Hi all,

My girlfriend and I are looking for a fun place to go over the New Year and were wondering if you could help us out.

We are in our early 20s, looking for a place where we can have a good time (good nightlife) while still being a little secluded and nice. Sort of like St Thomas, but more upscale and a little less populated, while maintaining a fun party scene.

Thanks for the help!

Well, you give missed signals since most of the "experts" on this forum would never describe St. Thomas as being even "a little secluded" and generally speaking except for one or two resorts (like the Ritz Carlton) it's not generally considered a very "upscale"island.

So, if you want something along the lines of St. Thomas (i.e. plenty of shopping, decent night life, etc.) you might want to look at St. Bart's. it's a very upscale island, has some of the most sophisticated shopping in the Caribbean and certainly less populated than St. Thomas yet you'll find plenty of places for your nightlife.

Keep in mind, that secluded islands by definition have less people and therefore they will normally not have a significant amount of nightlife. It's like the line from the movie Field of Dreams "if you build it, they will come" - people go to where there are "attractions" and business men who run those attractions generally build them where there are people. Ergo, the less populated the island, the less amount of activity (i.e. partying) you are going to find.

It would help if you gave us some idea of your budget - Christmas/New Years is the most expensive week in the Caribbean so when you say you want something "upscale" you'll have to tell us "how much upscale" are you willing to pay for.

Grand Cayman is an upscale island and does have some places for decent night life but it's not considered a "party island".

Cancun, Cozumel, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and to a certain extent, Aruba all have lots of night life so you might want to look there.

Good luck finding your "party spot".

RoomsAround,

Thank you for the long response, appreciate your help.

Haha, I guess I am not very versed in the Carribean Islands (as I have only ever been to St John before), so I guess that is why I am here. I suppose I should rephrase my original question - I am looking for something that isn't a dump (my girlfriend has been to St Thomas and has said that it is) and that has a good party scene (without being like Jersey Shore). It doesn't need to be a crazy party scene, like I imagine Cancun is, but I want to be able to go into a decently crowded nightclub and dance for a few of the nights we are there (and especially New Years).

But, I also want to be able to find some beaches that aren't too crowded (like I imagine some of the huge resorts are). Again, the only perspective I have on this is when my family rented a house in St John, and obviously I understand it won't be THAT secluded when we want it to be, but a little seclusion would be nice.

Budget wise, I would say that I am willing to spend up to $400 a night on a decent hotel. Doesn't need to be a resort, and doesn't need to be especially nice, but a quiet beach front would be good.

So I suppose "upscale" for me - in my early 20s - means something different than to someone of my parents generation, but hopefully I have provided a little more insight so that you can help me.

Thanks!
Steve

On second thought, probably looking for a hotel closer to the $300 marker over the New Year.

Thanks!

i think you should consider cozumel. iberostar or occidental are both in your budget (looking at expedia) as are several others. has the party scene but not crazy like cancun & you should be able to find a fairly quiet beach.
it's easy to ferry to playa del carmen for fun duty free shopping a/or to access numerous other activities. has good snorkeling/diving. the down side - it could be sweatshirt weather at night.

otoh. "Sort of like St Thomas, but more upscale and a little less populated, while maintaining a fun party scene." immediately made me think of st. martin. larger than st. thomas, a bit more upscale generally with lots of restaurants & plenty of places to party. some parts are quite populated but there are quieter areas too. i've never slept on st. martin so if you like it hopefully other fodorites will suggest hotels.