A dazzling stretch of white-sand beach borders 55 luscious acres of this ultrachic resort on St. Martin's French side. Rooms are smartly designed with tiled or marble floors, mahogany and teak imports, DVD players, and pop-up or plasma TVs. A few of the suites have private rooftop sundecks. A recent addition is the pool adjacent to the beach bar. What separates this hotel from the rest of the island's properties is its high level of service and, if you like, privacy (for $200 per day you can even rent a curtained beach cabana equipped with TV). The hotel offers a wide array of activities, including one-on-one Pilates and yoga at the newly remodeled workout facility. At the Elysées Spa, Mediterranean decor is surrounded by a lush private garden and waterfall. Many treatment rooms include a private outdoor shower. In the main dining room, cuisine combines Asian, French, and creole influences. Each course can be paired with a selection of more than 450 different wines from the hotel's cellar. For cocktails, there's an authentic Moroccan bar.
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