Westin isn't in the Park System.

Am staying at the Westin late April, early May. Will not be swimming in the bay thanks to the eye opening reports from posters . However, wonder if the seven beaches at the Caneel Bay Property are accessible to those who are not guests of their resort? Any feedback will help. Thanks, Debbie

How about Gallows Point (condos within walking distance of Cruz Bay), or a villa? In June, the rates are low and you can probably get a whole house with private pool and/or hot tub for the same as you will spend at Caneel. Caneel has beautiful beaches and is surrounded by the park, but it's very expensive. Also, if you want to go out for dinner or drinks, you have to drive (or take a cab) from Caneel into town. Might not be a big concern, but since the cars drive on the left side of the road (opposite U.S.), it's not something to try after a few drinks. We stayed in Gallows in 1999 in an ocean view loft unit (#3D) and it was great. It's a whole condo set up with full kitchen and living/dining area, so you could make your own breakfast and snacks every day. The view was great out over the water, and you can walk into town in 5 minutes to go out in Cruz Bay. It was a great place and I'd definitely stay there again. Friends stayed at Aria villa and liked it, also Bourganvilla (sp?) and liked it. <BR><BR>We did stop by the Westin to check it out and see if we wanted to stay there on a return trip to St. John, and although the pool is huge (I don't know if Caneel has a pool), it is not as close to the beaches, and the bay and beach at the Westin doesn't compare to the National Park or Caneel beaches.

Why not rent a villa? My brother usually uses caribbeanvillas.com. I have never rented one personally but the next time we go to St. John that is defintley the way we will be going. I agree with a previous poster about Chateax Bordeau and Asolare for dinner.Both were awesome.

Caneel Beach and Honeymoon Beach are the only two Caneel beaches that are accessable by land. All beaches on St. John are public ones however access is limited to some by "private" property or Caneel's restrictive policy allowing guests only on the resort property.

But my question is, would Caneel Bay really know if a non-guest was visiting their other "guest-only" beaches? My husband and I stayed at Caneel on our honeymoon, and no one kept tabs of the comings and goings of people throughout the resort. When we stay at the Westin next summer (due to lack of a small fortune needed to stay at Caneel), we are definitely going to spend a lot of time on the different beaches at Caneel.

Becca:<BR>My husband and I were just asking ourselves the same question. We went to Caneel on our honeymoon two years ago and returned last June. No one ever kept track of the guests. We will be staying on STT in March (using Marriott Rewards points) and plan on taking the ferry over and spending time on the Caneel beaches at least one day. We figure that if you look and act like you belong no one will bother you. If we do find it is a problem, we will be happy to spend lots of time on Honeymoon, one of our favorites!

Don't count on being able to get onto Caneel's beaches. We tried it, we walked into the resort and an employee asked if they could help. We were honest and said we wanted to see the beaches, especially the one that is supposed to have the sea turtles. We were told that we couldn't wander through the property to the beaches, could only go to the (not so great) first one at the entrance, or go to the restaurants. But, the National Park beaches are right there and are beautiful, there are plenty of great beaches on St. John to go to. My favorite was Hawksnest. Someone there told us that the beaches are National Park and you can go on any beach, if you can get to it. However, if it is encircled by private land, the owner does not have to give right-of-way. So don't be disappointed if you stay at the Westin with a plan to go to the Caneel beaches and then get turned away.

Ask them to show you the beaches as part of a tour to see if you'd want to stay there in the future. Any good resort will do that for you.

There really is only one way in and out of Caneel Bay. At that point they do have someone stationed in order to keep track of who's who.........Then throughout the property they also have some security people who are connected via radios. They keep low keyed but I have noticed them asking people to kindly move on. <BR><BR>Do I believe it is possible to sneek in? Sure if someone was that determined.<BR><BR>But come on.....if they let everyone who wanted to do this get away with it, think of the problems they'd have to deal with.....over crowed, room security, bathrooms, and beach safety just to name a few. Frankly I think it's fairly generous of them to let people use the Caneel Beach......<BR><BR>If that is not enough then there are many other public beaches on the island.<BR><BR>Good luck and enjoy St. John!

To WhyOhWhy..See my response to your post on the thread you started regarding "false" information. Who is providing that? You perhaps? Do you work for Caneel Bay? Just wondering, now that I have reread your post and the one from LaraS....maybe I am quick to judge, just like you!

You can get to Caneel beaches by water. Otherwise let those who are paying the rate enjoy the privacy and seclusion they are paying for.

I actually witnesed a Caneel employee politely ask a family who had swam in from their boat to please leave Scotts Beach. Thus I dont think you can use any other beach except Caneel whether arriving by boat or auto.

I agree with Julie re: the Westin...it's a big hotel, good for families. Caneel Bay seems stuffy, but it was very nice. I actually stayed at a villa while on island. Check out DonaldSchnell.com. He is a local artist with 5 villas on St. John. He'll meet you at the ferry with a vehicle for your use during your stay and will transport you to your villa. Very nice.

Good to know Caneel is strict on outsiders using their beaches. The paying guests are entitled to exclusively enjoy what they are paying for. Guess we will have to make do visiting Caneel Bay beach and possibly Honeymoon. Although there is always the alternate public path to Honeymoon.<BR>Thanks for the info.<BR>

Sarah,<BR><BR>My husband and I went to St. John for the first time in April 2001. "Fabulous" describes our vacation, considering we are avid snorkelers. We spent our first several nights at the Westin, which was very comfortable. However, on a lunch outing to Caneel Bay we discovered an amazing property with seven private beaches. After that visit, and due to the family atmosphere at the Westin (which is great if you have kids),we transferred to Caneel. We snorkeled every day off of all the beaches and saw Eagle Rays, Sting Rays, Hawksbill turtles and sometimes even an octopus. It was one of the nicest experiences we've had in the Caribbean. I do agree that the service can be disappointing at times, but overall we were quite pleased. The rates drop significantly in the summer and you can get a lot for your money (compared to high season). As another poster commented, you are paying for the privacy, the beaches, and the exclusivity of the resort. The rooms are simple, but nice. Most of the rooms have a terrace or balcony overlooking the ocean - beautiful sunsets. You can leave your cooler out during the day while you are gone, and when you return to your room in the evening, it is replenished with ice. One more thing, the bath products in the rooms are really nice. I liked them so much my husband ordered me more as a gift sometime after our trip. I'm sure many people aren't too interested in the little things, but I am. Go with Caneel. Once you have kids you can return to St. John and stay at the Westin which does have a great pool.

Of the two I would definitely choose Westin. Caneel has more of a "snobby" feel and you will need to shuttle to the beaches since Caneels 7 beaches pale compared to Westin's Tootsie Roll Bay. The horrible thing about Caneel is no TV's, no phones, no glitz or glamour but plenty of snobs and mosquitos all at a super premium price! If you don't mind the jeeping about with your cooler and six pack of Bud, trekking to beaches and can give up some of the hotel/resort amenities (restaurant on premises, room service, daily maid service, butler, glistening man-servant, activity coordination, aromatherapy, painting lessons, etc) you might want to think about a villa. It is a good option that many enjoy on St. John.

One more vote for Caneel -- don't listen to Karen. We honeymooned there and would not have changed a thing. When you arrive at STT, someone from Caneel meets you there. When you get your bags off the carosel, that is the last time you touch them until you are in your room. They taxi you to St. Thomas' dock and a private ferry takes you straight to the Caneel Bay dock, where we were greeted with cool towels and a ride in a golf cart across the (dare I say bucolic?) grounds to our room. Seven beautiful beaches, the only rude people were some stuck up European guests, but the majority of the guests and staff were friendly. It is customary to greet everyone you pass with a "good morning". We met four other honeymooning couples just on the boat. Everyone is happy to be there. I would not get the all inclusive meal plan simply because there are many good restaurants to try in other parts of St. John, especially that French one in the mountain top. (The name eludes me). A taxi ride (open air fun taxi) to Cruz Bay is about $3.00 per person and takes 15 minutes. I would not rent a car for your entire visit, maybe just 1-2 days and make it a jeep. It's your honeymoon, do it up!