Westin St. John
 

What can everyone tell me about the Westin St. John? From its website it looks like a great place to stay. I hear the beach is no good so how is the rest of the place? walking distance to town???(shopping, restaurants, etc) Thanks!

If you do a text search of the Westin you will find numerous posts -- good and bad reviews -- of the resort.

The Westin is a great place to stay. I wouldn't walk into town, the roads on St. John are narrow and curvy. Taxi's into town were about $5 and there is always one waiting there. The beach is not that bad, it's only bad in comparison to the rest of the beaches on St. John. But it is nice to take a break from exploring, grap a chair, little table, and umbrella on the beach and lift your flag so you can be served. Food is expensive at the Westin, but the breakfast buffet is at least convenient. Lots of restaurants in town and easy to get to from the Westin. Grounds are beautiful, and large. You definately get some exercise by walking. We didn't mind...we needed it after all the great food we ate. We would stay again.

The Westin is a nice resort. Beautifully manicured grounds. Nice rooms. The beach is man-made so it doesn't compare to the others on the island. Rent a jeep and explore the rest of the island. It is easy to get around.<BR>Have not eaten at the Westin but there are many GREAT restaurants in nearby Cruz Bay: Asolare, Stone Terrace, Morgan's Mango, Cafe Roma, La Tapa, just to name a few. Also, Chilly Billy's for breakfast. My husband and I went there for the first time earlier this month and liked it so much had breakfast there again the next day! :)<BR>There is some, but not a lot, of shopping. For some serious shopping, take the ferry over to Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas.

The grounds at the Westin are lovely, and the pool is very nice. The setting and the island as a whole are beautiful. The Westin beach itself (the "sand part") is fine; it's the water that's the problem. It's rather murky. I think you'll want to do your ocean swimming elsewhere.<BR><BR>Although Cruz Bay isn't far as the crow flies, it would be a difficult walk. Taxis are fine or you may want to rent a vehicle at least part of the time you're in St. John. A car allows you to visit the many gorgeous beaches and you could also eat in Coral Bay, on the other side of the island. There are several restaurants in Cruz Bay but the shopping is limited.<BR><BR><BR>

Are there villa's available at the Westin or just rooms in the hotel?

pretty to look at not so wonderful in many ways. good prices to get you on good island but beach is manmade and you have to go to the other beaches. villas are not freestanding villas but are used as timeshare condos in clusters

Have you considered Caneel Bay on St. John? It has a beautiful beach and the complex is breathtaking.

Well we already have reservations at the Westin, so we are pretty much stuck in going there...non-refundable. We are looking forward to it very much, just wanted some ideas on how it was and what was nearby. We got such a good deal at the Westine($80/night) that it was well worth it...espicially compared the the price of Caneel.

Don't feel bad about your choice - $80/night is fantastic! Lots of people rent "villas" on St. John for mucho money and still have to drive or take a taxi to get to a decent beach. I would take the money you saved on the hotel and use it for a rental vehicle so you can visit several of the best beaches in the Caribbean at your leisure.<BR><BR>There are lots of daysails available and you should consider a trip to at least one of the British Virgins (Tortola, Virgin Gorda, or Jost van Dyke).<BR><BR>

Sounds like a great deal. Now take the money you saved and rent a jeep-like vehicle so you can enjoy all that St. John has to offer. Have a great time. The Westin has its pros & cons but best of all you have a "base of operations" on one of the most beautiful islands in the world (IMHO).

yes thats how we feel. We already have a nice little Jeep lined up for the week. and we are planning to go shopping a day or two in Charlotte A in St. Thomas. Thanks for input!

How did you get such a great deal at the Westin ($80/night) ... via their website? Was it for a limited time or limited travel days? Thanks.

it was in Priceline. Choose St. John. Resort quality. and you should get the westin.

We stayed at the Westin in January of this year on a Priceline reservation--it was great. The room was large, 2 queen beds, and not far from the beach/pool.<BR>The hotel is a big resort, and the beach isn't nearly as nice as the rest of the island beaches; however, it's not that bad!! We ended a couple of days there and laid on rafts in the ocean. It's fine!!<BR>One suggestion, don't eat at the hotel. Overpriced and not worth it, we went into town every night for dinner.<BR>We rented a car for 5 of the 7 days we were there, but still took a taxi to dinner ($5).<BR>Have a great time!!!