Marriott Frenchman's Reef & Morning Star Beach Resort - St. Thomas, USVI

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It was our first time and it was fabulous! Visited: December 2003 Posted by ussjfkcv67 We just got back from a week-long stay at Frenchman's Reef. This was a first time for us in St. Thomas. The Marriott treated us quite well. Our first room was in the Sunset Wing right outside the pool. We had a problem with flying insects. After reporting the problem with the front desk and having someone come in to spray, he suggested that we could change rooms if we wanted to. We took his advice and asked for another room. To our surprise they upgraded us to a two-room suite in the Harbor Wing. That made all the difference. The rest of our trip was just terrific. The resort was huge and there was a lot of walking to do to travel between both hotels, but it was fine with us. The restaurants were somewhat expensive, so we traveled to the downtown area frequently. We liked the Green House (lunch and dinner) and also a nice Italian restaurant Fagioli (dinner). For breakfast, we either got something quick from the Presto Market in the Frenchman's Reef or traveled to Havensight Mall to a great place called the Delly Deck. They had great food and it was very inexpensive. All in all, service was friendly and all staff members were quite helpful. Go and enjoy - and stay at the Marriott for a great time. 14 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was not quite what I expected. Visited: October 2003 Posted by kellietravel I was eligible for two free nights at a Marriot through a travel club I belong to, so I chose this Marriot. Maybe that had something to do with the kind of room I got. I agree with the lady who stated the beach water was somewhat rough. Cons: The furniture in the room was somewhat battered. The room initially had a bad odor which housekeeping took care of quickly when I complained. Also, from my room I could see the surface of the deck area around the pool looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a 'month of Sundays'. The elevator doors needed paint. The shower walls in my room had mildew, my room needed painting, and the TV was smaller than average Pros: All the staff were very nice and helpful. I did have a great view of the water, and I was able to get a close up view of the cruise ships as they pulled out. The rooms were fairly sound proof. I was right next to the elevators and didn't hear a thing. Also, the hotel was conveniently located to many restaurants. Most public areas were well-maintained including the fitness center. Landscaping seemed to be well-maintained also. I have no comment on the restaurant because I only ate the breakfast buffet which I would rate a 7 out of 10. I think that for most people, the hotel is probably okay, but I think I am getting spoiled and am used to staying at really nice resorts. 12 users found this review helpful. 10 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We had a wonderful vacation, and the staff was very friendly. Visited: June 2003 Posted by jtoolan This was our first time to the island and we really enjoyed our stay. The grounds were very well kept and the breeze during the day and at night felt great. We spent most of our time by the pool or ocean just relaxing. The food was good, but the choices were limited. They also had a 24-7 convenience store in the hotel to get food and other items, and prices were good. 9 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? The resort was nice, and the rooms were okay. Visited: May 2003 Posted by ann The resort was really nice. They had a great pool and beach, and nice views, too! The rooms were okay - a little run down, nothing spectacular. The food was very expensive at this resort. Bring your own snacks and drinks, or stop at K-Mart or a grocery store on the island and get some. Coco Joe's was a nice beach restaurant. We visited some of the other resorts and were glad we did pick this one. 5 users found this review helpful. 3 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Highs and Lows Visited: April 2003 Posted by nicolero Frenchmens Reef has a stunning view of Charlotte Amalie and the resort has many great features. We loved the beach which offered great surf to ride the waves and was a nice contrast to the serene water at some of the other island beaches. We also enjoyed the grounds and the overall service which was very low key, but friendly. St. Thomas was a haven for pirates and some of our negative comments relate to the exorbidant prices for cabs on the island and food and drink prices at the resort. Taxi cabs charge per person for a ride, which made all rides for our family of 4 quite pricey. Most guests did not rent a car because the roads are very hilly and narrow and you drive on the left hand side. The Marriott charged $7 for a rum drink and $14 for a hambuger. The nicest restaurant on the property, Tavern on the Beach, is lovely and offers an interesting menu, but for an entree alone prices ranged from $25 to $38, not including salad. All in all, we had a great vacation, but I would probably try a different resort. 13 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? it was AMAZING!! Visited: March 2003 Posted by music410 it was absolutely the best vacation ever! 2 users found this review helpful. 15 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? A nice hotel, but where was the Caribbean food? Visited: February 2003 Posted by simmonsas This hotel had the greatest pool overlooking the ocean. My only comment would be that there wasn't any real option for a Caribbean lunch. The cuisine was very American. We ended up eating lunch downtown everyday at a very inexpensive and cute restaurant called Lillian's Caribbean Grill. Between this restaurant and the hotel amenities, though, we had a great time. 5 users found this review helpful. 3 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was very, very nice. Visited: January 2003 Posted by kurtisv My wife and I popped in for three nights. Our room was very nice, and the entire resort, including Morning Star, was fun to explore about. Do realize that you will need to water or land taxi to anything else, which, for two people round trip with tip, was anywhere from 25 to 40 dollars. For three nights we could have stayed at the resort, the food elsewhere on the island was not any better. Try the sailboat snorkel event. You leave right from the resort dock, and sail to beautiful snorkeling. We would definitely go back. 9 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Good, but not great. Visited: January 2003 Posted by jstrauser We spent a week over the New Year’s holiday here. Actually, we found a great rate only a week before we left at the Marriott web page, $219 for a resort view room. When we arrived, we were pleased to see our room was upgraded to a harbor view room. The views from this resort are tops. The pools are nice, though the one by the beach gets quite sandy. The beach is okay, but has rough surf and a strong undercurrent. Go to some of the other beaches on St. Thomas; they are fabulous. Food was average and overpriced. Eat off property if you can. You are close enough to downtown and Red Hook to eat dinner at either location. The property seemed rundown a little bit and there were strange odors in the halls. I recommend renting a car if you plan to leave the property at all. We had a wonderful time exploring St. Thomas and St. John using the Marriott as our home base. The resort was adequate, but not great. 7 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was honeymooon heaven. Visited: November 2002 Posted by fiver105 After much research, we chose the Frenchman's Reef, St. Thomas as our destination for a ten-day honeymoon. We were very pleased with the experience. It definitely paid to tip the staff. We were upgraded to a suite at no extra charge for the last few days of our stay, we recieved gift baskets, complimentary bottles of wine, and exceptional service. The night life wasn't all we'd hoped, so we headed down to Red Hook to party. The "Pour Man's Bar" was a blast! During the day we visited St. Thomas, we took a day trip to the British Virgin Islands (Jost Van Dyke is a must!) or hung out by the pool or on the beach to relax. Eda Brooks, at the pool bar, was wonderful! I read a few complaints about the beach at the resort, but we really enjoyed it. We also enjoyed the Bon Voyage parties and complimentary drinks at the resort. However, we didn't enjoy the restaurants on location. Fajioli's downtown, Room With a View, and Cuzzins were all wonderful, however. Our room was clean, had average decor, plenty of space and a wonderful beachfront view. And the two-room suite we stayed in the last few nights was spectacular with a spa tub, balcony, and gorgeous view of the harbor. We found most of the hotel staff to be helpful and friendly, but the restaurant staff was very rude and gave terrible service. Overall, we loved St. Thomas as a vacation spot. And this resort was just what we hoped it would be. We will definitely be returning some day. 10 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? A beautiful property! Visited: October 2002 Posted by lkmatherly We thought Frenchman's Reef Resort was beautiful and well-kept. However, while we were there, they were repairing both pools, having completely drained the pool by the beach and partially drained the one upon the hillside. We were told they were getting ready for "peak season." That was a bit disappointing and an eyesore. We were also disappointed with the lack of night life at the resort. Many of the restaurants and bars were either completely closed for the season, or had shorter hours due to it being in the off-season. The restaurants had a nice atmosphere, the food was good, but a little pricy for the type of menu items offered. The service was excellent, though. Morningstar Beach was okay, definitely not the prettiest beach on the island. A lot of the beach was washed away as the surf was rough at times, with a very strong undertow. Snorkeling was not the best here. The beach wasn't crowded, so that was nice. The staff, from the housekeepers and the bellmen to the managers, were all extremely friendly and acknowledged you at all times. The staff at the Adventure Center desk helped us plan our week with excursions to St. John, the British Virgin Islands, and also helped us pick the island's best restaurants. If you are going to St. Thomas, this was definitely one of the prettiest hotels and had the best views on the island. The rooms were spacious and very clean. If planning to go during the off-season, be prepared to go elsewhere to find night activities and a variety of dining options. 7 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Highly recommended! Visited: August 2002 Posted by kmg9g My husband and I stayed at the Marriott for our honeymoon, and we had a wonderful time. The resort was just beautiful and very well-designed and well-kept. The pool was incredible, with water that was the perfect temperature and a bar and restaurant right nearby. Our room was larger than we expected, with a king-size bed and a desk and sitting area, as well as a porch. The only down side was that it was on a lower floor level and was adjacent to a walkway guests used to go to the Morningstar Beach. Still, we only rarely saw people and it wasn't a great intrusion on our privacy at all. We found the staff to be good overall; the bell staff was the most friendly. The Adventure Center staff was helpful, but not particularly friendly. We arranged our trip through Liberty Travel and got an excellent price, which included breakfast buffet (a very good idea - this way you fill up on breakfast and don't have to spent exhorbitant amounts of money on resort food for lunch), airfare, hotel, and a $100 food and beverage credit. Some suggestions: Ask for a room on an upper floor so you have a good view. Definitely get the buffet breakfast plan. If you get hungry in the afternoon, grab a snack at Presto, the 24-hour convenience store. Also, if you love seafood, don't let the $38 price of the Friday night seafood buffet scare you - my husband enjoyed it thoroughly and really got his money's worth. Book trips through the Adventure Center - parasailing and the St. John's tour were particularly fun. And enjoy! 9 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Provides the best view and beach on the island. Visited: August 2002 Posted by sgsljd I spent many hours researching hotels on St. Thomas. The Marriott hotel was great! I went for my honeymoon, and my wife and I received a complimentary upgrade with a little tip to the staff. Tipping the staff paid off. The Royal Suite and Ambassador Suites were incredible. If you are on your honeymoon, splurge on these rooms. One note: stay away from the all-inclusives! 5 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We loved it! Visited: June 2002 Posted by gdennisx2 We truly had a wonderful time at Frenchmen's Reef. We spent two nights and three days. They had a beautiful pool, a great beach and good service. Would definitely recommend it to anyone. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was the best vacation. Visited: June 2002 Posted by nyasha_w This was one of the nicest hotels I have had the pleasure of visiting. The hotel was wonderful. The grounds were well kept. The rooms were nice. The beach was great. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. Also, the location of the hotel was a good one. It was close enough to the shops, restaurants, nightlife, and ferry to St. John to be convenient. But, far enough away from the bustle of town to be very relaxing. We ate breakfast and lunch at the hotel, but ate dinner out. I would recommend this hotel for couples, families, friends, etc. This hotel came very highly recommended to me. And, I can sincerely recommend it to anyone thinking about visiting St. Thomas. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was the best view on the island! Visited: June 2002 Posted by jo_ann1 We stayed at Morningstar the first week of June. We cannot say enough about this resort. We had all the advantages of a large hotel chain with the luxury of being in a small, on-the beach resort. It was great sitting on our balcony watching the cruise ships come and go. The staff was one of the best groups of people I have ever encountered. They went out of their way to make sure our visit was special. There could be more choices of restaurants - Tavern on the Beach was very good, but a little expensive. Windows on the Harbor had spectacular views - but the food was average. The rooms were very nice and equipped with everything we needed - even an icemaker. Each evening they turned down the beds, left clean towels and left little "treats" - it was a nice touch. It is definitely on our list of places to return. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was good, but we had a discount rate. Visited: April 2002 Posted by WestyF16 The room was hotel standard, but the view was very nice. I can't say enough about the staff at the hotel. The positives included the ttaff, the view and the weight room. The weight room was the best I've seen to date for a hotel. There were plenty of free weights and aerobic machines. However, it could get crowded. The negatives included the restaurants at the hotel. The were less than good and very expensive. Also, a lot of walking was required to get to the beaches. The hotel room also had the worst pillows and the bed was not very comfortable. Rent a car and eat out as much as possible (Herves, Room With a View). 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? A breathtaking experience. Visited: March 2002 Posted by tweddlebug This was simply the best holiday I have ever been on. The beach was beautiful, and the accommodations were wonderfu. I wouldn't recommend staying anywhere else. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? I can't imagine a better honeymoon. Visited: January 2002 Posted by snewton61 We loved our beachfront room at the Morning Star. The staff was great and very friendly. (The turn down and goodies at our bedside each night made us feel special and welcomed.) We ate both at the Frenchman's Reef and in St. Thomas - and would recommend the restaurants downtown. We also traveled to St. John (we had a Jeep for the week). St. John was also fantastic! The Morning Star was a great place to stay and the beach (with cocktail waitress always on hand) was great. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? A nice place to visit Visited: December 2001 Posted by rtafin We were very happy with the accommodations and the staff. However, the restaurants on site were not as good as other Marriott restaurants we have tried in the Caribbean. We stayed in the Morning Star resort and found it a little nois, but the main facility on the cliff was beautiful. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful?