(C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved
The sand, matted down from the previous night of rain, felt soft & squishy between my toes. It had been so long – almost eight months – since I had felt that sensation that I almost forgot how bliss inducing it was. As we walked hand-in-hand down the quiet beach, the crystal waters biting at our toes, I couldn’t think of anywhere else in the world more peaceful, more beautiful, more perfect. At that moment, the St. Kitts Marriott was the only place in the world I wanted to be.
Built in 2003 & partially rennovated in 2011, this sprawling 26 acre resort sits on the southeast side of the island of St. Christopher (aka St. Kitts). The resort boasts 392 guest rooms, 80 time shares, eight restaurants, three pools, 80 permanent beach cabanas, a spa, three gyms, & Latasha Merritt, the St. Kitts bartender of the year in 2009.
After a tour of the resort, where we poked our heads into a few comfortable, modern guest rooms, we spent the morning reading on the beach & relaxing by the pool. The beach faces the Atlantic Ocean, which means a rougher surf than you’ll find on the Caribbean Sea side; however, an offshore reef guarantees good snorkeling just off the coast of the resort. While there are no private beaches in St. Kitts, the beach at the resort felt private, with only a select few vendors being allowed to sell their items on the beach.
(C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved
(C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved
(C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved
What struck me most was the ample space. Even at full capacity, there were plenty of poolside chairs (each with its own umbrella for maximum, or minimum, shade) for everyone – no getting up at 6am to reserve a spot with a towel here! Even the main pool was large enough for my husband & me to enjoy without having to worry about being splashed by little kids or getting in the way of a game of pool volleyball.
We had lunch at Bohemia, the poolside restaurant complete with swim-up bar. The service was fast (a rarity in the Caribbean) & friendly, the portion sizes huge. At the recommendation of a friend we made poolside, we noshed on the island fish sandwich (a very generously sized fresh fish filet) & the turkey BLT (rivaling any BLT you’d get in the States in both size & yumminess).
(C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved
Due to our cruise schedule, we were only able to spend a few hours at the resort, but enjoyed every minute of it. Whether returning to St. Kitts for the day or the week, the St. Kitts Marriott would rank high on our list of places to stay.
Know if you go…
– there are several dining options for guests, including both all-inclusive & a-la-carte options. Try Blu, the seafood restaurant on campus. Every Monday night, they have a lobster buffet, which is very popular with guests & St. Kitts locals; reservations are a must!
– WiFi is available throughout the property
– every Wednesday, the resort hosts local artisans & crafters, who makes their items in the morning & sell them in a mini-market in the afternoon
– seaweed lined the shoreline of the beach. We saw this everywhere in the Caribbean during our trip (even in Barbados, where we had never seen it before), but the resort was taking extensive measures to remove it. This resulted in tractors, backhoes & construction equipment zipping up & down the beach. While not necessarily the most relaxing sound to listen to, I appreciate that they’re trying to stay on top of it.
If you go during your day in port…
The St. Kitts Marriott Resort & The Royal Beach Casino is located about 15 minutes away from the cruise ship terminal. It is a $12 USD taxi ride each way for two people. You can hail a taxi directly at the port, & the porter at the hotel will call one for your return. A day pass is available at the front desk for $35 USD per person. This pass gives you access to the beach, pools, & restaurants & includes drink specials. While you don’t have access to an actual guest room, the restrooms located poolside are nice enough for a quick change of clothes.
While the St. Kitts Marriott Resort & The Royal Beach Casino graciously sponsored our day there, all opinions are honest – it really was a great place!
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