St. John USVI · Accommodations

Gallows Point Resort, St. John

Relax in the lavish Caribbean décor and extensive trappings of comfort and luxury while listening to beautiful blue Caribbean waves gently crash in the distance - at St. John, you will find that hotel and resort lodging is at its finest.

One of the first things that the happy island vacationer like you will notice about St. John is the quiet, cozy and secluded nature of the island. With a large national park covering much of the land and a core of dedicated conservationists, St. John has - fortunately - avoided the nightmarish legacy of overdevelopment that has befallen so many other Caribbean vacation destinations. Therefore, when browsing around the island for that perfect hotel or resort location, the choices available to leisure and comfort seekers such as you are delightfully selective. Before going into the specifics, it will be useful for you to familiarize yourself with the main types of fine lodging that are available on this exceptionally relaxing tropical island destination.

First of all, there are the campgrounds. For those who are seeking to save a penny here and there, this is a perfectly tolerable option. Personally, however, I tend to enjoy living it up when I get the chance. And honestly, there are few luxury lodging options better than those at St. John. So it's this attitude which prompts me to overlook the campground, the villas, the condominiums and the guest houses - for me, I go straight for the gold and enjoy the very best of the Caribbean island lifestyle. Not only is the service typically above par, but the sheer comfort of the rooms fused with an incredibly attractive island look makes the fine hotel and resort options on St. John simply ideal for all types of travelers. Whether you are young and in love and on a romantic getaway for two or you are among a group of college kids on Spring Break - even if you're a family group looking for group lodging - St. John will situate you perfectly.

Topping my list is Gallows Point Resort, just on the outskirts of Cruz Bay. Indeed, the staff tells you it's less than 200 steps into town. I've tried it, it is true - except coming back add a few extra steps to accommodate the rum. Gallows Point Resort is simply spectacular. Enjoy waking up every morning to the exceptional view of the Caribbean blue waters right outside your huge bay windows that surround your living room, almost giving you the exciting sensation of living in a glass house. Wonderful snorkeling can be had, just steps away. Also onsite is Jax Bar. A splendid spot to catch St. John's dramatic sunsets.

One of my other favorite places to stay when I come to St. John is the Caneel Bay Resort. Although at first it may not seem like the typical apex-of-comfort type of lodging experience - there are no telephones or TVs available inside the guest habitations, for example - the Caneel Bay motif allows guests to truly get away from it all without having to contend with the crudeness of the campground. Essentially, visitors to Caneel Bay can get all of the mystique of the camping experience without having to deal with any of the discomfort. Located over a vast stretch of pristine national park acreage, the hotel resort rooms span nearly 10 beaches and a great amount of pure, protected land.

Another exceptional place to stay is the Westin Resort. Those looking for the peak luxury experience would do well to check in here without a second thought. Why do I say this? Because the first impression a happy island vacationer like you will receive upon approaching the lobby is "Wow - fantastic!" Indeed, the structure of the building itself is stunning, and the service is not far behind. So after staying a few days at the Westin Resort, one gets the impression that every feature of this incredible tropical island destination on St. John was designed to make the guest and his or her entourage feel, well, otherworldly.

And while there's no question that comfort, relaxation and one of the best island locations can all be experienced here at the Westin Resort, there's still more - specifically speaking, the Westin Resort hosts some of the finest dining selections on the entire island of St. John.

Another great find worth looking into is the Estate Zootenvaal. Edging up on the border of the exceptional national park on the island of St. John, the Estate Zootenvaal is a wonderful getaway place that presents a relatively undiscovered luxury destination for those who like splendid nature, private beaches and practically the best in comfort and service that can be offered on this fabulous Caribbean destination.

Looking for a similar type of luxury villa lodging experience for a lower price in some cases? Check out the Lavender Hill Suites. At the cost of being a little less secluded, happy island vacationers can have comfortable accommodations in a great location near Cruz Bay, one of the main tourist thoroughfares on the island.

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See you on the Island, John "Big Hat" Walsh