Spring Break in St. Maarten with the help of Miles and Points

Last week, my family of 5 spent a week in St. Maarten in the Caribbean. The island is unique because it is half-Dutch and half-French. We first visited the island first in 2014 and fell in love with it, especially Mullet Bay Beach. Then in 2023, I returned to St. Maarten on another cruise. And since then, it’s been on my list as a place to stay longer on a land vacation.

Using Miles and Points to Offset the Cost

Our Spring Break in St. Maarten was by no means completely free by using miles and points. However, we did use them to reduce our costs significantly.

Flights: Airfares from DFW to St. Maarten during spring break aren’t cheap. Nonstop flights are not available, and connecting flights run $500-$800. Ouch!

Award flights to the rescue! I used a combination of American Airlines miles, Alaska miles, JetBlue Miles and Lufthansa miles (for United flights), all earned from credit card rewards (see Beginner’s Guide: 7 Steps to Free Travel With Miles and Points).

Lodging: Since we have 3 teenagers/young adult kids who don’t like sharing beds, we booked a condo rental with cash through vrbo.com for our time in St. Maarten. However, since we had overnight stopovers in Florida on the way there and the way back, I used my credit card free night certificates for two hotel rooms each night. Cash prices in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area run $300+ per night per room during spring break! We used our IHG free night certs to stay at Holiday Inn Express & Suites Hialeah and our World of Hyatt free night certs to stay at Hyatt House Fort Lauderdale Airport  – South and Cruise Port. We especially loved the location of the Hyatt House because it had a ton of stores and restaurants within walking distance.

Airport Lounges: My husband and I both have Priority Pass lounge memberships through our credit cards that enable us to bring 3 guests, so we took full advantage of that in 3 of the airports we passed through. I especially liked the Princess Sky Lounge in St. Maarten SXM airport, since the small airport’s general seating area was pretty crowded with spring break travelers. Free food and drinks for 5 people plus comfy/roomy seats are a big perk during our trips.

Our Condo Rental

We struck gold with our condo vacation rental. Here is a link to our rental. It was very large, with 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms and 5 (yes 5!) balconies. The ocean views from 3 of the balconies were mesmerizing:

Each night, we were treated to gorgeous sunsets:

A staircase down to the beach:

Property grounds:

The iguanas loved hanging out along the ledge:

The condo complex had a large pool with a swim-up bar:

The location of our condo just really couldn’t be beat. Just a very short walk away to the wonderful Mullet Bay Beach!

We could walk to several grocery stores and restaurants from our condo. Very convenient! And the airport/Maho Beach was a short drive away.

Activities in St. Maarten

We didn’t fill our days with big adventures and tours. Mostly, I just wanted to enjoy the views and relax on the beach. We spent a few days chilling at nearby Mullet Bay Beach. The cost to rent two loungers and a big umbrella shade was $30 for the entire day The water is so clear! The beach also has 3 beach bars/restaurants.

My boys also enjoyed a jet ski rental right from the beach:

We ate dinner and watched the sunset and planes landing at nearby Maho Beach:

One day, we took a boat tour around the entire island, stopping in bays to snorkel and swim.

We floated around Maho Beach and saw planes fly right above us:

The most memorable part of the boat tour was stopping at this floating bar/restaurant:

Floating tables:

Watching the fish under the table:

Three of us spent a morning at Parotte Ville bird sanctuary. It was so fun to see the colorful birds and experience them landing on us.

We explored the famous Front Street shopping area in Philipsburg and watched the cruise ship passengers come and go.

Philipsburg was so crowded that we couldn’t wait to get back to our quiet corner of the island!

And of course, we played tennis and pickleball a few times throughout the week.

Overall Thoughts

I’m glad my family got the chance to spend the week in St. Maarten. The island has friendly people, great food and gorgeous beaches. Plus, the cost of beachfront lodging is less than some o the other Caribbean islands.

The major downside to St. Maarten is the traffic on the limited roads. But, I think most small islands have the same issue. I also wish there was a nonstop flight from DFW so it was quicker/easier to get to.

St. Maarten has more to offer, including hiking, a zip line and ferries to nearby islands of Saba and Anguilla. Maybe next time!