June 21-24
Spent (only) three ni at Caneel last week for a 20th anniversary getaway. It was wonderful! With only three days, we basically did nothing. We arrived later on Monday nite due to airplane delays, and were met and ferried to Caneel from Redhook by private boat. We spent the next couple of days swimming, snorkeling and reading on the beach. We had a beachfront room on Scott beach - albeit pricey, but the location, water and view could not be beat. And, we decided to splurge since it was our 20th! The room itself was done with rattan furnishings and an island decor - I would have enjoyed a little more color, though, in the room. We were on the far end of Scott beach (near Turtle Point), and it was practically deserted. The water was crystal clear, and Scott beach had a reef to the right with thousands of silverfish (think Finding Nemo - I kept waiting for them to morph into some shape), parrotfish and loads of other tropicals (and lots of sea urchins - so beware) and there were sea turtles and stingrays to the left end of the beach. We ate on resort for all of our meals and found the food tasty and nicely presented. With only 3 nites, we tried each place once. The Equator was our favorite - more for the view and setting than anything, I think. We did venture into town by taxi one morning, but it was SO hot (it was really hazy, hot and humid the entire time we were there) that we only stayed and hour or so, then returned to Caneel to hang out on the beach.
The day we had to leave, we took an earlier ferry and spent a couple hours wandering in St. Thomas before heading to the airport. Lunch was at the Hard Rock to cool off.
All in all, Caneel was wonderful. The staff was always pleasant and helpful - "good morning" and "good evening" went a long way, I feel. There is not any nightlife, but they did have more entertainment starting on Thursdays (through the weekend). We would go back again - only staying longer next time.

My husband and I had such a great experience here I wanted to take the time to write a review. When we originally booked our vacation last fall we weren't planning on staying here,but a good friend of mine said to try it out so we booked 2nts courtside at the beginning of our trip.
The boatride was lovely and check-in was a snap. We got to our courtside room which was fine but after walking around the 7 beaches the property has to offer we decided that it would really make a difference to upgrade to a beachfront room.
The second night we stayed beachfront at Hawksnest and fell in love. The water is just steps away (20-25 feet) from the room. Every beach is beautiful and the snorkeling is great. Not to mention the beautiful sunsets at Scotts beach. Unfortunately, we had to check out the next morning. We headed over to the Westin and were sadly disappointed to say the least. The bay it is located in doesn't even remotely compare to Caneel and there are screaming kids everywhere. We stayed 1 night and called Caneel back to see if they could accommodate us for 4 more nights beachfront. We told them we just loved Hawknest and we were told that 1 night we would have to stay in room 11 on Little Caneel beach, and then we could go back to Hawksnest for the remaining 3 nts. Thank god !
The woman helping us in reservations was extremely nice and very helpful. We paid double a night than at the Westin($575) but it was worth every penny. As soon as we checked back in we felt that amazing sense of tranquility. Another nice touch was their request to keep 2 of the beches for adults only. A lot of people have commented on the service, but we had no problem at all. Everyone was nice, and the bartender on the different beaches was a great touch. As far as the complimentary breakfast being early(only till 8:00a.m.) surprisingly we were up many mornings and made it there in time for coffee. There are coffee makers in each room always with at least four bags of coffee and plenty of creamer and sugar. The food is fine. We actually ate a few informal dinners at the grill which was fine to have salads with yummy fish. We tried their theme bufett one night and found the food fresh and plentiful. We went into town twice for dinner and had two great meals at LaTapa.
The service is typical for what you find on any island in the Caribbean. Adequate but slow. Fortunately, all the staff we encountered at Caneel were friendly.
We've seen reviews that talk about Caneel not being child friendly. During our stay ( Easter break for many schools) we saw 20-30 children. All of them were well behaved in comparison to the onslaught of running, screaming, playing kids at the Westin. If you are seeking "supervised" childrens activities you should probably stay at the Westin. Caneel doesn't offer a kids menu or trampolines in the ocean. Caneel does offer complimentary use of snorkle equipment, Sunfish boats, etc. All of this will cost you $18/day at the Westin (regardless of whether or not you take advantage).
Yes, I would agree that Caneel can be a bit pricey(as are many carribean islands or Bora Bora)but after one night at the substandard Westin there was no comparison! Caneel's 170acres of grounds are well kept and their beaches are a stunning example of what st.john has to offer. We look foward to returning and also possibly staying at their sister resort on Virgin Gorda.

My husband and I just got back from a 5 day stay at Caneel Bay. Paid about $475 a night for a beachfront room (Hawknest Beach Room 106), with no meals included. Loved being a few feet away from one of the most gorgeous beaches I had ever seen. Since the resort has 7 beaches, there is lots of privacy...chairs are not piled on top of each other. We went to The Westin one night and were thrilled with our choice...The Westin beach was crowded with seats and considering the size of the resort, the pool wasn't very big.

We loved having the use of floats, snorkeling gear and internet, for free, at all times.

Having said that, for the price we paid, I would have liked the beach chairs to not be the cheap ones you find at small motels or backyards....cushions and some cleaning would have been appreciated.

In addition, we didin't find the staff to be very friendly and helpful. For example, when seeking guidance for dinner reservations, we got barely audible sentences. Very little enthusiasm or friendliness...

Fortunately, we had heard of some good restaurants from friends and we HIGHLY recommend them after having tried them out: Stone Terrace (Cruz Bay), Asolare (close to Caneel Bay) and Tag'e (Cruz Bay). We did dine at Equator (on the resort)...it was decent but you basically pay for the environment, not the food.

All in all, our experience was great but for the hefty price, staff assistance (or lack thereof) and uncomfortable beach chairs. After having visited the Four Seasons in Maui in November, I would tell the staff at Caneel Bay to learn a thing or two about customer relations from them...Their customer service was outstanding and you were always made to feel like a million bucks.

I plan to go back one day, but my next stop will be another Four Seasons...

My wife and I had a great time at Caneel on our honeymoon. We only wish we hadn't spent the first four days at the Westin. Don't get me wrong, the Westin is a top notch hotel with very good service, but if you are looking for a unique, once in ten years kind of experience then Caneel bay is for you.
The beaches were beautiful as were the grounds. The only knock on Caneel is that it is expensive- esp. to eat. If money is no object then this is the place for you.
We saw sea turtles and hiked without ever leaving the resort. Very quiet. Good place to unwind and relax.