My husband and I are planning to go to St Thomas this Labor day. Any idea how the weather is in August/Sept? And any advice or reviews on the Ritz Carlton?? We have already stayed at the Marriott and were disappointed n the service! We are hoping the Ritz is gorgeous and better hospitality? Please Help!!

The Ritz is gorgeous and I wouldn't hesitate to return there the first chance I get. Excellent service and great rooms - lots of marble.We used Marriott points so it was real nice getting it for nothing. My only minor complaint is that the restaurant prices are quite high on the property. We ended up getting some things in Red Hook and making our own coffee in the morning. We loved eating out in Red Hook or town at night. You should be advised that the time you selected is hurricane season. The weather in the islands stays the same year round with a few degrees warmer in the summer. Constant trade winds help with the temperature.

We aren't worried about the weather as we will be on St. John for the 3rd Sept. in a row. I've heard the Ritz is really nice. One of the insurance companies I represent has there annual get away at a Ritz and everyone's favorite is the St. Thomas Ritz. Personally we like St. John better than St. Thomas and again we will be at Gallows Point, excellent view and a great location. you might want to think about it instead. IMHO.

Thank you all for your advice. I feel better about booking the ritz and about the weather labor day. One other question- Is it true the Ritz charges you $65 to get to town instead of the usual $18 when they call the cab??

Any advice on booking a day trip to the BVI's? should we do it through the Ritz it self or take a ferry?

If you are staying at the RITZ in St Thomas, I would DEFINITELY get a CAR....
Cabs are way to expensive and the Ritz is way further out the island than the Marriott....

BTW= How long has it been since you were at the Marriott--Frenchman's Reef underwent a Multimillion dollar renovation and Morningstar Beach is GREAT--

But the RITZ is gorgeous- the pool area is beautiful-it is right down by the sea.

You do know that is $18 (or thereabouts) per person one way into Town? So that's x2 and then the return trip so whomever told you $65 is approximately correct for the two of you round trip. If you plan to do that a couple of times, it might work better for you to rent a car. Driving is not bad and you quickly acclimate to driving on the left. Speed limits are low and it's quite easy. The taxi into Red Hook is approx. $5 one way, one person so even that ride would be $20 but cheaper if that's your only trip that day.

Regarding the trip to the BVI. You can book this through the concierge at the Ritz - they have a couple of options. We ended up on a Limnos full day trip and LOVED it. One of the highlights of our trip.

We also loved the Ritz -we were there Oct 2002. The staff was very accomodating. We wanted to dine outside one night and they served us (alone!) out on the patio. Good food, though somewhat expensive. I would recommend eating most of my dinners at local restaurants. We did enjoy the Sunday brunch, but many around us were disappointed that it was not an all-you-can-eat buffet, but a meal off the menu. They did provided unlimited champagne, however.

If you have any questions about the Ritz, just ask.