This was my third trip and it just keeps getting better. It's as if one is returning to a long missed and long lost home. One eases into the welcoming atmosphere as if one is putting on a favorite pair of slippers. This is less of a hotel and resort than it is a private club and you are treated as a favorite member in good standing simply by dint of having arrived on property.

The staff is refreshingly warm and genuine without the self-conciousness--bordering on the obsequious--service that I find with some other luxury hotel brands. You can't train this. It is experiential and simply exists and is passed along throughout the entire team. Much less hierarchical and much more "we are a team (and family) and everyone on it has an important job to do".

I have little to add to all the other excellent nuts and bolts aspect of Caneel. They hit all the marks on amenities and activities. Many things are amply explained in other reviews here. The beaches, the grounds, donkeys, deer, the well prepared meals, etc. . .

I have a difficult time attempting to explain the many evanescent things that make this place so magical for us. Suffice to say that all the those things are real and I give a salute to the entire Caneel Bay family for maintaining the delight and wonder over the four years that we have been returning to, and that hopefully, we will be returning to for a long time into the future.

This was our third trip to Caneel Bay, and it was just as lovely as the first two times. Resort properly is laid out in such a way that it feels extremely spacious and not crowded at all. Beautiful grounds with mountains as a backdrop, star gazing is an absolute must here. The beachfront cottages are only a few steps from the beach, snorkelling at Scotts beach is amazing and the waters are almost always very calm.A short hike ( approx. 1/4 of a mile if that) to Honeymoon Bay will also provide a spectacular site for snorkelling, and it is well worth the short walk because the variety of fish here is much more diverse than on Scotts beach and much larger fish at that ! Be aware of snorkelling boats that arrive on Honeymoon Bay, it can get crowded.
There are restaurants are located on the property and the food this time around has definitely improved, rumours of a new chef were circulating so that may have been the reason why. It is also worthwhile to take a taxi into Cruz Bay for some local eats, Lime Inn being our favourite as well as Ocean Grill ( $10 for two people one way trip).
Occasionally, one may encounter some critters in the cottages, since 2/3 of St. John is national park, it only makes sense. I've encountered HUGE roaches ( watch out, they can fly...but are harmless), a few geckos and some ants in our room. Another warning, bug spray may be helpful to bring, I get eaten alive by what locals call no-see-ums...but that still will not deter me from coming back. White sandy beaches, warm clear water, feral donkeys and deer...Caneel is definitely worth the visit.

My wife and I just returned home, after spending a remarkably relaxing week in celebration of her birthday. Her parents had visited Caneel Bay 56 years ago (!) and she had always wanted to vacation there, as well. We snorkeled, dined in a variety of restaurants, and I completed my PADI Open Water Course at the resort's Dive Shop with their very able staff. The rooms are comfortable in the extreme, with a caring staff available as needed. I would return in a hearbeat!
Gorgeous, uncrowded beaches, clean water, abundant fish and coral "under the sea".

I will start by saying that I was not expecting much based on some tripadvisor reviews. There were complaints about the room, the towels, the chaise lounges, the food, etc .
The setting is simply beautiful. I do not know of a place in the Carribean with such a spread out layout. It never feels crowded. It feels like a luxury camp and we loved the open air bus that took us around. We traveled with our 4 year old and he had a blast. We spent mornings playing at the beach and the afternoon he was excited to go to the kids club where the warm women who ran it welcomed him with fun crafts and games. He also enjoyed dinner and a movie on two occasions while we had a romantic dinner. There are two adult only beaches and we did some wonderful snorkeling there while our child was at kids club. This is a great place for a romantic getaway but also great for families. We rented a car and had a fun time exploring the island. Our room was a beach front and we were extremely comfortable there. The staff were competent, pleasant and the atmosphere was low key and relaxed. It could not have been more perfect. We also liked having our snorkels for the duration of our stay and they supplied beach toys for our son. The food was surprisingly good. We especially enjoyed our dinner at turtle bay. We also enjoyed having lunches on the beach at scott beach. They have glass bottomed kayaks which was also fun. Really a perfect trip and we are looking forward to returning (something we never say because we usually like to try new places.)