around Tintamarre for a beach day. On Tuesday nights in season, Grand Case closes its main street for a party with music, food stalls and local crafts.
The Dutch side, with its beach bars and the planes over Maho Beach, is about half an hour away by car. Mosquitoes can bite in the evening; if you're pregnant or hoping to be soon, check CDC travel health notices.
Getting There
Most US flights land at Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) on the Dutch side of the island. The drive to Grand Case takes about 25 to 40 minutes depending on traffic, which can be slow around Simpson Bay and Marigot at rush hour. Grand Case-Espérance Airport (SFG), next door to the village, handles small regional flights to Saint Barthélemy and nearby islands.
Renting a car makes beach days and trips to the Dutch side easy. Parking at the hotel is free. You will not need a car in the evenings, since dinner is a walk away.
The French side uses the euro, though dollars are widely accepted. Entry and visa rules depend on your citizenship and can change at short notice, so check the official government website before you book.
Is It Worth It?
For a food-focused honeymoon, yes. We could not confirm current nightly rates, so check the hotel's booking engine for your dates. Boutique rooms in Grand Case often run several hundred dollars a night in high season and noticeably less from May to October; treat that as approximate. The hotel's summer offer, which gives a seventh night free between June and October, improves the value.
You get large sea-view rooms with kitchens, a quiet hillside, a spa and walking access to the best restaurant street on the island. You do not get a beach on the doorstep, a restaurant on site or resort-style facilities.
Couples who want to step straight onto the sand can look at the hotel's sister property, Le Petit Hotel, right on Grand Case Bay. Couples who want an all-inclusive should look elsewhere.
Insider tips
- Book an Oversized Loft for two terraces and the most space for the money.
- Reserve your top Grand Case restaurants before you arrive, especially for weekends.
- Use the summer offer of a free seventh night if you travel between June and October.
- Stock your kitchen at a supermarket on the way from the airport for easy terrace lunches.
