We had our small 10 day destination wedding / honeymoon at the CuisinArt in
November 2011.
It was wonderful and gorgeous place to have an intimate wedding and celebration.
The hotel was beautiful; the staff was wonderful and accommodating (not sure,
why others stated that they were not treated well – I am very picky). We stayed in a Jr. Suite second floor (happy we did not have the 3rd floor since the balcony is not covered) and wonderful views. My family had two private Villas, which was great especially if you have small children. The men/boys went golfing and had a wonderful day on the course including a nice lunch.

The beaches at the CuisinArt and on the Island are terrific; the water is
crystal clear, and very clean. Everyone on the Island are very welcoming and so nice. This hotel is very comfortable and easy to get around.
Fortunately, we had a great package that included so many amenities; a Jr.
Suite, romantic dinner on the beach, spa treatments (nails, hair, makeup, and
Couples Rendezvous package), some meals, etc. Everyone was terrific in making
our wedding / vacation so special. Starting with Inez (in NY), Latoya, and
Antoinette, planning this special event was easier than I had thought would be. It was an event to remember.



Some suggestions and information:
The “No-See-Me” loved me, so I would recommend bringing repellent (the hotel and restaurants offer OFF) but I would have preferred a safer alternative (like skin so soft), if I had known.
We flew into St. Martin and took the Fun time ferry. Afterwards, we
learned that there are less expensive alternatives both the ferry and taxis.
I would recommend renting a car for your entire vacation since the taxis prices are outrages. We were 12 people and each trip was either $80.00 or $120.00
Fortunately we rented a car for two days, it is easy to travel/drive on the
Island, not a lot of traffic, and so many wonderful beaches and places to visit.


Things we did: (I recommend making your own arrangements before departing. It is easy and then the owners of the facilities do not have to pay the hotel a
commission)
Restaurants:
Blanchard’s for a pre-fix dinner that was terrific and included an appetizer, entrée, and desert. One of the most reasonable meals we had. The food was great and the owners Melinda and Robert Blanchard were very friendly and nice.
Da Vida A beautiful restaurant and one of our favorite dinners, excellent food, wonderful service too.
Hibernia restaurant and Art gallery
We loved this restaurant, the food was excellent, very beautiful dining room, reasonable prices, and an interesting Art Gallery. Mary Pat, the owner was delightful; however, this restaurant is out of the way (which we loved).
Due to the outrages taxis prices, Mary Pat is now offering a shuttle for a
reasonable fee.



Gwen's Reggae Bar & Grill – lovely Shoal Bay beach side restaurant with a place to swim, relax (hammocks), and have drink or lunch. Unfortunately, we went on an off day where there was no entertainment. Wish we had more time to return if only we had more time to enjoy the entertainment.

Jacala – We spent a wonderful day at Meads Bay beach. The owner was very
accommodating; they offer beach chairs and umbrellas, a lovely open area for
eating and drinking. If we had more time, we would have returned for dinner.

Visited:
Viceroy Hotel for sunset. It is a very beautiful modern hotel with gorgeous
views and grounds. However, it is huge and I prefer the intimacy of the
CuisinArt where everyone knew who you are.

Day Boat Trip I pre-arranged a private sailboat
trip before we left with Chocolat and Captain Rollins Ruan. It was the highlight of our trip besides our wedding. We visited little bay (our favorite), then went to Prickly Pear – the beach was great and no one else was on the Island. The last stop was Sandy Island – (not our favorite) it had a lot of people and the restaurant had outrageous prices. Rollins was fantastic and he even treated everyone for drinks on Sandy Island.

Pumphouse Great music, drinks and people. A lot of fun and everyone is so friendly.
Bankie Banx at the Dune Preserve Great for lunch and drinks – down the beach
from the CuisinArt – a lot of fun

You may contact me if you have any other questions or want more details.

My husband and I stayed at CuisinArt in May 2010 for our honeymoon and fell in love with it. We went back in November 2011 and it, as usual, exceeded expectations. We were looking for a high-end, relaxed property we could enjoy. As we experienced on our honeymoon, CuisinArt is luxurious and upscale without being stuffy or overly trendy and is always focused on the guest's experience.

The food is fantastic - continental breakfast can be served overlooking the water in the beachfront suites, and the pain au chocolat is delicious. The chef's table is a wonderful experience at the resort, and you get to chat with the chef as he cooks and the sommelier as he serves the wine paired with each dish. Santorini has a great menu, and my shrimp risotto was a highlight of our trip. Cafe Mediterraneo is great for lunching by the pool. As with any resort on the island, meals are pricier than one would expect in the US, but it's well worth it to spend a few extra bucks to get a great lunch instead of a so-so club sandwich. The beach grill used to be a simple, fresh dining option on the beach (fresh fish, grilled vegetables, etc.) but it has changed since we visited in May 2010. Not sure why - we'd love for the old menu to come back!

The beach is amazing - enough said. The Dune Preserve is right down the beach and is a great alternative location to the resort's beach bar, especially if Bankie is on the premises. It was voted best beach bar for a reason...

My husband and I also did a couples' retreat at the CuisinArt spa this time around, and in keeping with our last visit, it was very relaxing and a wonderful addition to our trip. Can't wait to go back for another treatment!

Overall, there's very little to complain about and very little that would make the experience better. Be sure to spend a little time chatting with Sam at the beach bar - he makes an awesome frozen mojito and has great tips on places to visit on the island. We can't wait to go back and are already planning our third trip!

CuisinArt Resort has a fabulous location on a gorgeous beach. The resort should therefore be top notch, but I was very disappointed. The lack of customer service and well-trained staff plus decor that needs an overhall would place this hotel between 3 and 4 stars in my book.

We were there in November for 6 days for my daughter's wedding at the resort. As mother of the bride I would have expected the resort manager and events planner to at least make an attempt to meet me--which they never did. We stayed in a 5 bedroom villa with other members of my family. Our particular room was a very small, dark one on the first floor. I can't speak for other rooms because I only stayed in this one, but it was dreary and not well equipped. There was a small shower bath with no place to hang towels or put cosmetic cases. There was no full length mirror, no umbrella (and there was deluge one day of our stay), no iron or ironing board, no directions for the safe, an AC unit that was either off or full blast--no inbetween, vertical blinds that would not close all the way for privacy or light control, a tiny patio with no furniture and a blank white wall to look at, etc. Certainly not a room anywhere near 5 star. But the worst part was the incredibly poor housekeeping. We never got a full complement of towels, etc after the first day without calling for things. Bath amenities were never replaced in our 6 day stay. On the really rainy day they refused to make up our room after we called several times--they said it was because it was raining. We had friends who were refused room service because of the rain. Does an island resort stop functioning because it rains? Are they afraid to get wet?

Where was management supervising the staff? There were several outstanding staff members but they were few and far between. Most were okay but several were very rude.
The final straw occurred when I got home and found 4 alerts from my credit card company that I had charges over $500. When I called my card company to find out what was going on, they said that Cuisinart had put holds on my credit card on 3 different days while I was there, totaling $5000. All this without ever telling me. I have NEVER had a hotel put a hold on my credit card! Since I had already paid for the room in full a month before we arrived and they had my credit card number for incidentals (which totaled less than $200), they abused it by putting a hold on my account. I don't have a limit on that charge card or I could have overspent my card. But one of the other guests had the same situation, also without being told of the hold, and did have her card refused because she had exceeded her credit limit--due only to the hold. This then affects her credit rating. A day after I left, Crusinart again charged my card for a small amount, which I have refused to pay since I paid my bill in full when I left and have no idea what the charge is for. So beware of their use of your credit card. Again, where was management overseeing what the back office is doing?

I could add much more. In fact I have written a 5 page letter to the Management and their Public Relations firm. But sufice it to say, I would not return to the resort unless lots of improvements are made. Paying over $500 a night for a room should insure a better quality experience. This is too bad because the setting is la lovely place for a wedding and a great spot for families (although the prices are quite high).

Food is mediocre at best, the manager, Stephane Zaharia, is rude, contemptuous, and officious. The kids pool was dirty and used towels were piled high. The spa was the only highlight.