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I stayed there on points (SPG Gold) at the end of Aug with my wife and 2 daughters--ages 6 and 8. The property is very nice and is well taken care of. The rooms vary in terms of quality and how recently they've been updated. We switched rooms because the first one they put us in was kind of old and dated. I got them to switch me to a newly renovated beachfront room on the first floor right next to the pool and it was excellent. Not extravagant or anything but very nice. With young kids, I can't stress enough that you want to be right next to the pool, so push them on this point.

The food at the hotel is decent to poor. It's fine for breakfast and a poolside lunch, but I would stay away from dinner completely. We ate dinner at the outdoor restaurant the first night. It was our last. Lousy service and mediocre food. I've heard the nicer restaurant there above the lobby is a total ripoff. There are plenty of good restaurants in town and cab rides into town are very inexpensive (and fun). They also have a nice deli on the property that serves pizza until late which is also convenient with kids.

The beach at the hotel is OK but it's nothing great. The beaches outside of town at the national parks are spectacular beyond description. I would recommend renting a car for a few days and exploring them or taking a cab if you don't feel comfortable driving. There is a small bit of walking though, so with 3 girls under 5 it might be a bit of a stretch depending on your situation. The pool on the other hand is great. Very relaxing and the poolside and bar service is excellent. Your kids will love it.

The resort is fairly large, but the staff will shuttle you around on golf carts if you like, so it's not really a big deal. Feel free to PM if you have any additional questions. I would recommend the resort/island. It's not perfect, but I think you and the kids will have a great time.

Jonathan

tbertz

Thanks for the replies. I have a load of starwood points, and my wife has her hopes up for a caribbean vacation. I travel a lot on business and she could use a vacation. With 3 young children our options are limited. We looked at the Bahamas, which wold have been a quick flight for us from NY. But in the end we felt it probably would not be too relaxing, and reviews on the starwood properties were much worse than St. John. Other properties were either too far for us to travel with small children or more adult oriented. St John seemed perfect for families with small children, we were able to get a direct flight into SThom, and we heard great things about the island (STJ). Unfortunately, I started to read horrible reviews on the Westin resort. So we wante to do a little more research. So, we have decided to give it a whirl...its points anyway. Most people who stayed on points were modestly to very happy with the resort. Of course most also said that they would never pay full price to stay there. We are exited and will write about our stay.

Thank you again,
Bill

ferndale

I stayed on points here a year and a half ago. Had a great room, the pool was nice (not spectacular but nice), the beach is also nice - with other spectacular beaches a cab ride away - The staff operates on "island time", but if you have travelled to other islands, they all do!! The water/beach right at the hotel is very calm, and will be great for 3 young kids. Do take a cab or shuttle into town and eat. Much better food! All in all, a relaxing hotel on a beautiful island.

sfmaine

Mrs SFMAINE and I will be spending a week at the Westin on St John on points to celebrate our 33rd wedding anniversary. We have been to St John a few other times, but have never stayed on the island. We have always stayed on St Thomas, but this time prefer to be away from the hustle and bustle of St Thomas. I have done numerous searches to find out current information about the property. Most is pretty dated. I know there has been major construction going on. does anyone know if it is still going on? I have been informed by the hotel that we have been booked in an ocean view room in building 23. We are looking for a quiet room away from the noise. Does anyone know if this is an upgrade? I am Platinum and have requested an upgrade. Is there a difference between ocean view and ocean front at the hotel? I have read that the beach is not very good. We do plan to explore other beaches on the island. Any suggestions? As most of the reviews regarding this hotel have been negative, we are now thinking we should look to Marriott properties Frenchman's Reef or the Ritz. I also have status with Marriott. Thanks very much for any assistance. Happy Holidays!!

u2vox

To give you an alternative idea, unless using points to save money is a key factor in your holiday, I would definitely recommend renting one of the many spectacular villas that are speckled all about the island, rather than stay at the Westin. I truly believe this is the way to go here. Granted, I've never stayed at the Westin St. John, but I've been on the property several times and it just seems like any old resort, and perhaps one that's a bit run down, from a lot of the reviews that seem to get posted.

I've been to St. John nearly 10 times or so - it's one of my favorite places in the world. To really experience St. John and all that it has to offer, you need to get away from the Westin. The best route, IMHO, would be to rent a villa and a jeep, and work your way around the various beautiful beaches, trails, sites, etc. all across the island, using your villa as a base.

Just another opinion...

zeikka

I am thinking about getting rental car for our week long trip from the STT airport. Arriving this Sunday at 3:10 PM from Boston; I assume there should be enough time to get either 5PM or 6PM ferry?

I am thinking that car would be overall cost effective as we are dropping off/ picking up someone on Thursday (again same flight).

Would having car on arrival add to the hassle or should it be OK? How about not having 4 wheel drive in St. John? (I was quite happy to drive up Schnebly Hill Road in Sedona with my rental Grand Prix...)

gregorygrady

If you could make it up Schnebly Hill Road in a Grand Prix, you'll have no problem whatsoever getting around St. John in a regular car.

FWIW, I rented a car from STT when I went to St. John 1-2 years ago. I was actually only there for 2 days, and I still found it worthwhile to rent a car as it gave me the freedom to check out St Thomas a little bit on my own as well as all of St John without the high rental costs over there. I'm not sure it'll be cost effective to go pick up your friend at STT on Thursday though as it's fairly expensive for the ferry ticket. It might just be cheaper for him to take the Westin ferry one-way from the airport to the Westin and then go back with you in the rental car when you all leave. However if you WANT to check out St Thomas on Thursday anyways, then I guess that's a different story, but from my experiences, you're better off staying on St John as St. Thomas is a bit of an armpit unfortunately.

Also FYI, St. Thomas is dead on Sundays as no cruise ships dock there that day I wanna say. Everything there closes really early, like 1PM or something insane like that. You can still hit up the Kmart on St Thomas and get drinks/snacks in order to lower your overall hotel bill at W.St. John, but other than that, there's not too much to do on St. Thomas that day...........Enjoy your trip!!!

bluztuzumab

We own a TS on the Hillside (2Bd/3Ba Townhouse) at WSJ and love it. Never stayed at the hotel part - but if you can get upgraded to a 1Bd (not studio) on the Hillside you may like it - but as with most things... it depends. If you want to get waited on hand and foot - then you will be dissapointed. Things run differently in the USVI - and this includes WSJ. We look forward to our vacation every year - and enjoy both the resort and the rest of the island. Yes - the beach is the worst sand beach on STJ - but it is still fun. Does it compare to the rest - no way, but you should enjoy yourself no matter what. Besides the pool bar is great...

Again - it depend on your attitude. The island people are a bit offish until you get them to warm up using a smile always and a 'good morning' - and never rushing or demanding (this will back-fire). It amazes me how many people do not get this concept.

and I was always choose STJ over STT...

KosherKimchee

Can anyone offer some advice on where to rent a car at/near the Westin? Oconnor rental car (advertises that it is at the Westin) has a 3 day min, I think I'd only want to rent a car for a day, 2 max.

W2B Globetrotter

are you sure you want a rental car only for a day? most of the terrific beaches, snorkeling, hiking, etc. are along the north shore of St John. personally, i'd consider it a waste of a visit, all the way from LAX, if i spent most of my vacation time at the Westin, although the resort itself is pretty nice overall. having a rental for several days makes those quick trips to beaches, Cruz Bay restaurants or even Coral Bay convenient and available at your whim instead of relying on the truck taxis.

I've used O'Connor rentals at the WSJ and been happy with them. OTOH, if you want a rental for less than 3 days, you could check with Conrad Sutton car rentals.

KosherKimchee

Well, to confess I'm Mileage Running having booked LAX-IAD-STT (3 days)-SJU-ORD-LAX (all confirmed at the time of booking in F) for $298.60 pp all-in. I only have 3 nights that I can get away to stay at STJ and am trying to make the most of the mileage run. However, with only 72 hours in St. John, I dont think I'll want a car that whole time.

westers

What time would i have to leave the resort to catch a 17:00 flight from STT to SJU (onwards to JFK) using the Westin ferry?

Also does anyone know what time the last ferry to St. Thomas is?

Thanks
Westers

jcherney

The last non-car ferry leaves St John at 11pm for Red Hook. I believe that the last car ferry leaves for Red Hook around 5 or 6 pm.

The non-car ferries run approx every hour on the hour. Click here:

http://www.usvi.net/usvi/ferry.php

ski_bum692003

I am planning a trip to St. Johns for Nov.8 thru Nov.15 and have a few questions. I will reach Platinum with a stay tomorrow, should I wait to book until it shows platinum on my SPG online account or does it matter? If I use points for the trip, will I still get platinum room upgrade? What type of upgrade has anyone recieved at this property? Finally, I am going with my wife and 4 year old daughter and looking for a laidback trip to the beach, is this a good resort for this or do you recommend something else. Thank you in advance for your replies

johnsky

There is no reason to wait to book as the hotels will receive updated information from your SPG account. I was merely a Gold member when I stayed there 9 months ago, so I can't comment on plat upgrades. As Gold, we received a nice room overlooking the pool. The resort is wonderful, beautiful and totally laid back. There are many nearby beaches that are worth visiting -- each different in its own way. There are some fantastic snorkeling spots. I highly recommend St. John and the Westin. I will be going back as soon as I can manage it!!!