On St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the group destination of note for many years was Frenchman’s Reef Marriott Resort, situated on an elevated peninsula with views out over the Caribbean. However, since the devastation of hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017, the property and the neighboring Morningstar Beach Resort have been closed.
That is expected to change this fall. Under new ownership and managed by Aimbridge Hospitality, the resorts are in the midst of a $350 million redevelopment project and will reopen under new Marriott International-aligned brands. The hilltop property will be The Westin Beach Resort & Spa at Frenchman’s Reef while the beachfront Morningside will become The Seaborn at Frenchman’s Reef, Autograph Collection.
The 392-room Westin will be group focused, with 72,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space, including a 12,286-square-foot ballroom, 17 meeting rooms, and 26,400 square feet of poolside terraces. The property will also have six restaurants and lounges, three ocean-view pools, a Heavenly Spa by Westin with 13 treatment rooms, and a private dock.
Next door at the Seaborn, there will be 94 guest rooms, four open-air restaurants and lounges, an oceanfront pool with a swim-up bar, a health club, and 13,000-square-feet of meeting and event space, all set along a quarter mile of beach.
Guests at both resorts will have access to amenities such as a private catamaran with a capacity of up to 75 persons for daytime snorkel trips and evening sunset sails.
“We are committed to ushering in a new era for this beloved property and look forward to opening our doors soon to a quintessential luxury St. Thomas experience,” said Kurt Wiksten, managing director at Ambridge Hospitality.
