We have stayed here for 5 years. We love it. Very clean. Safe. Beautiful beach. It is so relaxing. Betty is a gem. She knows St. Maarten and gives great recommendations. You can come here and relax. Shorts, a bathing suit and a good book. They have cocktail hour at 6, where everyone can gather if desired. The same people come back every year. The planes add to the charm. We love watching planes. They take off in the morning around 9 and late afternoon. Otherwise it is pretty quiet.
Do not come here if you desire luxury, want to wear designer clothes and impress people or want a 5 star resort. Come here if you would like to vacation in a very funky, clean and priceless gem - there are few places in the world left like this. I hope that when Betty decides to hang it up a large chain does not come in and spoil the charm!

This was the best place ever. We've been coming to st.maarten for about 6 years and we absolutely love it there. We've stayed other places, but this place was just FABULOUS....the views are spectacular, just breathtaking. The staff which were sisters, Gloria and Cherry went above and beyond to make sure you didn't want for anything.. my cell phone had no service when we arrived so i could not reach my children to tell them we had arrived safely and having no phone in the rooms, Cherry was so gracious to hand me her cell phone and told me to call home , which is in the united states, and is not a cheap phone call. She said, " don't worry about anything i understand it's ok.".now how many places could you stay at that would be so unbelievable to offer there cell phone to you....she was very helpful in making sure we could relax and have a great time and was very successful in doing so. The rooms were extremely clean and the hotel was very well kept and so was the sandy area and the beach. they do have a common t.v. which we watched almost every night. I highly recomend this hotel..

We were thrilled to get a room here and with all the glowing reviews in our heads, checked in to a nice room with all amenities - including a great kitchen. Fodors choice and Trip Advisor reviews all positive. Hooray we could have a wonderful holiday in St Maarten!

The good impressions faded quickly. Betty filled us in with the rules of the house - three pages of rules followed by the words ENJOY. Well could you? The planes roaring overhead are unbearable. Every ten minutes on our first day! Great when you have been up since four in the morning (travelling). All you want to do is rest, but that is simply not possible. Betty was actually surprised when we told her it was noisy! Maybe one gets used to it?

No rest but a nice hot shower would be good. Sorry, the water comes out in a dribble so slow it takes half an hour to rinse your hair and believe me, my hair is very short . You have to lean your body against the wall to get wet! (Rule No 15: SAVE WATER). The bed wasn't great either.


It would have been nice to have the hot water run on my back for a while as I had strained it carrying my very heavy bag across the gravel forecourt and then across the sandy pathway to our room. "You really must carry less luggage" I was told. I am not sure what your luggage is like at the end of your holiday but I had accumulated a lot after five weeks!!! Of course my heavy luggage is my problem, but safe and effective access to the room is the owners responsibility.

We later realised that there was a direct paved path to our room through a gate located at the side of the property. I could have wheeled my case directly from the taxi to the front door - I fear it was too much good sport to watch me carry it! (Doesn't everyone have wheeled cases these days?) By the way, don't bother asking to use the side access - it is only used in an emergency - death perhaps?

Another point that was a little annoying (to say the least) was that the room had no curtains. Well it did have curtains on one wall in the lounge room but we were told not to draw them as it would knock the lamp off the table if a gust of wind blew. The problem is that you cannot sit at the dining table or on the lounge, without the entire beach (and the owner) peering through the window. If you sit on the lounge turn on the microwave for amusement - there's nothing else.

The bedroom was fitted with a curtain but unfortunately the hotel's kayaks were stored alongside that glass wall (next to the bedhead) and the marauding team of elephants upstairs enjoyed taking them out at dawn! (I could have sworn the reviews said it wasn't a great place for children).

I can go on, and on, but these were the main failings in my opinion. We moved swiftly to another hotel and really enjoyed our time in St Maarten. Just pay more, stay somewhere else and you'll have a great time.

Our first time at the Horny Toad, and hopefully not our last. This is a small-dare I say old-fashioned- charming guest house. It's in a real neighborhood, on a quiet wonderful beach. Betty makes you feel at home from the moment you arrive. It's simple-just what we wanted-no TV or phone, just the sound of the waves-and of course the occasional plane-but somehow that's part of the charm. Most of the other guests have been coming back year after year -and welcomed us. Gathering at 6PM for cocktails and the setting sun part of the charm of the Horny Toad. Love it.