I just came back from St.Marten last night. Had a lovely stay at the Westin for 6 nights. It's interesting that experiences seem so uneven. I'm Plat and was upgraded to Oceanfront room, but alas not suite. Not a surprise, since it's busy season. however, when I asked about a suite at checkin, I was told "we don't upgrade Plats to suites". this called for a manager, who clarified that there were no suites available. hmmm..
no evening amenities at all. bottle of water 4 out of 6 days. had to call to have coffee machine restocked with coffee, sugar, etc. the hotel is beautiful, but i felt no warmth toward Plats, only the minimum required by the book. we rented a car at the airport from Budget. Renting a car is the way to go. just the ride alone to the hotel (about 20-30 min) is worth it. plus Westin is a bit out of the way and it's a 15-25 min ride to restaurants. Enjoyed the island and the beach in front of Westin is great. Snorkeling was very bad, but maybe we didn't find the right spots.
one thing that really pissed me off - they absolutely refused late checkout! i understand they are not required, and I spoke extensively to the manager, but not to even meet me halfway! my flight was at 6pm and we had to leave the room at 12. for that alone, i will not go back there. Westins in Aruba and Grand Cayman are good enough of substitutes.