The good:
- Nice quieter beach on St Martin with good snorkeling right off the shore
- Ample area around the pool to relax during the day
- Really nice views from the ocean view rooms - you are right on the ocean and there's a nice wave break on a reef

The bad (or inconsistent):
- Restaurants at the hotel are overpriced, better options exist if you are willing to leave the premises (particularly in Grand Case, but also at Oyster Bay)
- Service staff at the hotel were hit or miss - some were friendly (mostly at breakfast), others were indifferent at best (check-in, activities coordinator, pool bar)
- Casino - we're not gamblers, so the casino definitely detracted from a relaxing hotel experience (and it never seemed that busy). I wouldn't have minded if it was in a separate area, but every time you come and go from the hotel and at check-in the casino is front and center. People were also allowed to smoke in the casino area which seems to go against the smoke-free atmosphere of the rest of the hotel.
- Be prepared to be asked to take part in the time-share sales pitch. The scratch off cards are the most common tactic, if you get three 7s then you are most likely to get a Cancun stay for 4 nights (at a 3-star hotel, non-Starwood). Just go in eyes wide open and don't let them pressure you to stay longer than the 90 minutes required.

Note: You will definitely want a car while on the island so that you can explore different places and get around. The Westin is about 40 minutes from the airport, 25 minutes from Grand Case (where a majority of the really great restaurants are) and ~20 minutes from Phillipsburg (where the cruise ships station)

The Westin Dawn Beach is just lovely. We stayed 10 days from November 9 - 18th, 2012. The staff was friendly and polite. There is a casino there but it was not bustling or noisy. There is a Spa, there is a "Beach Club" membership (which I believe is a time share) for sale and somehow we managed to avoid being asked or pressured to waste our time taking the "tour"! The vacation package we bought included the breakfast buffet every day and believe me it was fabulous. This resort is on the beautiful pure white sand Dawn Beach. There is an infinity pool, a beach bar, and an on-site restaurant. Our room was large, and clean, the bed and pillows were DE-VINE!!! The bathroom was large and well equipped. The only things we did not like about the room were #1- that even though there was plenty of room, there was no place to sit and have coffee or a snack together in the room. The patio (we were on the ground level) had 2 comfortable chairs and a patio table, but sometimes it was too hot to eat outside and it would have been nice to have a little nook to eat at in the room. And #2- we would also have liked it better if the room had a small refrigerator.
There is only 1 restaurant at this resort, but if you just drive out and take your first right there are a couple more restaurants right on the beach, a small well stocked convenience store, and a marina.
If you want to a gorgeous relaxing place to vacation at, you should go to The Westin at Dawn Beach!

We traded a week of time share and although our paperwork indicated Dawn Beach Resort, we were actually in a 3 bedroom Westin Suite -- the unit was wonderful. We unpacked quickly hoping they wouldn't make us move if it was a mistake! The rooms were beautifully appointed. We had a full kitchen, laundry, balconies off the master and living room. The beach was a little rough but there was an unbelievable pool with nice cushioned loungers. One afternnon they had a duet singing - beautiful voices and the selection of music was peaceful - no rowdy crowds even at the pool bar. We had spent the week prior on Anguilla so we like the fact that this place is tucked away. You can do all the investigating you want on busy St. Martin but have someplace to relax when you want to. All of the staff went out of their way to greet us and insure we had what we needed. Did a day trip to Pinel and lunched at Grand Case Beach Club. Mr. Busby's was also great. We always use Kenny's Car Rental and they are excellent! The staff are very friendly, prompt and professional. This time they met us at the Simpson Bay Ferry instead of the airport. Someone even led us over to the Westin as we couldn't remember exactly how to get there. When we arrived at the airport for our return home, they were waiting for us to take the car. Don't you love it when everything works!!! Great trip -- would happily repeat all of the above in a minute!!!

The area of the island is quiet but the service is top notch. We told them we were on our honeymoon and not only were we upgraded but they also gave us a bottle of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries! 10 minutes later they called to ensure everything with the room was ok. The rooms are clean and well decorated. You'll need to cab it ($15) to Philipsburg for some action, though the hotel does have a nice sized casino, fantastic pool, and a private beach. Would stay again.