LOCATION: From downtown Cruz Bay, follow Route 104 to Great Cruz Bay and the Westin Resort.
The 282-room Westin St. John Resort & Villas is set on a crescent-shaped beach on Great Cruz Bay. The intriguing complex offers guestrooms, suites, townhouses and vacation villas. Stop for a cocktail and check out the huge waterfall pool. The resort features four dining and entertainment facilities, snorkeling, diving, sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, para-sailing, fishing, a full fitness center, and more.
Virtually every convenience you could want by the sea is available at the Westin Resort, but keep in mind it is a very popular destination and you probably won’t find a secluded spot on the beach.
2 replies on “Great Cruz Bay”
My friends and I recently celebrated my retirement by staying on the lovely island of St John. We had decided to try Great Cruz Bay Beach. It was advertised as a beautiful public beach in back of the Westin. Various websites stated that we could not rent the chairs, but could use the other facilities such as the bar and restaurant. After spending over $100 at the restaurant and the bar, and then relaxing on the beach, a security person asked us to leave as we were not guests of the Westin. He stated that Westin “owned” the beach, but we could still swim in the bay, kind of hard to do without “using” the beach. We were highly embarrassed as other individuals heard him to ask us to leave. Either the beach is public or it isn’t. The websites promoting this beach need to be revised to reflect the correct information.
Excerpt from one website –
Facilities
Day visitors can use the beach, but the facilities such as lounge chairs and beach equipment are for use by Westin guests only. Facilities available to day visitors include water sports rentals, shops, the restaurants and the bar by the pool.