After months of groundwork along the shores of Indigo Bay, The Setai St. Maarten is about to break the horizon — its first above-ground structures are taking shape as the framework arrives on site.
The Caribbean debut of The Setai — the brand behind Miami Beach's AAA Five Diamond, Michelin-Key flagship — brings 156 luxurious hotel suites and 24 private residences to a secluded stretch of Indigo Bay on St. Maarten's southwestern coast. After major excavation and the first foundations, the project has crossed the threshold that matters most to anyone watching a building rise: it is moving from the ground up into visible vertical construction, with more than 40 percent of its limited collection of residences already sold to buyers around the world.
The milestone everyone has been waiting for centers on The Osprey, a residential building offering a range of layouts from intimate one-bedroom residences to expansive four-bedroom homes. Its precast structural components — the framework that forms the above-ground structure — are being fabricated on-island now, with the first pieces scheduled to arrive in the coming weeks.
Work is also progressing across the main hotel building and lobby, where excavation and foundation preparation are complete and crews have moved into placing formwork and concrete for the lower foundations, elevator and stairwell cores, and perimeter walls, while excavation has begun at a second structure, The Martin. The essential power and water infrastructure feeding the site is now 75 percent complete.
When it opens, the resort will be anchored by a signature pavilion where the main pool and bar open onto panoramic views of Indigo Bay. Inspired by the stripe accents and curvature of a beach umbrella, the open-facade design pulls in the ocean winds and frames the water from every arrival point, defined by clean horizontal planes, warm natural woods, textured stone, and subtle bronze detailing — the calm elegance of the Setai aesthetic translated into a tropical coastal register.
Beyond it sit a beach club with dedicated cabanas and butler service, a Les Clefs d'Or concierge team, three pools including an adults-only oasis, a 30,000-square-foot destination spa, tennis and pickleball courts, on-beach water sports, a children's playroom and childcare programs, and access to a protected nature reserve. The culinary program spans five concepts, among them Ocean Grill Beach Club and Jaya, both drawn from the acclaimed restaurants of The Setai, Miami Beach.
The resort and residences are being shaped by a design team that includes Studio Munge, HKS, and Luxury Hotel Advisors, with the architecture and interiors composed to fold into the island's natural setting rather than impose on it. "Positioned within a secluded coastal setting at Indigo Bay, The Setai St. Maarten reflects the prioritization of tranquility, spatial generosity, and an intentionally unhurried pace of experience, resonating with travelers and residents seeking restoration rather than stimulation," said Ben Martin, Principal and Economics Practice Director at HKS. The design leans into what luxury travelers increasingly want — nature, well-being, and a slower, more intentional pace.
Behind the project is Altree Developments, the firm led by Zev Mandelbaum and rooted in a 70-year, multi-generational development legacy, with a portfolio of ultra-luxury condominiums and master-planned communities across Canada and the United States that now reaches into the Caribbean. With the framework arriving and the first vertical pieces about to stand at Indigo Bay, The Setai St. Maarten is targeting a 2028 opening — and the moment the brand's first Caribbean address stops being a rendering and starts becoming a skyline is finally here.