Isnt that a good question for the concierge?
They should have that laid out somewhere.
I know where these rooms are but not the numbers.
Im sure they have a 1800 number and would be happy to help!

Oh, Im sure any questions that are on this board a concierge could answer. Point was, I wanted an opinion of someone that stayed there verse what the hotel would tell me.
I didnt need a room number..lol
I just wanted to know for anyone that has stayed there which would be closer to the pool. the pool view or ocean view..
Anyone else? Heheh

I have stayed at the Westin a couple of times, and you would really want the "pool view" room as there are no rooms on the ocean and these rooms would be the closes to the pool. We are going there on Wednesday (for 10 days), and we love it. I know that right now the pool is under construction and I'm not sure when it will be done, so be sure to ask them that! The Westin called us to let us know and they are going to give all their guests free transportation to some of the local beaches - which is awesome! The westin beach is fine and private (They are in a small cove so the water is real calm -good for little kids) but St. John has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world! When we were there last time, we rented a dinghy and got to see alot of the beaches - very cool! Have a great stay!

THANK YOU for the reply. We actually arent going till Next May but there are so many of us going we wanted to book early.
I hope you have a wonderful relaxing 10 days!

We stayed in an ocean front room at the Westin and that gave us the best of both worlds, as we were close to the pool AND the beach. With a 1 year old, I would say that this room category would be your best bet. This way, when the baby is napping, you can still sit outside the room and enjoy the beach; yet you would be close enough to be there if he/she wakes up. These rooms are also convenient to the pool so getting the stroller over there would be no problem at all. The only downside is that these rooms are quite a bit more expensive. If price is a huge factor, then the pool view rooms are still convenient to the pool. I have a one year old, and we travel with her all the time, so I kow how it is....

Hey,
we may see you guys there next May. Get the poolview as oceanview rooms are further uphill with steps. The poolview rooms are by the pool as the name suggests. There are also some "partial oceanview" rooms (that's my category Westin calls them oceanview) that are only a slight climb with no steps. The best thing to do would be to email the concierge from Westin STJ's website and ask for the map of the property. I used to have it but not anymore. That way you can be sure of where you'll be and what you'll be looking at. Good luck. By the way, these are not the VILLAS. If you're staying at the villas, it's a complete different story.

IslandGrl,

You might also wannt to visit the GIMP ON THE GO web site and read the trip report on St. John. The review is located at:

http://www.gimponthego.com/dest5a.htm

The gentleman who made the report is a quadriplegic who uses a power wheelchair, which can be pretty darn close to travelling with a large comfy stroller. He wrote an extensive review of his trip to St. John and his stay at the Westin and how he navigated around the resort and the island without using trams or stairs.

The info about the Westin is on page 2. He also goes into great detail about Cruz Bay and Caneel, including retaurant reviews, and talks about getting from the STT airport over to the Westin.

HC

What's the deal with the pool at the Westin? I thought it was a fairly new pool!! Last year when we were there in November they had just had 20+ inches of rain in 5 days and the pool was full of sand and the beach was washed out. This year we booked pool view rooms just to make life easier...... Of course last year they did give us free drinks and an upgraded room for the week!! Saved us bunches $$$$$!! We will be coming back for our second time the first week of November and hopefully no rain !!

Hi All! Just got back last night. We had a very relaxing vacation. The hotel was dead! The first week we were there was probably 25% occupancy. We have always been there in the winter, so this was quite a change for us. Some of the business in Cruz Bay were closed - Duffy's is closed until Halloween!!! The first Friday night we were in town and there were hardly any tourists. The second week things started to pick up and Friday night, October 1st was alot more busy! The mosquitos were horrible and it was basically 94 degrees every day. Although it was a nice change for us, I don't think I would ever go back at this time of year again!!

The best location for families with children or anyone not wanting to use the on property transportation regularly is to get a pool view room- the ocean view are on the hillside and are further away from the pool and beach, nice views but it is further to walk, enjoy your vacation. Mary

Hi Wishin -

We were there at the Westin last November during that horrible storm (20+ inches rain). I was just looking at my pictures from last year of the pool or should I say mud pit!! It took them 5 days to drain, clean, and refill the pool.

Luckily we were one of the few rooms that didn't get flooded out when the retaining wall broke in the middle of the night.

Actually, the whole week was quite an adventure. :o)

Our rental jeep had NO windows, every piece of clothing I owned was wet when I got there and wet when I left (never dried out the whole week we were there), every single tour for the week was cancelled, no electricity or flashlights for a good portion of the week (the night before we left I couldn't even get in my room to pack since the locks are electronic), couldn't snorkel or swim because of the storm run-off and surges...

On the bright side - the Westin really tried their best - they gave us free drinks (when the ice and the blenders were working - electricity problems) and were nice enough to comp us a few nights. So after all of that - we are headed back to St. John for 12 days the 2nd week of November. I can't wait!! I refuse to bring an umbrella this time... :o)

IslandGrl.

It sounds like what you want for your group's needs are "pool view" rooms. You can view a resort map on the Westin website to get a better idea of the relative locations.

When we were there, the pool was closed for renovation (cleaning, grouting joints and re-painting). They had the area roped off, but I managed to sneak a peek. Some of the pool view rooms are quite close to the pool and would be very convenient for your parents.

We had some success in checking the travel websites (Orbitz, Hotels,com, etc) for online rates and then working with Westin reservations (at the resort, not national reservations) to get the best rate. The advantage of booking directly with the Westin St. John is that they don't immediately hit your card for the full cost of the stay and they have a better cancellation policy.

The concierge was very helpful to us during the booking process and after our arrival. Overall, we had an enjoyable stay and found all of the staff to be courteous and interested in making us happy.

It is a beautiful property, well maintained and staffed. Pricey, but good.

For those going soon, the Westin is running free taxi service to Hawksnest Bay with runs about every two hours. They were also running special shuttles to the smaller pools at the villas up the hill. Drinks at the beach bar were half price from 10:00 to 6:00.

Of course, we caught the backside of Jeanne for several days during our stay. That put a crimp in our plans and didn't help the pool progress any either. I would think it is close to being finished if it is not already back in service.

Fred

Last November, we had more rain in that period of time than had occured in like 50 years or something crazy. If I recall correctly, it rained pretty much 10 days straight without sun. Many problems occured during that time last November, including probably millions of dollars worth of damage at the Westin. Many of the problems werent visable to the guests and to me, it was AMAZING that they got the pool cleaned and going. But because of the rush to get it going, I think they patched it and made due and then closed it down in September(the slowest month) for more permanent repairs. I think they did a great job and I give my hat off to the crew. In the last year, they have done a lot of repairs and remodeling in the last year (some because of the November rain and some because it was just time).