The stunning RIU Palace St. Martin is located at the base of the mountain overlooking Anse Marcel Bay. Surrounded by mountains on one side and the ocean on the other, this is one of the most luxurious resorts on the island. The RIU Place St. Martin is the only all-inclusive hotel on the French side of the island, located on the beautiful Anse Marcel Beach. Anse Marcel is a perfect spot for families with of all ages, and specifically with young children because the bay is protected on both sides. Because it’s protected on both sides the water is very calm, makes for a fun day of swimming in the ocean.
The Beach
On a bright and sunshiny day, this place is a dream come true. Beautiful clear water, different shades of blue, you can either go for a dip, enjoy the variety of motorized sports options available, or go for a walk with drink in hand feel the soft sand below your feet and the warm water along your angles as you take in all the beauty that is Anse Marcel Beach. We visited 9 beaches in St. Martin and this was our second favourite, the first being on Pinel Island.
The Pool
We are beach people, and yet we found ourselves spending almost a whole day at the pool. The Pool at RIU Palace St. Martin is just amazing for families with young children. A long windy pool, starting with a shallow end and flowing along the deep end with hot tubs strategically placed throughout the length of the pool. It’s perfect for laying down under the canopy with a drink and book while the little ones play a few inches away from you in the warm shallow water. Nothing I say can rival the excitement of a four-year-old who has fallen in love with the water at RIU Palace, though. Here is what our picky little guy thought.
The Kids Club
The kids club and everyone at the resort does a great job of getting the kids engaged and having fun. The kids club manager puts together a program of activities and they are out and about the resort for most of the day unless it's raining. On this particular day, the kids were doing a treasure hunt so they got all dressed up in costumes and had their face painted, then they did a parade around the pool area. There is also pool time in the afternoon, but it's not your average pool play. The entire pool area comes alive with music, and enjoyment for kids of all ages.
What to expect
There are no ocean view rooms on this property, according to the manager this was done to make the entire resorts as accessible as possible. If you need to get back to your room for any reason you can easily get to it in a few mins walk from anywhere on the resort. So most of the rooms have this beautiful courtyard view.
Some of the rooms have a lagoon view, if you are a family with young children you will be placed on the second floor for safety reasons. I loved that the resort thinks about both the comfort and safety of guests in room placements.
The rooms
All the rooms are equipped with everything you need to have a relaxing vacation. Want to head back to your room in the evenings and have a drink? No need to go down to the lobby bar, all the rooms have a mini bar with premium brand drinks for your pleasure.
If you want additional privacy you can upgrade to a family suite which has a sliding door. The adults can stay up without fear of waking up the little ones. No need to go to bed at 8pm if you don't want to.
If you are not upgrading room, there is also the option of using the patio area to relax in the evenings.
What she liked
I cannot get over the kids club! The staff was amazing with the kids, so much so that the wanted to go back in the afternoon. This is a first for our kids, usually, I am dropping them off and hoping I’ll get an hour if I’m lucky. This was the first time our 4-year-old went to the kids club without needing to pulled off my legs. This means this mama could explore or relax at my leisure or spend some quality time with hubby without the kids. I also liked that there were activities to do outside the resort if you want to stroll around the marina and shops.
What he liked
He liked the seclusion of the beach, and the privacy. Even though it’s a public beach it’s hard to access and the RIU property set up their own area with chairs umbrellas and everything you need to relax. He also liked that nothing is extra here, all your premium brand drinks, and whatever is offered at the resort is fully included in the all inclusive package.
What they liked
If you watched the video above you’ll know that the 4-year-old loved the pool! He just couldn’t get enough of it. Without a doubt, this was his happy place.
The 8-year-old loved the food, and so did I as a matter of fact. Lots of healthy options to choose from and everything was delicious! Finger licking good to be exact.
We enjoyed this resort and think it's an excellent option for families with young children.
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