Actually, I think we walked down the beach and back on the roads. It was the walk back that was uncomfortable. I don't want to give a bad impression of Grand Case, on our trip we never felt unsafe there. But it was 15 years ago. The layover at Le Petit was also a while back, maybe 8-10 years. It had clearly changed. Le Petit was definitely an upgrade from GCBC. I actually really like the hotel. But as we all know, SXM is not what it used to be, including Grand Case, sadly.
Dennis, you may also want to consider the Orient Beach area, esp if you have 20 hours. Much nicer beach, more hotel options and plenty of dining. Since you need to cab to the airport anyway, it's not much different.