Following Marriott International’s acquisition of Starwood Hotels and Resorts, St. Maarten receives its first Marriott hotel with the Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa.

The resort, part of the Marriott International family, is the only Marriott on St. Maarten and joins more than 10 other Caribbean Islands offering Marriott hotels and resorts, including St. Kitts, St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, Aruba, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Bahamas and more.

Loyalty members of Marriott and Starwood can now link accounts and transfer points to use at all Marriott hotels, including Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa, Renaissance Aruba Resort and The Ritz-Carlton Aruba.

Sabrina Lawrence, reservations manager, Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa, St. Maarten, said, “We are looking forward to all Marriott Rewards members having access to our beautiful resort which is situated along the south-eastern shore of the Dutch side of the island, and just minutes from the Princess Julianna Airport.”

The 341-room resort is nestled in a lush hillside surrounded by the ocean and acres of tropical foliage. The Westin St. Maarten is one of the largest upscale resorts in the Netherlands-governed province with its exquisite guestrooms, full-service European-style Hibiscus Spa, on-site casino and the largest infinity pool on the island.

For a week-long summer stay for two at Westin Dawn Beach, travelers need 72,000 SPG points or 216,000 Marriott Rewards points, and until the programs are officially merged in 2018, visitors can transfer points from one program to another to stay at any Marriott/Starwood hotel.