St. Maarten. Where to stay? French side or Dutch side?

Dutch side is more developed, has the big resort hotels, big supermarkets, shopping, casinos, and bars/night life. Cruise ships dock in Philipsburg, the Dutch capital, dumping literally thousands of visitors on the street for the day.

French side runs at slower pace and has a more European feel. It is a French tourist destination. No casinos. Grand Case has many gourmet restaurants. IMO, the best beaches are on the French side with Orient Beach having almost every amenity. The Club Orient resort is located at the south end of the beach where you can bare it all. The uninhabited islands of Pinel and Tintamarre are also on the French side, are nature reserves, and are strikingly beautiful places.

People are friendly and roads are terrible on both sides of the island. While there are "lolos" on both sides offering affordable local cuisine, we prefer the ones in Grand Case.

Dollars are accepted everywhere. The NAF (used on the Dutch side) is pegged to the dollar while the French side uses Euros. Because of the recent decline of the dollar, the Dutch side is often somewhat cheaper. Some French-side merchants and dining establishments may offer deals for dollar cash transactions. Ask ahead.

For detailed information, check out some of the trip reports on Travel Talk.

I agreed with first answer. the French side has nicer beaches also so really good French food. The French side it more quite, there`s a lot French cafe.

Enjoy your trip.!!!