Sonesta Ocean Point (Adults-Only)

Pros: You get what you pay for, Beautiful but small resort. The rooms were big, comfortable, and clean. The beach on site. The airport, bars, band parade, and other restaurants close by. The ATV tour excursion booked at the entertainment desk was amazing but be prepared to be out in the sun or rain ALL day. The staff was respectable. Cons: Buffet was small & Food was a 3/5. Get to the buffet early especially for breakfast. I didn't care about the room service options at all. The adult pool was dirty. You have to claim lounge chairs on the beach the day before.

Disappointed with Sonesta prior to even arriving to the hotel. Due to the loss of a close family member two nights before our trip, my husband and I inquired to see if there was any way we can cancel the trip and get some money back or change the dates of our stay and pay the difference. This hotel refused to give us any money back and also refused to let us switch our trip for a later date. With that being said, we were technically forced to come to the trip, if not we would lose all our money. We get here and the customer service was not so great. We mentioned our situation and all they did was apologize. The breakfast options were slim to none, lunch was average and the restaurants were okay. Jings which was the Japanese restaurant was not good at all. The best restaurant in this hotel was Azul and it was nothing out of the ordinary. We also tried to book a massage as soon as we arrived, and we basically had to harass the employees to book an appointment with the spa, a simple yes or no would have been easier than just giving us the run around as to weather or not we can get massages. Over all this hotel needs major improvement in the the customer service area and the food,

This past week I stayed once again at The Point. Have stayed here countless times over the past five years, as I dive in Sint Maarten 2-3 times a year. (The diving is outstanding and I can recommend a great dive shop). The hotel returned from the 2017 hurricane disaster well, physically. She looks just grand. The rooms are once again well appointed, spacious and full of every amenity I could imagine. The all-inclusive, for meals and alcohol is complete. Every bar (pool-side to beach-side to inside), every restaurant, every bartender, is eager to fulfil your liquid needs, including being able to mix just about anything. The restaurants are fine. There are two main; the AZUL, of which is just magnificent, and the Point, of which is second, but still fine dining. The Azul menu changes daily and is a 5-course experience you won't want to miss. You are treated to perfection dining and pampered. I must take this time to compliment the best two waitresses in the Caribbean: Shacam and Shaneequa. These ladies are as good as it gets. The chef at the Azul is a master. Never had even one average or poor meal. The view from the Azul, especially at night, is incredible. The hotel is easy to get to from the airport; just 15 minutes or less. The hotel grounds are impeccably manicured and include a perfectly placed private beach and private pool area, adjacent to the Azul restaurant. The other two main pools are also well maintained, large and accommodate a ton of guests at any time. Live entertainment is usually each night and the hotel sports a rooftop lounge that is pretty cool, even for us old seniors. The rooms are cleaned timely and the room bars and friges are restocked daily. The beds are large, the linens and furniture nice, just what you'd expect. The room balconys are large enough to sit 4 people and most all of them have an excellent view of the ocean and/or the island. If you rent a car for your stay, as I do, parking is available under the Maho resort of which is attached, but the Point is secluded from the Maho (and its thousands of guests), catering to just a few hundred adults only. I pay $30 a week for safe and secure parking, of which I can easily take the 5 minute walk from the multi-floor parking garage to the Point-and the walk itself is quite pretty. Back to the wifi issues. After years, the hotel still seems unable to provide decent wifi service. They offer free (basic) of which screws up daily and drops off. Also offered is two more secure plans, for what I view as a little pricey-per day. The check in desk staff, to be brutally honest, has gone to pot lately. I, and 3 others (airline pilots to boot) had to wait 45 minutes just to check out, as there was no desk staff. Two hotel employees approached us during this period, asked what we needed, each told us they didn't work in that area and couldn't help us. They left. Later, a brand new employee did his best (he just popped up), but he had no security/online clearance and could do zero. No manager was available; he attempted to reach them with no success. The airline pilots finally just left, and I checked out through The Maho desk. This has happened before, and seems to be a growing concern at the hotel. The front desk staff (when there) isn't well trained, doesn't put the best foot forward in resolving issues as much as it should, and the managers (day or night) are just hard to find. Otherwise, the staff at the hotel; the waitstaff, the cleaning staff, etc., is all topnotch-outstanding, and all of them go well out of there way to help every guest. I'm booked there again next March, 2020 for another full week, as I can take a deep breath and get through the front desk issues, and enjoy the rest of the fine amenities this hotel has to offer. I'd five-star this hotel, if the front desk and wifi issues were resolved. Don't let these sway you away, for the hotel experience is otherwise just super. I've stayed elsewhere on the island and view the Point is still the best. The views, just by themselves, will capture you. If couples are looking for a romantic getaway, this is the place. I was thoroughly disappointed over the continuing wifi connection issues the hotel has.

Bottom line: Book it! I could not have been more pleased with this location. This resort is a 3 minute Taxi to/from the airport (you can actually walk if you only have a backpack and no checked luggage as that could be a hassle.). Further, once you're at the resort, you're a 2 minute walk to Maho Beach to lay and frolic in the waves, oh, and watch planes! I love watching planes and one of the best things about this resort is that ALL of the rooms face the beach and the planes' approach path. December is a great time to visit as this tends to include less tourists, which means more space on the beach, pool, and fewer people at the bar. The service was always phenomenal. I'd be lying if I said the food was phenomenal, but I wasn't here for the food. There is shopping right outside the main entry, along with some local bars and restaurants. You can also walk to Mullet Bay, which is another, lesser-known, off-the-beaten-path, beach. Great experience and would highly recommend. - Keep up the great work, Sonesta!