Sometimes, getting information from an experienced traveler beats input from a resident. Living on an island like St. Maarten can cause blindness to the idiosyncrasies of local habits. That's why we talked to Janet and Mike, proud timeshare owners at the Atrium Beach Resort and repeat guests for many years. These folks have seen it all, made their mistakes, and developed firm opinions.
Question: “Janet and Mike, you have been coming to the island for many years now, and most of the time you have rented from Leisure Car Rental. What is important for you when renting a car?”
MIKE: “Money!” he laughs and adds: “The rate got to be competitive.”
JANET: “And I need a reliable and clean car.”
MIKE: “Let me explain what I mean by competitive rate: I don't need to pay the lowest price ever advertised, only to get a dangerous clunker of a car. Give me a somewhat new and well-maintained vehicle at a reasonable cost and I'm happy.”
JANET: “Because he learned it the hard way. Boy, was I upset with him! A few years ago, he tried to save a few bucks and rented elsewhere. First, a tire blew at night in the middle of nowhere, no spare tire AND they tried to charge us later for the tire which was so worn down that you could see the wires sticking out.”
MIKE: “Yeah, I realized a bit late that a ruined evening on a short vacation is not worth the five bucks I might be saving by renting a piece of crap. Anyway, we also learned that if we add the typical cost of one nice dinner, we could get a luxury car for the whole week instead of some basic economy transportation.”
JANET: “We needed a while to realize it ourselves. But people, wake up! Car rental rates in Sint Maarten are so low, there is no reason for not getting a nice car. We don't blink twice ordering a bottle of good wine in our favorite Grand Case restaurant, so why shouldn't we go for a comfortable vehicle?”
Question: “Besides the car, is there any other aspect to consider?
JANET: “I don't want to be stuck with paperwork for hours. We have a long flight to get here, and I need to get my wheels as soon as I'm leaving the airport.”
MIKE: “Yep. That's her impatient side. Don't ever let Janet wait, it's not going to be pretty. But with Leisure, they are located right next to the airport. There is no long commute in rush-hour traffic to the main office. Also, they get the formalities done with a minimum of fuzz. Even Janet can handle that.”
JANET (rolling her eyes): "I'm not THAT bad... Anyway, Leisure has a bunch of nice people working there and that's kind of important too. They treat you right, they deal straight with you and they care that you have a great experience on the island. The owner, Jimmy, is hands-on, even remembers you if you rented during a previous stay.”
MIKE: “So... now that we said all these nice things about Leisure Car Rental... do we really get that upgrade to a Mercedes SUV?”
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