Expert: Jennifer Byrne - 8/18/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hello Experts!  We are taking a family trip to St. Johns and Tortolla from December 18th through the 26th.  We have a 17 year old son and 14 year old daughter.

Could you please recommend lodging for us to investigate during these dates?  We will spend 4 nights on each Island and are having a tough time finding reasonable prices for theses dates.  Ocean views are nice but clean and safe is the objective, with at least 2 beds (or two rooms) to accommodate us.

Any suggestions?

Thank you,

Donna

ANSWER: Hi Donna,

Well, in St John, you really have two choices. Either the Westin or Caneel Bay. Neither are going to be inexpensive. They are lovely properties. I would recommend the Westin since you are bringing the children. But they most likely have a 10-14 night stay required over Christmas. So you'll want to check that out.

In Tortola, the new Scrub Island Resort would be amazing, but certainly pricey. The other option is Long Bay, which would be more economical for the family. Long Bay is a 3.5 star villa style resort.

Christmas is a tough time because so many hotels are either sold out now or have a minimum night stay required. Choosing these two islands won't give you very many options.

If you are flexible with location, you might have a larger amount of options based on your criteria and budget.

I would be happy to talk with you further if you need assistance.

Sunny regards,

Jennifer Byrne
Owner/Tropical Vacation Specialist
www.thetropicaltravelers.com
jennifer@thetropicaltravelers.com



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for those suggestions - however, they are way too pricey for us.  On Tortola - what do you think of Tamarind Club, Sebastian’s on the Beach and/or Rhymers Beach Hotel.  We can get two rooms at a reasonable price.  

Donna

Answer
Actually those aren't hotels that I work with. They don't generally work with travel agents as they are very small hotels. So I don't really have any feedback on them. You might want to check on tripadvisor.com and see what other travelers are recommending in regards to those hotels.

Good luck!

Jennifer