As I flew into St. Thomas, the view from my window seat took my breath away. I expected the white sand beaches and swaying palms, but the enchanting world teeming with evergreen mountains, lush jungles, tropical shorelines and the clearest turquoise water I'd ever seen caught me by surprise.
It seemed like a place where I could hike up mountains or camp in treehouses, and when I was done, head to the shore for a rumrunner, snorkeling and a solid tan. Throw in remnants of an interesting history, colorful architecture and a community of friendly locals eager to show me around, and St. Thomas was more than I could have imagined.
I arrived on the 100th anniversary of St. Thomas joining the U.S. Virgin Islands, so I got a taste of its history firsthand. While the U.S. struck a deal with Denmark to take over St. Thomas on March 31, 1917, elements of Danish rule can still be seen in the main part of town today.
Go shopping along Charlotte Amalie and you'll find colorful boutique storefronts that exist in the same warehouses the Danish used for trade in the 18th and 19th centuries. And it was in front of these same shops on Veterans Drive that middle school and high school marching bands helped ring in the centennial, parading right by me on their way to the legislature building, where government officials hosted a Transfer Day ceremony for all to see.
A double guestroom at the Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort.
About a 15-minute ride from Charlotte Amalie, my host hotel, the Frenchman's Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort, hovered over the Caribbean Sea in a rainbow of pastels, jutting off the edge of a towering cliff.
Guests can hop in a cab and wind their way up there, but for a spellbinding arrival, take the ferry. The hotel has its own ferry that runs between the Frenchman's Reef Marriott and Charlotte Amalie every 30 minutes Mondays through Saturdays, hourly on Sundays. It costs $7 per adult, $4 for ages 3 to 12 and is free for ages 2 and under.
The Frenchman's Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort has 470 guestrooms with Instagram-worthy views of Frenchman's Reef, the harbor, the beach and the hotel grounds.
To pair guests' luxurious views with some luxurious pampering, the on-site Lazule Sea Spa offers massages and detoxifying facials and features a private spa pool; a fully equipped fitness center is nearby.
The resort's six restaurants and bars include Caribbean alfresco dining at Sunset Bar & Grill, Cuban fine dining at Havana Blue, a buffet breakfast at the harbor-facing Aqua Terra Oceanfront Grill or signature tempura fish tacos at casual Coco Joe's.
Tempura fish tacos are a specialty at Coco Joe’s restaurant at the Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort.
Of course, when on the Caribbean Sea, there's no better place to be than the water. In fact, when I wasn't relaxing by it, I was sailing through it, diving into it, watching the sunset over it or at the very least, drinking a cocktail inspired by it. To make sure you can do all of the above, the hotel has an on-property Adventure Center for booking a variety of excursions.
One day, I woke up and hopped on a catamaran to snorkel with sea turtles around St. John. Later that night, I had dinner on the hotel yacht at sunset.
On my last night there, I experienced the water in a new way, as part of a group on an evening tour in LED-lit kayaks. I got my best sea view from my guided excursion to Mountain Top, the highest point on the island, where I paired vistas of the Puerto Rican island of Culebra and the British Virgin Islands with a frozen banana daiquiri — a specialty in the U.S. Virgin Islands, since Cruzan rum comes from neighboring St. Croix.
When I wasn't on the water, I still wanted to be near it. At the Frenchman's Reef, I spent my downtime lounging by one of the hotel's four pools (including two infinity pools), doing stand-up paddleboard yoga by its private beach or wading to the swim-up bar for a cocktail.
On this island, the world is every traveler's Caribbean-blue oyster. And at Frenchman's Reef, they have plenty of opportunities to dive right in.
Rates begin at $195. Through Dec. 22, the property is also offering a Reef Life package. Starting at $399 per night, it includes waterview accommodations, a $200 credit for excursions, a $100 spa credit and a $150 food and beverage credit. Visit www.frenchmansreefmarriott.com.