Hello all, I have been lurking here for a while.
I just returned from St. Barth a few days ago through SXM. I got off Winair, was moved to immigration by bus, then moved to departure again by bus. Immigration and departure are in different tents/buildings. The process was fine. Finally, the waiting area for the flights to the mainland, is the indoor, unairconditioned baggage sorting area. The main problems are the heat and the mosquitos. It reminded me of the old Princess Juliana. Tolerable, yes....pleasant not really but its a means to an end.
As to the condition of the island as it might relate to a vacation experience, I was impressed at how hard everyone is working to recover. The Island is very green again, the beaches are open, as are many restaurants. Of course if your home was destroyed or severely damaged, life on St. Barth is horrible. If having lunch on the beach at one of the large hotels is essential to your experience, you should consider waiting until they are rebuilt. But, if you want to spend time on what is still a beautiful destination, enjoying beaches, and eating great food AND can overlook the immense number of properties that need repair, St. Barths is still herself. For us (we have been coming for 35 yrs) St. Barth like this is a better destination than any other tropical island in this hemisphere.