Sister & I want March getaway, please give opinions on these two options (Aruba & SXM)

We are early 60s and active and ideally want a resort with great beach access (low or zero issues with sargassum), great pool space(s), excursions easily available (I’d love a snorkel outing), a spa (can be pretty basic services), walking distance to restaurants, nightlife (we are not big partiers, but like live music). For reasons not my own, we’re only considering « Level 1 » USA tourist advisory islands, so quite a number are ruled out for this reason.

One of us is flying from a medium sized city that doesn’t have the best flight options to the Caribbean. In short, some islands do not seem like options due to flights requiring 3 legs & very pricey (e.g. Curacao, Barbados, to name a couple). After a lot of research, we’re looking at Aruba or St Maarten. (Though have not ruled out other islands). We do want a resort with amenities and we don’t want it to be boutique & super small/quiet, we want a resort that feels vibrant, with the option for peace & calm. A « compact resort » would be ideal.

We’re specifically considering Hilton Aruba Resort (Palm Beach area) and Simpson Bay Resort (Villas section) in St Maarten. Anyone have insights on either these two resorts, or how to evaluate these two specific islands? (Look, feel, the locals, the vibe, etc). I know Hilton would be a good bit more expensive (maybe $450 more for each of us). Any help much appreciated! TIA