joaniejd

Westin Aruba is an option (we also need non-stop from our location which limits it to Aruba & San Juan in the caribbean unfortunately) Im posting this to the Anguilla lovers b/c I am a non-lover of anything vegas-oriented & In know a lot of gambling fans go to Aruba etc..Will it be very cheesy? Obviously nothing will be like cap, cuisinart & mali on Anguilla but wondering if anyone has been & can give me some honest advice....TIA!

iw

I will be honest with you. While we enjoyed our trip to Aruba, we won't return. To us, it was very Americanized. Not Vegas-like (been there, too), but I did not get a Caribbean feel at all and we have been to other islands. I tend to like quiet places (Guadeloupe, St. Kitts, Nevis...) and I felt like I was at Myrtle Beach, which I detest!
The Marriott was very nice and the staff was good. The island itself is very dry and arid.
You will find many others here that disagree with me.
Good luck.

blamona

You might be able to flight direct to St. Thomas, ferry over to St. John. There is a Westin at St. John, actually pretty nice. While St. John is different from Anguilla (I'm an Anguilla lover) you'd love it the same. The scenery is stunning, the Westin is really nice, the beaches are gorgeous (the one at Westin is alright, but a cool open air taxi takes you to stunning strands) The Westin there offers day trips to Jost Van Dyke and Virgin Gorda, which are also stunning. It's a much quieter island than Aruba, and has fun beach bars and restaurants.

I think it will suite your tastes better.

jennymary

I believe there is also a Westin in St. Maarten.. fairly new. My cousins stayed there and it looked beautiful.

Weadles

I agree with the above posters. Aruba does have a very Americanized feel, but it also has some of the best restaurants we've ever eaten at in the Caribbean.

We have stayed at The Westin in St. John, and it's very nice, but on a smallish bay that sometimes feels brackish. Town itself is a lot of fun ( lots of cool restaurants, boutiques, plenty of nightlife), but you have to either take the hotel shuttle or a cab/car to get there. As you know, St. John is home to the famous TRUNK BAY beach, which is one of the most beautiful ( and when we visited very crowded!) beaches in the Caribbean.

elisemf

The Westin St Maarten is really nice, its in a great area, with lots to do, big modern rooms and a beautiful pool- they even have a casino.

cdw

St. John is our all time favorite island out of the 20 or so we have been to. There is a Westin there and while its, beach is not great, the most beautiful ones are only a short drive away.

Anguillagirl

I've been there-and I'm a huge Anguilla lover. You are right, it won't be anything like Cap, Mali or Cuisi. The biggest differences are the resorts are huge and feel very impersonal. It also has like said a very americanized feel. As far as the island itself goes it does have nice weather-and the town itself is fun with lots of good shopping and restaurants...but again so much bigger than Anguilla. I wish you well in your decision. I think I'd try St. John's westin if you can.

cdw

Aruba is very Americanized and a little cheesy, but if you rent a car and check out other places on the island it was ok. The restaurants on Aruba are top notch. I still like St. John for its beautiful beaches and water. You can also easily ferry to Jost Van Dyke's White Bay which is arguably one of the most scenic beaches in the world! You are also a short ferry ride to Tortola or the Baths on Virgin Gorda.