We first visited Dawn Beach on July 2011.The place is beautiful and my 2 teen-aged boys loved it so we bought a time share. The unit was very big with upgraded kitchen appliances. When we came back on June 2012 to stay in the unit, there were ants in the unit, the kichen appliances were old and rusty with missing kitchenwares and the fire alarm kept going on even if we were not cooking. We also lost electrical power on and off for 2 days which caused some of our perishable foods to be spoiled. We have to get ice cubes during that time.They sprayed ant insecticide 2x but it exacerbated my allergies and I was feeling congested during our stay. We were invited to meet with a Dawn Beach representative and we tried to address the inconvenience to her. However, she focused on selling us additional weeks rather than focusing on improving the services. When she realized that we were not ready to buy additional weeks of stay, she gave us an attitude. Finally we were able to talk with one of upper management staff who promised to address our concerns and complaints. Now, we are returning this year with friends who are potential buyers. As time share owners of Dawn Beach, we want the resort to succeed. The place is excellent but the services could surely have improvements. Our kids also wish that the resort will have more fun activities so they don't get bored and that's also one of the reasons why we are bringing friends with us. We are now looking forward to our next visit at Dawn Beach this summer. We are hoping to have a better time and have a more fun and excellent experience.

We just finished our 8th stay at the Westin Dawn Beach in the last 6 years. It remains one of our favorite vacation spots in the world. The staff -- from the bellmen when you pull up to the front desk to housekeeping to the casino dealers -- are wonderful, welcoming and warm. There has clearly been on-going maintenance and upkeep around the property - new carpets in the hallways, new shower fixtures, and some cosmetic work around the pool.

You need to rent a car -- the hotel is located about 2 km off of the "main road" of SXM, and it's a steep (nearly 400 foot vertical rise) hill if you want to walk over to Mr Busby's or the Marina area. There are always taxis available, and it's about a $20 ride to just about anywhere if you prefer not to drive the unmarked streets in the dark.

That said, this isn't the highest end of the Starwood properties -- it's above the midpoint in terms of price and exclusivity, but I don't understand the complaints about cost. It's a fair price for high season considering the hotel facilities. Similarly, I don't understand complaints about service - what I have found is that if you treat the staff with gentility and respect, and don't bring a large dose of NY attitude, things are great. I witnessed more than a little bad guest behavior during our visits, from vulgar abuse of casino dealers to people who can't be bothered to clear towels off of (limited) pool lounges when they leave to people making demands of the concierge when they can't get dinner reservations during the Christmas-New Year's week (we book ours 2-3 weeks in advance). We have personally never experienced anything other than top-notch service here, and after our 3rd or 4th visit, the staff began to greet us by name. I don't get that at other Starwood properties where I visit 5-6 times (a year) for work. Even though the hotel has had a few different managers in the last 6 years (this is standard Starwood practice; they move people around and it's NOT a reflection on the property or the managers) the quality and consistency -- and the staff "family feel" -- hasn't changed been affected in the least.

The casino is small but reasonable; the rules are not exactly Vegas or Atlantic City player-friendly but if you want that action, go to Vegas or AC. The restaurants are fine but with some world-class French cuisine all of 15 km away in Grand Case, you have to venture out and explore.

If I have one (and only one) issue -- there is almost no shade by the pool. If you want to be outside and avoid the sun, you need to rent a cabana poolside or on the beach -- we typically drive over to Orient Bay and rent umbrellas for the day for that reason, then come back and relax poolside once the sun is less brutal.

Other little details - there's a small Westin Workout room that was just updated (treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bike, weight machines, free weights). The spa gets high marks from my family members who went for massages. The wireless works (again) and it even supports iPhone authentication, so if you want to use your iPhone without an international data plan, you can -- nice for Skype, WhatsApp, and iMessage.

After having gone to this hotel recently, my husband and I were very DISAPPOINTED.
The CONS of the hotel were as follows:

Price: We have stayed at high end, expensive hotels. This was EXPENSIVE and NOT HIGH END.
Rooms: The OCEAN FRONT view rooms were extremely MUSTY and DAMP, and they had carpet which we didn't even want to step on with bare feet. Cleaning staff we very disorganized, and came into the room multiple times each day.
- Beware of the annoying staff harassing you to take part in a 90 minute presentation for time share.
Location: Very remote. You NEED A CAR. Unless you intend to spend your entire vacation at the resort, or taking a long and expensive taxi ride in to the town whenever you get bored. I would not recommend this location for those who enjoy being close to nightlife and action.
Breakfast: Grossly overpriced, and mediocre.

PROS:
Location: The beach and the pool are very nice. The waves can be quite strong, so I would not recommend this for children (parents at the resort had to stay by the pool with their children). Many chairs are available and included with your stay, unless you want to upgrade to a cabana which of course is not worth it. Towels are also included.
Food: The 2 restaurants at the hotel are quite good overall. But they can get expensive, and there is much better cuisine on the island if you ask around or use a good guidebook ( I would recommend Fodor's, it was amazing). Sunday brunch is very good, there is a huge selection. Come hungry, and be willing to pay at least $50.00 per person.

OVERALL:
The hotel is just too run down and expensive. There is no justification. If you are a traveler who likes luxury and/or enjoys getting value for your money, you are better off elsewhere.

The Spa is beautiful and as you'd expect the ladies providing services are excellent! They also have a great Casino and outdoor restaurant.

There is no beach to swim at but with their pools and the crashing waves - you don't need one.

It's a bit of a challenge to find but we'll worth it!