I Found the Best Caribbean Hotel for Anyone Who Loves Awesome Pools

11.09.2023 - 17:47 / matadornetwork.com

One of the best things about working remotely is the ability to be, well, remote. And while some people have full home office setups and need the stability of working in the same place every day, as a travel writer, all I really need is my laptop. So when I had the chance to travel to the Caribbean recently, I decided to add on a few extra days of scuba diving and working remotely on St. Maarten, to the east of the Virgin Islands. Given that my direct flight from the East Coast was only $250, and hotel rooms in St. Maarten’s off season start around $100 per night, it seemed like a great choice.

Photo: Suzie Dundas

After looking at various hotel websites, I landed on a great pick: Divi Little Bay Beach Resort, a super-pretty hotel on a private cove near the city of Philipsburg. I’m glad I picked it for several reasons, but the number one reason I chose it will be obvious once you see the property: pools on pools on pools. I think between the pools and the ocean, I spent more time in the water than out of it.

It may sound weird as a scuba diver, but I don’t really like swimming in the ocean. I’ve gotten so used to being below the surface and being able to see everything around me that being at the surface is almost unnerving. And, laptops and beach sand don’t mix very well, which is why I generally prefer to relax by pools on vacation, rather than beaches. And boy, does Divi St. Maarten have pools.

No matter where you stay, in a classic hotel room or in the higher-end Oceans at Divi Little Bay rooms, you have access to all the pools across the property. There are no extra costs to use beach chairs, covered sun beds, pool beds, or anything along those lines.

Photo: Suzie Dundas

I thought this was the best pool, and not just because it also tended to be the least busy. It’s built into a cliff and has gorgeous views of Little Bay. Plus, the area just to the left (that you can see in the above photo) is a protected pelican reserve, which means you can chill at the edge of the pool and watch massive pelicans swoop for fish off the ocean. It also had excellent sunset views and enough loungers for the few people I saw there at any given time.

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The pool in the middle of the resort I found to be a great place to work outdoors. The pool has sun chairs on the side facing the ocean and a covered area with tables on the opposite side, making it a convenient place to pull out my laptop while drinking a half-price happy hour cocktail. The main pool area is the largest, though there’s a raised section (not shown above) with another half-dozen chairs. In my days there, it seemed like adults used the top section while the middle section was more of a mix, age-wise.

Photo: Suzie Dundas