When traveling, a lot of times we want to explore a place we’ve never been, but want to stay with a hotel brand we all know and trust, so we’re not going into completely unchartered territory.   On the beautiful island of St. Kitts, the Marriott Resort and The Royal Beach Casino fills that desire.   St. Kitts is not necessarily the first island that comes to mind when deciding to take a Caribbean vacation.  However, it should be on the top of your list.   St. Kitts has only been focusing on tourism for around a decade, (the Marriott turns ten this year) so tourists and tourist traps do not overrun it.  You can enjoy a romantic Caribbean getaway alongside the extremely friendly locals, the Kittitians. 

Staying at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort gives you the benefit of enjoying the best of all worlds while visiting the island.  Situated on the Atlantic side of the island, you can be relaxing in a lounge chair, with the wind blowing in your hair, watching the waves crash along the shore within five minutes of walking out of your hotel room.  You also have the benefits offered by staying at a resort, such as three large pools, a whirlpool, snorkel gear and raft rentals, and the only swim up bar on the island!  The Emerald Mist Spa is also available for all of your relaxation and zen needs for unwinding and working out sore muscles while away.  This full service spa smells magnificent from the second you step foot in the doorway. 

They offer a number of services including massages, facials, manicures, pedicures, etc.  I loved their amazing signature treatment, which was a bamboo massage.  They heated wooden bamboo sticks and used them in conjunction with a deep tissue technique to work out tight muscles and also inducing a state of pure relaxation.   Also included in the spa treatment is unlimited use of the steam room, sauna, and hot and cold plunge pools. 

The gym is open twenty four hours, so whether you like to get a workout in before breakfast or come back from a night at Mr. X’s Shiggidy Shack and work off dinner, it’s at your disposal.    Having a casino in the lobby of the resort is also a fun way to spend the night, or any time of day!  Along nightly entertainment, you can enjoy the standard table games and slot machines. 

With Marriott celebrating its ten year anniversary this year, you automatically get $10 in free slot play and the opportunity to spin a wheel for up to $500 more in slot play.  I just grazed over the $500!   I enjoyed their virtual blackjack tables and met some fun people who were going to vet school in St. Kitts. 

There are plenty of food options throughout the day.  For breakfast, order in room service and start your day on your balcony with a cappuccino and the sunrise, or head down to the calypso grill and indulge in the breakfast buffet with an omelet, pancake and waffle station.   For dinner, you must eat at least one night in the Royal Grille Steakhouse.  

The restaurant has an open kitchen and serves amazing seafood and steak.  You won’t go wrong with the scallops and surf and turf! I think it served some of the best food I had while in St. Kitts.   Another outstanding and incredibly romantic restaurant off property is Carambola Beach Club and Restaurant.   This open air restaurant has the majority of seating inside, so you get the benefit of being on the beach without actually sitting outside.   There was a table set up right besides the waves as well, and can always be requested for that special night or private party.   As you walk into Carambola, there is soothing love songs playing.  There is a piano inside the restaurant and right outside, the ocean lights up with beautiful palm trees and a fountain on property.  

This is the perfect setting for a wedding on the beach or a proposal.  Just opened in the last two years, Carambola has quickly become one of the finer renowned establishments in St. Kitts.  Their menu offers everything from sushi and fresh fish options to lamb and delicious risotto and pasta dishes.  

While you can’t go wrong relaxing by the beautiful turquoise ocean or drinking pina   coladas at the swim up bar for days, you may want to check out other parts of the island and have lunch at spice mill, which sits on the Caribbean side of the island on the beach.  You can enjoy the fresh catch of the day and then head into the calm Caribbean ocean.

Romney Manor is a beautiful plantation where you can buy an array of items made on premise and the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park is a UNESCO world heritage site with some amazing views of the island. 

We also took a quick visit to the Gideon Force organic rusti farm.  You must eat lots of mangos while in St. Kitts. If you get there during the right season, you’ll be treated to the most succulent mangos you’ve ever tasted in your life, but be armed with floss and lots of napkins!

Many people choose to get married in St. Kitts and they make it very easy whether you’re arriving for just one day by cruise ship or plan on spending the week.

 St. Kitts is definitely a wonderful place to escape to rejuvenate and get away with a loved one, even if it’s just for a few days.  If you base yourself at the Marriott, you’ll have all the amenities you need on hand, be close to the fun nightlife and restaurants of Frigate Bay, and be immersed in the friendly, warm and inviting Kittitian culture!