Royal Palm Beach Resort, a Hilton Vacation Club

The Resort & Setting

Royal Palm Beach Resort is a Hilton Vacation Club property (formerly under the Diamond Resorts brand) located at 115 Welfare Rd in the Simpson Bay area, within easy reach of Philipsburg, the capital of Sint Maarten. As a timeshare resort, it's built around weekly stays in fully furnished units rather than standard hotel rooms, which is what draws both long-term owners and travellers looking for extra space and a kitchen of their own. With a 4.5-star average from close to 800 reviews, it has a solid track record among guests who've stayed there.

The Area and Things to Do

Simpson Bay is one of Sint Maarten's best-known stretches, known for its lagoon, bars, and proximity to the island's nightlife and watersports scene. Philipsburg itself, a short drive away, is the island's main town — home to Front Street's duty-free shopping, cruise ship piers, and a row of beachfront restaurants along Great Bay. Sint Maarten's dual Dutch-French character means owners and renters can easily combine a beach-based week with day trips across the open border to the French side for a change of pace, different beaches, and a distinct culinary scene. The island is small enough that most attractions are within a short drive of the resort.

Selling or Renting a Week Here

If you own a week at Royal Palm Beach Resort and no longer use it, you can list it for sale or for rent directly on BidMyTimeshare.com. This is owner-to-owner resale: you set your own asking price, interested buyers or renters contact you through the platform, and there's no commission taken on the sale — sellers only pay a one-time listing fee to post their week.

Before you list, it's worth understanding how resale actually works for this brand. According to Hilton Grand Vacations (formerly Diamond Resorts), a transfer or resale fee is not officially published, but owners have reported paying around $250 per contract as of 2024. There's no documented right of first refusal on these contracts. Typical transfer processing time isn't published by the brand, so it's sensible to ask HGV directly or allow some extra time when planning a sale.

Resale buyers should also know what they are — and aren't — getting. Under current HGV rules, resale buyers do not automatically become members of The Club, and HGV Max (the enhanced points and exchange benefits programme) is not available to anyone buying on the secondary market. However, the underlying ownership at Royal Palm Beach Resort does carry access to RCI and Interval International exchange networks, which resale buyers can use to trade their week for stays elsewhere. Sellers should be upfront about this distinction in their listing, and buyers should confirm club membership status and exchange access before agreeing on a price.

Renters, on the other hand, are simply looking for a place to stay for a specific week — so clear dates, unit size, and any resort fees are what matters most to them.

Practical Notes

Sint Maarten's Princess Juliana International Airport serves the Dutch side of the island and is the usual arrival point for guests heading to Simpson Bay. Because the resort operates on a fixed or floating week system typical of timeshare ownership, sellers should check their specific contract for week number, unit type, and season before listing, since this affects both resale value and rental appeal.