Our Location

Azure Hotel & Art Studio is located on beautiful Simpson Bay Beach conveniently located within 5 minutes of Maho Village, Simpson Bay Village and Marigot on the French side via the lagoon bridge. Right in the heart of all the action, within a short drive of the island’s best beaches, restaurants, water sports, nightlife and ferry services to our neighboring islands, The Azure Hotel’s location has it all! Please visit our Trip Advice & Tips page to learn more about Sint Maarten and how to make your vacation a breeze.

Driving Directions

  1. Exit the airport and turn right onto Airport Road.
  2. When you reach the roundabout that leads to the long bridge go right and follow the road around the airport runway.
  3. At the first curve bear right onto Sr Patientia Road and continue to follow the airport fence.
  4. Follow the road until it curves to the left. At this point you will see the gorgeous Caribbean Sea straight ahead.
  5. Continue straight towards the water and cross over one street and Sr Patientia Road turns into Roberts Drive you will pass a small convenience store called Overvalue.
  6. Continue to the end and we are the last building on the right side of the road on the beach!

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Simpson Bay Beach

Many people confuse Simpson Bay with Simpson Bay Lagoon. The lagoon is one of the largest inland lagoons in the West Indies of the Caribbean.  It connects to Simpson Bay by a canal with a drawbridge to let yachts in and out.  Simpson Bay Beach is not in the lagoon, it is the crescent of sand lines the edge of the bay. The thin strip of land between the lagoon and Simpson Bay is the known as "The Strip" and is where most of the restaurants, shops, markets, bars, nightlife, water sports and ferries (to other islands) are located.  The Azure is located in between the two bodies of water on the center of the beach and at the beginning of "The Strip. The border between the French and Dutch halves of the island runs across the centre of the lagoon. The Causeway Bridge, not to be confused with the drawbridge in Simpson Bay connects the French and Dutch sides and takes you to the French side in less than 5 minutes from the Azure. At the other end of the runway is the islands other premier nightlife and dining district, Maho, which is just 5 minutes by car. The airport is also with in a 5 minute drive as is the large French market. It's easy to forget how much is close by when you are lounging on our tranquil beach.

Trip Advice and Tips

We thought you may appreciate some trip advice about Sint Maarten and your vacation.

Here are some tips and recommendations.


Transportation


Tips & Advice on Car Rentals

  • If you decide to rent a car ahead of time: rent your car for the day after you arrive, (cabs from the airport are just $15, you can walk down the beach to get a bite to eat the first afternoon or evening.)
  • Rent a compact car, you will save on gas and the rate. You will also find parking to be much easier.
  • We recommend Affordable Car Rental contact Patrick at r4lcarrental@hotmail.com They will pick you up and drop you off at the hotel or the airport.


Trip advice for Cabs

  • Cabs are readily available at the airport, it costs $15 to get to the Azure.
  • With the free phone in your room you can call for a cab anytime. Just scroll down to Cab on the phone’s phonebook and press send.
  • Give them 5 minutes to pick you up, there is no reservation system for ordering cabs.
  • A trip to the other side of the island is about $25-35 one way.


Trip advice for Public Transportation

Buses are available, but are limited in range, they are $1.50 and are actually vans that will have their final destination posted on the windshield.



Excursions to nearby Islands


Anguilla

  • Take the ferry from Marigot, it is very close with the new bridge and the ferry runs every 30 minutes.
  • Anguilla is best explored by cabs that are easily found at the port when you arrive.


Saba and St. Barth

  • We recommend the Edge Ferry from Aquamania which is located across the bay in the Pelican Resort Club.
  • They leave at 9am and return around 3:30 pm.
  • We can book this trip for you, just ask, we are always happy to help.


Prickly Pear

  • For this small island we recommend a day trip with the Boomerang, they charge about $85 per person and include lunch, snorkel and unlimited drinks.
  • They depart from Simpson Bay at their dock which is close by.
  • We can arrange these excursions for you, just ask, it is our pleasure to make it easy.


Fishing or Snorkel Trips

  • We recommend Billy Bones Charter, again we can book this for you. Let us do the work for you.


Passports

  • You will not be required to present your passport when crossing over to the French side of St. Martin.
  • You will need them to visit other islands with the exception of Isle Pinel which is part of the French side territory.
  • We suggest you keep it in your safe unless you do visit another island.


Currency

  • The two official currencies on St. Martin are the Euro on the French side and the Florin (Netherlands Antillean guilder or florin) on the Dutch side. However, US dollars are accepted across the island and you do not need to change money, in fact you will end up spending more on fees. Most establishments accept major credit cards.
  • You will get a better rate paying in USD than if you change them for Euros at the bank.
  • Restaurants offer better rates to attract customers and some even give a dollar=euro even exchange.
  • There are ATMs with in a short walk from the Azure (3 blocks).
  • Ask your credit card company if they charge a 3% international fee before you use it here.
  • Some places even add 5% to your purchase if using a credit card, so cash is better.


Groceries

  • We sub out our grocery requests with www.shopndropgrocerysxm.com
  • They charge 15%.
  • If you plan on having a rental car you may want to shop on your own, Grand Marche is very close (with the new bridge at the end of the airport runway) and the selection is fantastic!
  • There is a small market for basics, called Value, just at the end of our street.
  • Carrefour is an excellent market even by mainland standards. It is a 25 minute walk or you can take a cab if you don't hire a rental car.


Dining

  • There are over 400 restaurants in St. Maarten/St. Martin. You will not go hungry! You can eat well on a budget, but if you prefer upscale restaurants you can find fabulous fine dining on both sides of the island.
  • Luckily, we love to eat out, we are happy to offer recommendations and make reservations for you. We will send you a list of our favourites once you book. The info also highlights our favourite spots and activities.