Planning to book this property for March 25 - April 1 2013. Family of four with kids ages 13 and 17.
1. Is hotel on long stretch of beach?
2. Is beach calm and swimmable right in front of hotel?
3. We are only renting car for portion of trip, will that be a problem for dinners away from hotel? We are ok with taxis.
4. Is snorkeling any good right at hotel?
Thank you.
hi...dawn beach used to be one of our favorite beaches. it was beautiful there. but...it is rough water...usually. also...westin is really away from every thing. i would not want to drive around in the dark to go from say Simpson Bay to the westin. i am sure the westin has really nice rooms, but you might want to try going over to where Mullet Bay is. one of the best beaches on the island, long white sand beach, beautiful surroundings a reef there that is great for snorkeling. they have a bathroom on site and food and drink is available. you can rent lounges and umbrellas too. we are staying at the saphire resort 12/8 thru the 15th. there are other resorts in that area too. and for us...the great thing about being in that area is......no draw bridge traffic. we havent been to stx for a numer of years because of the traffic. who wants to sit in traffic for an hour and a half...not me!!
try mullet bay area...you wont be sorry!!!
Hi, We stayed at the Westin's Dawn Beach Club timeshares in May. The beach is long and extends from the timeshares, in front of the hotel and beyond. The water when we were there was not calm but not a problem for good swimmers. I know nothing about the snorkeling. The pool is lovely and ranges from a wading area to 6' depth...no diving. Please note that there is no shade at the beach or pool unless you pay for a cabana. The Westin is in a quiet part of the island so You ABSOLUTELY need a car even to get to restaurants five minutes away because the street is windy, steep and not lighted. At the bottom of the hill are three excellent restaurants (Big Fish, Canoas and Daniels by the Sea) and a pizza parlor along with Infinity at the Oyster Bay Beach resort. Just beyond that area, you turn into the French side where there are maybe five more restaurants. Taxis run about $30 to Grand Case. The resort has two restaurants and lunch around the pool. We had lunch and ate at the less expensive restaurant the first evening and it was fine. If you are staying in the timeshare units, the kitchen is lovely but in my opinion, you would need additional pots, bakeware and dishes for a family of your size. There is also a washer and dryer. In closing, Interval placed us at Dawn Beach Club again and as a 60 year old couple, we are happy to return. Have fun!
Thank you both so much. The info you provided is so helpful.
The Westin has a great beach, don't count on great snorkeling anywhere on this island. Unless of course you have never snorkeled before and you get excited if you see just a few fish. The Westin is also away from everything! You will need a car if staying at this property. In the end it will be cheaper renting a car staying at this location, than getting a taxis that start at $10 and in many cases may run you $30 one way to get anywhere. The Westin however is wonderful! The beach is great! We were there in November 2012... there are other beaches that are more consistent with the rip tide issues. Hotels in the Maho beach area are walking distance to many restaurants and Mullet Bay Beach. On the downside... the hotels are not as nice as the Westin. Also bring LOTS OF CASH.. credit card is not always accepted and they often charge 8% for using a credit card on top of the charge your credit card company will charge you.
FYI... all beaches are open / public beaches. Also be prepared that on almost every beach you will find women and some men that do not wear bathing suites.
With the age group of your teens I would strongly recommend the Pirate speed boat all day swim and snorkel. It is a blast and the best trip on the island.
Enjoy
We stayed at Dawn Beach Club and it's very nice. You will probably want to get groceries upon arrival. Our rooms were Huge, with full kitchen. The restaurants are nice, the pools are lovely, but our favorite beach is Orient. Lots to do there. You will be fine a few days without a car and they offer bus shopping tours and other things right at the Westin next door, but you will also need a car to take in the rest of the Island. We love St. Martin and even though Orient Beach is part clothing optional, the lower end most people are in swim suits which is where all the water sports are.
With all the traffic circles put in over the last couple of years, the traffic isn't bad at all. We used to stay in the Mullet Bay, Sapphire, Simpson Bay Area, but we have changed to the Dawn Beach area for the last two years and enjoy it much better.
We are a couple in our forties, with two kids ages 6 and 12, and just booked a Dawn Beach Club timeshare directly from Timeshare owners via redweek.com. We are renting a car for the tweek, and look forward to our first trip to St. Maarten. Thank you for the info here.
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