Guests are provided with a map when checking in at the resort and they need it. The property encompasses eight buildings (not counting the villas by the beach), six pools, and four restaurants, and the sprawling, fairly hilly property requires a lot of walking. There is plenty of parking around the resort and you will most likely get a spot right next to your room, but driving the narrow roads around the property can be tricky. There is a security booth when entering the main buildings and guests are provided with a parking pass at check-in. All of the amenities are shared between the two properties -- the villas and the resort.

The lobby is large and cavernous with reception on one side, a large activities desk on the other, a car rental desk, and a lobby bar in the back. The lobby has two large seating areas with couches as well as bar seating along windows that overlook the ocean. Some guests complain about a lengthy check-in process, and indeed, the velvet ropes in front of the reception desk are not a promising sign.

The numerous pools are spread throughout the resort so your room is never far from water. The hotel has an attractive waterfront area that has two restaurants and Aqua Mania, the on-site water sports provider. There is a building in the center of the resort that houses the casino, the Italian restaurant, and the deli-convenience store. The Villas at Simpson Bay Resort is a time-share property and although there are some posters around the lobby and other public areas, this aspect is not pushed. However, this may mean that some of the better units get rented out first to owners.

Guests are a mix of families, couples, young groups of friends, and retired folks. The pool bars and the beach are lively and fun during the day, while the smaller pools and other areas of the property are quiet and relaxing. Although the hotel is large, it doesn’t have a cheesy resort feel that define many properties of this size.

The rooms at the Villas are a good value given their kitchens and ample space. Other resorts of this size with similar amenities, including Oyster Bay Beach Resort and Divi Little Bay Beach Resort, are more expensive (Divi also doesn’t have full kitchens, but it does have an all-inclusive option). The more upscale Westin and Sonesta Maho Beach Resort have similar amenities at a higher price.

The Villas at Simpson Bay Resort is located in trendy and popular Simpson Bay, just over the bridge from the airport in the Pelican Key area. The hotel has its own drive (follow signs to reception). The area is lined with resorts and restaurants. There is some plane traffic noise from the airport nearby but it is not overwhelming. The popular strip with lots of shops, restaurants, and bars is a 10-minute walk. The area is safe and well-populated.

• Five- to 10-minute walk to Simpson Bay restaurants
• Six-minute drive to Princess Juliana International Airport
• 12-minute drive to Marigot
• 12-minute drive to Fort Louis
• 16-minute drive to Philipsburg    
• 17-minute drive to Grand Case with restaurants and shops
• 17-minute drive to Baie Rouge for excellent snorkeling
• 17-minute drive to Loterie Farm, a nature retreat with tours and zip lining
• 23-minute drive to Orient Bay
• 24-minute drive to the Butterfly Farm

The Villas at Simpson Bay Resort offers 83 Two-Bedroom Villas, all with beautiful ocean views from balconies or patios; many look down onto the scenic Villa Pool. Each sleeps six and has an open-concept kitchen and living room with a dining table for four. They're decorated with light, beachy wicker furniture, neutral fabrics (including beige couch cushions dotted with little palm trees), white tile floors, and large graphic prints of tropical scenes or flowers on the wall. While the furniture isn’t terribly dated, it is showing slight wear and is hardly modern. The main resort also has two-bedroom suites with full kitchens, and decor in its renovated units is much more stylish, but the ocean views here tend to be significantly better. 

Beds have thin, checker-patterned comforters. The bathrooms are a bit dated, with pink tile and shower/tub combos with yellow shower curtains, but nicer large marble double vanities situated outside the doors. The bathrooms in the villas are larger than the bathrooms in the main resort.

Each Two-Bedroom Villas can be split into a One-Bedroom Suite and smaller Junior Suite that can be rented separately. Both Two-Bedroom Villas and One-Bedroom Suites have decent-size full kitchens, equipped with ample cabinetry, full-size refrigerators, stoves, tableware, cookware, toasters, blenders, microwaves, and coffeemakers. The kitchens have granite countertops, white appliances, and light cherry wood cabinetry.

The Junior Suites are more like typical hotel rooms and do not have full kitchens (only microwaves and mini-fridges) although there is some cabinetry where guests can store food. The bedrooms in these have two beds and lead to a small balcony with ocean views. 

While the villas have ocean views, there is not a beach directly in front of the building -- instead, there is a small dock from which swimmers can enter the water. The sandy stretch of beach can be accessed in a three-minute walk through the Marina Pool. The beach is long and picturesque, with white sand and turquoise water. There are tons of lounge chairs and straw umbrella huts, but with a resort of this size, all those chairs are needed. The beach doesn’t feel particularly crowded or congested, however. There is a beach bar at one end along with some picnic tables.

The resort’s fitness center is essentially a full-size, state-of-the-art gym. It has numerous cardio machines (treadmills, ellipticals, bikes), strength machines, free weights, and balance balls. The room has a full wall of windows that overlooks the Villa Pool and the ocean. Unfortunately, there is a charge to use it. The two well-maintained tennis courts, one with a basketball hoop at the end, are free to use. 

Aqua Marina, the resort’s on-site water sports provider, is located by the water on the resort’s lowest level and has a large storefront. It is the largest water sports center and dive shop on the island, and offers tons of excursions, including to evening dinner sails, shopping trips, and day trips to Saba and St. Barts. Also on offer are island tours, dive packages, and snorkel excursions. Equipment rentals are available, including wave runners, stand up paddleboards, catamarans, and kayaks.

The villa building has two beautiful outdoor terraces that can be rented out for special occasions (some are also rented with the individual villas for an additional cost). The terraces have their own bar and grill, beautiful views of the pool and ocean, and can come with lounge chairs. 

The resort has a casino that’s located in the central building. Casino Hollywood features Texas Hold'em, black jack, roulette, craps, and slot machines. It’s open from early afternoon until the wee hours of the morning.

There is a large convenience store on-site that sells beer and liquor, ice cream, groceries, some fresh produce, and fresh baguettes, among other items. Prices are a little higher than grocery stores outside of the resort, but you are paying for the convenience. A children’s playground is located near the security booth and has a swing, a slide, a play house, and a climb-through in the shape of a ship, as well as a small pool. 

The Villas at Simpson Bay has numerous bars, including three pool bars and a lobby bar. The resort has four restaurants on-site:

• Alexander’s Kitchen is a waterside eatery that is open for breakfast, lunch, and some nights for theme dinners. The casual spot has outdoor plastic tables and chairs, and serves American cuisine and seafood.
• The Stone is also located waterside and is more upscale. Open for dinner only, The Stone has an extensive wine list and serves elegant meat, seafood, and vegetarian dishes. The space is small, dark, and intimate with red booths and chairs. There’s also an outdoor patio facing the water.
• Bon Appetit is the resort’s French brasserie and bakery. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Bon Appetit serves a variety of good food at reasonable prices. It has an attractive outdoor patio that’s romantic when lit up at night.
• Roma is an Italian restaurant located in the middle of the resort by the casino that serves basic pastas, meat, and seafood dishes. It is housed in an open-air space that’s lit up with blue lights and accents at night. 

The Villa Pool is the most scenic pool on the property. Set right on the ocean (there’s a small entry leading out of the pool that goes directly to the water), the pool is long, curving, and attractive with both narrow and wide areas. There is a pool bar here. While popular, the Villa Pool tends to be more subdued during the day than the Marina Pool.

The Marina Pool is the most popular at the resort. Located closest to the beach and containing a swim-up pool bar, the area is lively and fun. Lounge chairs surround the pool but it may be hard to get a chair in the afternoon. There is plenty of seating around the pool bar (both in the water and out) and there is a shallow section off to one side of it.

The B Pool, located in the middle of the resort, is huge and square-shaped, with a bridge going over the middle and a lane for doing laps. A pool bar on one end plays fun music. The area is in full sun, and with the exception of a few umbrellas and palm trees, there isn’t a lot of landscaping; the perimeter of the pool is mostly surrounded by concrete. This pool does not get crowded.

The D Pool and the Allamanda Pool, both located on the interior of the property, are significantly smaller than the other pools. They don’t have a pool bar or music and they are never rowdy or crowded. They both have attractive design and a few lounge chairs and umbrellas around the perimeter.

The Croton Pool, set on the top of the property, has great views of the area, particularly from the sun terrace up the stairs from the pool. This pool is rectangular and not particularly large. Lounge chairs are lined up at one end.

L'Aqualigne Spa, located by the beach and marina pool, offers massages, facials, body wraps, and other beauty treatments. The spa is due to undergo renovation in 2016.