Grand Case Beach Club

Grand Case Beach Club is a small, unpretentious resort in the fishing village of Grand Case, on the northwest coast of French St Martin. The mood is personal and unhurried, with views across the water to Anguilla and a team that includes members who have worked here for decades. Every unit is an apartment style suite, and the village, known for its restaurants, lolos, bars and shops, is a short walk away.

Seven suite types are offered, in this order: Studio, Studio Loft, One Bedroom, One-Bedroom Loft, One-Bedroom Deluxe, Two Bedroom and Two-Bedroom Deluxe. Each has a fully equipped kitchen, a private balcony or terrace and an ocean or garden view. Garden suites are described as more spacious and private, and they are the most recently renovated. Expect a flat screen television with international cable, a Nespresso welcome set and a daily beach towel. Art by Sir Roland Richardson hangs in the suites.

Non motorised water sports are complimentary, including snorkelling gear, paddle boards, kayaks and floats. Creole Rock Watersports runs guided snorkelling trips twice daily, along with scuba diving, sunset cruises, catamaran days to Tintamarre, Pinel and Anguilla, and jet ski tours. A weekly mixer brings everyone together, a boutique stocks essentials, and golf carts can be rented through a partner company for exploring the island.

A single pool overlooks Grand Case Bay, and Moonrise Bar & Lounge sits beside it, serving cocktails, light bites and tapas through to sunset. For wellbeing, the Zen Garden and a new spa area offer Full Body and Couples massages. The fitness room has two treadmills, an elliptical, a recumbent bike, dumbbells, a universal station and a multi trainer. Weekly yoga and aqua gym sessions are complimentary, and private oceanfront yoga classes can be booked.

The Sunset Café is the resort restaurant, open seven days for breakfast, tapas, lunch and dinner, with French dishes and open air or indoor seating overlooking the bay and Petite Plage. In the evening it becomes a candle lit French restaurant with views toward Anguilla, and dietary needs can be accommodated. Moonrise Bar & Lounge adds a second place to settle by the pool. With a kitchen in your suite, you can also cook in and dine out in Grand Case village.

Two beaches sit steps from the suites. Petite Plage is a calm cove with chairs and umbrellas, while Grand Case Beach runs towards the village, and a boardwalk links the two. Marigot market runs daily, with main days on Wednesday and Saturday, and the Roland Richardson Gallery is also in Marigot. Boat trips reach Anguilla, Saba, St Eustatius and St Barthélemy. Princess Juliana International Airport is on the Dutch side, with no border control between the two halves of the island, and no airport shuttle is run, so private taxis meet arrivals. Temperatures average about 25C from January to March and 28C from June to October, with February and March the driest months.