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Entire home

Simpson Bay Beach. Two mile long white sand beach.

From the front gate to Simpson Bay Beach is just 50 yards.

Guest manual located on living room table.

Overview
Amenities
Policies
Location
Host

9.0

Wonderful

2 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 4101 sq m

Popular amenities

Hot tub

Washer

Barbecue grill

Kitchen

Air conditioning

Outdoor space

Explore the area

Beacon Hill, Sint Maarten

Simpson Bay Beach3 min walk
Maho Beach9 min walk
Mullet Bay Beach3 min drive
Philipsburg (SXM-Princess Juliana Intl.)8 min drive

Most relevant reviews

10/10 Excellent

Good value for the money. Near the airport but the planes are quiet over night. Great beach in walking distance. If you ...

Doug W.

Mar 17, 2024

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 4)

Blue Rose Bedroom

1 Queen Bed

Pink Rose Bedroom

1 Queen Bed

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio

Porch or lanai

Kitchen

Garden

Dining Area

About this property

White Sands Retreat - Beachside at Beacon Hill

White Sands Retreat (aka “Bowie Place”) is a private 2 bedroom 1 bathroom home just 75 yards from Simpson Bay Beach on Dutch Sint Maarten. Located in a gated neighborhood of other private homes where your privacy is assured. It can be rented as one bedroom (up to 2 guests) or as two bedrooms (2 to 4 guests). Rates are adjusted for NUMBER OF BEDROOMS requested. You are renting the exclusive and private use of the entire property.

COVID-19 update - The property is cleaned and disinfected each week and between guest arrivals and departures. Complementary disinfecting wipes are supplied for your use as needed. As you are staying is a private single family home you are safe distanced from others not in your personal rental group. There are NO common walkways, stairs, parking or group area that you will share. This is NOT a condo, resort or time share project.

The spacious cottage is equipped with modern appliances. All stays INCLUDE free on-site WiFi and internet access. The property features a one minute walk to the beautiful two mile long pristine Simpson Bay beach, off street parking and an local caretaker. This spectacular beach has no ocean undertow, gentle waves for swimming and soft pearl white sand. You can walk the entire length of our beach and visit the small beach cafes and restaurants.

You can stay in or go out and enjoy all the island activities that are nearby like world class restaurants, night clubs, beach bars and casinos.

You are booking directly with the owner, so our rates are extremely low for beach side accommodations. If requesting stay for more than 3 guests (two bedrooms) the forth guest is FREE (you must request a rate quote at time of booking to get the discount.)

Accommodation details:

Two private bedrooms with queen size beds and choice of firm or plush mattress. Each bright and airy bedroom has individual controlled air conditioning, dresser with mirror, closet, personal room safe and share a full bath with large walk-in shower. Both are supplied with fresh towels and all linens.

There is an air conditioned full size living room with Satellite TV, DVD/ Blue Ray player, movie selections and stereo. The dinning room seats six at a casual round table with tropical inspired designer place settings.

The kitchen has granite countertops and a full size gas range & oven, microwave, dishwasher and full size refrigerator with automatic ice maker. There is a full supply of pots & pans, designer plates, glasses, tableware, cooking utensils, as well as toaster, blender and drip coffee maker.

The back deck is partially covered and has an additional table and chairs. For the outdoor chief there is a stainless steel two burner Webber gas BBQ grill. The front porch is a great place to sip your morning coffee or enjoy your end of day cocktail.

Property manager

Gary Bowie

Premier Host

Languages

English

Amenities

Hot tub

Kitchen

Washer

Free WiFi

Air conditioning

Outdoor space

You own private patio right on the ocean!

Kitchen

Free WiFi

Air conditioning

Outdoor space

House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM

Minimum age to rent: 21

Check out before 10:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17

Events

No events allowed

Pets

No pets allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Rental rate is based upon number of bedrooms rented not just the number of guests. If 2 adults rent as 2 bedrooms there will be an 2nd bedroom add on.

If rented at 1 bedroom rate the 2nd bedroom is locked out. You are renting the exclusive use of the property. The 2nd bedroom is not rented to anyone.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy

Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges

Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed

On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited

Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip

Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property

Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a deadlock

We should mention

A car is recommended for transport to and from this property

About the area

Simpson Bay

Located in Simpson Bay, this holiday home is on the beach. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Maho Beach and Mullet Bay Beach. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.

Beacon Hill, Sint Maarten

What's nearby

Simpson Bay Beach - 3 min walk
Maho Beach - 9 min walk
Casino Royale - 14 min walk
Mullet Bay Beach - 3 min drive
American University of the Caribbean - 4 min drive

Getting around

Philipsburg (SXM-Princess Juliana Intl.) - 9 min drive

Restaurants

‪Driftwood Bar - ‬11 min walk
‪Ocean Terrace Restaurant - ‬16 min walk
‪Sunset Bar & Grill - ‬9 min walk
‪3 amigos - ‬14 min walk
‪The Palms Restaurant - ‬15 min walk

Frequently asked questions

Is White Sands Retreat - Beachside at Beacon Hill pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at White Sands Retreat - Beachside at Beacon Hill?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at White Sands Retreat - Beachside at Beacon Hill?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is White Sands Retreat - Beachside at Beacon Hill located?

Nestled on the beach, this Simpson Bay holiday home is within a 10-minute walk of Simpson Bay Beach and Maho Beach. Burgeaux Bay Beach and Maho Bay are also within 10 minutes.

9.0

Wonderful

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.

Learn more

9.2/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Amenities

9.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.0/10

Eco-friendliness

9.2/10

Check-in

9.2/10

Communication

9.4/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

8/10 Good

Chao-Hsin

25 Apr 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities, communication

Five minutes walk to the beach. Nice little house.

Stayed 14 nights in Apr 2024

8/10 Good

Gale W.

16 Apr 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

We will do it again

We really enjoyed our stay It was nice to have a place of our own. Don't expect a luxuries home. It is a older home and well lived in. Comfortable. We were a litte disappointed that the beach bar near took over the whole beach. We will still comeback to here. By the way, no hot tub.

Stayed 21 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Doug W., Sidney BC Canada

17 Mar 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great location for a beach vacation

Good value for the money. Near the airport but the planes are quiet over night. Great beach in walking distance. If you are looking for a quiet get away from the party atmosphere of Sint Maarten this it. The property is a bit dated but quite livable. Lots of space. Good AC.

Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Manuel

24 Feb 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities, communication

El lugar es inigualable, tranquilo y cerca de la playa. Es espectacular la propiedad, cómoda y acogedora. Se siente como en casa y dan ganas de cuidarla.

Stayed 8 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jack T.

13 Feb 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Another Great 8 Night Stay!

As always "The Bowie House" was a great vacation. Lowest price and just 50 yards to a beautiful beach! What more could you want. Oh, there's a small boutique hotel next door that will let you use their chaise lounges / umbrellas all day if you buy drinks or Lunch from them! What more could you ask for!

Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Pamela R.

15 Jan 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Time

Gary is a great host, all the comforts of home. This is our 2nd stay at Bowie Place, wouldn't consider staying anywhere else. Great location, clean, comfortable, well equipped and spacious.

Stayed 35 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Tanya V.

26 Nov 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Excellent vacation

It was beautiful time. Everything was grate. Definitely we would like come back to Gary's place next year. Thank you Gary!

Stayed 18 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Tracy V.

9 Oct 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Best kept secret on Simpson Bay Beach

What a perfect place to stay. Bowie's place was within a 5 minute walk to the pristine beach on Simpson Bay, and walking distance to Maho Market, Sunset Beach bar, the Boat bar (to just name a few), even 2 casinos should you so choose. The house was the perfect size for the 3 of us, with all the amenities needed to allow us to cook and manage our vacation like being at home (coffee pot, French press, blender, microwave, toaster oven, washing machine and more!). It was easy to get checked in, and any questions I had were answered promptly by the owner and grounds keeper. There were safes in both rooms allowing us to keep everything secure, and the gated property kept our rental car safe as well. The air units managed our evenings with lovely cool air in a short amount of time. It was truly a perfect place for our family. Thank you Gary and Neal.

Stayed 10 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Mark O.

3 Apr 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Charming Perfectly Located Bowie's Place

What a fantastic choice ! For starters it was a pleasure communicating with Gary from 'consideration to commitment'. It didn't take long for us to make the decision especially with specific needs we had concerning a friend who may or may not have been able to join us. His recommendations were on point starting with AAA car rental. We loved the location, very easy to find and within walking distance to a private quiet beach that made for beautiful photos and quiet evenings. We felt safe walking even on late nights and early mornings before sunrise. Oh and the neighbors were also pleasant ! Also within walking to eat and the Maho beach experience. Upon arriving, we knew we were going to love it ! The name says it all. Our dog and best friend is Bowie and that drew us in also. The home had everything we needed and more. The AC worked fantastic ! So much so, we kept it very low in the common area and I can't say enough about having individual air units in each bedrooms ! Our best friend loves to freeze but we like to acclimate to the average air temp. Coming from the US and needing to travel as light as possible to bring our dive gear, it was nice to have all the beach necessities available like coolers, pool/beach toys, chairs, etc. I LOVED watching the planes take off during the day, but night times were very quiet. We have a friend of many years who lives in Philipsburg that we hope to visit again and we would love to come back and stay at Bowie's Place if he'll have us ~

Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2023

8/10 Good

John K.

10 Mar 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great beach access

Modest home-but friendly neighborhood with wonderful beach access. Would have liked to have lock box code earlier to avoid problems with phone.

Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2023

6/10 Okay

Debbie M.

6 Dec 2022

Liked: Location, listing accuracy

Disliked: Check-in, communication

Bowie Getaway

We enjoyed our stay immensely, the BBQ was a treat for condo tenants. The beach was close by and so much calmer than our normal beach retreats. We found everything we needed and close to the Maho area. We also used your recommendation for the rental car, no problems. We did find extra effort with the door locks so hope all was closed when we left! Deb

Stayed 9 nights in Nov 2022

10/10 Excellent

John I., Urbandale, iowa

3 Mar 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Nice roomy older house near Simpson Bay.

Enjoyed staying. Place was clean, roomy, had all kitchen and home amenities. Appreciated the coolers, beach chairs, and umbrella. There were many windows that could be opened for air. We walked all of Simpson Bay each morning. The bay is a 100 yards to the beach. The planes are extremely noisy during the day but didn't bother our sleeping. I'd stay there again for this price point. A lot of room.

Stayed 15 nights in Feb 2022

10/10 Excellent

Pamela R.

26 Dec 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Time

Spacious, comfortable, clean, well equipped and private. Gary (owner) and Neil (caretaker) are very responsive and made sure everything was in order before and during our stay. Although this property is literally across the street from the airport, it is surprisingly quiet. Neil checked on us regularly to make sure everything was ok and he's a great resource. My sister and I felt very safe. Thanks Gary and Neil for making our vacation a fantastic one. Will not hesitate to stay at White Sands again.

Stayed 22 nights in Nov 2021

10/10 Excellent

Stephen A.

16 Mar 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Feb. & March stay

Stayed for 3 weeks. Very clean and bright. Housekeeper came in each week to clean & do laundry. Beach is 50 yds away. Car rental 50 yds away. Maho beach & supermarket 15mins walk away. A bit close to the airport runway.

Stayed 63 nights in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Brad N.

9 Jan 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great place to stay

We spent a week here and loved it! Great central location. Safe area and great beach. We used their beach chairs daily at the beach 100 ft. Away. Neil the caretaker was a great help. Planes are interesting to hear and watch and maho is a short walk.

Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2019

2/10 Terrible

Christine B., Algonac, Michigan USA

1 Apr 2019

Bowie’s Place

The place was close to a beautiful beach. Beach chairs, coolers, and towels are supplied. The sunrises are awesome. There is a restaurant a couple doors over, which was nice. The maintenance person, Ash, was very helpful to get us a rental car, etc. The planes are close, but you get used to them.

Stayed 9 nights in Mar 2019

10/10 Excellent

Timothy C., St Johns, FL

13 Mar 2019

Great Location!

We stayed at Gary's house in Simpson Bay in Feb 2019 and were very satisfied with our visit. We had 2 adults and 2 kids and there was plenty of space to stretch out and relax. The house was clean and well appointed. There is a washer, and numerous clothes lines outside to dry everything, which was very efficient with the sun and constant trade winds blowing off the ocean. Ash, who lives next door, is also the caretaker of the property and we really enjoyed talking to him. He is very attentive and friendly, and it was a pleasure to talk sailboats with him. Highly recommended home!

Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2019

6/10 Okay

Susan Z.

18 Feb 2019

Location, location, location

I rented White Sands for my 2 sons and their girlfriends who decided to come down to SXM while my husband and I were on the island. The location is the best part... literally steps to the ocean and beach. My kids took their morning coffee and watched the sunrise, were able to easily walk down the beach to El Zafiro and Karakters. The neighborhood was quiet and safe.

Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2019

8/10 Good

Debby P.

5 Feb 2019

Clean, comfortable and cozy.

Conveniently located near the airport, beach and the Maho entertainment area. It is very clean, comfortable and nicely appointed. Front Porch is a plane watchers paradise and is in the shade most of the day. We were required to vacate our previous accommodations and Mr. Bowie, very graciously accommodated our need to transfer our possessions and most importantly the refrigerated food items at a time prior to check in. Thank You !

Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

11 Jan 2019

Home away from home

We loved our stay at white sands. Ash the caretaker was a fountain of help. The kitchen was equipped well. We may have been close to airport runway but it was really fun to see and hear all the different planes. The planes did not fly all night. Being steps from the long expanse of beach was great. If you come to the Island take the time to visit with the people who lived through the hurricane. We heard some great and frightening stories.

Stayed 8 nights in Dec 2018

8/10 Good

Sunil T.

28 Dec 2018

Had a wonderful time

We really had a wonderful time at this place. It was exactly as Gary had described it in the VRBO description. A bungalow style 2 bedroom house. Location is just a couple of minutes walk from Simpson Bay with very easy access to the beach and 5-10 minutes walk from Maho beach. About 15 minutes from the airport. The area is very residential and felt very safe, we walked all over at all times including at night. We even befriended some of the neighbors. House was clean and had no maintenance issues. The availability of the beach chairs, beach towels, and the beach umbrella was very useful as we could take them in our rental car whenever we went to a beach away from the house. Mr. Ash, who is the person that looks after the house lives next door over the back wall of the property so you just have to shout over the wall for anything. He was kind and helpful to give us a brief introduction to the house and the area when we first arrived. A few minor issues, the router had to be placed by a window facing a certain direction to get wi-fi. Something that was figured by Gary's friend who came to see why the internet was not working. There were a few mosquitos in the house, not a big issue but a minor annoyance. The TV had only two channels available and both were not English. Again not a huge problem, but it would have been nice to get an English channel such as CNN or a local English channel, just to get the news of the day. One bathroom might be an issue for a large party. The property is right by the airport runway, so be ready for aircraft noise. We did not mind it, but some might. In addition, Gary gave us one extra day without charging for it because of airline scheduling issues. His and Ash's responses to any of our questions were prompt and effective. So, will we come back? Most definitely yes. Thank you, Gary and Ash.

Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2018

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

8/10 Good

Joseph Z.

18 Feb 2015

Love Simpson Bay!

The house was just as advertised. It was a pleasure to deal with Gary, his caretaker Ash was there if needed,(he wasn't). We loved it so much we are taking the same weeks next year! Thanks for the use of your home and I can't wait for next year!

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

kylee t.

8 Jan 2015

LOVE St.Maarten!

We stayed in Dec of 2014 and were lucky enough to find this great little spot. It was steps to what felt like our own private beach, the house was great and felt like home and had great entertainment and restaurants just a walk away! Also very happy we ended up on dutch side. We will be back to St. Maarten!

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Jo Ann M.

27 Dec 2014

Fantastic Gem!

We stayed at Bowie place for 3 weeks in December 2014 and had a fabulous time. Gary, the owner was very easy to deal with when booking and was very helpful answering any questions we had. Located in a quiet residential area of Beacon Hill steps from the calm beach at the far end on Simpson Bay beach. The rental had all the amenities we could ask for and was spotless. Bbq, washer, oven, microwave and all utensils were provided. There was nothing we looked for that this place didn't have. The beds were comfortable and beach chairs, coolers, noodles, were provided as well. If you are new to St Maarten an extensive guest reference book is provided. The close proximity to the airport runway was fun watching the jets taking off and landing. The noise was not problematic as the jets stopped by 9:00pm and didn't start until 9:00am the next morning. There are ample fans to keep you cool and we did not need the A/C at all. Ash the groundskeeper was was a superb host and was more than accommodating but respected our privacy at the same time. The neighbours are very friendly and we felt right at home and very safe. Although Maho is within walking distance a car is recommended at night or if you want to venture away from Beacon Hill. We spent early mornings on the porch after a short walk to Maho or down the long beach. Our "beach days" cost next to nothing as everything was provided. A picnic lunch also was a cost savings. At night we either BBQ'd or went out to dinner. We didn't feel like hotel guests rather like someone let us use their vacation property which was perfect. Home away from home. We will definitely be back.

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

8 Feb 2013

we should come back here

Whites Sands, Simpson Bay, St, Martin. This was our second stay at this 2 bedroom cottage. When vacationing at places in the Caribbean in January over the last years, we always say "we should come back here again". The fact that we came back to White Sands says it all. 100 steps to a very uncrowded beach to see the cruise ships pass by to Phillipsburg while watching the sunrise over the hills is a daily and repeatable memory. Walking onto the sand and seeing the yacht A and other luxury ships anchored offshore while the pelicans dive 50 feet away is a thrill. Want a snack and a bucket of beer at mid-day? Stroll 10 minutes down the beach to Karacters for tapas and Caribs. The cottage has everything you need if you prefer to do some or most of your own cooking. And there are at least 50 restaurants within 5 or 10 minutes. The new grocery store 10 minutes away is wonderful and fully stocked with fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and fish. The cottage is airy, clean, bright and well furnished. People from all over the world seek out the experience of sitting at the Sunset Bar and Grill to watch the 747 from Paris land at the airport, coming in so low you can count the rivets on the wings. You can just walk to the Sunset, have dinner or a drink, see the cruise ships pass by to another island destination, wave goodby to the last flight out of the airport and watch the beauty of the tropical sunset. When we left this year, again we said "we should come back here". We will. For two weeks. Mike and Frank from Maine

About the host

Hosted by Gary Bowie

Have lived in Florida for 47 years now and traveled to St. Maarten over the last 30 years.

Why they chose this property

After traveling throughout the Caribbean since the early '80s I found St. Maarten to be the best location. I have owed multiple timeshares but sold them all off and bought this home. So much better to truly own a vacation home. Will retire here someday.

What makes this property unique

Besides all the island has to offer, and all the beach has to offer and all the friendly locals. It can just be the best thing to sit on the front porch with a glass of wine in the evening and listen to the distant soft sound of the waves on the beach. Priceless.