+1

We have been to WSJ twice, and we were upgraded both times...once from a studio to a 1BR unit, and once from a studio to a pool villa 3BR unit. In both cases I let them know in advance that we are SPG owners at Lagunamar (which makes us SPG Gold members). The time frame was May in one case and early October in the other.

FWIW, we are now owners at WSJ as well, so the upgrades were a good sales tool on their part.

--bp

have a reservation in November. subsequent to making the rezervation, i received this email:

While the schedule of these enhancements is on a rolling timeline so as to minimize disruption to resort guests, there is a high probability that the main pool will be closed September 23 to December 18, 2013 as further upgrades to the pool deck are now being considered. We anticipate the final scheduling to be approved sometime in late August or September.



The resort will remain open during this time. You may also take advantage of easy access to the refreshing Caribbean waters from the resort’s beach along the shores of Great Cruz Bay. Our experienced Activities Team will be coordinating refreshing, creative and fun activities. These activities will be held every day for guests of all ages to enjoy.



For up to date information on renovation timeline, please visit www.westinresortstjohn.com/renovation.



We understand the importance of the main pool to your overall vacation experience, and regret any inconvenience this may cause during your upcoming stay. We sincerely appreciate your patience as The Westin St. John Resort & Villas experience is enhanced.



Our focus throughout the revitalization process will be to ensure each one of our guests enjoys their stay and has a heavenly experience.



You can also email the team at The Westin St John at [email protected].


This does inconvenience me considerably. Not that many places to use points on St. John.

I received one of these, too. I have a stay there in September and I am hoping that we don't arrive to a cloud of dust, drained pool, things in disarray, etc. Plan on taking many photos just in case.

I they're letting you know that this might be the case around the pool and you might want to make other arrangements if you aren't happy with their in-progress renovations. Not sure why you'd want to take many photos if what they told you happens...

So does the $40 resort fee still apply if there is no pool?

I'm glad they are refurbishing - just not clear how this will affect me as a guest.

not clear what is affected and what is not. presumably they will continue to offer some sort of beach service/amenities, but their communication does not address that.

do properties normally reduce their rates during situations like this?

Your best bet is to go to the horse's mouth for this. Email them and ask this. Find out if you can get the resort fee waived. I don't think rates get reduced, but you can ask and maybe get some points thrown your way or a comp'd meal, etc. Never hurts to ask, but ask nicely...

Thread went quiet - curious if anyone has seen any more recent updates.
Also bigjim mentioned a trip this month...

My wife are going down for our honeymoon in Nov and we just got a email that the Main pool and bar will be closed. :td:

"As a valued Starwood and The Westin St. John Resort & Villas guest we have some additional news to share about our renovation.

The schedule of our renovation enhancements is on a rolling timeline, so as to minimize disruption to resort guests. The main pool area and Snorkels Bar & Grill Restaurant will be closing on September 23, 2013 to December 18, 2013, as upgrades to the pool deck are made.

The resort has easy access to the refreshing Caribbean waters from the resort’s beach along the shores of Great Cruz Bay. The resort’s experienced Activities Team is coordinating refreshing, creative and fun activities for day and nighttime. We will also have a slip and slide, water sprinkler, sand art and sand castle contests, snorkel scavenger hunts and much more. Please contact the resort for further information or visit our website."

We're kinda stuck now, to late to change our plans. Just what we want to do our honeymoon, sandcastles and scavenger hunts.

This happened to a blogger and apparently she got two free nights to use later.

Yes, I got what seems to be a form email saying that everyone will get the free nights at check-in. In fact, the wording in the email was much like the one in this thread, just with the info about the two free nights. Double check the rest of that email or simply follow-up with the hotel. It seems to be a standard offer during construction.

Hope you still have a great honeymoon enjoying the area!

It makes no sense that they would plan a pool renovation in the busy/expensive fall season as opposed to the low summer/hurricane season??!! I'd be upset if I had planned my stay during that time and received that email. However...if you can get the resort fee waived or some decent bonus points..you might not miss the pool...

That said I've stayed here 3 or 4 times and though the pool is nice for a dip, the beaches are where it's at on St John...however not the beach in front of the hotel..sorry to say..though the photos look great,it's often overgrown with seaweed, etc and not crystal see the bottom clear...take the taxi up to Trunk Bay or the beach just before Trunk(forgot its name)..or the beaches past Trunk.

Any water slide at the WSJ?
 

Considering a family vacation to the WSJ next March. 5-year-old son LOVES a waterslide (thank you Walt Disney World Swan) and if possible we'd like to find a fabulous SPG hotel with a waterslide to keep him happy.

To anyone who has been there - is there any sort of waterslide at the Westin St. John? I read something about an "iceberg" slide? Is this in the pool or in the ocean?

Thanks in advance FT'ers!

just got back. had a great stay.

pool was being renovated as well as the buildings adjacent to the pool. however, it really didn't affect us.

there is a decent beach and lots of toys like rafts, paddleboards, kayaks at the property.

2 free nights for a future visit for low season is a reaonable gesture.

service on property was great. had some difficulty with my reservation but other than that no problem.

didn't see a waterslide so i can't answer thatone.

resort fee was $40. i really hate getting nickeled and dimed but that is a fact of life i guess.

restauarant was decent but pricey - 34 for mahi, 6 for a kids cranberry juice.

we rented a car on st. thomas and took the car ferry. made the mistake of getting a 2-door jeep. first, they were smaller than expected. second, the canvas tops are very finicky. we wanted to ride around as a convertible but the top was difficult to use, and occassional rain was a risk, so we didn't use it. also, if you have luggage, its a theft risk in a canvas top vehicle.

some wierd things about the property - didn't affect me but it might affect you. there are about a dozen wild housecats. i'm allergic so i don't like them but i was ok. next, there are a lot of wild iguanas. some are bigger than the cats. third, a 4 foot nurse shark swam up to us on the beach. the iguana at one point kept the maid from our room until i chased it away - they are pretty lazy and reluctatnt to move and the nurse shark scared a bunch of old ladies at the beach.

property is fairly sprawling but they have golf carts to take you where you want. the timeshare villas are a little further away from most things you would want and therefore less desirable/convenient, although i understand they are larger and newer. our room was an older one but it was fine.

there is a bar and restaurant that are still open.

the beach is actually pretty nice. no problem with seaweed. one day there was a jelly fish but you could avoid it.

the beach doesn't really have waves per se. its more a lagoon. you can go out a decent way without it being over your head, and there is a sheltered bay where you can paddleboard, kayak, hobie cat, etc.

that said, if you are on st. john you'll want to snorkel some of the other beaches. there are taxis and car rental available on property. renting a car on st. john is expensive and somewhat unnecessary. you can probably get by with the open air safari taxis.