Staying At Club Orient

Will I be able to stay as a guest at Club Orient?

Yes. Many of the owners enjoy building the community by offering their units for rent when they are not using them.

Further, the PPRN only allows units for commercial activity (économiques) at Club Orient, not primary residential units (résidential). Essentially this is because people cannot easily be forced to evacuate their primary residences, but they can be forced to evacuate non-residential accommodations such as hotel rooms.

Various models will be considered including those which offer more control and choice to both the owners and guests. Currently we are focused on the rebuilding effort.

Will there be units or lots available for purchase?

Yes.  There will be opportunities for new owners to purchase units at Club Orient.

There has always been a small amount of turnover in ownership, typically occurring when owners no longer visit the resort due to age and/or health conditions. Since the hurricane there have only been a few sales, mostly among existing owners.

Initially, rebuilding will be focused on the units of owners who want to rebuild.  Soon after this rebuilding has begun, we will expand our focus to rebuilding or repairing units that will be available for purchase.

How can I buy a unit at Club Orient?

If you are interested in buying a unit at Club Orient, please fill out the contact form so we know to contact you when we have details to share.

Right now, we are focused on getting the rebuilding underway for the existing owners and guests who are keen to come back to paradise.

Owning

French citizenship is not required to own a unit at Club Orient. While many owners have their primary residence in North America, several live in Europe, and a few in other parts of the world. Most choose to buy at Club Orient because of the close friendships they made over the years and a desire to have something that could be their home away from home.

Many owners took great pride in their units and added gardens, patios, and pergolas outside to expand their living space and made alterations inside to include additional storage or to add or upgrade features. In the few years prior to Hurricane Irma, many owners took advantage of a change that allowed them to have their units painted with shutters and trim in bright, Caribbean colors. Each owner had to seek approval before choosing a color for their trim so that the overall effect at the resort was pleasing.

In addition to any expenses for upgrades in their own units, owners pay fees to Copro for the overall costs of being part of a copropriété. They may also participate by volunteering to be elected to the Board or to work on special projects for Copro.

Staying

Club Orient is more than just a hotel for guests, it is a community of like-minded, family-friendly naturists. Many life-long friendships have been forged at Club Orient. Many owners started out as guests and many others returned as guests for decades. Owner or guest, you knew that you were among some of the friendliest people on the friendly island of Saint Martin.

While the owners were responsible for the costs of upgrades to their unit, the hotel operation was responsible for ensuring that the unit was clean and in good repair and for addressing any concerns that guests had.

The hotel leased the restaurant, Papagayo, from Copro and employed all the restaurant, housekeeping, and maintenance staff and provided security both at the resort and on the beach. It ran the Watersports operation and contracted with massage staff to offer massages to guests.