Marriott Frenchman's Reef & Morning Star Beach Resort

St. Thomas, USVI

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The Morning Star is a sure bet. Visited: October 2008 Posted by iguanaloverindiana We were here for seven nights. He had a great view from our room (5336). We also had privacy, and the room was clean. Most every staff member here was friendly. Karl, the manager, was great! Coco Joe's had good food, but I don't think they care if you starve to death before they serve you. Frenchman's Reef is in no way as nice as Morning Star. I went there for one night for hurricane evacuation. I encountered rude management. Also, the first floor smelled of mold. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Don't stay here. Visited: July 2008 Posted by don___tgothere We stayed for a week with a family group of 26. The hotel was dirty, disorganized and boring. The food was ridiculously expensive, $11 for a plain waffle. The staff was rude and unfriendly to us. They seemed to pretend they could not hear us when we asked for something, like perhaps a refill on coffee (which was $3 a cup - and not even good!). The only positive thing was the beach, it was beautiful. Transportation into town was also very expensive, and everyone seemed to want only one thing - tips and your money. I don't think they would have blinked if we would have dropped dead. I'm sorry to be such a downer, but once you have been to Hawaii and know what quality is, St. Thomas and the Marriott stinks. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We had a wedding disaster at the Marriott! Visited: May 2008 Posted by bugaboo198273 My husband and I got married at this resort in May - after two years of planning, and many, many, many payments (as anyone who has ever married - or experienced St. Thomas inflation - can imagine). Though the island of St. Thomas is breathtakingly beautiful, and we had a lovely time outside the hotel, the Marriott Frenchman's Reef made a disaster of our wedding. I highly advise you not to get married here under any circumstances. Our reception site wasn't ready when the wedding started, because of the Marriott's ineptitude. They made us hold the reception in a much smaller venue than we paid for (which was still filthy). In addition, they "lost" the video footage of our wedding ceremony; they dragged my entire wedding party and I through iguana-feces-laden grass and destroyed our clothes and shoes; and they charged us twice for the wedding, resulting in several thousand dollars of overcharges on our credit card. During all these disasters, our wedding coordinator was "at lunch" and could not be located. All in all, the Marriott staff's attitude, lack of professionalism, and nonchalance regarding the horrific state of the reception site and event itself are unforgivable. I would recommend that you get married elsewhere - unless you want to be severely overcharged and overstressed for a haphazard, sloppy wedding. 7 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was extremely disappointing. Visited: April 2008 Posted by ccb I checked in late on Wednesday night, and was originally shown to a room that looked like it hadn't been renovated in 20+ years, and smelled like a wet dog. I called the front desk, and they offered to send housekeeping. I asked for another room, and was given a key to a room in the new addition, which seemd pretty nice. Unfortunately, the room I was given was already occupied. After apologizing to the screaming, scared occupant, I went back to the front desk and was given a key to a third room, that was supposedly renovated. The renovation appeared to have been a new area rug on the old tile floors and some new linens. Unfortunately, the room did not have a king sized bed, and was not nearly as nice as the rooms in the new section of the building. Strangely, the prices for the new rooms were the same as the prices for the older, mustier, not as nicely appointed rooms. I suggest you stay away - far away - unless you have a contact who can get you in a room in the nicer part of the hotel. 25 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was a week in Paradise. Visited: February 2008 Posted by asandywah I could not wait to write this review, given all of the negative things I had read about this place before our trip. Let's get started! The property is so stunning! When we first arrived, the perfectly manicured landscape was breathtaking. The lobby was clean with a funky style.The views of the ocean and beach were beyond words. Our room was clean, and it looked exactly like the photo on their web site. There was a slight musty smell, but I assumed it would because it is a tropical place that does get some bad storms from time to time. I have nasty allergies and a sense of smell that would put a dog to shame! Believe me, I was secretly concerned. It was very mild, but worth mentioning. The hotel was quiet. It was fully booked, but the resort was so large that we didn't feel crowded. It was newly remodeled, and it was clean everywhere. Iguanas were present, but they minded their own business. We stayed in a harbor view room. It was beautiful. The beach had powder soft sand. Oh my gosh! The water was a beautiful shade of turquoise blue. There were no shells or rocks - or fish for that matter. It was clean and soft. It did get deep quickly. If you don't have a ridiculous fear of sharks, you'll be fine (ha ha). The water was rough, though. If I had to complain at all about this trip, that would be my main complaint. I thought Caribbean water was mostly calm. It was comparable to Florida type of waves. Oh well, maybe you won't mind it! There were two very friendly women who would come around and bring us drinks on the beach. They were fun. The weather was perfect for us. There were some clouds on and off, cutting out some of the sun from time to time. It was about 85 and mostly sunny. There were constant breezes, too! There were lots of pretty sailboats to watch. The pool was clean and casual with a very nice feel to it. There was a Jacuzzi on the Frenchmans Reef side. It was was too hot and musty smelling, though. The Morningstar Jacuzzi was perfect. The people who worked here were nice, but not gushing. We were fine with that, but I do understand what people were saying about them in other reviews. The food was good. We liked the breakfast buffet at Windows, and Captain's Cafe had great mussels and decent ribs. I was not too fond of their steaks at the Marriott, though. The seafood was real good. Overall, the food was good. Oh, sunset crab and artichoke dip on pita chips...you must try. Oh, I am so detailed! To wrap it up here, the trip was really super great. Unless you are extremely hard to please, you should totally love this place. 34 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was a big resort, but we never felt crowded. Visited: July 2006 Posted by kinera My wife and I stayed in St. Thomas at the Morning Star portion of the Marriott Frenchman’s Reef/Morning Star complex. This was a large resort, but in spite of being fully booked, it never felt crowded. The restaurant waits were not very long, and the beach or pool chaises were always available. We enjoyed our stay, and liked the island of St. Thomas very much. The staff was friendly and accommodating. We even had an ice maker right in our room. There were areas within the resort where we had breathtaking views of the harbor and the island. The resort operated a shuttle service between the two resorts. We chose the Morning Star resort portion because we happen to prefer low rise buildings, and Morning Star was right on the beach. This way we could go to a variety of restaurants on site. Food was pricy on St. Thomas, and this is something you just have to plan for as part of your vacation package. We are Marriott Rewards members, so we were earning points as we were staying at this resort complex. There were several on-site restaurants ranging from the high end Havana Blue at Morning Star, to the beach and pool side bistros. There were also two on-site markets selling breakfast items, deli and packaged lunch items, snacks, beverages, rolls, cheeses and probably other things I forgot. The one at Morning Star was smaller and had posted hours; at Frenchman’s Reef the market was open 24 hours. We found it reasonable to buy the items for our breakfast, use the refrigerator, and eat in our room. We found that as part of our shopping trips into town, we could have lunch a bit cheaper. To go into town to eat meant either taking the ferry or a cab (unless you have a rental car). The fares in all cases were per person, so if you might have two couples going in one cab, it does not save any money. We happened to note that there were those who hired a cab to go into Red Hook for a special evening meal. This trip for two, round trip with tips, would be about $100.00. Having stayed near Red Hook, we know there are gourmet restaurants in and around the town. While the menus are in general limited, the most extensive was at Havana Blue. This, by the way, is a concession, but you can still charge the bill to your room. There were two buffets - a Caribbean night at Coco Joe’s (the beachfront restaurant at Morning Star), and an Italian night at Windows on the Harbor at Frenchman’s Reef. Both were $35.00/person not including beverages or drinks and tip. 67 users found this review helpful. 3 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was a wonderful resort but there were too many iguanas! Visited: September 2005 Posted by jchadwick We stayed at the Morning Star Beach Resort and loved being close to the beach. Also, the staff here was great. The resort location on the island was great and easy to get transfers into Charlotte Amalie to shop or do sightseeing. The ferry ride from downtown back to the Marriott dock was a highlight, along with a safari- snorkeling day tour to St. John arranged by the hotel. The only negative aspect was the abundance of iguanas on the property. My husband and I were greeted the first afternoon as we walked up to the main lobby to eat. Not one, but seven critters were lined across the sidewalk. I understand there is an iguana feeding by the pool daily, but we were not amused and did not participate after counting 44 Iguanas on the cliff by the pool at 4:oo pm. There were also a half dozen iguanas at the dock along with their droppings the next morning before we departed for St. John. They were a big nuisance. I thought I was safe on the beach, but the last day one came down a tree limb over my beach chair and fell on my flipflops and I almost had a heart attack! These were not cute little geckos, but iguanas that were two to three feet long. I am a corporate travel agent, and until the iguanas are removed from the property we will wait before returning to this property. They could add another soup to the menu! 33 users found this review helpful. 16 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We had a very enjoyable experience. Visited: December 2004 Posted by vijames999 My wife and I really enjoyed the resort. The best part of the experience was dining at Havana Blue. Apparently, the Marriott leased out space to private owners at Morningstar and wow! The cuisine was top notch. The decor was stunning. This was the complete dining experience. We ate there five straight nights as there was no reason to go elsewhere. Don't even bother with Windows. 27 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was nicer than I expected. Visited: December 2004 Posted by mvitali My family and I just returned from the Marriott over Christmas week and we all were pleasantly surprised by the resort. The location was beautiful, and our room - a two level Royal Harbor suite - was spacious, clean and cold. They had an excellent AC system. Service was good throughout the hotel with the exception of Coconut Joe's bartenders at the beach bar. They seemed to not care about the customer and tended to us only when they had nothing else to do. The new restaurant at Morningstar, Havana Blue, was excellent and the breakfast buffet at Windows on the Harbor was bountiful and made-to-order omelettes were the norm for us. St. Thomas had a lot to offer in terms of shopping, sightseeing, beachcombing and restaurants. A few of our favorites: Oceana in Frenchtown, Molly Molones in Red Hook, Havana Blue, and Iggie's at Bolongo Bay where they offer all you can eat Dungeness crab legs every Tuesday. We thought Herve was good, but overrated and small portions. 31 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was very, very nice! Visited: August 2004 Posted by prance331 In my opinion, this was the most beautiful place in the world. We could see the ships pass every night. The Sunset Grill had great food. I recommend going there. The beach was very clean and well maintained. There were a lot of beautiful shells. The rooms were beautiful and I had no problems. 15 users found this review helpful. 5 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was a very nice resort. Visited: July 2004 Posted by m_voigts My wife and I just returned from the Frenchman's Reef, having stayed here with Marriott rewards points. The staff was wonderful, the resort grounds were beautiful, and the resort location on the island was great (easy access to downtown Charlotte Amalie and St. John). The rooms needed a little updating (our ice machine was broken, and a little mildew was in the shower) and part of the resort was showing its age, but overall we had a great time. The restaurants were a bit pricy, but the small cafe right on the beach had decent prices and a great atmosphere. We had one small incident with a restaurant, but the hotel staff refunded the meal to us. I'd recommend this hotel to anyone who wanted to get away from it all. The grounds were so spacious that walking from one end to the other was like going to a different resort entirely. They also had a nice beach, but small pools. And did I mention the wonderful staff? 12 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? The Morning Star Beach Resort was great. Visited: May 2004 Posted by nickrefvem We stayed at the Morning Star portion, and it was awesome. The only negative aspect was the wedding department. They were very unorganized and were not receptive to our ideas of what we wanted. Everything else about the stay was wonderful (food, the rest of the help, accommodations). 6 users found this review helpful. 7 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? 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. 11 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. 9 users found this review helpful. 9 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. 8 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. 4 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. 12 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! 1 users found this review helpful. 13 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. 8 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful?

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