I hadn't been back to La Samanna for some 25 years, which turned out to be a mistake. There are only a handful of truly excellent oceanfront hotels in the Caribbean, and this is one of the oldest but also one of the best. While it is not perfections, the shortcomings are made up for by outstanding efforts elsewhere. For the details, read on!
I do not believe it is valid to criticize a luxury hotel for its prices. If you've agreed to pay them, you have no right to beef. La Samanna is expensive, but it is in line with other properties of similar quality, and cheaper than, say Sandy Lane. Its restaurants are exorbitantly priced, for sure, but St. Martin has so many options that the cost of a car rental will easily be outweighed by the savings if you choose to eat off the property.
Our room, a two-bedroom oceanfront suite, was well laid-out and adequately spacious. The decor was neutral - perhaps a bit disappointing in terms of taste and style, but certainly far from objectionable. Happily, the beds each had high-intensity adjustable reading lights, which are a godsend with the new florescent bulbs in most hotels providing only dim ambient light. La Samanna does better than most, using brighter bulbs that made the place cheerful in the evenings. The air-conditioning in all three rooms was excellent and powerful. The small kitchenette was fully functional, and the fridge proved to be a huge asset. The LCD TV's in the bedrooms were good, but there was none in the living room, which would have been nice.
Our suite was on the lower floor of the individual villa, as we requested, This was a tradeoff -- our patios were tiny terraces, unlike the huge, wrap around lanai above. It seemed the interior spaces above might have been smaller, but it was hard to stretch out or relax outside for us. The benefit was a direct, eight step walk straight onto that fabulous beach. This also meant no private sunning area, so anyone seeking an all-over tan might ask if the top floor units have private sundecks.
The real separation between La Samman and, say, Cap Juluca, a substantially similar resort on Anguilla where we have spent 10 Christmas vacations, is in the service and the food. The Administrative staff at LS is largely French, and they are classically schooled in hospitality and efficiency. While room service delays were typical of any hotel at full capacity, everyone really worked hard and was unfailingly gracious and anxious to help. Service on the beach was fantastic. Dirty dishes were collected within minutes of a call, and daily maid service was thorough and the ladies worked hard, getting it all done in less than an hour. When we asked to have them come earlier (they were showing up at 3) it was immediately corrected to about 1, when we would normally be at lunch.
The beach bar at LS is very Mediterranean in feel, look and cuisine. The music was pleasant jazz and some of that unknowable generic Euro-weenie stuff that blends seamlessly into a bottle of rose and a perfect salade nicoise or grilled mahi. The space is crisp, breezy and it's lovely to linger. The beach pool is a tad small, and overly-enclosed with obtrusive fencing, but no matter -- we spent only one afternoon there, when the surf was inexplicably rough. The main pool is stunning. Lunch at the Grill in the main house has a more extensive and expensive menu, but is delicious. The cozy bar is perfectly situated.
I did not do my customary inspection of all the room choices. We were extremely happy with our location between the main house and the beach bar. Everything was an easy walk. The large villas up on the point are spectacular, but the beach is a bit of a haul from there. The tennis courts are excellent, and David, the resident pro, an affable Swede raised in the Canaries has the game and patience to give you a workout or hone your skills.
La Reserve, the formal evening choice is set on the terraces of the main house. The food was outstanding, service impeccable. It is a bit too formal for a meal with small kids, though, and there are no other choices other than the wine cave which seemed depressing to me, and the beach bar serves only little brochettes - delicious but frustrating! It is hard to understand why LS does not have a real informal option for dinner - the beach bar with a simple menu of grills would be ideal.
We dined out seven of our ten nights, and had no bad meals. We did not explore too far, but were extremely happy with the Cafe de Paris for a typical bistrot menu, great service and food that was a notch above its competitors. The owner is a real hard-worker, and will do anything to please. It has a touristy feel, but believe me, the food was as good as you would find at any New York or Paris bistrot favored by locals. The nearby Italian (I cant remember the name) on the canal was superb for simple fresh pastas and grilled fish. Le Moulin Fou in gaudy, hideous Maho was a true effort at haute cuisine in a mediocre setting. The service was astonishing, and my lamb absolument parfait! The sauces were Escoffier heavy - ask for them on the side!
We also did quite a bit of shopping at the Cupecoy branch of Grand Marchais, an excellent little supermarket. Stocking up on soda, beer, wine, excellent fruit and veggies, cereals and snacks helped keep our food bill down, and our impulse needs satisfied. Bread everywhere on the island is the best in the Caribbean. The baguettes are crisp-crusted, the interiors soft but with body. This is a treat compared to the soggy crap almost everywhere else in the region, and, as in Paris, is undoubtedly kept alive by competition amongst the bakers to produce the best loaf.
All in all La Samanna is exactly what it says it is -- a top-notch and top-priced resort for lazing on the beach, swimming in the crystal water, and eating well and often. It is easy to get to, the service is fantastic, and they really try to please (They even spent a half-hour resetting their satellite TV so we could watch all four NFL playoff games!) It would be hard to imagine having a bad vacation here, and we are an extremely demanding and spoiled bunch. The only negative - the mysterious disappearance of an iPhone and iPod -- was immediately met with apologies and a full credit for their replacement cost. I don't know if they were taken or merely misplaced by the staff, but I often left money sitting out which was undisturbed. It was odd, but the unhesitating action by management to make it right was refreshing and given without any expression of doubt or anything but regret and embarrassment at the problem having happened. And, I am sure they investigated the matter, and whatever happened is unlikely ever to happen again.
I am not posting photos -- everything they have on their site is representative, and our suite was nicer than the very limited photos they post.
Bravo to the hotel for making my family's Christmas a smashing success, with great weather to boot! I can't wait to go back again!!
Room Tip: Pay the extra to be directly on the ocean. It might be a good idea to get a tour of what's avail...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
