St. Martin's Belmond La Samanna will reopen to U.S. travelers in February.
Borders are now open between the Dutch and French sides of the island, and travelers can fly to Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) on the Dutch side and cross to the French side to vacation at the resort. Those who visit will need a negative RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to departure.
The resort offers guests the chance to stay in crisp white villas lining the coast of the mile-long white-sand beach. Accommodations include deluxe oceanfront rooms with private balconies overlooking the Caribbean Sea to three-bedroom cottages to four-bedroom private pool villas with wrap-around terraces, full kitchens and beachfront infinity pools.
Visitors can enjoy private dining with beach picnics in the sand; in-room al fresco set-up on the balcony; and candlelit dinners in La Cave Wine Cellar, one of the largest private wine cellar in the Caribbean.
Guests can enjoy new activities in 2021. The resort will offer private turtle conservation experiences, during which guests can watch baby turtles hatch and make their way out to sea. Visitors can also explore the historic, uninhabited island of Tintamarre with a marine conservationist. The journey departs before dawn and takes guests to spot Hawksbill sea turtles, schools of dolphins, fire corals and the occasional humpback whale during their mating season January-March).
The property has introduced comprehensive hygiene protocols with digital check-in prior to arrival; restaurant menus displayed on chalkboards or printed on single-use and recyclable materials; physically distanced wellness classes, and regular contactless temperature checks for all guests periodically throughout their stay.
Visitors to St. Martin must complete a mandatory Electronic Health Authorization System (EHAS), and the result of the PCR test must be uploaded for the health authorization application to be processed. Travelers should allow time for processing, which can take up to 12 hours, and plan accordingly. Guests who have a higher than normal temperature upon arrival will be required to get tested at their own expense.
However, travelers do not have to quarantine when they arrive on the island. They do have to monitor their temperatures for eight to 14 days during their stay. Belmond La Samanna will have a standalone temperature check station onsite. Guests will receive a daily email alert with a link to submit the required information online.
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