Westin St. John trip report

Old Mar 20th, 2006, 10:39 AM
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Westin St. John trip report

We just got back about 2 weeks ago and I owe a trip report to all of you loyal Fodor enthusiasts!

In a word, St. John is FABULOUS! We were amazed at not only how beautiful the island is, but also, how natural and undeveloped it is compared to so many other carribbean islands. We kept saying as we were laying at Trunk Bay that we felt like we were on Survivor!

We started from Boston with a direct flight to St. Thomas (nice!) Of course we were delayed for 2 hours (American Airlines) due to an electrical problem which should have been discovered before we all boarded the plane (but don't get me started!) Anyway, once in the air an uneventful flight. The fun started as soon as we arrived with everyone walking around the open air airport with Red Stripe beers in their hands, so we joined in! Went to the Westin waiting area for our shuttle to the ferry. I guess I should mention, the girl checking everyone in was very rude and seemed to be bothered that all of us were there, but, luckily we never had to see her again! Due to our flight delay, we missed the 2:30 ferry and took the 4:45. We had just enought time to grab a rum drink at the little bar that is right beside the Westin ferry (when you get off the shuttle). Then we were off on our way through the beautiful waters to St. John. It's a great introduction to the area, seeing all of the little islands and blue water as you make your way to ST. John. A short 45 minutes later we arrived at the dock to be greeted by a sweet woman named Ivy. She wisked us away in a golf cart to our room and brought our bags to us shortly after. I must say, they were very organized upon all of our arrivals (about 10 groups at the same time) It was nice to arrive to smiling faces and another rum punch!

The rooms...
We had requested a pool view room and we were very satisfied. Ivy accidently took us to a ocean front room first and we didn't like it as much as the pool view room! The ocean front didn't have a terrace (2nd floor) and the ceiling tilted so it made the room very dark. In addition, as many have said the beach at the Westin isn't what I'd call a serene, natural beach. I would call it more of a harbor or cove. There are a lot of boats moored in the water along with the water trampolines and a blow up iceberg thing. So the view from the ocean front room isn't as fabulous as with some hotels, and in our opinion, not worth the added price. Also, these rooms were right next to the gazebo where they had 2 parties held during our stay. The music was loud enough from our room, I can't imagine how loud it must have been in the ocean front rooms!

Anyway, we got to our pool view room and it was perfect for us. We had room 1116 on the first floor. Our terrace was about 20 steps from the pool area which was great with our 2 kids. The room itself is pretty generic but the plasma TV was a nice addition. We actually found the Heavenly beds to be too soft for us, but, some may love them. They didn't feel like the Heavenly beds we've experienced in other Westins. Who knows? And the sheets were very scratchy (50 cotton/50 poly) But, again, not a huge deal when you're in paradise. The bathroom was a decent size with marble floors and a nice sink area. Overall, as with most resort hotels, the room wasn't the highlight of our stay, although, we loved our terrace. The best thing about the Westin is the wonderful landscaping (you feel like you're in paradise) and the fun activity around the pool. I recommend this resort if you're with your kids or a group looking for fun. If you want a more quiet relaxing time, look into Caneel Bay.

our activities...
We rented a jeep the next morning from O'Connor at the Westin. The woman was not the least bit friendly but we got a brand new Jeep Liberty for the week. I think it was $70/day. So most every day we would tour around the island to a fantastic beach in the morning, then stop for lunch somewhere, then spend the afternoon at the pool at the Westin. Our favorite beaches were Trunk Bay #1 (I guess we got lucky because it was never crowded) The water is a gorgeous deep turquoise and the sand is soft and white. We also loved the fact that most of the beaches had snack bars and showers to rinse off the sand. My husband snorkeled there and saw lots of fish. Someone next to us saw a baracuta. Hawksnest Beach #2 very close to Trunk Bay and right along the road and Cinnamon Bay #3 I think we were almost the only ones there that morning! In my opinion, it's the ability to tour around on your own and find so many different great beaches that makes St. John so unique. We didn't make it to all of the beaches we wanted to because we were limited by our 2 and 5 year olds. So next time we want to hit Honeymoon Beach, Maho and Watermelon. We went to Salt Pond Bay and Little Lameshur Bay and didn't find those to be as impressive. Maybe we missed something? Another thing we want to do next time is go out on a boat trip to The Baths in Virgin Gorda and Jost Van Dyke. Since our kids are young they wanted to be at the pool, but, next trip we call the shots.

The food...
OK, now I just have to say I don't understand why people have said that the island is expensive. We found the the restaurants, bars and even the pool bar at the Westin to be quite reasonable. We had fabulous dinners everynight at The Lime Inn (island feel, open air, very nice staff), Rhumb Lines (loved the bohemian feel, throw pillows on the benches, great swing hanging at the bar), La Tapas (excellent food, great wine, we sat right along the sidewalk and watched all of the party goers from Woody's and The Quiet Mon upstairs), The Balcony (very nice staff, great view of the water and sunset), Morgan's Mango (probably our least favorite, but still a nice relaxed atmosphere) and The Equator at Caneel Bay (our last night, unbelievable sunset, and suprisingly good food for a resort). We really enjoyed all of our meals. Each restaurant was different so it made it more of an adventure. We really liked The Sundog Cafe for lunch in Mongoose Junction. We actually ate there twice and I liked poking around in the cute shops. For you women out there, great beachwear ie: pareos, hats, sandals and beach totes. We wanted to go to Paradiso but they were closed for some change in format and we couldn't go to ZoZo's with our children. So there's 2 more for next time! If you stay at the Westin DON'T waste your time or money on breakfast there! It took over an hour due to SLOW service and the food wasn't good or hot! We ended up going to Starfish market and getting juice, muffins, yogurt, cereal and fruit and storing it in the fridge. One morning we at in town at Chilly Billy's but again it wasted a lot of beach time and was just OK. I can't forget to mention, we had Sunday brunch at Miss Lucy's. We loved the unique location under a big tree along the water's edge but I have to say the food was a bit disappointing. We'd go back again just for the ambience though. And of course, we loved Skinny Legs for lunch. Just a fun, down and dirty stop with great burgers and TV's playing the sport du jour. Great fun stop when you're on that side of the island. Cute little shop there too, girls.

honorable mentions....
I have to give the Westin credit for their nice workout room. Little flat screen TV's at each treadmill and a lot of nice machines and free weights. I didn't get to experience any spa treatments because it was booked so make advance reservations.
Also, the women at the Kids' Club were very nice and I would feel fine leaving my children in their hands. We didn't use them because my littlest child isn't potty trained and they couldn't take her. Again, for kids they play a movie out by the pool one night a week after it gets dark which was fun when we got back from dinner one night.
The so-called Conceirge staff is useless. The basically have a giant menu book and say that they are all good. What I found very annoying was one night I walked up to the desk and asked if she could make a reservation for the following night. Instead of doing so while I was standing there, she input my request into a computer and told me that someone from her "staff" would get back to me within 24 hours. We never heard back until about 2 hours before dinner the next night. Why she couldn't have just made a call while I was there is beyond me.

Overall...
We just loved ST. John and look forward to going back. Bermuda has always been our favorite, but, St. John is a right up there! The people aren't as friendly as in Bermuda, but, the beaches are better. So I think it evens out! I hope this helps at least some of you because so many people on this site helped us plan a great trip!
bermudafan is offline  
Old Mar 20th, 2006, 11:19 AM
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Great report-- we leave in 1 week and can't wait. Thanks for the info.
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Old Mar 20th, 2006, 11:22 AM
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Welcome back! Glad you loved the island.
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Old Mar 20th, 2006, 01:41 PM
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Glad to hear that you enjoyed St John.We went there this past June and Sept.In Sept. it was great as we felt like we had the beaches to ourselves!

Little Lameshur and Saltpond are good beaches for snorkeling.The beaches there are not as good as others.

We enjoyed Francis Bay and Waterlemon Cay in Sept.We went with our kids in June and by ourselves in Sept.

Next trip is Grand Cayman in May!I cannot wait.

Again thanks for the trip report and taking me back to St John for a moment!

Christie
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Old Mar 20th, 2006, 02:58 PM
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Hi, we just got back from Caneel Bay & loved it as well!!! We toured the Westin & decided that if we came back with our 3 kids, we would probably stay there. We loved the island too & can't wait to go back!!
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Old Mar 21st, 2006, 04:24 AM
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Thanks for a fairly positive report of the Westin. It's got its issues, but it has a very warm place in my heart as it was the introduction point to my favorite place on earth. Trunk Bay is pretty amazing, isn't it, despite the cruise ship crowd (it's really not that bad, people make it sound like Daytona during spring break, but it's just a bit crowded for the few hours). Next time, you should try to make it out to Cinnamon and Maho. Thanks for taking time to report!
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Old Mar 22nd, 2006, 01:29 PM
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I just want to make sure that my frankness about the Westin doesn't make people think that it's a bad hotel. I just want explain the facts as we experienced them, and, we would still definatley recommend the Westin as a great family resort. I think the staff just has some issues. But if you're like us, we mind our own business on vacation and have a great time even if service is spotty.
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Old Mar 22nd, 2006, 02:37 PM
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Your description and experience of the Westin was not negative, it was truthful and helpful to others who may be thinking of going there. It may be a great place for people with children. I have read that their beach area is man-made.
Little Lameshur and SPB are wonderful in that their snorkeling is the biggest draw. At SPB we were able to snorkel with the sea turtles at certain spots(once we found it) and found them there again last year. It is the most wonderful experience! We also saw rays, fish and a barracuda near the right side. That made my son and I turn around very slowly and swim back to shore!
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Old Mar 22nd, 2006, 04:41 PM
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I really enjoyed your detailed report. Thanks! It makes me want to return to St. John asap! My wife and I also particularly enjoyed hiking near Francis Bay when we were there.
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Old Mar 22nd, 2006, 07:14 PM
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Great trip report! We had a similar experience at the Westin but from a markedly differenc perspective (wife and I are 25 w/out kids). We found the Westin to be a stunningly beautiful resort. Very classical Caribbean in atmosphere. But it is definitely MUCH more geared towards family, and because the beach is sub-par, the pool is packed. However, we (wife and I and two other couples) had a great time playing "volley ball" with some of the kids at the pool. For couples seeking romance, however, Caneel or a villa is definitely the way to go.

Otherwise, St. John is truly paradise. Very intimate and easy to get around. Wonderful people. My wife left her wallet one night on the seat of one of Penn's taxi's and didn't realize it until we got back from dinner (she left when we WENT to dinner!). Nonetheless, nearly four hours later the driver (I'm remiss for forgetting his name) brought her wallet, totally intact, to the Westin front desk! I was about to call all of our credit cards to cancel them when the front desk called! This was one of those moments in paradise that reminds you of the true good that resides in people.
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Old Mar 22nd, 2006, 10:49 PM
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Wow a detailed report. sounds like nothing but complaints-mayebe you should stick to bermuda.
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Old Mar 23rd, 2006, 04:53 AM
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I really enjoyed your trip report and did not feel that it was full of complaints. You clearly loved STJ and your vacation. You were just trying to be truthful about items that others have frequently asked about on this board (Westin beach, pool, location of rooms, restaurants). And most of your restaurant reviews were very positive so I don't see where someone would call it complaining.

Just curious, do you remember how much you paid for your room? The Westin always looks a bit pricey to me but perhaps I am mistaken.
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Old Mar 23rd, 2006, 06:06 AM
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bermudafan: What ccrosner said.

ccrosner: If you don't mind me jumping in. I did notice the price hike since our trip. I can only think that St. John has become a very popular destination. And the fact that there's a lack of resort competition sure doesn't give them any incentives to put put out sale prices. The garden view rooms in '03 were just under $200. I think they're over $400 now. Yikes! For that price, I'd shell out a bit more to stay at Caneel if I were to go again or I'd do Priceline only for the Westin.
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Old Mar 23rd, 2006, 05:58 PM
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where do I begin...I never thought I would get so many responses to my long winded, yet honest, trip report. But I'm happy if I'm able to help!

To all of you kind hearted travelers, I'm so glad you found my opinions useful! St. John holds a special place in our hearts now after a great trip and we can't wait to return (perhaps after a trip to Yellowstone next year)

To Soggydollar, ccrosner and caribtraverler a special thanks for your comments in my defense

To NYCTiger, soooo glad your wife got her wallet back!! That proves that STJ is paradise! I've actually had similar luck in NYC as well!

To answer your questions about the room rates, we booked our entire trip through Expedia and spent a little under $5K for 6 nights (hotel & air) so we think the rooms did average about $400/night. We booked in December for the 1st week of March and the Westin was having some kind of special on Expedia at the time but I can't remember what the "special" was exactly. We always seem to have good luck with Expedia, but, I like your idea of Priceline for next time. Then we can spend the $$ saved on painkillers! Maybe Kberbones should try one
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Old Mar 24th, 2006, 03:10 AM
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Dear Bermudafan,

I think you got an excellent deal on Expedia especially for March! I'll be sure to check them out more often for a deal.

When you get to planning the Yellowstone trip, email me. We were there in 2001 and loved it. Have to say, though, that we loved a trip to Bryce/Zion/Grand Canyon even more!
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Old Mar 24th, 2006, 08:19 AM
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i loved your detailed trip report! thanks for sharing, and so glad you had a terrific time.
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Old Mar 25th, 2006, 07:20 AM
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Thank you for taking the time to post your trip report! My husband and I were married on Hawksnest Beach 3 years ago next month (but were there only the day of our wedding) and will be going back in July for a full week. We can't wait - only 104 days and counting... I took studious notes in regards to your lunch and dinner recommends. Thanks again.
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Old Feb 14th, 2007, 07:34 PM
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Thanks so much for your detailed and honest report... I'm printing it for ideas for our trip. I'm going to the Westin in 2 days with my husband, and my 3 1/2 and 6 year olds for the first time.

We are trying to decide if we should rent a car for the week, or if it's possible to just rent for a day or two... I don't even know if this is possible, because I've been reading that many places require weekly rentals at this time. Is it worth it for the week? And also, did you bring car/booster seats or did they provide them?

We are planning on putting our kids in the kids club part of the time, but I'm having a hard time deciding on when to put them in... mornings so we can work out or relax by the pool with a book, or evenings so we can go out alone? Any suggestions you have for my multitude of questions would be greatly appreciated. And any other kid-friendly suggestions you might have are welcome. You mentioned The Baths... would this not be good for young children? Someone told me it was a must-see, but it seems like a long day.

It's late, I'm fighting a cold, my kids were home today with a snow day, and I haven't done much planning!! Yikes!
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Old Feb 15th, 2007, 04:55 AM
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amarena, how lucky are you to be going to St. John tomorrow??!! You will have a great time! I think we only rented a car for 3 or 4 days and we tried to extend it but we couldn't. We found it very convenient with children (ours are also 3 and 6) Trunk Bay and the numerous other beaches are so beautiful, it was nice to be able to hop in the car and go whenever we wanted to. Then we would drive back to The Westin for the awesome pool. Your kids will love the trampoline out in the ocean too! We rented right at the Westin and they did not have car seats at the time. It's probably best if you call ahead. ps: if you do rent from the Westin beware that the woman working there (if it's the same one) was rather nasty.

We skipped the Baths because we were afraid our girls were too young. We hope to check them out on the next trip.

The Westin Kids Club looked great. The women were so nice, wish we would have taken advantage. Maybe use them for the day one day and then for an evening out another day. Try for ZoZo's without your kids (I don't think they allow them) and start your evening upstairs in the bar for sunset. You'll be in heaven!

Feel free to ask me any other questions. I wish we were going with you!
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Old Feb 15th, 2007, 06:58 AM
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Thanks for posting so quickly, bermudafan. I can't believe I will be warm in 2 days!! We planned this last Spring, and I hadn't really started doing any planning until a couple of weeks ago.

Since it is the winter break here in NY, I wonder if I should try to reserve a car today... don't know if they get booked up or not. I'll let my husband deal with the rental if we go through the Westin... he has no problem dealing with nasty people.

3-4 days would be perfect with a car. Which beaches did you like the best? I thought we would try Trunk Bay and Coral Bay (followed by a stop at Skinny Legs... sounds fun and yummy!)

And did your kids do any snorkeling? Both of my kids swim, so I bought them snorkle gear in hopes that we do that together.

I'll definitely try ZoZo's... is that in Cruz Bay?

I'm off to get a spray tan, so that I don't terrify people with my pallid complexion!
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