The Westin , St. John

[anonymus]

Has anyone stayed at the Westin Resort on St. John recently? I am planning a honeymoon to St. John for this August and have heard conflicting reviews. Caneel Bay seems to be a bit too pricey for me and havent seen a lot of favorable reviews on it either.

[anonymus]

hey there, I stayed there for my honeymoon this past june...It is a nice place if you are alright with the whole "all inclusive feel"....The restaurants were nice, I went diving there, as well. It's pretty close to the center of town, although you have to take a taxi. Overall it was a good place. But it depends if you want a cozy, intimate very quiet place. By no means were there all night parties happening outside out window, or yelling children everywhere. but there were definitely families there, and the beach was okay...(compared to the beautiful beaches on the rest of the island) In fact, when we would walk to our room, it was quiet, and sort of secluded from the rest of the hotel , because we weren't poolside or beachside. hope this helped....

[anonymus]

I just returned from the Westin St. John last week. I had been there the same time of year about 4 years ago. The property is beautiful, however, I found my room in need of some refurbishing. I don't know if I just got a lesser room because I was on a special deal or not. The rooms we passed on our nightly walks looked better than what we had. The resort was very crowded with two conventions and there were A LOT of kids running around the pool. If you stay there, definitely rent a jeep and get out of the resort. The best of St. John lies elsewhere. Westin's location is great as it is close to Cruz Bay for meals and shopping. Westin's beach leave a lot to be desired, so go to the other beaches on the island. The service is very good and I do recommend the hotel conditionally. If you are set on St. John for your honeymoon, the Westin would be the best place. Have you considered Anguilla or Turks and Caicos...they are my favorites! Feel free to e-mail me with any question.
Audrey

[anonymus]

If you want to make your honeymoon really special, I would look into renting a villa. It is a much more private, romantic option and there are some very affordable places. Check out Pelican's Perch. My husband and I rented it a couple of year's ago and really loved it. Very private with a pool and outdoor shower, great view and all the amenities.

We rented a villa in Montserrat for our honeymoon 13 years ago and have been hooked on the "Villa vacation" ever since.

Email me with questions.

[anonymus]

My fiance and I spent a long weekend at Caneel Bay last year. It's a spectacular location. Very beautiful, private and romantic. The rooms are spartan and may leave some wondering why they're paying so much for the pleasure, but one need only walk outside to the nearest beach to find the answer.

The Westin is fine for a family vacation, but Caneel Bay is worth the splurge if you only plan to get married and honeymoon once!

P.S. If you haven't been to Jamaica and want beautiful beaches and a romantic setting for a lot less money, check out Swept Away Resort in Negril. It's a real gem, despite the "all-inclusive" cheesy marketing.

[1994nyr]

Gallows Point is awesome. Very romantic!!! It's not quite as pricey as Caneel, doesn't have a million kids running around like the Westin and it is a 3 minute walk to the restaurants and shopping in Cruz Bay. It's been an award winning resort for years. www.stjohngallowspoint.com

[Carib Mark]

The Westin is very nice, and on a honeymoon, it's nice to be catered to and have someone to answer all your questions at the front desk. I do the villa thing as well, but that will mean either shopping and cooking your meals (something I'd only want to do very little of on a honeymoon) or dining out. Restaurants are great and plentiful on StJ but can get pretty pricey for the moderate ones.
Do consider renting a jeep if you can deal with driving on the left on winding mountain roads. The beaches are amazing and plentiful around the island. Otherwise, work out taxi arrangements. And visit a couple while you're there. Either way, you won't be disappointed by St John. Enjoy! (And be sure to check out the world's best happy our-4-7 at Woody's!)

[tennesseebeachbum]

Secret Harbour Resort on St. Thomas is a wonderful, secluded resort with a gorgeous palm-filled beach, very romantic and very beautiful. Snorkelling was great there. This would be my honeymoon pick--we just returned from our 20th anniversary. Didn't stay there, but checked out the rooms and LOVED the beach and water!!! We'll be staying there next time!