There has been some chaos at this resort over the past year due to a change in ownership / management. We recently stayed for our 5th time from December 24th, 2011 to January 7th, 2012. It looks like the new management is making significant changes for the better, and the work being done to the property was extensive and all positive.

This resort is not the Four Seasons, but if you are looking for a fantastic location with great amenities and access to everything, you won't do better than this resort. The rooms / units are basic but very functional and comfortably sized for the amount of people each one is rated to accomodate.

We look forward to returning to the resort again and seeing the results of all of the hard work that was being done while we were there and the plans going forward.

We just returned home from our week at SBR&R. It was much better than we expected. The new owners are putting a lot of money into it. There were what seemed like 40 people working on the grounds every day. The staff were all extremely nice and friendly. The rooms were somewhat dated (appeared to me to be to have been built in the 80's). The rooms were clean and everything was in order. What makes things seem worse is that part of the complex is brand new and most people that are time share trading like us will not quality for that. However you are allowed to use any of the poolsl and there are 2 large pools (one old and one extremely nice brand new one) in addition there are about 4 or 5 smaller pools. All were extremely well maintained. The location is very safe with gates. There is a casino 1 block away, a great breakfast place is also one block away (go to the one upstairs) and there is a great piano bar 1 block away. About 1/2 mile down the road are 10 great restaurants (make sure to visit Lee's). We never had any problem finding a parking place. If you are going to SXM you should rent a car. I would say that this resort is very good and you should not be concerned about staying here.

I also bought a timeshare (actually 2) at the former Pelican and everything that Timeshare Beware mentioned about getting ripped off is so very true!! I'm hoping MANY people see all the negatives review about this place which is now Simpson Bay Resort and Marina. The new owners are not honoring our original contracts and the fees have increased more than double. The check in and check out line is always a mile long and NO ONE is friendly at the resort. They also have a Casino on the property and twice while I was vacationing there, as soon as the attendant noticed I had won a few times at the slots, he shut the machine down. This resort is the biggest rip off on the island. Anyone want to buy my 2 Units?? Am selling at a very cheap price

We will definitely go back to St Maarten, but we’ll not stay at Simpson Bay. We went there because we received a bonus week via Interval International. St Maarten is great location. We liked the beaches on Dutch side more than on French side because water is cleaner (no seaweed) and waves are gentle. Prices are more reasonable than on French side.
Our room was B130. We checked in around 5 pm, and room was not ready yet. The housekeeper was too in too much of a hurry to clean up, so I could not trust her quality of cleaning. I bought a cleaning spray and went through the apartment. Toilet flush was not working, my husband fixed it (thank God he is handy), because we did not feel we wanted to wait for maintenance people. When we finally settle down and decided to take a shower, shower was totally clogged! They fixed it next day. It took them a while to fix it… Whole week was the “uneventful” if you can ignore a few live cockroaches and visit from mice…. Our stay was concluded with even more “exciting” event at our last evening, when we turned on a dishwashing machine, and hot water pipe was broken. Kitchen was flooded very quickly. We called front desk. Luckily, my husband found the shut off valve within less than 2 minutes (by the way, under the bathroom sink). It took less than 2 minutes for water to go to the living room. We were “shoveling” water to the bucket while we were waiting for maintenance people. In 15 minutes security showed up and said “Oh! It is real emergency!”, and it took 10 more minutes for maintenance people to showed up, when we were almost done with “shoveling” the water. (I am not exaggerating my time estimate. I was watching my watches). Are you ready for these kind of adventures? Go for it! We’ve had enough. No one even said, “I am sorry”!
If you are lucky, and your room is new, the rest is absolutely great: plenty of shampoo and body lotion, plenty of bed linens and towels (good quality), sufficient kitchen supplies and also of good quality. Premises in the resort are in good condition and clean. Make sure you read “Resort Life” magazine, where you find all info and rules about the resort. By the way, it was said there that they are non-profit organization and “do not expect to be compensated for minor inconveniences”.
If you are renting a car, do not expect to get good directions or a good map there. Bring print out from the Mapquest with you or remember: when you pass the bridge, take a first right to the Billy Folly Road, right after Burger King sign. Burger King is located right next to Market Garden, where we found the best prices and good variety of food. Peli Deli food market is located right on the property of the resort and has all necessary food, but more expensive. IF YOU WANT TO EXPLORE THE ISLAND YOU MUST BUY a “Sint Maarten street map with index hiking trails and diving sites”. It cost $15 but worth every penny! It is sold at Shipwreck Gift Shop on the property of Simpson Bay resort right next to Peli Deli food market.
I highly recommend taking a bus tour around the island. The bus leaves right from the resort on Monday morning. Do not miss it! It cost only $15 per person. You are never going to get a sense of the island without this tour.
You must spend a day at Maho beach (especially on Tuesday or Friday) if you are interested to be blown away when KLM takes off (in the afternoon). It is so much fun to be that close to the airplanes!