My wife and I were in St. Kitts in March. We rented a car, and spent our time checking out the island, using the hotel primarily just to sleep. We found that the Argulus (check spelling) Hotel located right next to the Marriott to be a great value. We booked through Travelocity, and the rate was something like $84, about a third or less of the Mariott. We were a little nervous about what we were going to find, but could not have been happier. The room was not at all fancy, but was large, comfortable, fairly new, and very clean, with a little kitchenette. The staff was very friendly, and we were surprised to be greeted by name when we arrived. (The occupancy rate was quite low at the time, and we apparently were the only American couple expected that afternoon.) After we arrived, we learned that the room price included a free "breakfast," which wasn't much to get excited about. It was primarily a loaf of storebought bread next to a toaster, with individually packaged cereals. We ate "breakfast" there each morning but ate our other meals elsewhere. We went next door to the Marriott to check emails and use the payphones (with calling cards) for international calls, and had a drink in the bar one night. We walked through the Marriott's large casino, but we aren't really in to gambling. If you are looking for a destination to hang out at, I would not recommend the Argulus. But if you are just looking for comfortable lodging, I would. Incidentally, our plans called for staying there three nights, and then shifting for three nights to the Four Seasons on Nevis--obviously a much more luxurious site, but at least six times the price. We always felt safe on both St. Kitts and Nevis. I am sure that there must be some crime, but I did not see evidence of it.

i've been going to st. john for 10 yrs and i've never felt unsafe. am i carefull ? for sure !! in spite of the recent crimes this island is really safe compared to many caribbean islands. what is nice is that you are never hasseled to buy anything. the beaches for the most part are in the National Park so there are NO beach people hawking items/braiding/drugs etc !! these beaches are overseen by the national park service. some things , of course are beyond our control but most times just use common sense...keep valuables locked up..ditto rooms/villas. when out late at night i always am aware of my surroundings..don't be a target..again , common sense !! the local people of st. john are a private, respectfull sort, who are friendly. the only rude people i see on st. john usually are from the states , i'm ashamed to say. this is a beautiful island with some stunning beaches , great people, wonderfull restaurants ,fun bars and no high rise commercial buildings etc. !! it really is a fabulous place to relax and dream...i'll be there in 5 days !!!

Thank you both for the info!

My family visited St. John (the Westin) last April and felt very comfortable going into Cruz Bay and travelling around the island. It is a beautiful island with a lower crime rate than most in the Caribbean. Admittedly, there have been a few horrible, well publicized crimes and it probably is not considered as safe as it was a few years ago.

There is a similar question about crime in St. Kitts on the following forum:

http://www.myislands.myeyez.net/

You might also get more lodging information here as well.

From what I've read, I wouldn't necessarily consider St. Kitts "safer" and I wouldn't consider either island "unsafe".

We are staying at the Marriott (with some help from our Marriott points) in St. Kitts in April 2007 and are looking forward to it. Good luck with your travel plans!

I think the section on safety in St. Kitts is actually on this site:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g147374-i541-k792449-Safety_on_St_Kitts-St_Kitts_St_Kitts_and_Nevis.html

You'll have to cut and paste.

"With regards to hotels/resorts, I've read in a few places that Timothy Beach Resort is a little run-down and infested with cats and ants. Is this true? Should I splurge for the Marriott? Thanks!"

It's up to you but we quite liked Timothy beach. It depends on your definition of "infested". I saw a total of 4 cats the week we were there and the occasional ant. We also saw several monkeys - so I guess it's infested with them too. We did not find it rundown. Also it has a nicer,safer beach than the Marriot.
Timothy Beach is small, casual and unpretenious. If you want a big resort with lots of facilities, the Marriot would be a better choice

If a St. John/St. Thomas combo is what you really want, I would urge you to go ahead and book just that.

If you think you would be more comfortable, less anxious by choosing another island, by all means do so, but realize that no single place on God's green earth is completely crime-free.

I'm personally not a fan of the Marriott on St. Kitts because of its vast size and the way it seems to physically overwhelm the area where it's located. Then again, I don't prefer to stay in chain hotels either. If you want lots of action, a large bustling complex and a true resort feel, however, it's probably your best choice on the island. Perhaps you would wish to consider the plantation inns, which are practically unique to the twin-island nation of St. Kitts & Nevis.

I don't know what kind of vacation you are really looking for. I've only been to St. Kitts so can't compare the two but know from all my reading about the Caribbean that St. John's beaches are far superior to St. Kitts. So it depends on how important the white sand, turquoise water is to you. St. Kitts has some beautiful, deserted beaches where you might be the only people there on any given day. Again, maybe that doesn't appeal to you. If you want an "Americanized" resort with all the amenities, then the Marriott is really the only spot on St. Kitts that can offer that. I have stayed at Timothy Beach Resort and much prefer it to the Marriott. You can still walk over to the Marriott and use their casino or other facilities but for my money, I'd take Timothy Beach any day. Yes, there were some ants - to be expected in that climate, I'm sure and yes there are cats - but they won't bother you and are really quite cute. A previous poster mentioned the hotel next to the Marriott. The correct name is the Angelus and after having many, many problems they have gone out of business. The government of St. Kitts has taken over the property/land and it remains to be seen what will happen with it. I found St. Kitts to be a very safe island but like previous posters have said, no matter where you travel you need to be aware of your surroundings. Enjoy your vacation, wherever you choose, but I don't think you would be disappointed with St. Kitts. It's a nice little slice of paradise.

I totaly agree with Nancy's comments.

It does NOT have a huge luxurious lobby like the Marriott, or a gym and spa.

It does have clean comfortable rooms, great location (near all the fun beach bars), and is reasonably priced.

To read reviews of Timothy Beach go to www.myislands.myeyez.net and to see pictures visit http://photo.show.comcast.net/watch/ie5ee2mb

http://myislands.shutterfly.com/action

I have been going to St. Kitts since I was a child and have always felt safe.

St. Kitts is not as commercialized as St. John or St. Thomas. It is the Caribbean's best kept secret!

Should be http://photoshow.comcast.net/watch/ie5ee2mb

To see the beautiful beaches in St. Kitts visit www.caribbeantravelforums.com/photo_pages/cruise/st_kitts/index.html