Caneel Bay

This iconic Caribbean resort is worth a visit. They have managed to hold on to the old charms, while keeping service standards very high. There are great amenities, including the water taxi. The accommodations are fairly rustic, but this creates a quiet, laid back ambiance. The restaurants are excellent and the service wonderful.

We have heard what an amazing place Caneel Bay is for over 20 years but this was our first visit. We have been to the Caribbean numerous times but nothing is like Caneel Bay. We were looking for a 1st class, high quality, relaxing venue and our trusted travel agent strongly pushed us to Caneel Bay- Kudos to her. The travel experience from the airport to the property is great, the grounds are absolutely beautiful and the beaches are great. If you are looking for a place with high energy night life, this ain't it! On the other hand, I have never been to a place so relaxing. The rooms and bathrooms are spacious and nice (we were in a recently upgraded unit). The beaches are never crowded and it was never difficult to find a nice shaded chair on the beach. Although we were >90% occupancy, the entire resort never seemed crowded in any way. The entire staff was nice, polite and efficient. I asked several of the staff members how long they had been there and most have worked at Caneel Bay for many years , seemed very happy and all said it was a great place to work; that equals great service. One of the employees, Debbie Murray, was our server at Turtle Bay, served us at breakfast several times and worked some at the Scotts Beach Cabana and the bar- remembered our names , polite , professional and polished- would love to have her work at my office! Turtle Bay Estate only open Sundays this time of year but was our best dining experience of the week. We ate twice at ZoZo's and it is very good as well. Breakfast very good and available till 10:30, so good have a cup of coffee in room and leisurely go to breakfast. Can't say enough about how much we enjoyed our week . we were impressed by the number of repeat visitors, several > 5 times. We look forward to going back ourselves.

This year we will be coming back to Caneel for the 4th year in a row. It's such a unique place in the world. I can't think of any place else where we can walk to 6-7 semi private beaches. Plus, the rooms/condos are all spaced apart. I also like the hills/mountains on the property. It gives me a change of scenery to run or hike in the property or to town. This year, we will be trying the scuba diving. My kids (12 and 14) love it. They can't wait to come back each year. The breakfast and sushi are great . The healthy smoothie is also great. If you like to go to a resort that is understated and that you can do a lot of stuff withing walking distance, e.g., snorkeling on the beach, paddle boarding, kayaking, hiking, tennis, fitness and running, it's really hard to beat this place.

Caneel is still one of the unique experiences in the Caribbean. We've been going to St. John for more than 3 decades -- always returning after hopping around the Caribbean because we haven't found anyplace we like better. The setting is beautiful, the beaches are picture postcard perfect, the service is impeccable. We love the natural setting -- landscaping instead of umbrellas, uncrowded beaches, deer and mongoose and donkeys and birds. Love the generous breakfast buffet. Sushi in the cafe is excellent. Turtle Bay Estate House for dinner was superb. Those who appreciate nature and a laid-back vacation in a gorgeous setting will love it here. But don't expect the Ritz style of bells and whistles and chandeliers. The Ritz is great, but it's a different experience. Caneel is not a cookie-cutter kind of place; it's entirely unique.

This is long but I'm inspired. Let me start by saying that we loved this place so much that we extended our stay an extra three days. We stayed in one of the newly renovated beachfront rooms on Hawksnest Beach and could not have been happier! The room was not fancy like a Ritz Carlton but who cares! It's modern, clean and spacious. The bed is super comfortable, the air conditioner worked perfectly, and we had two balconies. You also get complimentary snorkeling gear to use while you are there and a free bottle of good rum! We found Hawksnest beach to feel the most "wild" (a bit more windy, little to no water traffic, donkeys occasionally take a stroll, lush and surrounded by beautiful hills) and loved every minute of it. Our other favorite beach was Turtle Bay Beach. Great swimming and snorkeling! Sometimes we were the only people there. But if you like a few more people (never crowded) and amenities....Caneel Beach has you covered too! Scott Beach is lovely and Honeymoon Beach is just a short easy walk away. Both gorgeous beaches. The grounds of the resort are lovely and full of flowering trees and bushes and deer, occasional mongoose (I think they are hilarious) and donkeys. The recently born donkey baby was adorable. As far as restaurants we are at Zozo's twice (delicious! Get the scallop Rockefeller as an app), Turtle Bay Estate House once since its only open Sundays, and Caneel Beach Grill Twice. The sushi is really good. The rest of the nights we went into town taking an a cab that is right at the main entrance. Easy peasy. Go to Asolare if you get a chance. Writing a review soon! The Terrace is really good too. I found the staff to be accommodating and very nice. Wayne, the waiter at Turtle Bay Estate house and at breakfast is a standout. So friendly and just a pleasure. Give that man a raise! Special touches at Caneel: they gave us a bottle of champagne for my birthday. Very sweet. Thank you! The tea time at Turtle Bay Estate house is lovely and nice treat. The Terrace there is really pretty. They had a manager's cocktail reception which was open to guests and I thought that was very nice touch. Steel drum musician, lovely snacks, and drinks. All complimentary. Turn down service leaves you a beautiful shell each night. They also replenish beach towels etc.l When you leave on the ferry the staff waves you off from the dock. I actually teared up when I left and I'm not a crier! We will be back!!!