hello nellie, you are the only other person i've heard of with my grandmothers name. cool!
have been to provo in early april - it was HOT, and the water was great.
i think you and your boys will love the Sands. grace bay beach is spectacular. for superb snorkeling walk/drive down to Coral Gardens and go in directly in front of the hotel. if you have a windy day (you are on the north side of the island) you can go to the south side and try sopadilla bay beach, taylor bay beach, long bay beach or explore chalk sound. near sop beach there is a short climb to see some rock carvings left by "ancient mariners" -plan an hour or so and real shoes. other excursions might include renting a small boat from leeward marina(not on a windy day!) & (they will tell you where you can go safely for swim,picnic,sightseeing),also the "conch farm". you might also rent a 4x4 to drive to malcolm road beach (tiki huts) or you can have one of the dive boats drop you off there for a picnic and snorkeling. also i think your boys would enjoy walking around turtle cove marina (30 mins tops) to check out some of the big yachts and then get a cheeseburger at sharkbite or tiki hut (both dockside)(good t-shirts at both). taxis are not a great way to see provo. perhaps you could rent a car for some of your days. it is a pretty easy island to drive - 2 main roads with crossroads between; left side driving though- i can hear your boys laughing at your errors now! oh, and if price is no object you can fly or boat to another island. one of them has caves that look as if they would be really cool to explore. EnJoy

We've been to Provo twice, first to OCW then to The Sands. We preferred The Sands because their restaurant/bar was an improvement over OCW and the staff at The Sands was much friendlier than OCW. My 11 year old daughter loved the place and would NOT have enjoyed Beaches at all (NOT that we would ever even consider staying there - it is a crowd scene and they have the worst location on the exquisite Grace Bay beach).
I do not think you will be disappointed with The Sands - one other advantage over OCW is that they include ocean kayaks, snorkeling equipment and hobie cats as part of your room fee.
Enjoy.

I've stayed only at Gallows Point (loved it), but been through Caneel Bay (before they had a pool) and the Westin, and of the three, I think only the Westin is "kid friendly". Gallows doesn't allow children at all under the age of 5, and Caneel restricts children to certain beaches. So, even though you're not interested in a kids club, the atmosphere at Gallows or Caneel may be more anti-child than you'd like. Plus, with spending the kind of money Caneel charges, you don't want to be restricted to certain beaches. The Westin pool area is nice, but the beach doesn't come close to the North Shore beaches. I agree with an earlier poster that if St. John is your destination, you may be happier renting a villa or condominium.

CANEEL!!! Paradise on earth! Two comments-- Negative reviews seem to be from people who expected to get lots of glitter and glitz for their money. Caneel is more upscale casual, with life centered around the beach, grounds, and privacy. NOTHING compares for those features. The pool is and afterthought at Caneel. When you can go into warm, calm, crystal-clear ocean only steps outside your room, no one would use the pool.

Coral Gardens in Provo- hands down! we stayed there last year and my boys 8 and 5, loved it. We are planning our next trip back. The boys loved the incredible snorkeling- 10 feet from the beach. The sand is clean and white- and does not get hot- great for walking running and playing. We just loved the easy atmosphere, the suites are ocean front, fully equipped and spacious and beautifully furnished. There are 2 restaurants, the Beach cafe for casual dining and Coyaba for more formal dining. Both are child friendly, and room service also has kids in mind with items for the children. They have a bbque on the beach and also Gourmet dinner on the beach that is fabulous- all right on property. There are other restaurants within 1 mile, by the Yacht Club that are easy for the children. The service and staff are very friendly and efficient- just ask and you get it. I strongly recommend Coral Gardens if you have kids (or not!) and wish to interact with them in a peaceful place while the staff make you feel right at home.

We have recently visited TCI and stayed at the Coral Gardens Resort. The location is fantastic. It has the best snorkeling on the island at its door step. The rooms are very spacious, we stayed in the Penthouse (2100sq ft). We met a couple there who were staying in a one bed and said it had lots of room as well.
The beach is the prettiest we have ever seen......white sand and crystal clear blue water.
The staff is extremely professional and pleasant. They have two great restaurants.... Coyaba and a beach cafe (the food is to die for at both).
This is the best kept secret in TCI in my opinion. Only 25 or so rooms. No crowds or loud music to take away from the atmosphere.
We truly enjoyed our stay here and cannot wait to return. I think for a family it is one on the best choices in the Caribbean.

forgot to mention- personal snorkel equipment for all guests is FREE. just pick it up from Marvelous Matthew at the on site dive and tour shop. Then it is free and easy snorkeling with the kids, right from shore.