Anse Marcel - The Hidden Valley of St-Martin

beaches Aug 4, 2026

What Happened to the Anse Marcel Resort?

Anse Marcel remains one of St. Martin's most beautiful bays — but its anchor resort sits boarded up, gates barred, once again. The white-sand beach is fully accessible and still one of the most beautiful the island has to offer. There hardly ever is any kind of surf, which makes this a perfect family destination.

Flamboyant tree in St Martin — The island's signature tree is the Flamboyant, also found in Anse Marcel

A resort that keeps changing names, never quite settling. The property started life as the Radisson Blu Resort, Marina & Spa, a 252-room fixture of the bay for over a decade. It later became the RIU Palace St. Martin — and Hurricane Irma tore through it in September 2017, ripping roofs off entire wings.

Sold, rebranded, and rebuilt — again. In 2018, Sole Hotels and Resorts bought the wrecked property for $62 million, entrusting management to Apple Leisure Group. It reopened years later as Secrets St. Martin Resort & Spa, an adults-only, all-inclusive property with 258 rooms.

Renovations, then an abrupt shutdown. Secrets closed for a planned two-phase renovation starting in 2024, reopened briefly in January 2025, then closed again on May 31, 2025 for "phase two." That phase never finished. The resort — now rebranded again as St. Martin Beach Resort & Spa — shut its gates entirely in December 2025, putting more than 130 employees out of work with no announced reopening date.

Restaurant Anse Marcel — Restaurants and shops at Anse Marcel are open

Where it stands now. Employee representatives say the property is owned by a private consortium of American and European investors who bought it in 2019, with tensions reportedly emerging between the owners and the Secrets brand in 2025. The entrance remains barred as of early 2026.

For now, Anse Marcel's anchor property is once again a closed door — the same bay, the same sand, still waiting on its next chapter.

Beach in Anse Marcel — Anse Marcel is one of St Martin's best beaches

But don't let that keep you away. The marina, several restaurants, and shops around the bay are open and thriving, and a handful of vacation rentals and small hotels still welcome guests. The beach itself remains as beautiful as ever. Anse Marcel is even advertising itself on billboards around the island right now — a genuine invitation to come see it for yourself.