Hard to know what you mean by "nice". The "tent cottages" at Maho are pretty basic. Pretty rough construction, no frills at all. Communal bathrooms. To me, it seems like staying on a screened-in porch. I'd put the emphasis on the "tent" part of "tent cottage". Certainly doesn't feel like a house or cottage.

We've stayed there and been quite happy. We've also stayed in villas and been quite happy. They're definitely not for everyone. At Cinnamon you'd find a similar comfort level, although the structures are different. At Cinnamon you can be right on the beach, while at Maho you're tucked up on the hillside. Both have nice beaches and other nice beaches in walking distance. I consider them to be quite safe places, although one should always take the usual, sensible precautions.

We've stayed at Maho three times but will go to the more upscale concordia ecotents when we return in November. We didn't like what we saw at Cinnamon Bay as they had real tents on the ground, less privacy it seemed, more dirt. Yes, Maho is pretty rough but we called it lazy man's camping. We won't stay there again as we've noticed the cottages getting shabbier with more holes in the screens, the beds are just plain aweful (maybe our backs are getting old!) and the last time we went there were school groups making a ton of noise all night that the staff would not deal with- we've heard that they rent more and more to school groups and frankly if I want to rent a tent in a school yard, I will. Otherwise, the restaurant is glorious, the shuttle is convenient, the views are terrific and you work yourself into tight buns from all the stair climbing to the beach and back. They seemed to have more services than Cinnamon too. Safe? Just use your head- there are no locks so if you're afraid of someone creeping into your tent noticing that you're alone- there's no protection but everyone will hear you yell don't worry. I would just keep a low profile and don't announce that you're alone. The beaches at Maho are fabulous, great snorkling off Francis Bay next door. I don't know if there's snorkling at Cinnamon. Let us know what you decide!