Westin Resort’s expansive signature pool won’t open until mid-November as resort officials take advantage of recent damage from TS Otto to resurface the attraction.
The pool won’t open until next month, but Westin Resort and Villas officials continued to make improvements last week on resort grounds and facilities which were damaged by Tropical Storm Otto.
“Things are good,” said Westin general manager Mike Ryan. “The resort is open and we are making very good progress. All the customer facing areas are looking better by the day.”
After TS Otto dumped more than a foot of rain on St. John in early October, the Westin’s Great Cruz Bay property was inundated with runoff. The worst of the damage affected the tennis courts, which were mostly ruined, the resort’s signature pool, which was filled with mud, and the beach area, which was littered with several boats that had broken free of their moorings.
The resort remained open throughout the ordeal and officials are repairing the grounds and taking advantage of the opportunity to make upgrades to several Westin facilities, explained Ryan.
“November 14 is our targeted date to reopen the pool area,” he said. “We’re resurfacing the pool while we have the opportunity.”
Snorkels Restaurant is set to re-open on November 14 as well and the Beach Cafe should be up and running by the end of October, Ryan added.
The tennis courts are also getting a face-lift, according to Ryan.
“We’re going to resurface all of the tennis courts,” said the Westin general manager. “We’re just in the process of putting the information together and moving forward.”
The ballrooms, which were also damaged by the water, will receive new carpeting, Ryan explained.
“We have carpet en route and I would say we’re shooting for the first week of November to have the ballrooms back up and running,” he said.
The Westin’s Kid Club area also suffered water damage and will get new carpeting as well. That area is set to open on the same schedule as the ballrooms, according to Ryan.
As for the beach area, Ryan was hopeful that two remaining sailboats on shore would be removed shortly. All in all, Ryan was pleased with the progress of repairs and improvements at the resort.
“It’s going to be better than it was before,” he said. “It was a great team effort and we still have teams of associates going around the property as part of the landscaping beautification.”
“Customers are still coming and the services are getting back to normal,” said Ryan.
