When it comes to a three day weekend, my husband and I like to take advantage! When we plan something last minute, it’s usually because we found a good flight deal. For Labor day weekend, we found flights for under $200 USD round trip to St. Thomas. We have saved up SO many miles through Marriott Hotels that we decided to finally use some of them! We grabbed some friends to join us and we stayed for 3 nights at the Frenchman’s Reef, and we loved this hotel and the location.

From the moment you arrive, you are greeted with a welcome drink (or a few) and shown to your suite. We stayed in a 2 bedroom 2 bath villa with a big kitchen, dining room, living room, and two large balconies. Our view from the balcony was one of my favorites. We had the most perfect view of the mountains and the beach!

Part of the hotel is still being renovated after the hurricane devastation, but the majority of the hotel looked as good as new!

The pool, beach, and restaurant provided a lot of fun for us. They have a happy hour everyday, and the pool comes complete with a water slide!  On the beach there are countless chairs and hammocks up for grabs.

For a quick weekend in St Thomas, here are some MUST SEE spots!

Magens Bay- 

This beach is even better in person compared to the pictures. The water is as flat as a lake, the beach is pristine, and they even have floats and chairs for rent. On the beach there is a little beach bar and restuarant where you can enjoy a rum punch with the views. Parking isn’t cheap, it was $15- but so worth it!

Two Love Boat Charters– There is so much to do outside of St Thomas, and the best way to see that is by boat. Virgin Gorda, pirate ships, and snorkeling with turtles are just some of the options you can do. They have tours that go out from different marinas with a bunch of people on them that will serve lunch and have an open bar. When you go to the baths or anywhere in the British Virgin Islands, you have to pay $60 pp to border control and bring your passport. If you don’t want to go with a big group of people and are ok with spending a little bit more money- hire a private boat charter. There are plenty of them and I recommend booking early and not waiting until the last minute! These charters are great if you have 4 or more people. You split the cost of the boat so it makes it cheaper per person. I would expect to spend in the range of $200 pp. These charters will take you out all day wherever you want to go!

Real talk: Our boat engine had some trouble about 2 hours into our tour. We snorkeled in an incredible bay and saw countless turtles but after that, we sadly had to go back to the dock to get the boat fixed. The company was amazing to work with and refunded all of our money. Things happen but this company is highly recommended!

St John Day Trip- We took the fairy to St John for the day to do some hiking. They have a national park, gorgeous beaches, and it is definitely the island to do some hiking! The fairy goes out multiple times a day depending on the time of year- so check online to make sure the times coordinate with your plans. The ferry costs $6 pp each way.

When you arrive to St John, (its a short ferry ride) know the name of the hike you want to do and a taxi can take you to the drop off area. Make sure you bring some water as we forgot ours! We did a hike that went down to a private beach. We passed a waterfall and some incredible views!

There are plenty of tours and sunset catamaran cruises you can choose from. Book early and ask your hotel for advice!

Must Eat:

Besides the happy hour appetizers at the hotel, our favorite meals were at XO Bistro and Pie Hole Pizza. If you really wanna try for something different, grab yourself an alcohol milkshake at Sunny Days Ice Cream across the street from Xo Bistro.

I am no expert on St Thomas as we were only there for 3 days and it was a quick trip! But I found the beaches to be beautiful, the people to be friendly, and the hotel to be the perfect choice! If you don’t have a Marriott card or aren’t a rewards member, I highly suggest changing that! 🙂