can anyone speak to upgrades and a la carte options when booking with points? half-board or full-board options as adders?

Where does the shuttle to the main island go?

Random question here, do people swim and snorkel right out of their bungalows? I'm a weak swimmer and a little freaked out by the thought of swimming with sharks, and those bungalows over the water look pretty far out there....

Yes, swimming and snorkeling is common right from the bungalow. If you aren't a good swimmer you could ask for a bungalow closer to shore or get a lifejacket. The sharks are blacktip reef sharks, and not usually dangerous to humans unless provoked. We didn't see one in the lagoon in the 6 days we were there, but it is possible. We went on a snorkeling trip and they take you to where the sharks hangout and let you snorkel with them.

It goes to an area right across the bay on the main island. Once you get off the boat there is really nothing in the area within walking distance. You either need to rent a car or arrange for a taxi.

Thanks for the info. STR provides a shuttle into town, too bad Westin does not by the sounds of it.

Per email from Westin, half/full board upgrade not available for award stays.

That is correct, the Westin does not provide a shuttle from the boat dock to town. You need to pre arrange a taxi with the concierge and the cost is approximately $35 each way. It's unfortunate they don't use the same dock as the STR and share the shuttle with them.

Destination Fee
 

Does anyone know what the $500 destination fee is when you book with points? I changed the people from 2 to 1 and the fee stayed the same.

The destination fee is £80 a night - so about $95. It is for 2 people and it's the same if it's only one person.

Is it worth it? Probably not. When the St Regis has no destination fee but that's the way it is.

On the subject of swimming off the water villas. It is a bit of a contradiction in that the BEST villas with the best views are further out into the lagoon. It is totally normal to swim by the villas IF your are a confident swimmer.

I am not a good swimmer so as much as I loved the view I was never going in the water next to the villa.

The lagoon facing villas are near to the shore and you could probably stand in the water, but because they are nearer they are generally smaller, less expensive and less private.

But worth noting even on the villas out at the end of the pontoons you can still see the lagoon floor and fish if it's a good weather day. But it is not shallow enough to stand in.

Check out my videos on YouTube where I talked about this...

It's a shame that there isn't time to take the boat, run to the U Express, and then catch the boat back...also a shame that Bloody Mary's is currently closed, which is a good excuse to grab lunch on the island.

What does the destination fee include?

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Have a points stay, with a cash upgrade, booked for later this year. The hotel just contacted me to ask to send a 2 night deposit for this stay, which was not in any of the original terms. I'm not quite sure how to proceed - they sent some random link to a French payment service.