Villa rental questions, answered

Send us your dates, the number of guests and what matters most, through the planning form or on WhatsApp. We check availability with the owner and send the villa options with their total price. When you have chosen, you sign the rental agreement for that villa and pay a deposit to hold the dates; the balance is due before arrival.

Not with an instant checkout. Villas are booked through our team: you send your dates, we confirm availability with the owner and send you the total, and you book once you have seen the rental agreement. Some villa pages show a live availability calendar, so you can see open dates before you ask.

A deposit holds the dates, and the balance is due before you arrive. The exact amounts and due dates are in the rental agreement for your villa, which you see before you pay anything.

It depends on the villa. Each rental agreement sets out its own cancellation terms, and we send it to you before you pay. We recommend travel insurance that covers cancellation, especially for stays between June and November, the Atlantic hurricane season.

Card payment and bank transfer, in US dollars. The payment details come with your booking confirmation.

No. Rates on the villa pages are per week in US dollars, and a 10% tax and service charge is added. The quote we send shows the full total.

Villas usually take a security deposit against damage, returned after check-out once the villa has been checked. The amount and how it is taken are stated in the rental agreement.

For Christmas, New Year and the February school holidays, as early as you can: the larger villas go first. For May, June and November there is usually more choice closer to the date. Our guide to the seasons shows how prices and weather change through the year.

Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) on the Dutch side, with nonstop flights from several US cities, including New York, Miami, Atlanta, Boston and Charlotte, as well as from Toronto, Amsterdam and Paris. Small regional planes also use Grand Case airport on the French side.

Yes. US citizens need a valid passport to enter, on both sides of the island; no visa is needed for a vacation stay. Rules differ by nationality, so check the entry requirements for your passport before you book flights.

Standard check-in is at 4:00 PM and check-out at 10:00 AM. An earlier arrival or later departure can sometimes be arranged when the villa has no other guests that day; ask us when you book.

Either a private airport transfer, with a driver waiting in arrivals, or a rental car. Drive times range from a few minutes for Beacon Hill to about half an hour or more for Orient Bay and Cul de Sac.

For most villa stays, yes: it is the easiest way to get to beaches, restaurants and the supermarket. Driving is on the right on both sides. We can have a car delivered to the villa.

US dollars work across the island. The Dutch side's official currency is the Caribbean guilder, and the French side uses euros, but most places take dollars and cards. Our currency guide covers ATMs and tipping.

The whole villa and the services that come with it, such as housekeeping, laundry or pool care, which are listed on each villa page under Amenities and services. Our concierge planning is included too. Private chefs, transfers and boat days are quoted separately.

It depends on the villa. The services that come with each villa are listed on its page. If daily housekeeping matters to you, tell us and we only suggest villas that include it.

Each villa page lists air conditioning and Wi-Fi when the villa has them. If you need air conditioning in every bedroom or a fast connection for work, tell us and we check it for the villas you are considering.

Many are, but pools are often unfenced and some villas have steep steps or terraces with a drop. Tell us the children's ages and we point out what to look out for at each villa, and which ones suit small children best.

Only where the owner allows it, and it must be stated in the rental agreement. Ask us before you book and we check with the owner.

Events need the owner's written approval in advance and can carry an extra fee. Tell us what you are planning, how many guests and when, and we check which villas allow it.

Not inside. Some owners allow smoking in outside areas; this is set out in the rental agreement.

Yes. Planning before you arrive, restaurant reservations, activity bookings, transfer scheduling and a local contact during the stay are included with every villa. Services such as a chef or a charter are quoted before you confirm. See how the concierge works.

Yes. We work with independent chefs on the island, for one dinner or every day of the stay, and send menu options and a quote before anything is booked. More on the private chef page.

Yes, as a private charter, or closer to home to Tintamarre, Pinel Island or Creole Rock. Trips to Anguilla and St Barths mean clearing customs, so everyone needs a passport. See yacht charters.

Yes. Send us a shopping list and we shop before you land; you pay the cost of the groceries plus a handling fee. See grocery pre-stocking.

By WhatsApp or phone. You have a direct contact at our team on the island for anything from a dinner change to a problem at the villa.

The Dutch side, Sint Maarten, has the airport, Simpson Bay, Philipsburg and most of the nightlife, and uses US dollars in practice. The French side, Saint-Martin, is quieter, with Grand Case's restaurants, Orient Bay and the Terres Basses peninsula, and uses euros. There is no border control between them. Our guide to the areas compares them in detail.

December through April is high season, with the driest weather and the highest prices. May, June and November are quieter and cheaper. Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with most activity from mid-August to mid-October.

Most stays pass without any problem. Take the usual precautions: lock the villa and the car, keep valuables out of sight in parked cars, and use licensed taxis. Terres Basses and Indigo Bay are gated communities. Ask us about the setup at any villa you are considering.

It runs from June 1 to November 30, with the most activity between mid-August and mid-October. Most weeks pass without a storm, and storms are forecast days in advance. If you travel in those months, book flexible flights and take travel insurance that covers cancellation.

It depends on the day you want: Mullet Bay for calm swimming, Orient Bay for beach clubs, Baie Rouge and Baie Longue for quiet, Maho for the aircraft. Our beach guide covers all of them.