• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Westin St.John just returned compare Maui

Scott & Laura

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2008
Messages
139
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Andover Minnesota
Hello;

We just returned from St.Johns stayed in 2731 of the new Villas., there were many positives to being there.

(We went on a Explorer package - it was a nightmare and a scam but thats for another day, Westin is working on amends we will let you know if they follow through)

The beaches St.Johns are easy access, sand and warmer by about 5 - 7 degrees, than Mauis. All the beaches are perfect for snorkeling. Mauis have a greater abundance of corals. St.Johns a greater diversity of marine life. We saw Cuttlefish and a Spotted Eagle Ray at lameshur, An Octupus at Trunk, Huge Yellow starfish at watermelon Bay, and the Turtles arrive around 2:15 in the afternoon.

The Flight to St.Johns is shorter by several hours than Hawaii. Hawaii has better nightlife and shopping. You can use your Westin transfer at St.Johns to go to St.Thomas for free ~ 80% of stores are jewelry.

Maui has more hustle and bustle and is much faster paced. St.Johns your forced to vacation.


St.Johns rooms are smaller. The decor is nice.
The 2 Bedroom, you can't open the guest bedroom door all the way, as it hits the sttee bench.

The TVs at St.Johns have a snow storm, maintenance said they needed an attenuator, but management has refused to install them. This is inexcusable and petty, if it rains all day, or as in my case the Bears game was on.

Maui you have a stove and microwave that are greatand better equipped kitchens.,St.Johns you get a cheap microwave that acts as an oven, you have to rotate your food, one end is too hot. The kitchens are poorly equipped and the cooking utensils cheap at St.Johns. For a mere $50.00 extra they could have gotten much better kitchenware.

St.Johns has a lot more to do on the grounds than Maui does they are spacious.

The new Villas at St.Johns, do not have barbecue grills, no pool, no whirlpools.

St.Johns Villas said we could travel the 2 - 3 blocks and use the ones at the old Villas.


Other than these observations, St.johns is a great slow paced island and I would like a Villas there.

Scott
 

DavidnRobin

TUG Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2005
Messages
11,812
Reaction score
2,224
Points
698
Location
San Francisco Bay Area
Resorts Owned
WKORV OFD (Maui)
WPORV (Kauai)
WSJ-VGV (St. John)
WKV (Scottsdale)
Thanks for the review, but...
repeat....
St John
St John
St John...
{not St Johns}

btw - we do not have snow issues with TV reception in the Hillside villas - although we watch very little TV while there (or perhaps I am too much of a rum haze state to notice...)

Greater abundance of coral in Maui? I would disagree with this (and have been to both places many times). Perhaps less accessable since the St John beaches are generally sandy entrances, but there are far more types of coral (and older) in St John and surrounds.
 

LisaRex

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2007
Messages
6,792
Reaction score
317
Points
518
Location
'burbs of Cincinnati, OH
Resorts Owned
Used to own: WKORV-N; SVV - Bella
Thanks for the review. 6 weeks til we are off to check out WSJ. I can't imagine loving a place more than Maui. I kind of hope that I don't love it as much because we paid so much for our OF view in Maui that I hate to continue giving it up as an exchange.

Bummer about the grills. I don't mind supporting the local restaurants, but I do like to eat in a few meals.
 

mitchandjeanette

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
211
Reaction score
13
Points
378
Location
Azusa
DavenRobin - Clear it up for me

Thanks for the review, but...
repeat....
St John
St John
St John...
{not St Johns}



looking for some help... is it St Jon, St John, St Jaun, Sts John, Sts Jons, St John's, Sts Jon, or St Jon's ....

:)
 

DeniseM

Moderator
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
57,668
Reaction score
9,087
Points
1,849
Resorts Owned
WKORV, WKV, 2-SDO, 4-Kauai Beach Villas, Island Park Village (Yellowstone), Hyatt High Sierra, Dolphin's Cove (Anaheim)
Definitely "St. John."
 

tomandrobin

TUG Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2006
Messages
4,115
Reaction score
120
Points
448
Location
Bel Air, Maryland
Thanks for the review. 6 weeks til we are off to check out WSJ. I can't imagine loving a place more than Maui. I kind of hope that I don't love it as much because we paid so much for our OF view in Maui that I hate to continue giving it up as an exchange.

Bummer about the grills. I don't mind supporting the local restaurants, but I do like to eat in a few meals.

Don't worry, its a different kind of love. Like comparing the difference between loving your mom/dad and your kids.
 

Cathyb

Tug Review Crew: Rookie
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
4,935
Reaction score
0
Points
36
Location
Carlsbad, CA
Just be sure your St. John rental car has decent tires and the spare not be bald! We were short-changed and got a flat out in the middle of nowhere.
 

DavidnRobin

TUG Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2005
Messages
11,812
Reaction score
2,224
Points
698
Location
San Francisco Bay Area
Resorts Owned
WKORV OFD (Maui)
WPORV (Kauai)
WSJ-VGV (St. John)
WKV (Scottsdale)
Just be sure your St. John rental car has decent tires and the spare not be bald! We were short-changed and got a flat out in the middle of nowhere.

Very good advice - I also bring a camera with me and take photos during the vehicle inspection. (and do not leave sand in the vehicle when returning) There are no vehicles on STJ that are not dinged-up (unless they are brand new - then they soon will be dinged)

Luckily the island is not that big - but there are places that you can get stuck that would be very dramatic to get our of (and costly I would imagine).

Stay Left! (and no screaming by the passengers)
 
Top