The wedding on the beach at sunset was just fabulous. They were married in the gazebo, which is right on the beach, but in a separated area so that just the wedding guests attended the ceremony. This was followed by a cocktail hour and then a full buffet dinner. The food was outstanding. The bride and groom had a five-piece band that played throughout the evening. We danced out under the stars. It not only was a lovely ceremony but a wonderful memory for us all. I would highly recommend having a wedding at the Westin in St. John.

Our unit was clean but a bit outdated. They are starting to upgrade the villas. Each morning I had my cup of tea and watched the cruise ships go into St. Thomas from my private balcony overlooking Great Cruz Bay.

The resort grounds were kept immaculate. The Cruz Bay activities desk on site was extremely helpful and friendly. I highly recommend the Sunset Sail.

The food at the resort was very good, but if you want to experience other restaurants, you won't be disappointed with what St. John has to offer.

Take the tour of the island set up by the resort. It is far less crowded and more personal. You will get to see and hear about this beautiful island, which is two-thirds National Park.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Very Good
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Good
• Family Friendliness: Good
• Service: Very Good

The Westin Resort is located on Cruz Bay on a beautifully landscaped property. The timeshare units are across the road on the mountain side, and the hotel units are located closer to the beach and pool. The garden view rooms are all surrounded in luxurious foliage.

The large pool and beach offers a wide variety of activities that will keep people of all ages occupied. We rented dingy's one day, and enjoyed the pool on several occassions. A large floating trampoline and rock climing wall in the bay are added fun. Although, you should rent a car and explore the island, there are plenty of activities here, it's worthwhile to spend some of your vacation time enjoying the resort amneties.

The property features a nice but small grocery store, and a lovely shop carrying "Tommy Bahama" and other caribbean wear. The spa and fitness center is state of the art. The fitness minded will love the cardio equipment with individual tvs, and separate weight lifting room. The combined swedish massage with hot stones was fabulous!

The Accommodations

The accommodations themselves all featured Heavenly beds, which earn their namesake. The king size rooms were large enough for two people to be comfortable and have enough room to move about without feeling crowded. The bathrooms contained shower/tub combinations with double showerheads. Because we had so many wedding guests staying at the resort, we were upgraded to the two-bedroom suite. It was phenomenal. It featured a living and sitting area downstairs, and two large rooms upstairs. The second bedroom was similiar to a double room accommodation but included a walkin closet, but the master suite was even more grande! It featured a large jacuzzi tub surrounded by granite tile and mirrors that was large enough to comfortably fit two people, a vanity area, a very large walk-in closet, and separate bathroom with toilet and shower/tub combo. Banquet and Wedding Facilities

The Westin Resort was a great place for us and our wedding guests to stay during our wedding weekend. The banquet and wedding planning staff were great helping to plan special events for our guests. We had a cocktail reception the night before the wedding, and the food and location on the Westin property were outstanding. Our wedding reception was also held on the Westin grounds outside under a white tent. Again the food was fabulous.

In Summary.....

The Westin far exceeded my expectations for a Caribbean resort. The landscaping, staff, and rooms were what one would expect from a luxury resort. This was our first stay at the Westin, but it definitely won't be our last!

Because of the number of guests we had staying at the resort, we were upgraded to the two-bedroom suite. This was a hotel suite, not the two-bedroom timeshare. It was fabulous. The first floor contained a dining table for six, a couch, two chairs, a coffee table, a television set, CD stereo, and mini-bar. The mini-bar was fully stocked, so we called for a refrigerator to store our perishables -- this was provided to us with no hassle. The upstairs area of the two-bedroom suite contained a very large master bedroom, with a walk-in closet, very large step-up Jacuzzi tub surrounded by mirrors and granite tile, a vanity room, and separate tub/shower/bathroom that one would normally find in a regular hotel room. It was the perfect setting for getting ready on my wedding day. The second room contained two double beds, large walk-in closet, and separate tub shower. Our guests stayed in ocean view or garden view rooms with either a king bed or two double beds. Everyone raved about the Heavenly beds.

The landscaping at the Westin is phenomenal. There are lush tropical flowers throughout the resort, tall palm trees, and acres of green grass. Also calling the Westin home are several iguanas, which you see several times throughout your stay (they also do a special feeding).

We did have some guests that stayed in the timeshare units and many that went on the timeshare tour. The timeshares are located across the road, hillside. If you aren't up to the walk, there are golf carts that will shuttle you to the other areas of the resort. The timeshare properties were excellent and I would jump at the opportunity for a trade to the Westin!

The workout/spa facilities were extremely nice. Better than any other resort I've stayed at. Each piece of cardio equipment had its own television set, so you could control what you watched. They had a separate weight lifting room, as well as recommended jogging routes outside. The spa services were plentiful. I had a massage on two occasions while there and it was probably one of the best massages I've had. They combined traditional Swedish massage with hot stones. It was great!

There are plenty of activities at this resort. The large swimming pool overlooks the ocean and is great for keeping track of small children. The beach is not one of the best on St. John, but does provide numerous beach chairs and water activities, as well as a floating ocean rock climbing wall and a floating trampoline. Both kids and adults will find plenty of activities to keep them occupied.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

I had two different rooms during my stay. The first was more like a hotel room. It was very nice and spacious. The famous Westin bed and pillows were everything I expected (heavenly). The room had a large private balcony that overlooked the pool area, but it was far enough away so that you didn’t hear people playing. I liked this room because it was very close to the beach, pool, workout facilities, and everything else that I needed at the resort.

Halfway through my trip, I switched to a suite. The suite was a good bit larger, very comfortable, and quite large. It had a kitchen area, washer and dryer, sitting area, and a raised bed that made the suite look pretty cool. There was also a nice porch that provided a great view of the rest of the resort and the ocean below. The only downside was that the beach was about half mile away, but both rooms were great. It just depends on what you place the greatest premium on, space or convenience.

As for the rest of the resort, it had a very nice workout facility with lots of treadmills, bikes, and machines, and the spa was fantastic. I got a three hour spa treatment that included a facial, massage, and tanning rub. It was one of the best massages I have had in quite awhile. There are also shops for the essentials, a café, and a very nice restaurant.

Finally, the Westin has a great beach area and lagoon. I laid out at the beach on several occasions and enjoyed several drinks. The service was excellent. There were nice beach chairs and umbrellas for lounging. Plus, there were some fun things to climb on and jump off out in the lagoon.

Finally, the Westin was conveniently located a couple of miles from town. I liked the fact that it was easy to get into town, but also a little bit separated. Everyone at the resort was very nice and I can’t really think of anything I didn’t like. I highly recommend the resort and would gladly go back on my next trip to St. John.