Accommodations in St. John, USVI
 

I have spent countless hours planning a “tropical vacation” for myself and a friend who will be on RR from his current deployment in Afghanistan. After months of research and input from others, I have settled upon St. John, but I need recommendations on lodging. This trip is primarily and opportunity for my friend to relax and hopefully be rejuvenated before he returns to complete his tour in Afghanistan. With this in mind we are looking for a resort that is a) situated on or located near a nice, quiet beach, in the event that we decide not to venture too far away from the resort; b) offers all inclusive packages for meals; and c) has nicely appointed rooms (with AC). Any recommendations, I have looked into Caneel Bay (my favorite because of the 7 beaches from which to enjoy) and into the Westin (his choice because of the contemporary style of the nicely appointed rooms—according to the website), but would like other comparable options. We are traveling in early August from Florida and thus I need to quickly make a selection on a hotel/resort/villa. We will be there for 3 to 4 nights and the budget for the room is $2200 max.

Nightlife: What we are most excited about is an opportunity to actually relax in a beautiful and serene place. With that in mind, in the event that we decide to go out to a night spot, are there restaurants or lounges/bars that would allow us and opportunity to enjoy a live reggae band or other good music?

St. John is relatively quiet but IMHO, I don't think you will find a nice quiet beach at the Westin. It's mediocre compared to the rest of the island and it is quite family-oriented. It is a comfortable place to stay but Caneel Bay is by far more "serene." If you never intend on leaving the resort then this is the place to be. There are no all-inclusives on St. John. You might also look into something smaller like Estate Lindholm which is next to the excellent restaurant Asolare. These places are all within easy distance of the main town, Cruz Bay which offers a lot in restaurants and music possibilities. Coral Bay is comparatively quieter and many people prefer that side of the island, but it lacks Cruz Bay's taxi services and nice resort or hotel type accomodations. I would suggest also that no matter where you end up staying, you may find it most relaxing to spend time on some of St. John's less frequented beaches. If it were me and I was about to return to conflict, I'd spend a whole day at a more remote and peaceful beach like Little Lameshur or Miss Vie's on Hansen Bay and then have dinner at Miss Lucy's on the wide, yet unspoiled Coral Bay. Best wishes to you and especially your friend. Speaking for myself and I'm sure countless others, our thoughts are with him and his comrades.

Caneel Bay does offer a meal plan which makes it close to an AI, no alcohol is included though. Estate Lindholm is not on a beach. You have to walk down to Solomon, no problem, but coming back up the hill could be a slight problem depending on your condition and how much stuff you're carrying. With the budget you mentioned and for such short stay Caneel is by far the best way. You can totally relax there and not have to leave the resort. I would consider upgrading my room chice in Caneel, no food, and take cabs into Cruz Bay to eat. Enjoy.

I am a St John fan, but have another suggestion. What about Secret Harbour on St Thomas? We have spent the first night of our last two trips to St John at Secret Harbour. It has it's own lovely, quiet beach, pool, a good restuarant and a beach bar/restaurant. Red Hook is very close by for night life and the ferry to St John. We have stayed in a one bedroom beach front and a two bedroom ocean view. Both had their own balcony and kitchen and were very nice.

We stayed at Gallows Point Resort in April, and it was pretty near perfect. Walking distance to "town" and the ferry but quiet in the condo and views to die for on the patio. While it is not all inclusive, the units have kitchens and we actually preferred to make our own breakfast and pack picnic lunches for the beach. There is a restaurant on site, Zozo's, but our favorites were Morgan's Mango and Rhumb Lines, both walking distance. You need a car to get to the best beaches- Cinnamon Bay, etc. But so worth it!

Thanks for the great suggestions! The feedback on the Westin is greatly appreciated and all of the information will help to make my final decision on the accommodations much easier. Thankfully I have additional options to look into including Gallows Point, Estate Lindholm, and Secret Harbour.

We've stayed at Gallows Point and the rooms are nice but there is no beach and the pool is not the greatest. Plus with all the construction going on nearby I'm not sure how relaxing your stay would be. It's best attributes are it's proximity to town and the rooms with the kitchen are very nice. We have owned a time share at the Westin since 2000 and it is a great family resort with nice rooms but and I quote "we are looking for a resort that is a) situated on or located near a nice, quiet beach, offers AI packages for meals; and c) nicely appointed rooms (with A/C)". The Westin's beach is far from peaceful and quiet, it's actually man made.

Caneel Bay really is the only place that meets your requirements. Since you'll only be there 3/4 days I say make the most of it and treat yourself to a stay at one of the Caribbean's Top Ten resorts.