Located on arguably one of the best beaches on the island , this small boutique hotel offers unparalleled views over Grand case, with crystal clear waters just a few steps away. With a plethora of fantastic bars and restaurants on your doorstep, love boutique hotel really boasts a stellar location for all of your adventures on St Martin. 

Location and How to Get There 

Love Boutique Hotel is located on the French side of the island of St Martin. The island is shared by both the Dutch and French, and although there’s no check point or barrier when you cross from one side to the other (it’s much like crossing states in the USA) there is a very obvious difference in the two regions. There are two international airports on the island, as you’ve probably guessed, one on the French side and one on the Dutch side. The airport in Grand Case on the French side is actually right behind the hotel but there aren’t too many frequent flights here from the states or Europe so it actually often works out better to fly into the airport on the Dutch side, SXM princess Juliana international airport and then travel by road to the hotel, which takes between 30-45 minutes depending on traffic.

There are plenty of taxis available as you exit arrivals at SXM and car rental companies should you wish to rent a car and explore the island at your own pace (which I highly recommend as taxis can get expensive). We did not have a car reservation on arrival but it was easy to find one and we went with Paradise Car Rentals who gave us a great rate and drove us to their office before filling in the paperwork and handing over the keys.

Like previously mentioned the ride up to Grand case takes 30-45 minutes, made a bit longer by the one way streets around Grand Case. We definitely had to make a few loops to find a parking spot, a feat which turned out much easier once we were out of rush hour! The hotel is on the main stretch of Grand Case, you won’t miss it! Parking is in the street, so keep a lookout on the whole road for a spot, there’s also a couple of car parks in the area should you not find a spot. 

Check in process 

Prior to arrival, I received a message asking what time the hotel should expect me, as our flight was arriving before the documented check in time I was informed that I could leave my luggage at the front desk and enjoy the beach area until check in time. With a little hiccup at arrivals with our rental car we ended up arriving after check in time so it wasn’t an issue. Upon arrival into reception we were greeted warmly by the front desk and completed the check in formalities. We were given beach towels before promptly being shown to our room. We had a room on the second floor so the staff assisted us with our luggage before briefly going through the features of the room. 

Rooms 

There’s only 12 rooms at Love Boutique hotel, ensuring an intimate and personalised experience. There’s a number of different room types from single level rooms with views of the village to duplex style rooms with views over the beach. We were fortunate enough to stay in the latter and I absolutely fell in love with the room.

It’s decked out really modern and tropical with handmade wooden light shades and tropical plants that make you think you could be in a Bohemian house in Bali. No detail was left out. As you walk in there’s a large wardrobe with a curtain to separate and safe for your valuables. Entering the main room there’s a writing desk and the huge king bed as the feature of the room with an additional sofa and mini kitchenette (tea and coffee making facilities , mini fridge stocked with juices that get replenished daily – a great touch!) and a selection of French pastries and biscuits. There’s a bathroom on this level with a modern shower, bathroom and sink – I especially loved the pebble rock floor in the shower. What’s great about this room is there’s a whole other level with another bedroom and en suite bathroom just up the stairs. Both beds have an air conditioning unit above them so there’s no need to worry about the upstairs room getting too hot. Again, a curtained wardrobe is available upstairs too. 

But the star of the show is definitely the covered balcony area. I was speechless when I first saw the view from it, with waters so blue. There’s a whole seating area outside and we definitely made use of this area during our stay, especially to enjoy coffee in the morning or it is the peak place to watch the sunset over the sea. The balcony area is covered which I appreciated and I feel like this is something that is commonly overlooked in hotels – as an uncovered balcony is unusable during passing rain showers, something I always like to sit out and watch. The keys for the room work as a touch fob for the outside door entering the building and to our room which I also thought was a nice touch, no fumbling around trying to fit the key into the lock after a couple of cocktails!

Facilities 

While the hotel does not have a swimming pool, or many common areas for facilities, it is directly on the beach in Grand Case, you have a huge natural swimming pool right outside in front of you! Some of the rooms on the bottom floor were literally steps from the sand, there really isn’t a better location! You’re offered beach towels to use on the beach when you check in, just remember to return them when you leave. In the reception area of the hotel there is also a shop selling boutique goods like bags, t-shirts, throws etc. all branded with their well known “LOVE” branding, a feature I didn’t quite realise how well known it was before I saw another store in the departures part of the SXM airport! They do have some really nice things in there – the waffle knit throw that they put on all the beds in the rooms are for sale and had I not already been overweight on my luggage flying out, I would have purchased one! They were buttery soft and so warm! 

Activities 

Having a stellar location right in the heart of Grand Case, there are tons of activities that you can do in the area. In your room will be a number of different pamphlets about things to do in the area, along with a spa menu and the staff at the front desk are always on hand to give recommendations. We enjoyed walking along the beach in front of the property, and trialing all the trendy bars and restaurants that make Grand Case a pretty well known port of call. On the street side there’s some really nice clothing and accessories boutiques in addition to some mini convenience stores and churches. 

Service 

I was very impressed with the service we received during our stay, and given my knowledge of French has somewhat dwindled since my school days I was very relieved to find that all the staff we interacted with spoke excellent English. We received daily housekeeping and they did a fantastic job of freshening up our room each day and replenishing the juices, pastries and coffee supplies. When we had a small problem with one of the toilets, it was quickly remedied during housekeeping before we even mentioned it! Check out was seamless, we just dropped off our keys and beach towels at the front desk and we were on our way! 

Closing Remarks 

Boasting an impressionable location on Grand case, I would wholeheartedly stay here again and recommend to anyone else visiting the island. While Grand case is still showing some signs of damage from hurricane Irma, don’t let that discourage you. The area has some of the best restaurants and bars on the island within walking distance – there’s a reason why St Martin is known as the culinary capital of the Caribbean! The view from our room really was astounding and having walked past the other hotels on the beach, I was confident that our room had the best balcony set up and view out of all of them! The price was really affordable and especially as a two bedroom, two bathroom suite it would be the perfect set up for friends or family travelling together.

Ready to book Love Boutique Hotel? Click here!

Looking for more info on St Martin? Read my full guide to the island here.

You can find out more about my stay on my “St Martin/Maarten” Highlights on Instagram @chase.the.rainbows.

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