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Hotel Information: Set on its own peninsula on St John and bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Caneel Bay, a Rosewood Resort, is part of the Virgin Islands National Park, providing rest and rejuvenation in harmony with nature. Known as a retreat for celebrities and others seeking relief from stress, the resort emphasizes privacy and tranquility. A degree of gentility prevails: men are asked to wear long pants (or dress shorts), collared shirts, and closed-toe shoes (no athletic shoes) after dark. Loyal guests return yearly to be greeted by long-time staff members, and "Good morning," "good afternoon," and "good evening" are expected by all.
Amenity highlights: Seven beaches fringe the resort's peninsula and provide snorkeling opportunities. Six are private; two are adults-only. A 40-foot-long, irregularly shaped freshwater pool is flanked by thickly cushioned lounge chairs isolated near tennis courts. Dining choices range from buffets to fine dining with piano music in an air-conditioned setting where men customarily wear jackets.
Insider tip: For a surcharge, the staff of Equator Restaurant sets a table in the sugar-mill ruins, dresses it with white linen, lights tiki torches nearby, and serves a private dinner under the stars.
Rooms
Caneel Bay, a Rosewood Resort, offers 166 guestrooms without televisions, telephones, radios, or clocks in one- and two-story widely scattered buildings. (Telephones are available in the main building and are sprinkled around the property, and guests can borrow cellular telephones.) Made of concrete or stone and wood, earthtoned lodging buildings are designed to blend into the landscape. They have flat roofs for a low profile and are flanked by dense gardens.
Rooms feature large windows and include balconies or ground-floor terraces with cushioned wrought-iron patio furniture, including lounge chairs, chairs, and cocktail tables. Room size, construction, and decor vary, because rooms are designed to be unique. All rooms include wood, rattan, and bamboo furniture, fabrics of muted colors, terrazzo or tile floors with straw-mat area rugs, tile vanities, and wood louvers that can be opened to tradewind breezes supplemented by ceiling fans as a cooling alternative to rooms' air conditioners.
Rooms feature signature Rosewood Beds consisting of extra-thick, custom-made mattresses, Egyptian-cotton Italian-made sheets (including double-twisted, satin-finish top sheet), and down/feather pillows. Thick towels including bathsheets provide additional comfort. In-room beach towels and umbrellas provide convenience.
Complimentary amenities consist of a bottle of champagne, a large bottle of water, a keychain flashlight, Lady Primrose toiletries, and straw slippers for guests to take home. Smoking is not permitted indoors.
Ocean-view rooms are in one- and two-story buildings either set back from the water or spread around a rocky point. Tennis Garden rooms are in one-story buildings with ready access to the resort's 11 tennis courts. Also in one-story buildings, courtside rooms are located nearest the tennis courts and fitness center.
Room Amenities
- Hypo-allergenic bedding available
- Premium bedding
- Patio
- Balcony
- Ceiling fan
- Air conditioning
- Climate control
- Bottled water in room (complimentary)
- Minibar
- Coffee/tea maker
- Refrigerator (on request)
- Wake-up calls
- Housekeeping daily
- Turndown service
- Bathrobes
- Hair dryer
- Shower only
- Slippers
- Child care (in room, surcharge)
- Iron/ironing board
- In-room safe
- Window opens
- Rollaway beds
Recreation
Seven beaches (six private) fringe the resort's peninsula and provide snorkeling opportunities. At least five supply calm water on any given day. Caneel near the main building includes water sports. Hawksnest catches tradewinds and provides afternoon shade. Honeymoon (the most isolated) and features a snorkeling reef at each end. Little Caneel supplies peace and quiet near the resort's pier. Turtle Bay offers views of marine traffic between islands. Paradise is tiny and tranquil. Scott features sea turtles. (Paradise and Scott are adults-only.)
The resort provides complimentary snorkeling gear, pedal boats, small sailboats, windsurfers, and kayaks. Play on 11 lighted tennis courts is also complimentary, as are tennis clinics. Private lessons are available for surcharges. Beginning scuba divers enjoy a complimentary class.
Scuba and snorkeling excursions and sailing and fishing trips depart from the resort's dock. Aerobics classes are offered during winter season. Hiking trails as well as Trunk Bay's underwater snorkeling trail are located in the Virgin Islands National Park, which covers two-thirds of St. John. (The park's Visitors Center is 1.5 miles away in the town of Cruz Bay.)
For freshwater swimming there's a 40-foot-long irregularly shaped pool flanked by thickly cushioned lounge chairs.
Activities include watercolor classes, wine tastings, sunset cruises, and a snorkeling/swimming trip to an uninhabited island followed by a beach barbecue (surcharges for all). Guided tours of the former sugar plantation are complimentary. Use of a fitness center containing cardio and weight machines as well as free weights is complimentary.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or near the resort; fees may apply.
- Windsurfing on site
- Motor boating on site
- Swimming on site
- Sailing on site
- Scuba diving on site
- Snorkeling on site
- Aerobics on site
- Tennis on site
- Pilates classes/instruction on site
- Yoga classes/instruction on site
- Hiking/biking trails nearby
- Fishing on site
Property Amenities
Isolated on a hillside and featuring panoramic ocean views, The Self Centre offers sessions designed by an associate of Dr. Deepak Chopra. Choices include Aqua-Chi (guided water movements), Breathwalk (breathing, walking, meditation), Chakra Meditation, Pilates, yoga, and YogaPlay for Kids. (Surcharges for all.)
An activity room at Caneel Bay, a Rosewood Resort, contains a big-screen television for nightly complimentary movies. Another television is located in a teen center, which also includes a video game and Internet-connected computer (both complimentary). Complimentary Internet access is also available at a business center computer. Complimentary wireless Internet access is offered in the lobby. For children ages 3-12, there are supervised activities and dinner-and-a-movie evenings (surcharges for all).
Ground transportation:
Rental cars for getting around St. John can be reserved during the process of booking a reservation for this hotel, via this Web site, and added to the total trip cost.
- Swimming pool - outdoor
- Private beach
- Massage - treatment room(s)
- Concierge desk
- Complimentary breakfast
- Complimentary newspapers in lobby
- Health club
- Fitness equipment
- Restaurant(s) in hotel
- Bar/lounge
- Room service (24 hours)
- Parking (free)
- Self parking
- Meeting rooms (small groups)
- Banquet facilities
- Business center
- Conference room(s)
- Event catering
- Audio-visual equipment
- Business services
- Internet access in public areas - high speed
- Internet access in public areas - complimentary
- Internet access - wireless
- Front desk (limited hours)
- Porter/bellhop
- Doorman/doorwoman
- Security guard
- Safe-deposit box - front desk
- Number of rooms: 166
- Number of floors: 2
- ATM/banking
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Tour assistance
- Medical assistance available
- Dry cleaning service
- Arcade/game room
- Umbrella
- Wedding services
- Supervised child care/activities
- Airport transportation (surcharge)
Policies
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Rollaway beds and cribs (infant beds) may be available and should be requested at the time of booking; fees may apply.
Photo identification and credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in. Special requests made via this Web site cannot be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
- Pets not allowed
- Check-in time is 3 PM
- Check-out time is Noon
Dining
A complimentary Continental breakfast is provided each morning in the main building's Breezeway. Complimentary afternoon tea is served in the open-air Reading Room at Turtle Bay Estate House.
Caneel Beach Terrace - Breakfast and lunch. Dinner during winter high season. Sunday brunch. Monday-night "grand buffet" (prime rib, grilled lobster, mahi mahi, roasted chicken, braised short ribs, pasta, pizza, salads, fruits, desserts) following complimentary cocktail party. Dress code: long pants or dress shorts and collared shirts for men.
Equator Restaurant - Located atop 18th-century stone sugar-mill ruins on hillside. Open-air, with curved front providing views of Caneel Bay and St. Thomas beyond. Stone floor, wood-shingle ceiling, awning-covered terrace. Oil lamps. Gentle steel-band music, with tree-frog singing as background. Steaks and Caribbean-flavored choices such as jerk-spiced ahi, goat-cheese-conch Caesar salad, jerk-marinated beef salad, lobster-crab cake, West Indian roti, coconut shrimp, broiled lobster, cowboy steak, triple lamb chops, jerk-spiced pork chop, guava-lemongrass roasted chicken. Dinner only. Dress code: long pants or dress shorts and collared shirts for men.
The Dining Room at Turtle Bay - Located in Turtle Bay Estate House. Upper and lower dining rooms under high bleached-wood ceilings, with glass-door "walls." Air-conditioned. Doors opened for fresh-air dining when appropriate. Buffet breakfasts and lunches. À la carte dinners during winter season. Dinner only during summer. Piano music. Dinner choices such as lobster-mango salad, smoked salmon in buttermilk crêpe, lobster ravioli, bouillabaisse with mascarpone-truffle polenta, almond-crusted cobia, filet mignon, rack of lamb, duck breast with mango-barbecue glaze, truffle risotto with English peas. Dinner dress code: long pants, collared shirts, closed-toe shoes (no athletic shoes) for men. Jackets customary but not required.
The Wine Room - Private dining room at Turtle Bay Estate House for advance-reservation dinner parties. Minimum four diners, maximum 12. Set menu of six wine courses, five food courses. Menu might include skillet-roasted prawns with goat-cheese butter sauce, baby mozzarella and roasted tomato salad, quail stuffed with Parma ham and figs, "beef and onion three ways," and dessert soufflé. Dress code: long pants, collared shirts, closed-toe shoes (no athletic shoes) for men. Jackets required in winter season.
Caneel Beach Bar & Grill - Casual, open-air spot on beachfront. Salads, sandwiches, wraps, pasta, light meals like grilled game hen. Lunch and dinner. Live music some nights. Two TVs.
The Starlight Terrace - Rooftop terrace above main building Breezeway. Bar service afternoons and evenings.
Address
North Shore Rd
St. John, 00830
Virgin Islands, U.S.
Nearest major airport:
Cruz Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands (SJF-Seaplane Ramp)
