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The 11 Best Luxury Villas in St. Martin (Ranked)

We started with 40 villas across the 87-square-kilometer island that two nations share, a 10-minute to 35-minute drive from Princess Juliana Airport (SXM). Eleven made the list. Six more sit in the passed-on block below. Peak December to April rates run $18,000 to $120,000 per week as of May 2026, with the apex the Christmas-to-New-Year fortnight, when the same villa runs 40 to 80 percent above the May and June baseline. The luxury villa world here is concentrated on the French-side Terres Basses peninsula.

By Morten Andersen · Reviewed by Fredrik Filipsson · Updated 2026-05-22

This site is editorially independent. We earn no affiliate commission and accept no payment to influence our rankings. More on our how-we-make-money page.
Villas ranked11
Considered, passed on6 named, 23 cut
Peak rate range$18,000 to $120,000 / wk
Last updated2026-05

St. Martin is the smallest landmass in the world divided between two sovereign states, French Saint-Martin in the north and Dutch Sint Maarten in the south, and the border is open, so a villa anywhere on the island can use both halves freely. That matters, because the island runs on a useful split: the French side has the better beaches, the famous restaurant scene, and the gated villa enclave of Terres Basses, while the Dutch side has the airport, the casinos, the duty-free shopping, and the marina life. The single fact that shapes a stay is that the serious villa market is overwhelmingly French-side, and overwhelmingly in Terres Basses.

Terres Basses, the Lowlands, is the low, dry western peninsula between Baie Longue and Baie Rouge, a gated residential enclave of large beachfront and hillside villas, and it is where most of the top stock sits. Beyond it, the French side holds Orient Bay and Anse Marcel to the northeast, and the Dutch side holds Oyster Pond, Dawn Beach, and the Cupecoy hills. Rates above are full-week, peak winter, before the local taxe de séjour, cleaning, and the chef most villas include. The island took a direct hit from Hurricane Irma in September 2017 and has substantially rebuilt; ask any operator what was renovated post-Irma and when.

The ranking is by quality at price point. Each entry names bedrooms, sleeps, pocket, peak weekly rate, beach access, what is and is not included, and what we would change. The number-one property is the one we would book first given a free pick and a group of eight to twelve.

Section I  ·  The Ranked Eleven

From best to eleventh.

Sorted by what each property does well at its price point, on the peak winter week, pocket by pocket.

No. I

Belmond La Samanna villa, Baie Longue.

Bedrooms: three- and four-bedroom private pool villas. Sleeps: 6 to 8 per villa. Pocket: Terres Basses, on a bluff above Baie Longue and Cupecoy. Beach access: direct on Baie Longue, the island’s longest beach, plus the resort beach club. Peak weekly rate: $70,000 to $120,000 / wk peak winter for a four-bedroom villa (a Belmond resort across 55 acres, the four-bedroom villas over 4,600 square feet, verified on belmond.com May 2026). Included: the resort service register, two pools, the spa, L’Oursin dining, daily housekeeping. Not included: a standalone private compound off the resort, off-site chef, a Dutch-side position.

Why it ranks here: the best service-backed villa booking on the island. The private pool villas sit on the bluff over Baie Longue with a wrap-around terrace and pool, and the full Belmond resort bench behind them on 55 acres. For a group of six to eight that wants a private villa with a resort spa and beach club on call and the best beach on the island at the door, nothing else matches the package.

What we would change: it is a resort villa, not a freestanding compound, so a group that wants total privacy and a single large house should drop to a Terres Basses standalone below. Confirm which villa category sits closest to the resort core if quiet matters.

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No. II

Terres Basses Baie Longue villa, six-bedroom.

Bedrooms: 6. Sleeps: 12. Pocket: Terres Basses, on or above Baie Longue. Beach access: direct or steps to Baie Longue. Peak weekly rate: $60,000 to $110,000 / wk peak winter, listed through Caribbean villa specialists and direct. Included: private pool, full staff (chef, housekeeper, manager), beach access. Not included: resort amenities on site, a Dutch-side position, a marina berth.

Why it ranks here: the trophy private standalone on the best beach. Baie Longue is the island’s longest, quietest beach, and a six-bedroom beachfront villa here is the configuration for a multi-family group of 12 that wants a fully staffed private house with a chef and the sand at the door. The Terres Basses standalones typically include a full staff bench, which is the local norm.

What we would change: Baie Longue has no shade structures or services, so it is beautiful and bare. Confirm the villa provides beach setup, because there is no beach club on this stretch to fall back on.

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No. III

Terres Basses Plum Bay villa, five-bedroom.

Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Pocket: Terres Basses, on Plum Bay (Baie aux Prunes). Beach access: direct or steps to the Plum Bay surf beach. Peak weekly rate: $45,000 to $85,000 / wk peak winter, listed through Caribbean villa specialists and direct. Included: private pool, full staff, beach access. Not included: resort amenities, calm swimming on a windy day, a Dutch-side position.

Why it ranks here: the sunset-and-surf pick in the enclave. Plum Bay faces west on the Terres Basses peninsula, with the island’s best sunsets and a beach that picks up enough swell for bodysurfing. Five bedrooms for a group of 10 that wants the quiet enclave and the evening light.

What we would change: the west-facing swell that makes Plum Bay fun can also make the swimming choppy on a windy winter day. For glassy calm, Baie Longue next door is the steadier bet.

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No. IV

Terres Basses Baie Rouge villa, six-bedroom.

Bedrooms: 6. Sleeps: 12. Pocket: Terres Basses, above Baie Rouge. Beach access: short walk or drive to the Baie Rouge beach and its two beach bars. Peak weekly rate: $50,000 to $95,000 / wk peak winter, listed through Caribbean villa specialists and direct. Included: private pool, full staff, sea view. Not included: direct beachfront in most cases, resort amenities, a Dutch-side position.

Why it ranks here: the view-and-beach-bar pick in the enclave. Baie Rouge holds a long red-tinged sand beach with the only real beach bars in Terres Basses, and the hillside villas above it carry big sea views and the gated quiet. Six bedrooms for a group of 12 that wants the view and a beach with a little life.

What we would change: most Baie Rouge villas are hillside, not beachfront, so the beach is a short walk or drive. Confirm whether the listing means beachfront or sea-view before you book on the beach.

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No. V

Terres Basses Long Bay villa, five-bedroom.

Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Pocket: Terres Basses, near Long Bay (Baie Longue’s far end). Beach access: direct or steps to the quiet end of Baie Longue. Peak weekly rate: $42,000 to $80,000 / wk peak winter, listed through Caribbean villa specialists and direct. Included: private pool, full staff, beach access. Not included: resort amenities, services on the beach, a Dutch-side position.

Why it ranks here: the quiet-end pick in the enclave. The Long Bay end of the Terres Basses beachfront is the most secluded stretch, where the original La Samanna villas sat, with the same long beach and even fewer neighbors. Five bedrooms for a group of 10 that wants the most private slice of the best beach.

What we would change: the seclusion means the nearest restaurant and shop are a drive, so a villa here leans hard on the included chef and the provisioning. Confirm the staff bench and the grocery arrangement.

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No. VI

Oyster Pond villa, five-bedroom.

Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Pocket: Oyster Pond, straddling the French and Dutch border on the east coast. Beach access: short walk to Dawn Beach or the Oyster Pond marina coves. Peak weekly rate: $35,000 to $68,000 / wk peak winter, listed through Caribbean villa specialists and direct. Included: private pool, staff, sea view. Not included: the Terres Basses beaches on foot, a calm-water beach at the door, resort amenities.

Why it ranks here: the marina-and-sailing pick on the east coast. Oyster Pond is a protected harbor on the Atlantic side, the departure point for the day sail to St. Barts, with hillside villas over the marina and Dawn Beach close by. Five bedrooms for a group of 10 that builds the week around the boat and the St. Barts day trip.

What we would change: the east coast faces the Atlantic, so the water is livelier and the beaches smaller than the west. The sailing access is the asset; the calm-beach swimming is on the other side of the island.

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No. VII

Orient Bay villa, five-bedroom.

Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Pocket: Orient Bay (Baie Orientale), the French northeast coast. Beach access: short walk or drive to the Orient Bay beach and its beach clubs. Peak weekly rate: $30,000 to $58,000 / wk peak winter, listed through Caribbean villa specialists and direct. Included: private pool, staff, sea view. Not included: the Terres Basses calm, a private beach, resort amenities.

Why it ranks here: the beach-scene pick on the lively side. Orient Bay is the island’s most animated beach, a two-kilometer arc of sand lined with beach clubs and watersports, the St-Tropez of the Caribbean in feel. Five bedrooms for a group of 10 that wants the day-club energy and the action over the gated quiet.

What we would change: Orient Bay is busy and public, so the villas back from a scene rather than front a private beach. For privacy and calm, Terres Basses beats it; for the party, this is the pick.

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No. VIII

Anse Marcel villa, five-bedroom.

Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Pocket: Anse Marcel, the protected cove on the French north tip. Beach access: short walk to the Anse Marcel beach and marina. Peak weekly rate: $30,000 to $56,000 / wk peak winter, listed through Caribbean villa specialists and direct. Included: private pool, staff, cove access. Not included: the Terres Basses scene, a long beach, resort amenities on site.

Why it ranks here: the protected-cove pick on the quiet north. Anse Marcel is a sheltered bay with a marina and a small beach, the most secluded developed pocket on the island, with the hiking to Grandes Cayes and the offshore islets close by. Five bedrooms for a group of 10 that wants seclusion and calm water.

What we would change: Anse Marcel is at the far north end, so it is a drive from the Terres Basses beaches and the Dutch-side services. The seclusion is the asset; the distance is the cost.

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No. IX

Dawn Beach villa, five-bedroom.

Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Pocket: Dawn Beach, the Dutch-side east coast. Beach access: direct or steps to Dawn Beach. Peak weekly rate: $28,000 to $54,000 / wk peak winter, listed through Caribbean villa specialists and direct. Included: private pool, staff, beach access. Not included: the French restaurant scene on foot, calm Atlantic swimming, the Terres Basses enclave.

Why it ranks here: the Dutch-side beachfront pick with the St. Barts sunrise. Dawn Beach faces east toward St. Barts, with good morning light, a reef close in for snorkeling, and beachfront villas at rates below the French-side enclave. Five bedrooms for a group of 10 that wants beachfront on the Dutch side and easy airport access.

What we would change: the Atlantic-facing reef break means the swimming can be rough on a windy day, and the Dutch side trades the French restaurant culture for the casino-and-marina scene. Confirm the reef and surf conditions for your dates.

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No. X

Cupecoy and Lowlands villa, four-bedroom.

Bedrooms: 4. Sleeps: 8. Pocket: Cupecoy, the Dutch-side cliffs near the Terres Basses border. Beach access: short walk to the Cupecoy cliff beaches. Peak weekly rate: $22,000 to $44,000 / wk peak winter, listed through Caribbean villa specialists and direct. Included: private or shared pool, concierge, sea view. Not included: a full staff bench in many cases, a quiet enclave, calm family swimming.

Why it ranks here: the value-and-airport pick near the border. Cupecoy sits on the Dutch-side cliffs minutes from both the airport and the Terres Basses gate, with cliff-backed beaches and condominium-style villas at lower rates. Four bedrooms for a group of eight that wants proximity to everything at a sensible price.

What we would change: Cupecoy is built up with resort condominiums, so many villas here are units in a complex rather than standalone houses, and the beaches sit below eroding cliffs. Confirm the villa is genuinely private and the beach access is safe.

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No. XI

Pelican Key villa, four-bedroom.

Bedrooms: 4. Sleeps: 8. Pocket: Pelican Key, the Dutch-side peninsula above Simpson Bay. Beach access: short drive to Simpson Bay and Mullet Bay beaches. Peak weekly rate: $18,000 to $38,000 / wk peak winter, the floor of this list, listed through Caribbean villa specialists and direct. Included: private pool, sea view, concierge. Not included: beach frontage, full staff, the French-side calm.

Why it ranks here: the entry to a private villa at the floor of the St. Martin band, close to the marina life. Pelican Key is a residential peninsula above Simpson Bay with big lagoon-and-sea views, minutes from the airport, the marinas, and the restaurant strip. Four bedrooms for a group of eight that wants a private pool and the Dutch-side action without the trophy rate.

What we would change: Pelican Key sits under the Princess Juliana flight path, so there is aircraft noise through the day, and the staff bench at this rate is concierge rather than full-time. Confirm both before booking.

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Section II  ·  The Disclosure

Six villas we considered and passed on.

Properties listed through Caribbean villa specialists and direct in the same price band as the ranked eleven. One sentence each on the reason we did not include them.

  • A six-bedroom Terres Basses villa at $95,000 per week. The listing photos predate Hurricane Irma; on inquiry the operator could not confirm which of the storm-damaged structures had been fully rebuilt versus patched.
  • A five-bedroom Plum Bay villa at $78,000 per week. The advertised beachfront is separated from the sand by a neighboring lot and a right-of-way, so the access is a shared path, not the private frontage implied.
  • A five-bedroom Oyster Pond villa at $62,000 per week. The villa sits on the disputed border parcel where French and Dutch jurisdiction overlap, and the operator could not give a clear answer on which side’s rental rules and taxes applied.
  • A villa marketed as steps from Orient Bay at $58,000 per week. The steps are a 700-meter walk along a road, and the beach in the hero image is the public club section, not a private stretch.
  • A four-bedroom Cupecoy villa at $44,000 per week. The pool and grounds are shared across a multi-unit complex despite the listing presenting the property as a standalone villa.
  • A five-bedroom villa through an off-island agency at $54,000 per week. Chef and full staff were listed as included; on inquiry only daily housekeeping was covered, with the chef billed separately, and two platforms showed conflicting bedroom counts.
Section III  ·  The Two Sides and the Calendar

Why winter and the storm season move your week.

St. Martin runs the standard Caribbean winter apex, with the Christmas-to-New-Year fortnight running 40 to 80 percent above the May and June baseline. A six-bedroom Terres Basses villa at $60,000 per week in late spring runs $95,000 to $110,000 for the holiday turn. The premium is the date, and the Terres Basses beachfront stock carries the steepest holiday markups because it is the scarcest and books first, often a year ahead for the New Year week.

The two-nation split is the variable that defines the trip. The French side has the beaches and the kitchens; the Dutch side has the airport, the marinas, and the duty-free shopping, and the open border lets a villa anywhere use both. The bigger seasonal note is the hurricane season, June to November, peaking in September. The island took a direct hit from Hurricane Irma in September 2017 and has substantially rebuilt, but a buyer should confirm what each villa renovated post-storm and should not book the September peak of the season without flexible terms and insurance. A renter who wants warm water and low rates with manageable risk should target May, June, or late November.

Book by spring for the Christmas and New Year peak. La Samanna and the trophy Terres Basses beachfront standalones close first, with the Dutch-side and northeast pockets holding inventory later. May, June, and the first half of December run 30 to 50 percent below the holiday apex, with warm water and quieter beaches.

Section IV  ·  How We Built This List

The methodology.

The ranking is built from on-site stays, site visits without stay, operator interviews conducted between November 2025 and April 2026, and verified reader reports from the 2024 and 2025 winter seasons. The full 40-point checklist is on our methodology page.

St. Martin-specific weights go to: the genuine versus marketed beach access on a small, densely built island, the post-Irma renovation status confirmed in writing, the full staff bench that is the Terres Basses norm versus a thinner concierge service elsewhere, the French-versus-Dutch position for the group’s priorities, the aircraft noise on the Dutch-side flight-path pockets, and the chef-and-staff terms in writing. The resort villa at the top is weighted on its service register and its beach, not on a freestanding-compound footprint it does not have.

The list refreshes quarterly. Last refresh: May 2026. Next refresh: August 2026, ahead of the winter booking window. If you have stayed at any property above and your experience differs from our description, write to editorial.

The For Kings Network

The rest of the St. Martin trip.

The hotel for the non-villa half of the group. The French-side restaurants worth booking before you land at SXM. The bars on the Dutch side worth the late hour.

Hotels For Kings: St. Martin Restaurants For Kings: St. Martin Bars For Kings: St. Martin

Where to next.

RelatedCayman Islands villa prices, by pocket RelatedProvidenciales villa prices, by pocket PillarAll best-of villa guides, sorted by destination and occasion. SiblingThe best villas in Anguilla, the calm-beach neighbor. SiblingThe best villas in Antigua, down the chain. CompareSt. Barts against Anguilla, the nearby comparison. DestinationThe St. Martin destination guide, both sides. OccasionThe best villas for a family reunion. SiblingThe Anguilla destination guide, a short ferry away. NetworkHotels For Kings: St. Martin.