There are a lot of hotel brands I love, but for some reason Marriott has always held a soft spot in my heart. That’s why I was so thrilled when the St. Kitts Marriott invited me a few other travel writers down for a few days to explore their property and the beautiful island of St. Kitts.
I didn’t know a lot about St. Kitts before my trip, I readily admit that. I knew it was somewhere in the Caribbean, but really didn’t have a clue where. The country of St. Kitts-Nevis is actually comprised of two islands, St. Kitts and, yup you guessed it, Nevis. The island is one of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles and is only about 18 miles long and 5 miles wide. For centuries sugar cane plantations ruled the island, but today that has all been replaced by tourism. At the forefront of this effort to make St. Kitts accessible to tourists is the St. Kitts Marriott.
Only eight years old, the St. Kitts Marriott is a large, luxurious property situated on the Atlantic side of the island. In addition to the massive pools, visitors of course also enjoy beach access and picture perfect views of the surrounding mountains.
A note about the beaches, all of them on St. Kitts are public access, which means anyone can use them. It wasn’t a problem at the St. Kitts Marriott, although you should be aware that people not affiliated with the hotel will try to sell you a massage or horseback ride. In truth, there are worse things in life.
At any resort, food options are important and are usually the focus of my complaints. I was overall very impressed with the culinary offerings at the St. Kitts Marriott though, from seafood to a traditional steak house, there are some fantastic on-property offerings. The resort is also in the process of refurbishing their beach bar which, when completed in November 2011, will be a great place to enjoy a cocktail and a light meal while watching the sun set over the water. After all, isn’t that what we all want when we visit the Caribbean?
The rooms were very comfortable with many offering a fantastic ocean view. The resort is also in the process of updating their suites, so be sure to check out the newly revamped spaces when you visit. The public areas are lofty and cool, taking advantage of the ocean breezes. If I had a complaint, it’s that the lobby and cafe area can get a little steamy in the heat of the day, but after a few days you start to get accustomed to island weather.
St. Kitts Marriott is a great place to just relax by the pool, but there are also a wide array of activities which the hotel can help coordinate. A tour of the capital city of Basseterre, sunset catamaran cruise, a climb up to the top of Mount Liamuiga or a trip to the UNESCO World Heritage site Brimstone are all easily arranged and a lot of fun.
If you’re a regular reader, you know I have no problem being completely honest in my travel reviews regardless of who pays. The fact is though that I really enjoyed exploring St. Kitts and the remarkable St. Kitts Marriott.
