St. Croix Renaissance (U.S. Virgin Islands) [Master Thread]
 

Hi.
New here...
Just read this:
Marriott International will expand its Caribbean portfolio in mid-2007 with the reflagging of the 151-room former Carambola Beach Resort on St. Croix's north shore to Marriott's Renaissance brand.

The hotel will be operated by Ocean Properties, a Marriott franchisee.

The Renaissance Carambola Beach Resort will become the destination's second major branded property -- the Divi Carina Beach Resort & Casino is located on the island's east end.

The Carambola (the name comes from a star-shaped fruit found in the area) opened in the mid-1960s as a Rock Resorts property, was briefly under the Westin banner in the late 1980s, had a short fling as a timeshare operation and is currently undergoing extensive multi-million-dollar renovations to its guest rooms, public spaces and restaurants.

The first stage of the renovation project will be completed shortly; the second stage, which will add 100 rooms, will be finished in 2009.

The resort is located near the Robert Trent Jones-designed Carambola Golf Course where Renaissance guests will have playing privileges.

Other resort amenities include a fitness center, a dive shop, tennis courts, a lounge and bar, a pool, two restaurants, beach access and meetings facilities.

The new 2,200-square-foot Larimar Spa will open this spring.

Great first post, luvthecarib! Wecome to Flyertalk.

And thanks for the info!

This is great.

That used to be a nice property under Westin. Good to see it will get back up to standard and become a Marriott property. Marriott really needs more Carribean properties and this could be a great place.

Small Spa?
 

I'm hoping that it's a typo and the spa is actually 22,000 square feet, not 2,200...:-)

Nice....hope no more than a category 5. ^

NIce, right in my backyard.

I have stayed at this property twice. Once
 

about 10 years ago, and once about 14 year ago.

It is a remote location, which can be good or bad, depending on what you are looking for. The hotel was nice, but I am glad to see they are updating it.

The golf course was not in good shape, but I am sure it will be upgraded as well.

I am sure when everything is completed, it will be a great property. Having said that, the problem with the USVI is not the property, but the service.

We had difficulty getting basic service in the hotel. We would wait for 20-30 minutes to get drinks delivered, and we would wander to the kitchen to find our server and he would be talking. The mini fridge in the room was not restocked for 5 days while we were there. (Yes, we did complain)

We had incidents occur on the golf course, the restaurants, cabs, and the jewelry shops in the main town. I was trying to buy Pearls for my wife, and the salespeople would not serve us, or were extremely slow to serve us as we were Americans.

I understand Carribean time, and I have been on vacations to over 7 Carribean islands, but the USVI takes the cake as the absolute worst treatment I have ever been associated with. Most of the people travelling with my company agreed.

I am sure the hotel will try to hire the best people they can, but I will make a prediction that this property will receive some hits when people start staying there for their poor service. You can't change the entire culture of an island.

I hope I am wrong.

I am just happy that marriott is adding an additional property in the Carribean. I thought with R-C's recent expansion that Marriott would be announcing more properties as well. So far, my prediction is wrong.

Hmmm ... that review might be just a bit stale. :p

I am glad to see Marriott adding properties in the Caribbean. I will add this to my list of places to visit in the next couple years.
I would love to see Marriott open a property in Bermuda, is anyone aware of why the do not have a property there?

st croix???
 

Last year Marriott announced a rebranding in St Croix. I believe it was a Renaissance but when I look on the web I can't find any information. Is it still in play and just taking a long time to renovate or have they changed their position and it will not occur?
Thanks

I' wonder if the deal fell through.

It was announced in 1/07 for a Summer '07 conversion.

Now, if one goes to Marriott.com's site map, chooses "directory", goes to the Ren page and clicks on the link to new hotels (or "openings" - I forget the exact word but it's very ovvious), for Renaissance the resultant screen lists only the Renaissance La Concha in Puerto Rico and the Renaissance Curacao as being the brand's only new properties.

If one searches via the marriott.com homepage for Renaissance properties in the US Virgin Islands all that is returned are the two Marriott properties on St. Thomas..

is this Hotel converted yet?

Any updates?

Whatever happened to the Renaissance Carambola Beach Resort
 

Saw the Fiji discussion and wondered whatever happened to the Renaissance Carambola Beach Resort? Surely it doesn't take two years to reflag a hotel.