Westin, ST John VI, Give it a Try . We did..

Our stay in St John was at the Westin. Again, because of 9/11 rates were low and my wife and I were not going to have our lives dictated by evil doers.

My wife and I just returned from a trip to The Westin on St. John. In all we agree it was the best overall vacation we have ever had in the Caribbean.

The Westin Resort has it's own office at the airport. After you land go straight to the office. It is right across and in sight of luggage pick up. The people here were extremely courteous and professional. There were small buses there to whisk us away to the ferry immediately. In fact, my wife had to go to the restroom and we missed the first bus but caught the next just minutes later. Our luggage was taken by Westin personal separately.

Just a three minute ride and we were on the ferry. The seas were a bit high that day due to strong winds but the ferry hugged the beautiful coastline and about forty minutes later we arrived at Westins' ferry dock right at the resort! I am prone to seasickness, however, even on that fairly rough day it was not a problem. As luck would have it we had a downpour of rain at our arrival. We only saw two other very quick morning showers thereafter. As we left the boat a Westin employee greeted us with umbrellas and escorted us to a lobby area at the beach. We were given tropical drinks and rums etc were added by request. The drinks were very good! We were then appointed a driver who gave a limited tour of the grounds and took us to our room on an electric cart.

We did arrive a bit wet and unfortunately our luggage was not in the room yet. It was being held in a holding area on the grounds due to the rain. The luggage arrived later and it was wet anyway. My wife and I always travel with a carry on bag with a change of clothes and bathing suits. We have learned that lesson through past experiences of "lost luggage" etc.

The room was very nicely appointed with very comfortable king bed with extra linens and comforter. There was ample closet space and an easily used safe within. There was a mini-bar in the room with the usual overpriced charges for use. They did have a coffee maker with Starbucks coffee. My favorite and no fee. The hotel offered the usual cable tv channels with games and movies. The room and carpeting were all very clean. My wife has a very sensitive nose for smoke in a room and this one passed the test easily. The good sized bathroom was all done in marble which looks great. The sink was set in an over sized corner counter. The room had all the towels we needed including large fluffy body towels that even got around my well sized body. We also found two white bath robes for our use. The hotel offered the now expected counter accessories of shampoos, lotions, shower caps etc. I must also add that the room and bathroom were very well cleaned everyday and our maid, Nancy was a sweetheart.

We had a small deck overlooking the pool. At night it could be a bit noisy depending on the pool crowd but once you close your sliding door all noises are left outside.

My wife and I put on our bathing suits and went right into the jacuzzi that was just steps from our door at poolside. We stayed in one of the six buildings near the pool area. I suggest getting in to them. That puts you very close to the pool, beach, shops, fitness center, and tennis courts. Towels are available at poolside. I have to say it was one of the few hotels that always had fresh towels on hand until dark. They take your room number and keep a "towel count" but after a day or so you realize it's really a farce and just a way for them to try and keep the towels from traveling outside the country.

After a dip we wanted something to eat. This is when we had a small problem. We went to the outside grill right next to the pool. It was still raining. We could not get help. The help was there and standing around but just not responding. After getting up from our seat yourself table and asking for service we were told "it's raining". We did know that, but we, as well as the help, were all underneath protected areas. It seems that things stop when it rains. We left the outside grill went to the bar right next to it and had a drink and food served there from the same grill. They do make great burgers. The outside bar is a bit dark and I was hoping for some Caribbean music rather that three TVs playing sports. Believe me I am a huge sports fan but I was on a holiday island and would have preferred island music.

Another negative were the prices for the buffet's. Breakfast was sixteen dollars per person and dinner was a whopping thirty-nine dollars per. Sorry, but I pay that for table service. Our lunch was the last meal we had at the resort the whole time there. We did eat at many of the fine and fun restaurants in town. We also paid much less and received a bit of local color that included a host of transplanted Americans working on the island. You could tell they loved living and working there and they are full of info they are willing to share.

Just a quick note going back to the bar. Every day between five and six o'clock they had a happy hour. Drinks were two bucks. Now that I like!! Be sure to watch the clock otherwise that last round may cost you a lot more that you bargained for. The bar tenders were personable but it seems you have to make the first move toward friendliness. I found that with much of the help. Go out of your way and they will respond!

To get the full St John experience you must rent a vehicle, they are all four wheel drive, and see the island. Though the Westin grounds are beautiful, it is nothing compared to the rest of the island. The beach at the Westin is man made. Though pretty, it is a pale comparison to the other beaches. We did spend time there and went out to the trampolines in the water. Apparently they have gotten so popular and are so much fun that they now have a total of three of them with connecting inflatables. Kids of all ages were having a great time bouncing, diving, sliding, and sunning themselves on these things. I think you will start to see them at other resorts in the next few years.

Going into town only take three minutes by car If you take a cab be prepared to pay three, four or five dollars each. Not bad and worth it if you are doing any kind of drinking in town. The taxis, which are really pickup trucks with benches facing each other and colorful canvas tops are easily found. In fact, they are generally looking for you. One fault with the taxis is that the driver may wait around looking to fill his vehicle. You are at their mercy when it comes to this. If you get onto "island time" this becomes less of a problem. There are really only two main roads going to the ends of the island. The taxis are everywhere. Not a problem, just convenient.

There is also an air conditioned bus service that carries passengers on the island for just one dollar. They are much less frequent and very limited service areas.

If you snorkel St John is the place to be. Be sure to check it out. See my review of St John for some snorkeling tips.

Back to the Westin. We went there due to a great rate we received through an add we read about. Others we spoke to got rates through the Internet. All in all I would highly suggest the Westin as a home base to see the island. Each night when we returned from a hard day of hitting the beaches it was refreshing to get back. A shower, a dip in the pool, happy hour, and we were ready to go out to a place to eat.

Upon leaving the Westin we had a late flight 7:20 pm. The problem we encountered was that the Westin will take you back to the airport at scheduled hours but the last ferry left at 2:00pm, much too early for us. We spent a few more dollars and provided our own transportation at a later time. For us it was worth it.

I hope you have the time, opportunity, and a few dollars to go to the Westin.

Be sure to read about our stay in St John at

http://www.epinions.com/review/trvl-Dest-Caribbean-US_Virgin_Islands-St_John/content_74383462020

Read more about the US Virgin Islands here

http://www0.epinions.com/review/trvl-Dest-Caribbean-US_Virgin_Islands/content_91651739268