St John experts ~ Should I do this?
 

A couple we knew took their honeymoon at the Westin St John and gave our name to them as soemone who might be interesed in a timeshare there I guess. We are not, but we got an offer to stay at the hotel for 5 nights for $899 (for 2) plus free ferry transfers and a $100 hotel credit for food or whatever. I realize I will have to sit though a timeshare talk but I would love to visit st John. Is this a great deal (as long as i am willing to sit through the talk)? or is it not that great? I would have 18 mos to use the trip.

Thanks!

Kristen,
I think that it is a wonderful deal.

We paid $1500 for a villa for 6 nights.That was just for the villa,no food,rental car or anything.

I would do it if I where you.:)

Christie

Hi Christie. What did you think of the resort overall? I have read that the rooms aren't great and I'm sure we would get stuck in a low end garden view room but i don't care. Would we need to rent a car do you think? And how are the beaches and snorkeling?

Thanks!!

P.S. Where are you headed next?

Kristen: There is an old post on the US Board that talks about the different timeshare pitches. I believe the Westin is one mentioned toward the bottom. Original poster is DebitNM and so I would type her name in the US. It is still in the top 50. I can't remember who brought it back up. It might help to read it.

Personally, if you want to go to St. John, then why not take the presentation. Just remember they are good salesmen and you must be resilient or you will own a piece of the resort :)
Good luck and let us know if you go!

Hi Kristen. For those kind of things, usually both you and your husband are required to attend and you wouldn't be able to bring your daughter to the presentation (kids are not allowed). Details should be in the fine print. The Westin does have a kids club. Don't know how good it is.
We stayed in a gardenview room when we were there over 3 years ago. The room was spacious but a bit dated. Good resort overall.

Not a St. John expert, but I would certainly consider a 5 night stay for that amount on an island I was interested in traveling to. Sitting through a timeshare talk wouldn't be that big of a deal--probably an entire morning or afternoon. With the free ferry credits and the $100 voucher, you could do much worse, I think. I'd also consider staying an extra night or two on the island at a less expensive place just to maximize my time away.

With St. John's reputation for beautiful beaches and snorkeling, I imagine you'd like it quite a bit.

Thanks everyone. i did check out the thread on the US Board. Caribtraveler...I highly value your opinion so i'm glad you think it's a nice resort. Do you have any photos from that trip?

I was thinking thsi may eb a good anniversary trip for hubby and I in December...

I did not stay at the Westin but heard that it is a decent place to stay (probably better than the villa we rented)

We did get a massage at the Westin and thought the resort was very nice.

I would highly recommend renting a car so you can enjoy St John at your own free will.The beaches are some of the most beautiful that I have seen and snorkeling is good.

If you loved Grand Cayman's beaches....you will love St John's beaches.

Be prepared for some steep, mountainous roads and driving on the left side.We got used to it by our second day on island.We felt like pros by our second trip.;)

My husband and I are trying to work out going to Negril in May or June.It's not set in stone yet but we hope to go.We both work now, so we are trying to arrange vacation at the same time.

Good luck with the planning!St John is beautiful!:)

Christie

Christie, I hope you *finally* get to Jamaica this time! I didn't realize you're working now. Are you enjoying it or do you miss being the full time mom?

Kristen: As you well know, my husband and I love our little getaways. So I hope you get to do one with your husband :-) . No digital pics from me re: St. John. That was the trip when my camera screwed up and all the pics were ruined. That's how my husband finally convinced me that a digital cam was the way to go.

Did you ever see the trip report by iamq? He has great pics. As Christie said, the beaches are beautiful. However, they're not long stretches like the ones on T&C & GC. The beach at the Westin is very unimpressive. I knew that before we went so I was not really disappointed. Yes, you must rent a jeep to go see all the beautiful beaches.

Kristen,
Here is a link to the photos that caribtraveler mentions.

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/bquarre/...60762310457895

-Bill

It's been ages since we went, but I imagine it couldn't have changed that much... Here are more photos from our 2000 & 2001 trip
http://imageevent.com/kajugo/2000usvi

That offer is amazing! We sat thru their timeshare pitch last time and all we got was a stinkin' $75 hotel credit. And the salesperson definitely blew it from the start when he didn't carefully read the profile we filled out and as a conversation turned to my hubby and said "So you're a software engineer and your wife is a librarian." Haaaa! ;)

I am going to check out the pics now..thanks!!

I just got off the phone with them and they said we are not oblifgated to attend any timeshare meetings at all.

And we would get the lowest possible room category but again that's not a big deal to me.

I have until january 31 to decide so i'll let you know what we decide!

Oh and if I do go and any of you would like me to give them your name for a similar deal, let me know!!

Caribtraveler..did you see my cruise review?

I was very disappointed in Cozumel. I knew the beaches weren't all that..and the ones I went to definitely were not. Plus the people at the ebach clubs were very "in your face". But the biggest disappointment was the water..very murky. I am sure there are nice spots but based on what I saw, I won't go back there.

Kristen: I missed your trip report but just read it. I'm so sorry you didn't like Cozumel. I do agree the people there can be in your face. I think I mentioned to you that I had experienced that. The only beach we went to on Cozumel was the one at our hotel (the InterContinental). That beach is small but with clear beautiful water and great snorkeling. That's a bummer that the one you went to was what it was. :-(

By the way, I'm thinking of Eleuthera for this summer. I know you've been thinking about that. Or was it Harbour Island? Anyway, I was set on the BVIs... but as usual, I've changed my mind. Ask me again in a week. :-D

I still want to make it to Harbour Island/Eleuthra and/or the Exumas. I hear the Pink Sands Hotel (or Coral Sands) and the Four Seasons are supposed to be really nice.

One thing I like about the idea of St. Johns is being able to take a day trip to the BVIs.

Kristen,

My wife & I just got back from 9 days on St John, and loved it.

Renting a jeep is a MUST, you have to drive out to the best beaches as the Westin beach is average at best. Within a 10 minute drive, you'll find postcard beaches, one after another.

We didn't stay at the Westin, but walked through the resort, and thought it was very nice. We did massages there, and highly recomend them....very good.

The room won't matter, as you'll be exploring beaches all day anyway. The snorkeling is excellent, and most beaches have reefs to swim out to. The only negative I see with the Westin is that you will have to drive into town as the walk would be too long.

The driving is a bit "White Knuckle" your first day, but you'll get used to it very quickly. Definitely get a 4WD, as you simply won't make it up certain hills without it, even on pavement. You'll see what I mean soon enough. But please don't be afraid of the roads there, it really isn't that bad, and you absolutely must explore here.

There is a very active forum on caribbean-on-line.com. Just go to the USVI board, and you'll be able to get all the info you want, and also read tons of trip reports as of late.

Out of all the islands we've been to, St John is by far our favorite. A return trip is a definite. Even with 9 days, we didn't get to hald the beaches hitting 2-3 per day....simply heaven on Earth.

Kristen,

My wife & I just got back from 9 days on St John, and loved it.

Renting a jeep is a MUST, you have to drive out to the best beaches as the Westin beach is average at best. Within a 10 minute drive, you'll find postcard beaches, one after another.

We didn't stay at the Westin, but walked through the resort, and thought it was very nice. We did massages there, and highly recomend them....very good.

The room won't matter, as you'll be exploring beaches all day anyway. The snorkeling is excellent, and most beaches have reefs to swim out to. The only negative I see with the Westin is that you will have to drive into town as the walk would be too long.

The driving is a bit "White Knuckle" your first day, but you'll get used to it very quickly. Definitely get a 4WD, as you simply won't make it up certain hills without it, even on pavement. You'll see what I mean soon enough. But please don't be afraid of the roads there, it really isn't that bad, and you absolutely must explore here.

There is a very active forum on caribbean-on-line.com. Just go to the USVI board, and you'll be able to get all the info you want, and also read tons of trip reports as of late.

Out of all the islands we've been to, St John is by far our favorite. A return trip is a definite. Even with 9 days, we didn't get to half the beaches hitting 2-3 per day....simply heaven on Earth.

ScottB, Glad to hear you had a good trip to St. John. If I remember correctly, aren't you a big Grand Cayman fan? How do you compare the snorkeling? The food? Where did you stay? ST. John is still our favorite mainly because of Caneel. Owa

Take the deal and ask for a sales rep by name of Jennifer Doran.

No high pressure.Just straight talk.
Her sister owns La Tapa Restaurant in town too.

Check out: www.usvi.net

Owa,

Yep, that's me. Still love Grand Cayman, but STJ has stolen our hearts.

The snorkeling is great at both, but I'd have to give the nod to STJ. There are close to 40 beaches to choose from, so there is MUCH more variety. I think timing is crucial, because we had rough seas, and northern winds, so it did make for some stirred up conditions at some places. The beauty of STJ is that you can drive around and find sheltered coves that have better conditions.

The island itself is almost majestic comparing it to GC. Cayman is flat & scrubby, where STJ was hilly & lush.

Food was good, but I think GC has better restaurants. Both places can be pricey depending on where you dine of course.

We stayed at Gallows Point condos, which is an easy stroll into town. Great ocean views, pretty good snorkeling right there on site. The convenience to town was great. We don't drink & drive, so being able to walk home at night was great. It's weird as you are actually allowed to have an open drink while driving, but they'll pull you over for no seatbelt!! I spoke to a lawyer at one of the beach bars, and he said there isn't a breathalizer on the entire island....scary!!

We might try Anguilla this year, but almost positive we're headed back to STJ for 08.

Kristen - we stayed at the Westin summer of 2005. The resort was beautiful and comfortable, but not at all what I expected for the price. Another couple that went with us actually purchased a timeshare and have returned each year since. St. John, no matter how long the "talk", is worth it in my opinion. Contact [email protected] for a wonderful sailing experience. That was the hightlight of our trip!

Kristen,

When are you planning to go? If during the high season (winter), it will prove to be a fantastic deal. During the rest of the year, you might be able to get a very good deal without doing a timeshare presentation.

Starwood will oftentimes market discounted rates after the winter season. I was just there in late Oct 06 on a regularly published promo rate of $189 per night (excl $25 daily resort fee) for 5 nights; plus ferry transfers of $85 each (for 2); ended up in a pool view room rather than a garden view. Something to consider.

By the way, you can find my review of the Westin St John at: http://tinyurl.com/y2s5vh

And a detailed St John trip report here:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34901134

But from what I hear, a SVO (Starwood Vacation Ownership) presentation is very low pressure, and you don't necessarily have to attend for their 5-night packages. But you do get quite a bit of SPG points if you decide to attend.

That's why I signed up for a SVO presentation at the Princeville on Kauai for 5-nights for $789 incl Avis car rental...too good to pass up. I hope I hear from SVO for the same WSJ offer as yours so I can return to St John :D.

Bluefan... I think i will opt to travel in March as I always travel in low season (April, May, early December) when I pay for it myself!

They told me when I called we did not have to attend any time share talks. But I have some people who did got $$ off excursions etc. I would do it if I got aomething for it. Woudl i just ask to see if I would get anythin extra for attending or do they have to make the offer to you?

I would go for that deal! We went to St. John in 2002, and I'm headed back in 29 days. Villa both times, but we did go take a drive and check out the Westin. We even asked to see a room, and they were very nice about it. Very typical hotel rooms, but a beautiful property, with nice amenities, pools, and kid friendly.

ej,

Hi! Yes, started working again in November.I do like being in the *work force* again ;), plus my 4 year old loves preschool.

We are hoping to be able to go to Jamaica in May or June.It's so hard though because I love St John and Grand Cayman and would love to go back to those places also..maybe later this year.

Jamaica looks to be a beautiful country,so I am looking forward to it.I just hope that I can get my mom or someone to watch the kids as we (esp. me) need a trip without the kids.

Bluefan,
What a lucky person you are, to stay at the Princeville Resort on my favorite island.......if only I lived closer to the West Coast!;) I guess I'm lucky to be close to the Caribbean though.:)

The Princeville Resort looks to be really nice.
I hope that you do a trip report when you return.When are you going?

Christie

kristen,
at least get a verbal confirmation that you can stay in March at the timeshare promo rate before putting up the amount; it would suck to put up the full $899 and not get the dates you want

from what I understand, a SVO rep will contact you after checking in for your stay and offer you $$ off excursions or SPG points (depending on the resort) for attending a time share presentation; you should then decide to attend if it's worth spending 90 minutes or more of precious vacation time on (even if it's low pressure). for me, it would have to be a min of $250 or 10,000 SPG points.

christie,
i'm returning to kauai in the last week of Sep. i'm jealous of you...debating between StJ, Cayman and Jamaica in May or June. i'll be looking forward to your usual insightful trip report and beautiful photos as well.

bluefan makes vaild points---but--simply--you shouyld take the deal---there are no risks..

YES! get conformation in writing not verbal...again...ask for jennifer Doran sales rep.

Wow. If you don't want to use your deal, I know about alot of people who would gladly snap that up! A night at the Westin usually costs about $300 (cheap) to $700 a night! The little dog and pony show they put on for you only takes about 75 minutes and it's actually kind of fun. I would schedule the talk as early in your trip as possible so you can just relax the rest of the time. We scheduled ours at breakfast time (which is complimentary) and they gave us a kind of low key pitch and then a tour around the grounds. Definitely not painful, and you might actually find yourself seriously considering it because the Westin is very well-run and the timeshare is considered very desirable in terms of exchanges. Oops, I think I just repeated half their shpieel (sp).