St. Maarten 402: Elegant 3BR Beachfront Condo in Silver Shells

Though renovations were pretty good, the old sofas, lack of accompanying furnishings, closet door off its track, no lamps on the night tables, mixed silverware in the kitchen drawers, created zero ambiance or welcome. Nothing like the other units we have rented in the past.

Will definitely return

Worst accommodations on property. Update Update Update

Property was great. Water was cut off one half day of our stay which stinks but could not be avoided and was communicated days ahead of time. Check in process could be better. There is no one to ask questions to except the guard at the entrance gate. I believe the property could benefit from a concierge.

Upon arrival we found the condo to be in very poor condition. Black mold on the bar area as well as in the master shower. The foyer door from the elevator was busted and unable to secure. The curtains in one room hanging down, rod broken. Doorknobs broken. Master bath had black hairs on the floor and in the shower, flaking paint on trim, broken tiles, dirty ceiling, and splashes of what looked like some sort of chemical on the paint which was discolored. The third bedroom had a smoke detector hanging off the wall and a large hole from the doorknob on the sheetrock. The vents were dirty and corroded in places. Items in the kitchen were bare and broken. The washer and dryer didn’t work well and looked very old. Even the maintenance guy they sent to take a look admitted he had told them they needed to be replaced. The air did not cool the condo well. We had to stay out of the condo as much as possible due the mold and my daughter having headaches and eye irritation. I tried to work with the management to get a partial refund as I paid over $6k for the week. I was only offered a minimal amount and told I’d have to sign an agreement not to disclose any of these issues. Very shady practices. I have photos of all and will be filing formal complaints.

The check in process was terrible. Had to drive to the property management office to pick up the packet. The email I received 4 days before had a code that didn’t work. It was a Sunday so there was just one guy in the office that didn’t seem super happy that I had to get his help. He told me 3 times that the email I received was old and I should have a new one. I’m pretty tech savvy but he kept saying that it must’ve went to my spam folder.(even though it did not) after we got the keys we had an hour to kill before checkin. When we get to the room it was a super quick elevator ride and had everything we needed for the week. The guest bathroom looked nice and newly renovated. The master bathroom was a whole different story. There were stains on the wall which looked like someone tried to clean spots with bleach. The cabinets looked like they had water damage to the toe kick. There were even some kind of brown stains on the ceiling. I’d recommend at least a paint job and replace the toe kick on the cabinets. The trim around the corners were separating as well. Although the bed was about as hard as the floor itself I managed to sleep well. My wife however did not. The amenities at silver shells definitely make up for the poor maintenance on the room. I can understand why this listing is about $750 cheaper than the others so can’t complain much. Just posting this so people know what to expect.

Location is what drew us to this property. We love Silver Shells. This is our 3 year renting in St. Maarten, and this was a fine place for a week. It isn’t as kept up as the other units we’ve been in (paint patched in different colors, little details, washing machine was broken-this was addressed, quickly) however the check in process was a breeze, and the unit allowed us to be where we wanted. Also, the 3rd bathroom was just updated and was gorgeous! I hope they plan to do that with the master bathroom, too

Location was good. Property was nice with pool and beach access. The condo itself was in need of cleaning and updates. Master bath had leaky toilet and dirty/moldy shower. Master bed mattress was caved in severely on one side. All mattresses/box springs needed covers to seal/cover them. Kitchen light did not work. Kitchen needed updated pots and pans, etc. Overall, the condo needed a deep cleaning and several updates. The guest bathroom had recently been completely renovated and was extremely nice. This needs to be done to all areas of the condo.

We absolutely loved this condo! From the beautiful ocean views to the private elevator to the unit, we were very impressed. The living room and 2 of the 3 bedrooms opened to the large balcony. We spent so much time on the balcony. Shaded in the afternoon/evening and so relaxing. We booked this condo as we were looking for a nice place with a Tiki Bar. We loved the Tiki Bar by the beach, staff was so friendly and there was a small band a couple of nights. The location was great. Close to Walmart and the outlet malls. We walked down to The Back Porch to eat a couple of times which was great. I have read reviews about the condition of the unit and cleanliness. I do not agree. We thought it was fine, maybe those people have a perfect house with a maid. The downfalls…. The mattresses on the beds were hard as a rock. I almost went to Walmart to get an egg crate topper. Check in was a pain. It was 1-2 miles away and poor signage. Our GPS kept saying it was on the opposite side of the street. The building wasn’t marked, we had to ask a maintenance man. Also, do not expect any communication from the gentleman who is the host. I messaged him questions prior to arrival, with no response. I quickly learned to call the property management company.

The location of the unit is amazing and the view it provides is truly stunning. The resort itself is also very nice and very family friendly, even in the off-season. Unfortunately it is clear that this rental unit has seen a lot of guests so much of it was in a state of disrepair. I strongly recommend that the unit Be rehabbed before it sees another set of guests.