La Samanna

La Samanna is perfectly placed: equidistant to the nightlife on the Dutch side of St. Martin and the shopping and restaurants on the French side. Best of all, it’s perched above Baie Longue, the island’s most beautiful beach (made even more appealing by the recent addition of ipewood cabanas, outfitted with preprogrammed iPods and flat-screen TV’s). The 81-room resort’s Restaurant is also famous for its innovative French-Caribbean cuisine; reserve a table either on the terrace overlooking the ocean or in the expansive new wine cellar (for private dining, by prior arrangement), a cool respite from the tropical heat.