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Shopping - Duty Free

Stores are open every day (except Christmas and Good Friday), and imports arriving on either side of the island are all duty-free.

On the Dutch side, shopping hours are generally from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.  Many shops stay open longer on days when cruise ships are in port. 

On the French side, the hours are from 9 a.m. to noon, then from 2 or 3 p.m. until 6 p.m.

In Philipsburg, the specialties of Front Street include everything from Swiss watches and French perfumes to British cashmeres, Chinese embroidery, Japanese electronics and cameras, Indonesian batiks and Italian leather goods. One can also browse through a vast collection of fine jewelry, crystals, linens, porcelain, liquor and cigars.

A serene Caribbean haven, the 257-room Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort & Casino is located on St. Maarten’s one mile stretch of soft white sand near the vibrant capital of Philipsburg, named #1 Latin American/Caribbean Destination by TripAdvisor.com’s 2008 Traveler’s Choice Awards. This four-star property invites guests to unwind with three swimming pools, three restaurants, four bars and the Golden Casino. Adding to the excitement and amenities are a host of water sports, Certified PADI scuba dive center on the resort, tours and excursions, tennis, internet service, meeting rooms and live nightly entertainment.
Discover Sonesta Hotels & Resorts in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Hilton Head Island, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Sint Maarten (2), Panama, Chile (3), Colombia (4), Ecuador, Peru (7), and Egypt (13). Sonesta Hotels & Resorts are opening soon in: Bee Cave (Austin) TX; and Doha, Qatar. Sonesta ES Suites is a new extended stay hotel brand managed by Sonesta. Each property features rooms with a dynamic work area designed for today’s traveler, locally inspired food and beverage and flexible common space for connecting with others. You will find Sonesta ES Suites in Andover MA, Atlanta GA, Auburn Hills MI, Burlington MA, Charlotte NC, Columbia MD, Dublin OH, Flagstaff AZ, Houston TX, Orlando FL, Parsippany NJ, Princeton NJ, Malvern PA, Myrtle Beach SC, St. Louis MO, Schaumburg IL and Somerset NJ. For more about the Sonesta Collection, visit Sonesta.com or call +1.617.315.9100 or 800.Sonesta (800.766.3782) in the U.S. and Canada.

*High resolution images are available at www.sonesta.com/media for all Sonesta hotels.