Is the Ritz-Carlton worth being on St. Thomas?
 

Planning a Honeymoon trip to Caribbean. I've read that St. Thomas is not as "caribbean" as some other less populated islands. Is it worth going there to stay at the Ritz for a week? <BR>How's the beach at the Ritz??

St. Thomas is a more populated island than some others but I would not consider it less "Caribbean" with it strong history and cultural ties that are still very much alive. It is "tropical" with lush flora and fauna and has a densely populated area in and around Charlotte Amalie. The Ritz is on the extreme east end of the island. It's location is great for proximity to Red Hook for dining options and the ferry to St. John for day trips or even just for dinner! The beach is a bit small but it is nice and they have a lovely no-horizon pool that overlooks Pillsbury Sound and St. John. Next door, where they are building the Ritz Club is a wonderful beach but don't know if it will be available when you go due to construction of the Club. It is a lovely property, and is reminscent of a Italian palazzo with all the marble and luxury but some think that the essence of the Caribb is not captured by staying in an American chain hotel with lots of marble steps! You will find great food, wonderful service and and a lovely location on East End. I think at www.scubamom.com you will find a good review of her stay at the Ritz. If you want to explore some more "remote" Caribb sites, you might want to check out the BVI's (Peter Island, Guana Island, Biras Creek are just a sampling of "higher end" resorts in the general vacinity) or even Caneel Bay on St. John if you want to stay in the USVI.

Hi John, <BR>Was at the Ritz in July and was extremely disappointed in the experience. While at one time the property may have been exceptional, we did not find it so. Food was mediocre, service was certainly (with the exception of Leonard, one of the porters) run of the mill, and the property itself was just not in keeping with the Ritz tradition. I understand that Ritz Rose Hall maintains a much higher standard. Its certainly a shame, as at one time it was touted as "best in the Caribbean. The property was also overrun with small children- not school age, so that may not have changed. Pool is pretty but very small- put in youngsters and it loses quite a bit of ambience! Rooms were okay, certainly not what I would term luxurious, although stayed at Marriott in Feb. and sheets and towels were better at Ritz! While I'm sure it's the best STT has, I would not return there. Love STJ and STT, and will return, but if you are looking for pampering and luxury, go elsewhere!

Am surprised at Gail's critque but ... if it is the "best" of the Caribb you expect, you are likely to be disappointed when comparing it to other luxury properties. I hope that Gail shared her feelings with Jamie who has worked very hard to bring it back up to the standards that it had when it was the Grande Palazzo before the Ritz took over! We have always been pleased especially with the service and found both the food and service outstanding! Wonder if the traveling in the "off season" makes a difference. You might want to check the recent visit report on www.traveltalkonline.com for the USVI!

I don't believe Jamie is there any longer- Had read "scuba mom's" review, but the name didn't match with the current mgr., so I assume he's gone. Service around pool was very poor, even at the bar you could sit for 10 minutes before being acknowleged. (and we tip well!) Also, beautiful interior bar now boasts a 6-8 foot T.V. screen, which was blaring out CNN the 2 nites we tried it. No water pressure- Okay, its the islands, I can deal with that, and a warm honor bar, which was never replaced. Perhaps just an off season "glitch", but I've always found previous stays to be "glich- free" with Ritz, no matter what time of year.

No, actually Jamie was just promoted probably in the Spring (sorry, my time line is very warped). Prior to his appointment, there was a woman mananging it who moved to a new Ritz (maybe in Fla, not sure!). Hummmm ... a wide screen tv ... that would not sit well with me either ... don't remember that in April! Agree you should expect Ritz service when staying at a Ritz but have found some variences with some of their other properites also! Frankly, I would head to Caneel where I could be beachfront anyway rather than doing the "marble staircases!" :-) Rose Hall is new to the Ritz chain and a/i, no? Haven't heard too much about it. Been there? It was a wonderful property before ...

John: <BR> <BR>I'm curious? Are you choosing St. Thomas solely because of the Ritz? I wouldn't choose a honeymoon destination just based on the resort. While, the USVI and the BVI are beautiful, St. Thomas may be a tad too busy for your tastes.

Hey Karen- Would love to try Rose Hall- Haven't been, but some recent posts gave it high marks- Nor sure about the a/i, which would turn me off. Didn't see it mentioned. I think this summer we're going to try a house in STX- Hope the ferry will be running by then. Not sure about plans yet- was heavily into planning til 9/11- Just getting my legs back under me!

Gail - I'm not an A/I fan at all, but it's probably a good idea at Ritz Rose Hall because access to other restaurants is difficult. <BR> <BR>We stayed next door at the Wyndham, didn't go all-inclusive, but wound up eating almost all our meals at the hotel anyway. It's just not very convenient to run back and forth to Montego Bay for meals - car rental is a lousy idea in Jamaica, taxis aren't cheap, and running around after dark raises safety concerns. <BR> <BR>We're trying St. Thomas next (Sapphire area) - NOT all-inclusive. <BR> <BR>

If you are staying at Sapphire, highly recommend that you rent a car even if it is to go into Red Hook for dinner. The SeaGrape at Sapphire has had a less than wonderful reputation for dinners for years. There is a new restaurant on the property, Azure, but haven't tried it yet. The chef has a casual ribs/grill place in FrenchTown before opening Azure and Betsy had a good reputation for her cooking! We use discountcar.vi and find it the most economical and the vehicles can be taken on the car barge to St. John. Taxis charge per person per trip and it can add up quickly altho from Sapphire to Red Hook it should be around $4 a person one way - just guessing tho!

Chazz- Thanks for the head's up! You didn't by any chance play golf there did you? If so, what did you think? Thanks!

Karen - Thanks for the STT tips. We are going to rent a car, partly because there will be 3 of us, and also because my wife gets carsick when cabbies drive fast on hilly, windy roads - which seems to describe St. Thomas' roads pretty well! <BR> <BR>We do understand that we need to be careful about where we venture in Charlotte Amalie, and wandering about after dark. <BR> <BR>Gail - We're not golfers, but we did walk the course at the Wyndham early one morning. The scenery was stunning (ocean views, oceanfront holes, a small waterfall that appeared in a James Bond film, sugar mill remnants), but it didn't look to me like the course was all that well maintained. <BR> <BR>I understand the Montego Bay area is just about the best place in the Caribbean for a golfer - three or four good courses. <BR> <BR> <BR>

The Wyndham has a golf course? I don't think so ... the only golf on STT now (there used to be one at the USVI also) is at Mahongany Run. Not near the Wyndham at all. Waterfall? Sugar Mill remains? Sure that was St. Thomas in the film? It has undergone extensive renovations and is scheduled to reopen this Fall sometime. Seems that someone mistook Roundup for the fertilizer and did the greens in on at least half. Don't golf but Devil's Triangle is a pretty spot!

Karen...read before you answer he said it was the Wyndham in Montego Bay which is NOT St. Thomas but Jamaica!

That's right - I was answering Gail's question about golf near Montego Bay. <BR>Sorry for any confusion. <BR> <BR>To get back to the original thread - the Ritz on St. Thomas - I read somewhere that you can get a "day pass" which allows you to use the beach and pool at the Ritz. <BR> <BR>The Ritz's Christmas week rates were too rich for our blood, but I'm wondering if it might be worth it to spend a day there. Any opinions? <BR>

Sorry, I didn't reread the whole thread ... now I see how I got confused! Thought we were still talking about STT and the Ritz ... <BR>Generally, the Ritz is welcoming to non-guests but it depends on the number of guests at the hotel at the time. There is no "passes" or such things needed as all beaches are "public." It would be my inclination to take a peek and look at the lovely property but there are much more beautiful beaches on both St. John and St. Thomas to spend the day. And then to buy a drink or two at the beach bar might have the tendency to set back the budget a notch or two as does the dining!

John, getting back to your question, my experiences with St. Thomas have been both wonderful and horrible. I was engaged there and then later married there in the late 80's. Then on another trip our room was burglarized while we were in the bed (we chased him out), and 2 men from our state were murdered there a few years later. It has become very heavily populated, and the male part of the population stand on street corners in groups and give mean stares. There are also beautiful beaches and beautiful people, but today we stay on the more Caribbean resorts of the BVI and enjoy the friendly people of those islands. If you are stuck on going to USVI, take Karen's advice on Caneel Bay for a true Caribbean experience. If BVI is a possibility, I recommend the following: Biras Creek (very popular upscale honeymooner location with phenomenal solitude on Gorda Sound on Virgin Gorda); Peter Island Resort on Peter Island off Tortola (their own island with private ferry to Tortola); Frenchman's Cay, a small, very low key resort on Tortola with terrific views, excellent dining, stunning views from your own small villa; and Sugar Mill, also on Tortola, another small resort nestled on the north shore with very fine dining.

John- Heard that Ritz is offering $135 per night- just saw it cuising around, and ( sorry) don't remember where I saw it, but you might check it out w/ some of the websites- Had a good deal thru Amex last trip. Did find a $155 per nite rate at Marriott.

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