By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

After 18 months of renovations and rebuilding in the wake of Hurricane Irma, St Maarten’s Sonesta Maho Beach Resort is debuting upgraded facilities, amenities and new entertainment programs.

In short, St Maarten’s top family resort is back.

In addition to a new contemporary look throughout the resort, the destination’s leading family resort has relaunched its Beach House Kids Club and Aqua Park, with two new waterslides for ages 10-15, a whole new cast of Beach House characters along with the new Teen Zone.

The resort’s family-oriented concept include walkabout events; junior fitness; a dedicated children-only Beach House Kids Club designed for ages 3 to 12; character experiences with the Beach House Crew and the main event – the interactive kids show, “Beach House Live!”

The Beach House Kids Club features 1,000 square-feet of indoor space and a 2,500 square-foot outdoor area with a playground.

Adjacent is the 4,000 square-foot Aqua Park with a kid’s pool, featuring three aquatic themed slides and a spacious pool deck with loungers and umbrellas creating an environment for families to share quality time and fun under the sun.

The Teen Zone is packed with the latest entertainment and games including air hockey; foosball; table tennis/Ping-Pong; crazy golf; a cinema-style TV media room with PlayStation, Wii and Xbox and features a Social Suite for the cool crowd where teens can snap, tag and share all of their experiences virtually.

The dedicated Teen Zone events program will also include GoPro sessions, Shake Night, BBQ beach parties roasting marshmallows under the stars, movie nights and backstage passes to VIP parties.

Everything about the Teen Zone is focused on social interaction, ensuring everyone connects and has a great trip.

So what about the rest of the resort?

The Sonesta Maho Beach Resort has a number of restaurants and bars including the al fresco Palms Grill with Lava Rock dining; buffet offerings at Ocean Terrace; Napoli Pizzeria + Paninoteca; à la carte dining at The Point; pub grub at the Ascot Pub & Sports Bar and Asian specialties at Jing’s Kitchen.

The Oasis Pool has two new waterslides for kids, and the popular Oasis Swim Up Bar is back with poolside fun making it the lively center for resort activities.

The resort also added a new room category, The Loft Suites, featuring ocean views, balconies, an elevated bedroom with a king bed and a sitting area located beneath with pullout sofa, providing privacy for parents and space for the kids.

Other family-friendly features include connecting rooms, One Bedroom Suites with separate living rooms and pullout sofas and complimentary cribs available on request.

It all adds up to a new, even better version for what has long been one of St Maarten’s most popular places to stay, complementing the adults-only Sonesta Ocean Point.

For more, visit the Sonesta Maho in St Maarten.

— CJ