Westin St. John [Master Thread]

[czar]

It wasn't our first choice, but I was able to snag a 3br villa at WSJ for 2 consecutive weeks from 8/8/14 to 8/22/14 (250,000 Staroptions). I've been trying almost every day to get something for next year at Harborside, but every morning that I called all of the units were gone by the time I actually got to talk to an agent.

So my question to any of you that have been to WSJ is - should I rent those weeks and try to find something at Harborside with the proceeds from the rental or should we just use the weeks ourselves? We would be taking my mom for her 60th birthday, so it would be my wife and our 2 kids (15 and 16) plus my mom and dad. I thought Harborside would be a much better place to take them, but I've never been to WSJ, so I'm just not sure.

Thoughts anyone?

One thought is that this is the last summer you'll get that rate @ 125k SO. Unless Harborside increases as well, you'll need a lot more options summer 2015 for WSJ as compared to Harborside, so maybe take advantage of that.

We love WSJ! Beautiful, laid back island.

 

[ekinggill]

Early flight out of STT

What is name of hotel by STT? Along that nice looking beach. Travel friends have smartly decided not to risk making it from WSJ to STT for an 8AM flight.

Did anyone notice that the Westin ferry reduced their runs?

and... The pool and surrounds have been refurbished.

Just saw your posts. We had a 8 AM departure on our first trip there. If your friends take the Westin Breeze, they will get them a water taxi / cab to get them to the airport in time. I think it departed the resort at 5 AM, but our water taxi had just the two of us on it and when we got to STT there was a cab waiting. We paid no extra and made it with plenty of time to spare.

 

[steve1000]

WSJ main pool renovation is completed

We will be at WSJ the second week of January and just received an email from management that the main pool renovation and 5 of the Poolside and Beachfront buildings are completed. A friend of ours was there mid-December and said the pool renovation was not completed at that time. She told us she would be surprised if it was ready for our arrival but they must have done all they could to have it completed for the holidays.

 

[DavidnRobin]

According to the WSJ Facebook page - pool is finished

 

[okwiater]

Does the WSJ Hillside Pool Villa sleep 8 or 10? I always thought it was 10 but according to starwoodvacationnetwork.com, it's 8.

https://www.starwoodvacationnetwork.com/the-westin-st-john-resort-villas/villas/#floorplan-12

Also, the floorplan doesn't show a hot tub but when I stayed in one there was a hot tub next to the pool.

 

[ekinggill]

Pics of pool update

Does anyone have pics or know a web site where pics of the refresh of the resort might be?

 

[SMHarman]

Does the WSJ Hillside Pool Villa sleep 8 or 10? I always thought it was 10 but according to starwoodvacationnetwork.com, it's 8.

https://www.starwoodvacationnetwork.com/the-westin-st-john-resort-villas/villas/#floorplan-12

Also, the floorplan doesn't show a hot tub but when I stayed in one there was a hot tub next to the pool.

Bay Vista sleeps 10.
https://www.starwoodvacationnetwork.com/the-westin-st-john-resort-villas/villas/#floorplan-4

 

[SMHarman]

Does anyone have pics or know a web site where pics of the refresh of the resort might be?

https://www.starwoodvacationnetwork...?IM=OWNCOM_ENEWS_LNK_201311_SVN_WSJCORALVISTA

 

[SMHarman]

One thought is that this is the last summer you'll get that rate @ 125k SO. Unless Harborside increases as well, you'll need a lot more options summer 2015 for WSJ as compared to Harborside, so maybe take advantage of that.

We love WSJ! Beautiful, laid back island.

Of course as Denise said earlier those who make the rules can change and break the rules but the last two times Starwood changed the StarOption requirements were when they were in active sales at a new development at a resort (Cancun and WSJ-CV respectively).

Unless Phase 3 HRA breaks ground (is there such a thing?) then I would anticipate the SO for HRA to remain the same.

 

[czar]

We're just wrapping up a week in captiva - we own weeks 51 & 52 here - and we love it. But all of us (those who can talk, at least) agree that WSJ is better. August can't come fast enough!

 

[bobpark56]

Does the WSJ Hillside Pool Villa sleep 8 or 10? I always thought it was 10 but according to starwoodvacationnetwork.com, it's 8.

https://www.starwoodvacationnetwork.com/the-westin-st-john-resort-villas/villas/#floorplan-12

Also, the floorplan doesn't show a hot tub but when I stayed in one there was a hot tub next to the pool.

There are 2 different floor plans for the pool villas. Ours (4215) does not have a hot tub (this is as I understand it...we have stayed in 2 other pool villas, but not yet in our own). I believe that only the 2 newer buildings (43xx & 44XX) have hot tubs.

Westin claims that our unit sleeps 10. That would be with the living room couch being used as a fold-out bed. Also, 4 people would share the bedroom upstairs that has 2 beds.

We will have 6 adults there this year, and our villa will do that quite comfortably.

 

[DavidnRobin]

Does anyone have pics or know a web site where pics of the refresh of the resort might be?

Facebook - add them

 

[ekinggill]

Facebook - add them

Yes...I've seen the FB picks of people standing around the pool...I can't really tell what they did from those pics.

 

[ekinggill]

Cafe Roma reopens!

At long last Cafe Roma reopens tonight.

https://www.facebook.com/stjohncaferoma/posts/10152872010877281

 

[Politico]

I booked a partial spring 2014 week at WSJ in a 3 bedroom villa with staroptions. Two Starwood reps told me that I will be in VG phase in a 3br pool villa, which is what I want. My confirmation says that the unit sleeps 10. However, starwoodvacationiwnership.com states that 3br VG pool villas sleep 8. I'm confused because the reps were insistent that I'll be in VG.

Although I know Starwood reserves the right to modify the phase in placed in, right now, any idea where am I going to be???

 

[ferndale]

I booked a partial spring 2014 week at WSJ in a 3 bedroom villa with staroptions. Two Starwood reps told me that I will be in VG phase in a 3br pool villa, which is what I want. My confirmation says that the unit sleeps 10. However, starwoodvacationiwnership.com states that 3br VG pool villas sleep 8. I'm confused because the reps were insistent that I'll be in VG.

Although I know Starwood reserves the right to modify the phase in placed in, right now, any idea where am I going to be???

I am sure there are others more knowledgeable than I about this, but I can tell you the bed arrangement in our 3 bed pool villa. We are in building 44, which is one of the buildings with the permanent walls upstairs, and 3.5 baths, and the jacuzzi by the pool (as opposed to 2.5 baths in building 41 and 42). Master down has king, living room has pull out sofa. Upstairs one bedroom has king and own bathroom. Other bedroom has 2 doubles or queens (can't remember as I didn't sleep there) and its own bathroom. You could only sleep 10 if there were 2 persons in every bed. We absolutely love these villas!!!

 

[okwiater]

Now I'm really confused about the pool villas!

There are 2 different floor plans for the pool villas. Ours (4215) does not have a hot tub (this is as I understand it...we have stayed in 2 other pool villas, but not yet in our own). I believe that only the 2 newer buildings (43xx & 44XX) have hot tubs.

Westin claims that our unit sleeps 10. That would be with the living room couch being used as a fold-out bed. Also, 4 people would share the bedroom upstairs that has 2 beds.

In the older buildings 41 & 42 is there actually a bedroom with two beds? The floorplan on the SVN site shows only one bed in each bedroom. Is the square footage or living space meaningfully different between the older and newer buildings?

We are in building 44, which is one of the buildings with the permanent walls upstairs

What do you mean by permanent walls? How does that differ from the other buildings that don't have permanent walls?

and 3.5 baths, and the jacuzzi by the pool (as opposed to 2.5 baths in building 41 and 42). Master down has king, living room has pull out sofa. Upstairs one bedroom has king and own bathroom. Other bedroom has 2 doubles or queens (can't remember as I didn't sleep there) and its own bathroom. You could only sleep 10 if there were 2 persons in every bed. We absolutely love these villas!!!

So is the upstairs smaller in buildings 41 and 42? Or is it just a different floorplan? And are there still 3 beds upstairs in the older buildings or only 2 beds?

Is there already a thread or floorplan graphic that discusses these differences?

 

[DavidnRobin]

See footnote on floorplans - I read this as floor plan shown does not necessarily represent all villa plans.

The square foot ages are appromatey the same - as well as general layout for the buildings.

The buildings are different - one set has a movable (sliding-folding) wall between the upstairs bedrooms.

One Bedroom on bottom floor, 2 bedrooms on upper floor.

 

[ferndale]

I believe that all 3bedroom pool villas have one bedroom upstairs with 1 bed, and 1 with 2 beds. The difference is the permanent wall vs the moveable sliding wall. Also building 43 and 44 have 2 bathrooms upstairs, and building 41 and 42 have 1 bathroom upstairs. All 4 buildings have a master downstairs with its own bathroom, and a powder room downstairs with toilet and sink. All 4 also have a pull out sofa in living room

 

[SMHarman]

A Major Addition to Virgin Islands Park

http://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/08/a-major-addition-to-virgin-islands-park/

Virgin Islands National Park – which already encompasses 60 percent of the tiny Caribbean island of St. John — just got a little bigger.

The beach at Maho Bay and its surrounding hillside recently was sold to the National Park Service in a $2.5 million deal, the Trust for Public Land announced. It’s the park’s largest addition since 1956, when the philanthropist Laurance Rockefeller, hoping to preserve the island paradise he fell in love with, donated more than 5,000 acres toward its creation.

“It’s a story of perseverance and a vision,” Brion FitzGerald, the park superintendent, said. “To be able to sit on the beach and look up there and not see a lot of development is what makes it worthy of a national park. It ensures that same view for every generation to come.”

It’s hard to imagine a drive along the island’s North Shore Road, which winds through the parcel, without thinking of its iconic canopy.

 

[okwiater]

Virgin Islands National Park – which already encompasses 60 percent of the tiny Caribbean island of St. John — just got a little bigger.

[...]

That is great news!

 

[olivias dad]

Hello, just wondering i've had a tough time using my timeshare at WSJ the week we have because of our kids starting school. I know I'll get very little for resale, and have had no luck trying to sell. Does WSJ take back units?

 

[SMHarman]

Hello, just wondering i've had a tough time using my timeshare at WSJ the week we have because of our kids starting school. I know I'll get very little for resale, and have had no luck trying to sell. Does WSJ take back units?

Not likely, they are in active sales of new units so don't want more. There are a number of brokers who deal with the units that have value, otherwise an ad here, redweek and an auction on ebay might move it on.

You can update your profile to include more data about what you own e.g WSH Hillside 2Br EY Platinum+ week which could help others advise.

Are you calling 12 months out to reserve? Planning ahead is key.

 

[Crasherino]

Bay Vista Grill Areas

Can anyone give me an update as to how the Bay Vista grill areas are now? I believe they were re-done since I saw them last and I'm curious how they stack up with the VG grills. I know the BV can't compete with the pool deck area, but the grills themselves up on the Hill are quite nice. Just wondering if they put something commensurate with those grills in the BV area.

We are looking into a 2 bdrm BV EOY and are getting closer to pulling the trigger.

 

[DavidnRobin]

Hello, just wondering i've had a tough time using my timeshare at WSJ the week we have because of our kids starting school. I know I'll get very little for resale, and have had no luck trying to sell. Does WSJ take back units?

Sorry to hear. I do not think SVO/WSJ-VG will take it back (unless it has value - as in a Plat+ week) - they may allow you to turn it in in order to purchase a VOI that may fit your needs better (a float VOI at WSJ-BV or CV, or even at another SVO resort). Of course that will cost you at least $20K, but they may give you full 'book' value that will help offset cost.

The WSJ-VGV has taken back VOIs that have been delinquent in MFs and then auctioned them off. That won't get you any money, but will get you out of your obligation for annual MFs. You could contact Phil or Bob about this.

It would be helpful if you state what type of WSJ-VGV you own - then advice could be more specific to your issue. Certain WSJ-VGV villas (e.g. Plat+) have far more value than other weeks.