USVI Honeymoon anyone?

We stayed here on St John and it was excellent!

We stayed at the Westin St. John for part of our honeymoon. Huge resort...nice rooms, beautiful landsacaping, a few OK restaurants, nice pool although usually packed with kids. The beach there is OK, but sucks in comparison to the other beaches on the island. We rented a jeep for the week and went to different beaches most days - St. John is absolutely beautiful!

ETA: If you want a nicer beach, but still want the resort feel, then Caneel Bay is the way to go. I would have liked to stay there, but we wound up with a much better rate at the Westin.

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Posted by littlewilson

We stayed at the Westin St. John for part of our honeymoon. Huge resort...nice rooms, beautiful landsacaping, a few OK restaurants, nice pool although usually packed with kids. The beach there is OK, but sucks in comparison to the other beaches on the island. We rented a jeep for the week and went to different beaches most days - St. John is absolutely beautiful!

ETA: If you want a nicer beach, but still want the resort feel, then Caneel Bay is the way to go. I would have liked to stay there, but we wound up with a much better rate at the Westin.

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I have heard this...The Westin does have great rates, and my mother is trying to sell me on Caneel, but 500 per night? I would have too much guilt that I could be feeding a family of four in Africa for a year at those prices!

We are thinking of doing the first 4 days a Caneel to really live in the lap and then staying at a villa for a week.

Either way...I have done so much reserach on St John and it is exactly what we want - beautiful beaches, quiet, beautiful, and NOT full of bars, clubs and anything rowdy!

Villa's are really the way to go but we stayed at Gallows to get a little pampered during the honeymoon. Not crowded and very secluded, didn't see too many people around. We rented a jeep and explored the Island every day, then parked and usually ate in town at night, a less 5 minute walk from Gallows.

PS - I've been to St John at least 15 times - ask me any questions!

PPS - Here is another great source for info

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Posted by 714Mike

Villa's are really the way to go but we stayed at Gallows to get a little pampered during the honeymoon. Not crowded and very secluded, didn't see too many people around. We rented a jeep and explored the Island every day, then parked and usually ate in town at night, a less 5 minute walk from Gallows.

PS - I've been to St John at least 15 times - ask me any questions!

PPS - Here is another great source for info

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You rock! Gallows does seem really nice - you did exactly what we want. Beach, pampering, exploring in the jeep, and eating! Best of all...not seeing too many people.

It is still 9 months away, but I would love to tap your brain for the best eats on the island. I am a total foodie and want to try every place that is good/authentic.

Here is a pretty current of restaurants, ranging from fine $$$$ dining to burgers by the beach...


http://www.viaccess.net/~winben/asolar.html
http://stjohnspice.com/bananadeck.htm
http://www.viaccess.net/~winben/chateau.html
http://www.starchefs.com/chefs/AEwald/html/restaurants.shtml
http://www.thefishtrap.com/
http://www.mongoosejunctionstjohn.com/mongoose_restaurant_and_bar.htm
http://digitaldudes.com/97morgans.htm
http://www.paninibeach.com/
http://www.viaccess.net/~winben/Paradiso.html
http://www.shipwrecklanding.com/
http://www.stoneterrace.com/
http://www.mongoosejunctionstjohn.com/sun_dog_cafe.htm
http://www.tamarindcourt.com/public_html/diningat.htm
http://www.thebeachbar.net/
http://www.voyagesstj.com/
http://www.skinnylegs.com/
http://www.duffysloveshack.com/
http://www.woodysseafood.com/

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Posted by Bunnymonkey

I have heard this...The Westin does have great rates, and my mother is trying to sell me on Caneel, but 500 per night? I would have too much guilt that I could be feeding a family of four in Africa for a year at those prices!

We are thinking of doing the first 4 days a Caneel to really live in the lap and then staying at a villa for a week.

Either way...I have done so much reserach on St John and it is exactly what we want - beautiful beaches, quiet, beautiful, and NOT full of bars, clubs and anything rowdy!

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Yep, St. John is great! There are bars and a couple of 'clubs' in Cruz Bay (kind of like a small version of how Key West used to be), but the rest of the island is peaceful and gorgeous.

I know what you mean about the prices...they are crazy throughout most of the islands. $500 does seem like a lot for June though, especially if meals are not included.

I really did like the laid-back, rustic-yet-elegant feel at Caneel, although I don't know how their rooms compare to the Westin's - especially for the lower-priced room categories, which was what we were interested in. We went during peak season, and rooms at both places were priced ridiculously, but we wound up getting lucky with an amazing deal at the Westin on Hotwire.

We were initially going to rent a villa (at Gallows Pt actually), but the prices were very $$ when we went and all but one of the units were sold out. It's really a matter of personal preference - I think some people would prefer the Westin's more busy atmosphere, and villas would also be a nice way to go if you want the option of cooking your own meals and chilling in a bigger place.

You are gonna have a great time no matter where you wind up!

Also, if you haven't checked them out yet, there are a couple of active message boards with lots of USVI info:
http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=usvi
http://www.usvi-on-line.com/usviforum.html

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Posted by 714Mike

Here is a pretty current of restaurants, ranging from fine $$$$ dining to burgers by the beach...


http://www.viaccess.net/~winben/asolar.html
http://stjohnspice.com/bananadeck.htm
http://www.viaccess.net/~winben/chateau.html
http://www.starchefs.com/chefs/AEwald/html/restaurants.shtml
http://www.thefishtrap.com/
http://www.mongoosejunctionstjohn.com/mongoose_restaurant_and_bar.htm
http://digitaldudes.com/97morgans.htm
http://www.paninibeach.com/
http://www.viaccess.net/~winben/Paradiso.html
http://www.shipwrecklanding.com/
http://www.stoneterrace.com/
http://www.mongoosejunctionstjohn.com/sun_dog_cafe.htm
http://www.tamarindcourt.com/public_html/diningat.htm
http://www.thebeachbar.net/
http://www.voyagesstj.com/
http://www.skinnylegs.com/
http://www.duffysloveshack.com/
http://www.woodysseafood.com/

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Just saw your notes, and this is making me hungry! You've been down there 15 times - lucky you! I would be happy to get back there one more time...we'll see.