Estate Ben Runnels Gut Hotels, St. John

"I recently stayed at Margaritaville Vacation Club – St. Thomas (May 19–20) with my husband, and the experience was mixed. We received a warm welcome, and the room was spacious, clean, and comfortable, featuring a king bed, sofa bed, kitchen, and nice bathroom. However, there is no housekeeping service, which may be inconvenient. The on-site beach was very disappointing—covered in seaweed/sargassum and unusable during our stay. Fortunately, nearby Coki Beach (a short walk) was beautiful, clean, and had great food. We enjoyed delicious jerk chicken and oxtails with generous portions. The resort layout is challenging, with rooms far from the entrance and set on hills. Golf carts are available, but wait times can be long, so expect a lot of walking. The infinity pool with a swim-up bar was a highlight, offering great views, though it requires climbing many stairs, which can feel unsafe after drinking. The on-site restaurant was underwhelming—subpar food, watered-down drinks, and weak coffee. Service from our waiter Chris was a bright spot. Note that an 18% gratuity is automatically added everywhere. The vacation club presentation was frustrating due to poor communication—no clear instructions, missing details, and issues booking promised perks like return transportation. Although a manager eventually resolved the taxi issue, the process was inconvenient. Overall, while there are positives, inconsistencies and lack of communication made the stay feel average."

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"No microwave or fridge!"

"The room was cute and clean, Staff were friendly, The air condition in the room was well maintained and the breakfast was great! And most off all the view from our room was "Very spectacular" "

"Love, LOVE, loved this place! Very private location! Clean room, comfortable bed and felt cozy and intimate. Island views from every spot. Hospitality of the staff was amazing! Dinner at the restaurant was DELICIOUS but definitely PRICEY! Lots of spots to relax and enjoy a drink and quiet. Not on the side of the island to watch a sunset but still beautiful. Cons: 1. there are stairs to check in, go to bar and restaurant. 2. Thin room walls 3. Free but very simplistic breakfast 4. Limited parking 5. No gym or trail to walk"

"The stay was amazing and the staff are very resourceful. The view from the pool and my room are my favorite part of the stay. "

"The king size bed in the room was old with the hump in the middle. The room housekeeping was erratic, a couple of days no housekeeping, a few once a day and a few twice a day. Cleaning of the room was superficial, no cleaning of patio. We did not use the spa.The fittness room was nice but the steam room is at the spa."

"We really wanted to love everything about this place, but the service is the worst that I have ever experienced at any hotel! They did a great job with the branding and marketing but unfortunately the experience does not live up to the expectation. The staff seemed like they really didn’t want to be there and the food was terrible at all of the restaurants. The staff in the pool area was especially miserable and not what you would expect when spending $1200 a night to stay. They were understaffed in most departments and no one answers the drink desk or room service phones. Our room wasn’t cleaned until 4pm. The reviews on the Marriott website are in line with what we experienced this week. It’s a shame because it is a beautiful place! I will say the best service was at the Sands and Isla blue, but those restaurants are not affiliated with the hotel."

"Great service, excellent room, breakfast on point and ample parking "