hi all, we are a family of 4 traveling from nj april 22 for one wk.and two grown kids to join us for a few days hopefully. have priced out both properties and can't decide between the two. has the st james been maintained over the years we are looking at a 2br villa. is the pool great we are looking for a really good once a year family time vacation. i have stayed at ritz props and have my expectations. can someone help.

Are you looking at the St. James's on St. Lucia or Antigua? If Antigua, the pool is nothing spectacular. I've driven through the property and have not seen the rooms, but the villas are all somewhat crowded on a hillside overlooking everything. I expect they have nice views but that they're not really private for outdoor sunning, etc.

Many reviews claim that the Antigua property definitely shows its age and its roots as a former Holiday Inn. Many other reviews rave about it. You'll have to read between the lines of each to decide what you're willing to accept.

If you tell us more of what you're hoping to get out of your vacation with your kids and grown children, what your approximate budget is, etc we'll be able to help you more definitively with info about the properties you've already considered as well as suggest new locations that might even be better.

st. james antigua. air and room for 4 about 10,000 seems to be the rate for a nice vacation. i certainly do not want to stay at a resort that ahows its age for thie price let me know if you have any other suggestions thanks ps that includes food

someone just recommended the westin on st. john does anyone think this is a better plan then st. james? keeping in mind our two older kids would like to join us for maybe 3 or 4 days, so the flight could be an issue. any other thoughts, we have done bermuda, aruba st. kitts bahamas and beaches at turkes & caicos and puert rico. thanks for your help

HAve you considered just renting a 3 bedroom villa for a week? You could get one with a full staff for cooking, bartending, etc, and you wouldn't have to do any "work" on vacation that is often associated with villas. Start off by looking at Jamaica--it's an easy island to get to from most of the US, so your grown children would have a pretty easy time of traveling.

I'd suggest going to www.jamaicaescapes.com for a nice variety of accommodations. I can personally vouch for Mar Blue Verandah as a place with plenty of space, top-notch food, and low-key activities. Also check out some of Golfguy's and MarionCK's posts about their experience with Villas by Linda Smith. There's a current thread about Tryall Villas now that could also be helpful for you.

Going in another direction, check out Windjammer on St. Lucia. How old will your 2 younger children be?

we have thought of a villa but i was wondering if you still have the amenities like snorkeling, and the diversion of other children though not too many. also we love a beautiful beach and pool. our kids will be 11 and 9, seasoned travelers for young ones. i will look into those recommended sites thank you

I have been to the Ritz Jamaica and while the service was great, the beach and pool were nothing special. I think there are many better choices for you for that price range. If you want a spectacular beach, look at Turks & Caicos or Anguilla.

St James Club St Lucia is no more..it was sold to Almond Resorts and is undergoing major rehab.

hi eileen i have looked into resorts on anguilla and they come up maybe 2x the price of the ritz do you have any specific suggestions thanks