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Here's what others have had to say about Caneel Bay, A Rosewood Resort.
"My husband and I visited Caneel Bay Resort in May 09 for the first time and had the best vacation we have experienced in years! We chose Caneel primarily because of the reviews at this site and we were not disappointed. The setting is beautiful, the oceans and snorkeling are great and we had lots of tennis. Donald does a great job of running clinics and organizing the round robins. We really enjoyed mixing with the local players who come out for the round robins. We can't wait to go back next year!"—K.C., Int., June 2009
""—K.K., Adv. Int., April 2009
""—H.K., Adv. Int., April 2009
"As always the Caneel Bay Resort Tennis program & Facilities are optimum! The only downfall is to remember to book before you arrive so that you get the times you like for lessons - if you have preferences. Patrick Alle, the Director of the tennis program, and his entire Peter Bruwash Pros, deserve much praise for his excellence at running & facilitating very hectic christmas scene and making tennis truly fun for all ages & abilities"—A.S., Adv. Int., April 2009
"Beutifully maintained courts. Excellent instruction for my advanced 10 and 13 year olds, as well as for my wife and I who are beginners. The pro found matches for our boys and got us into a round robin that was also well matched and quite enjoyable. We all definitly improved our games and had a great time.
I highly recommend this resort to any family or individual who would like to learn and play alot of tennis in gorgeous surroundings. We were there over Easter break, not crowded at all, courts anytime at no charge. I understand that they were very busy over Christmas break with 6 pros giving lessons all day long."—L.S., Beg., April 2009
"Strengths: Talented professionals; organized lesson and clinic scheduling; quality players come to the resort; they match up players for extra play time; Patrick Alle was the best head pro we have encountered on trips to tennis resorts!"—J.M., Adv., April 2009
"The best....good tennis, direction and most cheerful. I've been playing tennis at Caneel for 30 years and these last were the best."—L.N., Int., April 2009
"My family and I have been going to Caneel for the past 10 years in a row. We wouldn't even consider another resort."—R.J., Pro, April 2009
""—V.J., Adv., April 2009
"We have been visiting Caneel Bay for the past 25 years. The resort has always been a favorite of ours due to the stunning location and the wonderful tennis. We have especially enjoyed the past 5 or 6 years since Patrick Alle has been there as the tennis pro. His instruction is always new and fresh and we always come away with new ideas to work with and the feeling that our game has improved. The courts are in great shape, well maintained and have recently been resurfaced. The entire staff is very helpful and couldn't be nicer. We would highly recommend a tennis vacation at Caneel."—R.D., Int., April 2009
""—H.B., Int., March 2009
"Great resort, and phenomenal instruction!"—S.G., Low Int., March 2009
Rate Caneel Bay, A Rosewood Resort
Originally built by Laurance S. Rockefeller, Caneel Bay trails along seven gorgeous beaches in the 5,000-acre Virgin Islands National Park, which covers much of the island of St. John. The waters offshore are all part of a protected marine park, rich in colorful reef life. Within the resort, footpaths and shuttle routes connect the main hotel building, restaurants, and watersports center with the scattered 166 air-conditioned rooms and a parklike 11-court tennis complex.
The Peter Burwash International (PBI) organization has a long history of managing tennis facility here. Patrick Alle heads the operation. Born in California, Alle played college tennis in Cleveland and then satellite tournaments in the U.S. before opting for a career on Wall Street and in finance. He joined PBI late in 2003 and was made director at Caneel just five months after his arrival. Tennis has to share the stage not only with the beach and the lipid waters but also with hiking trails that meander along the shore or up to mountaintop overlooks on the town and harbor at Cruz Bay. Yet its weekly tennis round robins often have a solid turnout and staff does an admirably job of lining up guests with games, drawing on local members when they can't find another guest.
See my On the Road: Caneel Bay story for a more in-depth look at its appeal and amenities.
Pro Shop: 340-776-6111
Beach. Caneel Bay begins along the beach and bay for which it was named but that is, in fact, the third of seven beaches on the property. Variously facing east, north, and west, they all border shallow turquoise waters where as a snorkeler you can see an extraordinary variety of reef life without venturing into water deeper than 6 to 10 feet.
Apart from half-horsehoe of rooms on the hillside behind the tennis courts, most of the resort's lodging can be found along—or not far behind—one of the seven beaches. Clustered together in one- and two-story shingle-roofed buildings of stone, stucco, and weathered wood, the rooms have generous decks and newly renovated interiors in a decor Caneel dubs "1950s beachhouse" (think rattan and teak with jalousie windows for cross-ventilation from the era when the rooms had not air conditioning; now they do).
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There are multiple categories of lodging at Caneel Bay. The least expensive are those near the tennis complex, the most expensive the beachfront rooms, including the five in Cottage 7, the former home of Laurance S. Rockefeller. Rates are subject to 8% tax and 10% surcharge.
Jan. 1-Mar. 31, 2009
Rooms/Suites: $450-$1,185. Cottage 7: $1,700
Apr. 1-30, 2009
Rooms/Suites: $450-$800. Cottage 7: $1,250
May 1-Oct. 31, 2009
Rooms/Suites: $395-$795. Cottage 7: $1,050
Nov. 1-Dec. 18, 2009
Rooms/Suites: $395-$950. Cottage 7: $1,250
Seasons. Year-round.
Travel Instructions. The nearest airport is on the island of St. Thomas. Caneel Bay has its own greeting area in the airport and arranges transportation to the ferry which takes guests to the dock at the resort itself.
General Tourist Information. For general tourist information, contact the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism at 800-372-USVI or visit its offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, or Washington, DC. Among other things, it publishes a brochure that outlines rates at resorts, hotels, and inns on St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas.