Planing a 7-10 day getaway for three old friends in late November. We're looking for laid back beach hotel with local music/beach bars walkable from the hotel. Some gambling available prefered. We're looking to enjoy the local area, but don't care to be relentlessly hassled and scammed. Your thoughts on a geat swimable beach with bars/resaurants right down the beach would be appreciated. Negril is probably not an option. Too many higglers, i'm thinking. Thank you for your suggestions.

What's a higgler?

A salesman...

Aruba would be great for November!
Maybe look into the Hyatt or some of the other high rise hotels.

How about Cane Garden Bay in Tortola. Sounds like it would fit the bill.

I agree with the Aruba suggestion as well.

St. Kitts Marriott would be my thought. There is a casino, golf course, and some restaurants within walking distance. Mr. X's Shiggidy Shack is up the road and is very inexpensive. We were there for our 2nd trip last month and saw lots of guys that were obviously out to hang and have a good time! You can also take the ferry to Nevis or a day sail.

yes, tortola/cane garden bay would fit the bill...except there is no gambling on tortola !!

As a resident of St. John..Check out gallows Point in St. John. Right on bay.
www.gallowspointresort.com

Swimable beach, pool and great snorkeling...1 minute walk to Wharfside Village BEACH bars, fantastic restaurants, upstairs casino slots etc, and you gotta check out Woody's bar cruz bay center for great mixing with locals and visitors.

U.S. territory that is very safe and secure and friendly. ATM's and NO hassles from pan handlers.

Lifestyle culture site:
www.virginvoices.com

Gallows Point is not a laid back beach hotel.

Is anyone else getting tired of publisher's constant ads for Gallows Point and Virgin Voice?

Yikes!

-Bill

The low-rise Divi in Aruba with Tamaryn privileges next door is very laid back with a great beach bar. There is a casino across the yard, walking distance or golf cart shuttle. It is AI wich incluses sailboat use, and between the 2 sister hotels there are several restaurants to choose, plus bus service in front to take you into town for entertainmant and more restaurants.
This is not a fancy resort, but a fun one, and beach volleyball games are ongoing whenever they can find 3 old friends to join in.

Bill:

Didn't realize you owned FODOR's and this talk section about Caribbean.

Remember: the posts are about the Caribbean and not personally attacking anyone trying to suggest properties.

Since I live on St. John I and am particularly fond of referring people to Gallows because it IS laid back CONTRARY to your belief. You can hang on your balcony with brews, cooks some food, or stroll down to a beach bar...

This is their criteria:
"We're looking for laid back beach hotel with local music/beach bars walkable from the hotel. Some gambling available prefered."

The beach front villas with refridgerator and amenities are perfect.

The walk to local beach bum bars like "The BEach BBar" are 1 minutes away. Great music and beach bar food. Great Italian food at Panini Beach Trattatoria beside the beach bar...gambling upstairs...


You, frankly, are rude and off subject attacking me.

I live in the St. John and Old San Juan and wanted to offer Gallows as a "beach resort" that is IN FACT laid back and would be perfect for 3 friends. It meets all their criteria.

If you have nothing constructive to contribute, don't bother, OK?

Another resort in St. Kitts you might enjoy is Timothy Beach Resort. Located on the Caribbean, therefore the water is calmer than the Atlantic where the Marriott is located. It is a smaller hotel, more of a Caribbean feel and walking/crawling distance to the many fun beach bars. www.mrxshiggidyshack.com

Visit www.discover-stkitts-nevis-beaches.com for more information on this beautiful, unspoilt island.

Check out Playa del Carmen, especially
the 'hip-South Beach-style' Hotel Basico and Hotel del Seo. Nightlife, a non-Cancun scene, very good swimmable beaches.
Rent a car and drive down from Cancun for some mobility to explore. Gambling, no. Higglers, no. Otherwise, might work well. I'd recommend also St. John since it's easy and not a culture shock -- it's American to the max for good beaches/snorkelling -- but the local music scene is limited and the beach bars mostly in town. If you like trustafarians, they're aplenty. I also wouldn't recommend Gallows Point at all for 3 guys limin and on the lam. It's condo-ish and predictable, imho. But there's not much of an island sense in the USVIs.

I used to live on St. John. btw. Places like Gallows Point are symbolic of why I left

Getting back to the criteria listed by 3 old friends:

"Planing a 7-10 day getaway for three old friends in late November. We're looking for laid back beach hotel with local music/beach bars walkable from the hotel. Some gambling available prefered. We're looking to enjoy the local area, but don't care to be relentlessly hassled and scammed. Your thoughts on a geat swimable beach with bars/resaurants right down the beach would be appreciated."

No where do I read that there is expressed or implied that accommodations are for "for 3 guys limin and on the lam." Sure--Gallows is predictable, but its walkable to beach bars, and all sorts of fun for 3 guys wanting to blow off steam, reminise and get crazy for a while

You are right: " St. John since it's easy and not a culture shock -- it's American to the max for good beaches/snorkelling ..."

They be wantin' to be chillin' and dont want hassles....St John wont hassle you I assure you

Gallows in Early November is extremely laid back---no pretense---no shirt/swim trunks OK..great snorkeling off shore...

St. John has world class jazz by local artists and residents who have impressive music backgrounds. many at at the Beach Bar at Wharfside Village 1 minute from Gallows. Some music out in Coral Bay at Shipwreck Landing and Miss Lucy's (although they just close for summer yesterday.)

When la Tapa restaurant reopens in September, they are one of the only Monday night places for live latin jazz.

Local singer songwriter "T-Bird" will knock you socks off who also performs around the island...

You want swimable beaches with bars on the beach---St. John is it.

That sure did bring out the copywriter in you/lol. Nah vex yuself -- but learn not to oversell -- it works against your credibility. SJ might well be a good choice, amongst many others they're sure to discover in posts here and to come. Suggestions aren't pitches.

Not "pitching" anything really---not overselling st john either...just love the place been here 9 years...as well as old san juan where i have a condo...

Prefer accurate views of St. John that's all.

If you live here---then we should have a brew!


Appreciate the posting advice though...hope all of our posts has helped the three guys lookin' for beach bars, palm trees and some chillin' without hassles walkable from accommodations...

Thank you all very much for your suggestions. We are looking to be Limin', but we're not on the lam. Have been to Playa area (north and south to Tulum)five times, and am looking for more of a smaller, low-rise island feel hotel (think great caribbean beach, and english speaking.). Have never been to Aruba, but seems a bit over-americanized for what we'd like. My pals wouldn't care to go too basic room-wise, (no open-screen huts, please). Surely someone knows of a good, smaller (100 rooms max, smaller OK) beach resort with bars, music, food and a great beach. Please keep your thoughts coming. Tivertonhouse: i loved the "trustafarians" phrase, also. Hope to be chillin' in paradise in November.Thanks again.

OK!

Do BVI Tortola's Myette's garden beach hotel.

http://www.myettent.com/

call owner Valerie and tell her Dan from old san juan sends you

There is amazing bars and music on the beach!

ps

best car rental:
jerrys
www.jerrysrental.com

hope this helps