Andrea and her daughter, Christina, vacationed in French St. Martin in May, 2004. She gives the yin and yang of things:

Positive

The location of the Meridien hotel is the nicest on the island, very secluded, remote and quiet. The grounds are gorgeous and very well maintained. The rooms are large and well-kept. There is sufficient access to other towns by taxi or hotel shuttle and the activities offered by the hotel, such as snorkeling or trips to adjacent islands, are plentiful. The sunset cruise on the Scooby Too! catamaran was a great value - great snorkeling and a very safe and beautiful sail. The dollar can be used interchangeably with euros and if you have cash most stores and restaurants will take one for one. Also, the restaurants in nearby Grand Case are excellent (gourmet capital of the Caribbean!) and very romantic - most all are open air, on the water.

Negative

The hotel service was very slow, inconsistent and inefficient. Sometimes the wait was very long at the restaurants or snack bars. This could have been because it was off season. Also, due to off season, the choice of restaurants on the property was very poor. The cab fares are expensive (min $15 each way no matter where you are going). So, if I were to go again in off-season, I would rent my own car. (One drawback to driving one's own car is that the hotel is on the other side of a very steep hill and it can be a bit intimidating to drive up and down this hill). The workout facilities are not quite as advertised - the equipment is old and the times when the gym is open are not the most convenient.