A step-by-step way to book a room on Saint Martin's Island without surprises: the right order, what to send, what to get confirmed in writing, and how the advance payment works.
Booking a hotel on Saint Martin's Island is mostly done by phone or WhatsApp, and the island's season rules add a few extra steps you don't have on the mainland. Done in the right order, it takes one short chat. Here's how we'd book anywhere on the island, followed by how booking works with us at El Marena Eco Resort.
Overnight stays depend on the season's rules. Last season (2025–26) they were allowed in December and January but not in November. When we wrote this (October 2026), the 2026–27 rules hadn't been published.
Book in the right order
- Check the season: are overnight stays allowed on your dates?
- Pick dates that fit the ship, and check that ship seats are available.
- Ask your questions and compare two or three places.
- Get the booking confirmed in writing: dates, room, guests and the total.
- Pay the advance, if there is one, only in the way agreed in that chat.
- Keep the confirmation with your ship ticket for the whole trip.
The first two steps matter most. A room is no use if the island isn't open for overnight stays that week, or if every ship seat is sold. Last season only 2,000 people could visit each day, so popular dates went early.
Choose your dates around the ship
Tourist ships leave Nuniarchhara jetty in Cox's Bazar at about 7 am, take about 5 to 6 hours, and leave the island again at about 3 to 3:30 pm. That shapes your booking:
- You arrive around midday, so a check-in from 1:00 pm works well.
- You leave in the afternoon, so a check-out by 12:00 pm (noon) leaves time to get back to the jetty.
- Fridays, Saturdays and holidays are the busiest days on the island.
Sunday to Thursday is quieter, and with us it's also half our regular price. Our article on the best time to visit Saint Martin helps you pick the days.
What to send when you ask for a room
- Your arrival and departure dates
- How many adults and children
- The kind of room you want, if you know
- Your ship and seat type, if you'd like the place to book them
- Anything special: a birthday, an anniversary, a candlelight dinner
A clear first message gets you a clear answer, often in one reply.
What to get confirmed in writing
- The room type and how many rooms
- Your dates and the number of guests
- The total price, and whether it's for the room or per person
- What's included (breakfast, drinking water) and what costs extra
- Check-in and check-out times
- How much advance you pay now, and how you pay the rest
- The cancellation terms for your dates
A WhatsApp message with all of this is your booking. Save a screenshot in case your phone has no signal on the ship.
The advance payment
Many places on the island ask for an advance to hold your room. That's normal. A few simple habits keep it safe:
- Pay only after your booking is confirmed in writing.
- Pay only to the number or account given in that same chat.
- Send the transaction ID or a screenshot after you pay, and ask for an acknowledgement.
- Ask how and when you pay the balance.
At El Marena, once your dates are confirmed we send you the payment details in the chat and tell you if an advance is needed. You can pay by bKash, Nagad or bank transfer, or in cash.
Ask about cancellation before you pay
Plans change, and on an island the sea and the season's rules can change them for you. Before you pay anything, ask what happens if you cancel, and what happens if the ship doesn't sail on your date. We explain our terms for your dates in the chat before you pay.
How to avoid booking problems
- Book with the place itself, or through a booking site you know.
- Ask for the exact location and how to get there from the jetty.
- Be careful with offers that break the season's rules, like a tourist ship from Teknaf or a barbecue party on the beach at night.
- If the price is much lower than everywhere else, ask what's not included.
Booking El Marena, in one chat
- Send us your dates and group size on WhatsApp, or call us.
- We confirm which cottages or tents are free and the total.
- We send the payment details and explain the cancellation terms.
- If you like, we book your ship seats in the same chat and confirm the current fare first.
- You get your confirmation in the chat. See you near Chera Dip.
Not sure which stay to pick? Read hotels in Saint Martin's Island first, or look at the duplex cottage. Our policies page has the details in plain words.
