Closed for two years due to damage from Hurricane Irma in September 2017, the Palm Court Hotel on St. Martin’s Orient Beach reopened in the Fall of 2019 and caters well to both couples and singles. The boutique hotel isn’t directly on the beach (it’s only about a three or four minute walk, but this factor has a strong negative effect on the Beach Quality score, lowering it from the upper A range to the lower B range – and in turn the Overall Beach Resort Rating, lowering it from the upper B range to the lower B range), the swimming pool is very small and underwhelming, the on-site restaurant only serves breakfast, spa and fitness facilities are lacking, the rooms are basic and fairly dated, and the three-story building lacks elevators; but the hotel offers a complimentary breakfast buffet served poolside daily, free lounge chairs and umbrellas at multiple beach clubs, a poolside “Happy Hour at the Pagoda” each afternoon, a small library of books to check out, and an excellent selection of water sports on the beach. Rooms come with balconies or patios, kitchenettes, and large flat-screen TVs. Babysitting services can be arranged, and the staff is accommodating (they’ll allow guests to shower after checking out, for example). Activities include parasailing, jet skiing, and banana boat rides; scuba diving, snorkeling, deep sea fishing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, and sailing are also available in the immediate vicinity. The shops and restaurants of Orient Village are a short walk away, as are a number of trendy bars and restaurants directly on the beach.