Caneel Bay Resort

Stayed in the garden view suite for 1 night. The AC could not cool the suite below 80 and the toilet didn’t flush.
I cancelled the rest of my 6 day planned stay.
Edit:
In addition, the refund I was promise has still not been given 3 days later. Caneel bay has overcharged me around $ 3,000 and I now have to gravel and go through the customer support dance to get back money they promised to refund me. This is a literal nightmare stay. Avoid at all cost.

This is my second trip to Caneel Bay. This resort is so beautiful and special. Scott Beach is the best and the newly renovated room we stayed in was fantastic. Also, I can’t say enough about the staff. Truly the best place to stay in the USVI.

What a wonderful place! We have been to this place several times and it did not fail to impress us on all are visits. We did not stay at this resort but we used the resorts facilities such as it’s beach, restaurant, ice cream place etc. It has also have a historical side as well.
I can say we had one of the most delicious ice cream in Cannella ice cream coffee shop. The staff did not know much about ice cream like which ones were sorbet so we helped ourselves. Pistachio and coconut was my favourite. Everyday after the beach we stopped on our way back home just for ice cream.
Caneel Beach Bar & Grill was situated on resorts main reception area. I strongly recommend you to try their amazing fresh hummus With Pineapple. They also did Sushi what was a Great starters.
There was wild Donkey around what was use to people approaching them.
Before i forget if you want to use facilities you don’t pay for parking as long as when you show your receipt on exit.

This is a review for the restaurant (breakfast buffet).
After a morning swim, we ate here on 12÷17÷15 and it was a nice alternative to just getting a bagel somewhere. The food choices were very good (waffles, lemon ricotta pancakes, omlets) along with other meats (sausage, bacon, eggs), fruits, cereals, baked goods, wide selection of juices (guava!).
Great views, gorgeous resort, great food, fantastic service (thank you Agnes!).

St. John is one of the best islands to visit in the Carribbean and this is one of the nicest and most lovely places to stay. It is beautifully managed and all of my needs as a guest are met over the 4 times I’ve vacationed there over the years. Just a world class resort.

Beautiful environment. You come here for the beach and nature. Amazing. Rooms are old and run down but again, you come here for the island’s beauty and openness. Enjoy.

Beautiful location. Welcoming and attentive staff. What will keep me from returning is the mattress. Going on my third dreaded night of attempting to get comfortable. Time to replace!

My husband and I are definitely the types that love to splurge on great vacations, and settle for nothing less than the best. Caneel Bay is the best resort in St John and the very best in all of the US Virgin Islands. It has 7 pristine, clear water beaches, a gorgeous large property populated by wild deer and wild donkeys, tennis courts, a gym, a pool (that no one used because the beaches are just supreme, some of the best beaches in St John), a Spa, three restaurants, and a trail that takes you to town (Cruz Bay). All water sports gear are included and you can go kayaking, snorkeling, paddle-​boarding, wind-​surfing, and even take lessons on any of these included in your rate. The breakfast buffet is very good, and the resort offers a private boat transfer from St Thomas directly to the hotel dock (because there are no airports in St John). The rooms are serene, with no TVs or distractions, and no matter which room you pick there will be plenty of space and plenty of Caribbean luxury. We particularly loved waking up to the deer sleeping on our varanda. The restaurants on the property are mostly just ok, except for one, Turtle Bay Estate House, which is only open on Sundays. I cannot understand why it would only be open Sundays, but it must be some deal with the other restaurant, Zozo’s at Sugar Mill, that is open all the other days. Many people like Zozo’s but I did not really. I thought the food was too salty, the drinks were weak, and the staff was arrogant for no particular reason. At the same time, the restaurant at Turtle Bay was amazing, the dishes were perfectly crafted and the atmosphere was elegant and regal. The service was better there was well. It really should be open more days, especially given our limited meal choices at the hotel and on the island in general. The only negative side of the hotel is the staff. For the most part it seems the staff is preoccupied and unhappy to be there. They are dismissive, lazy, and unwelcoming for the most part. There are exceptions but it sucks when you are at a top notch resort, obviously because you are someone used to the nicer things in life, and you are treated like you just checked in to Motel 6. They really need to hire better people who are trained in the hospitality industry. It seemed that the nicer people working there were the ones not originally from the Virgin Islands. I am not sure if it’s a cultural thing but generally people from Virgin Island were very rude and unwilling to help. Everyone seemed bothered by any request. Caneel Bay needs to understand and respect their guests a lot better than they do and hire staff that caters to their upscale needs and high rates they are paying to be there. The concierge desk at the resort was one of the most incompetent I have ever encountered anywhere, making numerous booking mistakes, taking a long time to even look up at you from the computer, and just overall a pain to deal with. As a tip, you do not need to rent a jeep in town since plenty are available at the hotel. If you are contemplating whether you should use the public ferry into cruz bay and then rent a car to Caneel, don’t. It is worth paying for their private boat transfer straight to the hotel, cocktail in hand, and if needed you can rent a jeep for a day from the hotel (if you want to explore the island).

This place is uniquely luxurious laid back fun engaging and worth a trip.
It’s not for everyone. (and somewhat pricey), but it’s a place that I’d like to revisit again soon.
Thanks to great service, food, the water, the beaches, the beautiful grounds…

The snobby days are a thing of the past. You can have a very nice lunch on their balcony that overlooks the bay. Sushi is great.

How can’t one love this place?
This is one of those resorts that has everything.
A touch of château style, a beautiful beautiful location, amazing dining and above all, wonderful staff.
I had a surprise private beach on dinner on our anniversary and it was, how to put it?
Umm.
Yes !
A Carribean Fairy Tale !!!

We have been to Caneel Bay 3 times — if that says something. If your looking for quiet, secluded and romantic this is a good choice. Used to be a Rock Resort but changed management over the years. Despite this the resort has not changed a bit. We were always partial to Turtle Bay (secluded beach) but I think anywhere on Caneel would be fabulous. Snorkeling great. Dining at any of the restaurants superb (pricey but we always get meals included). Many good memories at Caneel.

Elite, high end, pristine resort. Offers so many great services. Love working with the wedding team. Everyone is ready to serve and provides extra care and attention to each event.

Caneel Bay holds such a special place in my heart. My husband and I chose to get married here recently and everything from booking the wedding date to landing back in Raleigh was absolutely amazing.
We contacted Robyn initially who provided us with a quote for our wedding and set the tone for the Caneel experience. Robyn was friendly and prompt and handed us off to Vera Payne who coordinated the rest of the wedding details. We eloped, so there wasn’t much on the planning front, but as soon as we spoke with Vera, our vendors were secured and room was booked.
We arrived on 6÷13÷14 to the airport on St. Thomas and located Caneel’s office just outside of baggage claim. We had to hurry to the courthouse to swear in and obtain our marriage license. The Caneel taxi took us and took care of our bags which we didn’t have to worry about at all. The Caneel ferry offers rum punches which are pretty delicious after a day of traveling. Once at Caneel, a woman picked us up in a golf cart and took us to our room in Cottage 7, 7B to be exact. The room was totally perfect. Our view was to die for and I thoroughly enjoyed waking up every morning with an unobstructed view of the ocean and St. Thomas in the distance.
There are several adult’s only beaches, and the staff are fantastic about maintaining the sense of peace and quiet. A couple times, families wandered onto the beach and the staff kindly reminded them that the beach was adult’s only and reminded them of the family friendly beaches. There are three restaurants on-​site, my favorite being Turtle Bay Estate House. Make a reservation as it’s not open every night.
Our wedding ceremony was perfect and was surrounded by natural beauty. Vera was fantastic about making sure we had what we needed, and Saphia did a great job on my hair at the Beauty Lounge onsite.
Our wedding night, we had dinner on the beach, which was amazing. Five courses of delicious food followed by tasty wedding cake. We continued to enjoy our cake for the remainder of our stay and anytime we wanted a piece, we simply asked, and there it was. Walter was our server that evening, and he did an excellent job making sure we were happy and taken care of all around (even bringing bug spray when he noticed we were swatting them away).
The drinks were really good, and I am missing the passion colada so bad now! There were donkeys and deer, mongoose and a cat that roamed the pristine property.
Things were always clean, and the evening turn-​down service was something that I looked forward walking in to the room at the end of the day.
Caneel is a place that my husband and I will return to for years to come, as it is serene, relaxing and you are literally spoiled by the staff for the duration of your stay.

Located miles away from the hustle and bustle of St. John’s, the Caneel Bay Resort is a slice of island paradise that offers guests an opportunity to disconnect from the world. Thanks to my husband who suggested this spot for our wedding… Caneel Bay Resort provided us the most beautiful and memorable spot to tie the knot ;)
From the moment we arrived at airport check-​in and secured a spot on the ferry, the staff was at our side making sure that we had all we needed and knew exactly where we were going. The grounds of the resort were beautiful, well manicured, and maintained to the highest standards. Transportation around the facility was readily available day/​night and the walking trails were well marked for those who preferred to walk the expansive property.
Our room was a perfect getaway overlooking a private beach, a sort distance from where we exchanged our vows. Housekeeping was great with turn down service and the Welcome Committee on cue with well wishes and champagne. The bartenders and restaurant staff were great and the food was delicious.
As far as our nuptials, I cannot thank enough our Wedding Coordinator, Vera, and her trusty sidekick, Robyn, both of whom made sure our special day was just that. Everything from securing the ceremony location, minister, photographer, salon services, coordinating dinner on the beach… and not to mention getting the bride to the ceremony … they made it all happen and we so appreciate it.
If you plan a stay… be sure to give yourself at least 3 – 5 days to enjoy all the resort has to offer.

Just got back from a 4 night stay at Caneel Bay. It was a family trip. It was my 1^st stay there but my brother had been there 3 times previous. It is a remarkably beautiful place. The rooms were clean and comfortable. The beaches are gorgeous. The staff was polite. The on site restaurants were good. Overall it was a wonderful trip. Why only 4 stars? The answer is that it is too expensive. No TV’s, slow wifi. I get that it is a Caribbean, 3^rd worldish kind of place. I just think that since the resort charges 5 star prices, it should provide 5 star amenities. BTW, there is a lot to do there and I certainly wouldn’t sit in my room and watch TV all day, but a little news before bed or something to do if you wake up at 5AM would have made me more comfortable, that’s all. We had a great time and I’m sure you will too.

The honeymoon beach here is so BEAUTIFUL!!! My hubby and I got to snorkel and go kayaking then took a nap on the beach under the trees before hiking the lind point trail back to the ferry.
I am from Southern California and I have to say that this was indeed the most breathtaking beach I have ever been too. So secluded and not crowded by tourist at all. It was literally us and about 5 other people on the entire beach!

This resort is on 171 acres of national park land. We had a great vacation in Paradise. The plusses: 7 beautiful beaches you get a lot of variety. snorkeling, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding includes. wind surfing and sailing is extra. lots of turtles, manta rays and fish to see snorkeling! Great food! 5 min form town ($ 5 per person), which is full of great local restaurants and stores. wild deer, donkeys, mongoose, iguanas and birds on the island. beautiful scenery! ½ hour boat ride form St Thomas for your shopping needs! perfect place for a destination wedding (which we attended).
Now why I took off 1 star: poor job of cleaning up the donkey and deer poop. the lingering smell of manure is not appealing. However staff respond quickly to complaints. Not too may eating choices on premises (2 restaurants, one open for breakfast one open for lunch). majority of native staff are not friendly and the cooks are downright rude. But this is typical of the Caribbean locals. I find the same attitude in Jamaica. I think they all need a class on improving personal customer service.
over all an awesome vacation. I’d return even with these short comings !

Caneel Bay was my first choice in resorts in St John, but after looking up the prices for the week of Christmas I realized my daughter would have to go without diapers for the year if we splurged here. And so we ended up at the lovely Westin thanks to my starwood points– can’t beat a free vacation.
While we didn’t stay at Caneel Bay, we did spend a lovely day here. The concierge at the Westin had highly recommended the brunch at Caneel Bay, but when we got there we were informed they aren’t serving brunch til January. It didn’t make much sense to me since the holidays are the high season for them, but the regular lunch menu looked great too. Parking at Caneel Bay is $ 10, but if you eat lunch they’ll validate your parking. Worked for me! The food at the beach restaurant was really good. I enjoyed a mozzerella sandwich and some tasty fries that came with it. And my hubby seemed to really like his club sandwich as well. The service was top notch as well, something we felt that was missing from our stay at the Westin.
We took the short trail over to honeymoon beach. It was a very small beach, but quiet and beautiful. I worked on my tan, while my husband snorkeled. He had snorkeled at many different beaches on the island and said this was one of the best snorkeling experiences.
We then walked back over to use the beach on Caneel Bay. They allow visitors, but you’re not able to use their lounge chairs and equipment unless you’re staying there. Regardless we were happy campers soaking up the rays (and more snorkeling for the hubby) on this gorgeous beach.
It was one of the loveliest days on the island. I’d definitely look into staying here during the off season when the prices aren’t so high… or if i ever win the lotto.

So expensive, so exclusive, so ritzy, so exotic… basically, I loved it!!! Situated on a private nature reserve and accessed from St Thomas by private ferry to Caneel Bay on St John, it’s island paradise the way it’s supposed to be.
Not only was it paradise, but I was also here for a wedding and it was executed impeccably. All the food I ate while on the resort was cooked excellently, and the staff was super friendly, courteous, and attentive.
The only island inhabitants are mongooses, deer, donkeys, birds, and reptiles. The bugs, however, are GIGANTIC! They must be living it up on the resort and eating all the good food, but thankfully Caneel was thoughtful enough to include some bug spray in our rooms to save us from becoming an island feast. *Something* scurried across our feet in one of the open-​air large taxis that had a group of us in it, and no one really wants to know what it was, nor do we want to. It was huge, had a lot of legs, and had some serious mass to it when I knocked it off of my leg. Thankfully it didn’t burrow into my skin and ruin our vacation. ;)
That said, I wouldn’t hesitate to go back. The crystal clear waters alone and white sandy beaches make it worthwhile. Pack your bags immediately and get out your amex black card, and a reserve platinum card. You’re gonna need it.