Starwood Preferred Guest - Best Starwood Island Resort

Ok---I'm sick of the snow and cold here in Salt Lake and the general craziness that is surrounding the Olympics (hope I don’t get sued for typing “Olympics” without permission). I'm looking to go to a warm tropical area within 8 hours flight from SLC-- sometime in late April. I’d like to hear where you would go assuming points and airfare are not issues.. Let’s keep it to Starwood properties if possible,

Thanks in advance--

With Delta now having a direct flight from Salt Lake to Maui, combined with the fact that Starwood has three great properties on that beautiful island, the choice for me would be very easy.

Make mine Maui!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by PLangian:
With Delta now having a direct flight from Salt Lake to Maui, combined with the fact that Starwood has three great properties on that beautiful island, the choice for me would be very easy.

Make mine Maui!</font>

How to the Starwood properties on Maui compare with the Princeville on Kauai?

I have not been to the Princeville property, so I can't compare.

The Westin St. John is very nice. Great rooms (w/ air con), layout, pool, restaurant, cordial staff, car rental desk, full spa, private beach with typical water sports available, several good bars.

And St. John is great in its own right!!

Pricey, though, as are all Carribean 5 star resorts. Highly recommended, though.

Westin Grand Caymans. I think that might come in under 8 hours flight. There's another current thread regarding this resort if you want to follow up on it.

SHERATON SUITES KEY WEST.

Just got back. Rent a car in MIA and drive down the keys. Very nice. Property was great and Key West is awesome.

Marc

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by iah-plat:
[B]

And St. John is great in its own right!!
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My vote for understatement of the year. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
Well, I guess that doesn't include Enron's liabilites line on their 10-K. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Forget the US resorts. They're nice, but they don't hold a candle to the Sheartons in TAHITI!

There are two: Papeete and Moorea. I believe one is opening in Bora Bora, also.

8 hours from LA, 5 hours from Hawaii. Your own Oasis in the middle of the Pacific!

My vote would go to the Sheraton Laguna in Bali / Indonesia. It even is a Luxury Collection member.

Muerz

For those that mentioned the Westin Resort in St. John, what is the downfall of staying in one of the hillside rooms? I made a reservation with points and was placed in one of those rooms (hoping for an upgrade upon checkin) and now I'm seeing that the hotel looks sold out when I will be visiting and so there may be no upgrades available.

DBK10-

Don't worry about nthe Hillside rooms. They will be quiet. You may be further from the pool or beach, but it's not that big of a deal, and you may have a nice view of the bay. The resort is spread out, but theyn have little shuttles you can ride if you don't feel like/ are incapable of walking.

The beach at this resort is FAR from the best on the island. Don't get me wrong, it's nice, and the pool is nice, and the hotel has nice FREE tennis courts (much appreicated), but you need to have a car and check out the rest of the island, and relax at the resort just sometimes. St. John is meant to be explored. If you wanted to sit and do nothing but relax outside your room, go to the Hyatt Dorado in P.R. St. John is different, and I love it for that.

Amadeus is a very nice restaraunt, FWIW.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by BoSoxFan45:
Amadeus is a very nice restaraunt, FWIW.</font>

Thanks for the suggestion, we rented a car for the entire time that we will be there. We really have no intentions of eating at the hotel or utilizing their beach too much, we just like to be able to wake up to the ocean. But then again, who wouldn't! However, do they supply rackets if we decide that we would like to make use of the "free" tennis courts?

No idea... I'm sure you could rent them, but then tennis would no longer be free, would it. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif Seriously, I appreciate this perq... you pay a resort fee, and it's nice not to be dinged every time you try to use a resort feature.

Enjoy St. John.... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Pertaining to the resort fee, if we decide that we don't intend to use any of the facilities of the resort, can we tell them upfront not to charge us the fee? We're not going to be spending time at the resort, except to sleep.

I asked the question at the Key West Property and was told it was manditory. We were 20 yards from the beach, so we didn't intend to use their facilities, but they still said they wanted their 7.50 a day resort fee.

Does anybody know if not getting out of the resort fee is standard or is this decided property to property? Does anyone have any experience in getting out of paying the resort fee?

I have never been able to escape a resort fee when they are implemented at any Starwood Resort...never, even when staying on an award stay.