Anyone ever traded to Westin St John (II)?

[JerJan]

Just thinking of trying to do a trade through II in the next 1 to 2 years. Has anyone ever done a trade to the Westin St John? I would appreciate your input on other possible Carribbean locations as well that might be easier to get than this one, thanks!

 

[jel0511]

I've personally never stayed at the Westin St. John, but as a frequent visitor to the island I've been there several times. First off, the beach at the Westin is man-made and is located VERY close to the main marina on St. John and often gets "stirred up" and greatly affects the water clarity there. Second, the resort does not compete in any way with DVC's quality. It is a nice place, but it's just not up to the same standard that DVC or Disney resorts are held up to. I of course have had the ability to try to trade into the Westin since becoming a DVC member and still (and always will) pay cash for our stays on St. John. It's just not worth it.

 

[RLevy29]

I stayed at the Westin St. John's last summer in July. We were in their version of a "studio." When you walked in the room there was a little alcove with a 3 drawer dresser on the right and the bathroom was to the left. You then entered the bedroom with a full closet to the right and the king bed to the left with two night stands. Further into the room is a small full kitchen complete with dishwasher. There is a dining table on the right and in the living area is a TV and a big sofabed. There is a small patio with a table and 2 chairs. The best surprise was when we opened the closet there was an apartment size washer - dryer. I felt that this room was very comfortable. The draw back is that the villas are located on a hill across the street from the main resort area. We both really love St. John's and have talked about using our DVC points there for one of our years that we do not visit Disney. This may sound disloyal, but I wish that the DVC studios wer set up this way. I did not get to see what a 1 or 2 bedroom looks like. If you have any other questions, I would be glad to answer them for you.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

We've stayed at the Westin once, but in the hotel section and not the timeshare section. I agree with most of what jel0511 has said (I disagree on the quality/standards comments somewhat). But to stay in the timeshare section is a bit of a distance to the beach and/or to the rest of the property. If you want a really good beach, you will have to travel off the property (but if you do, you will see some of the best beaches in the world). We REALLY disliked the Westin's Beach.

HBC

 

[dairyou]

We've put in for a trade to the Westin. Started it 2 years ago coming this January 2006. We put in for the months of January, February and March and have not heard yet. I actually think we are going on DCL instead. Just trying to nail my husband down to an actual decision

Deb

 

[donald...really]

In addition to DVC, we also own at the Westin St. John. The timeshare section is VERY small, and the members tend to use the points to stay at their home resort, so it is very difficult to get into. That is why we purchased at the Westin, because we fell in love with the island on a Disney cruise and knew we wanted to go back on a regular basis. At the time, it wasn't available as a DVC trade, but when it became available, even our DVC sales rep said it would be near impossible to trade into through DVC, and I guess she was right.

I agree that the beach is not that great, but as another poster pointed out, the island is full of some of the nicest beaches in the world. So even if the beach at the Westin was better, it would still make sense to explore the other beaches on the island.

In response to the comment that it does not compare to DVC, what other timeshare does? Westin is in the process of upgrading their timeshare rooms. On our first visit, we stayed in one of the unrenovated rooms and it in NO WAY compared to DVC. On the second trip we were in a renovated room, and it was beautiful, quite the equal to DVC. Granite counter tops in the kitchen and bathrooms, beautiful tiles, fine furnishings, flat screen tv and Bose sound system, etc.

Also, we like the fact that the resort is across the street from the main resort and up on a hill. It keeps the timeshare section nice and peaceful, while providing great views of the bay. There are two quiet pools in the timeshare section, and we were usually the only ones in the pool when we used them. And the three bedrooms each have their own private pool, with sliding glass doors that open the living room up to the patio. Very nice. The main resort area is a short 5 minute walk away (but the walk back is MUCH more difficult because of the steep hill) and there is always the hotel shuttle service to take you to and from the main section of the resort if you want. The shuttle picks you up and drops you off at your room.

As for other islands to try, have you considered Aruba? We have never been, but we have heard some great things. And if you are not particular about where you stay, there are a number of resorts to trade into, which would increase your chances of success.

And even if you aren't able to trade into the Westin St. John, I would still strongly suggest you get to the island one of these days (if you haven't been already). There are many different types of places to stay on the island if you are willing to pay cash, from campgrounds to luxury private homes. It REALLY is a special place.

 

[MichelleB]

We are DVC members and went to Westin St. John 2 yrs. ago, but didn't use our pts. to stay. We stayed in the hotel section but did take the timeshare tour. Unlike most posts, we enjoyed the beach. Was it the most beautiful on the island...no. However, it was nice. We had a little shark that would swim the shoreline every day at the same time and we enjoyed watching for him. He wouldn't bother anyone, just wanted to swim by. The timeshare units didn't honestly interest us much. They are up a steep hill unless you have a 3 bedroom and they're at the entrance at the bottom of the hill. The 3 bedrooms were very nice in that they were large and had their own private pool. You had NO view from these though. The units on the hill had some view but not what I'd clarify as a great one. The units were ok and we didn't see anything wrong with them. We're all spoiled with Disney and the service we get but I'd venture to say these were somewhat comparable...certainly not way below. The island itself is absolutely beautiful and I'm so glad we went. If you can afford to, pay cash and go anyway. You won't regret it.

 

[RLevy29]

We enjoyed the beach at the Westin, also. (Especially when there were no chairs at the pool) We also enjoyed sightseeing at all of the other beautiful beaches. One plus that the Westin has is the transportation from the airport. They have their own ferry from St. Thomas. There is a fee- I forget how much, but it is worth it. As far as it being worth it for points, I think that it is a good deal if you can get an exchange. A 1-bedroom would be 160 points in high seson. It would be hard to get a room at the Westin for less than $200 including tax.