Lovango Resort & Beach Club, St. John — Hotel in Lovango Cay

Mr. Snider I would like to share with you my experience at your restaurant. I am on my honeymoon in St John. We have had amazing experiences at ExtraVirgin, The Terrace and ZoZo’s. We travel extensively and hoped to experience the amazing food and service at your restaurant. That was not to be. The water taxi was prompt, the operators polite. So we were off to a wonderful start. We arrived and what appears to be a hostess greeted us, She was very cordial and friendly till we told her we were her for dinner. And she said “Wait over there and someone will help you” The host station was empty. It was quite off-putting how dismissive she became. Zakaya sat us and was quite nice

So a gentleman comes over to take our our drink order He asks what kind of water we wanted I responded Tap… He gave a heavy exhale. And left.

About 2 minutes later he walks to the table beside us that was sat 5 minutes after us Takes there drink order and graciously explains the specials And explains how large the salads are.

We never get our water 5 minutes later Ashlan comes to take our water order… for the second time And our drink order. We go simple Pain killer and a dark and stormy. We wait 15 minutes for our drinks. The table beside us, which were chefs from Jersey that you spoke to right beside us gets their food, we still don’t have drinks.

Now. I’m a wee bit frustrated at this point And then it gets worse. The straight couple beside us gets offered a more romantic table. With a better view.

Again I’m on my honeymoon.

So we wait. And the server comes back Brings the drinks and I’m not sure she may have been about to walk away but I stop her and ask if we can hear the specials and order. She said I was about to take your order I was just moving to be more comfortable. I feel like this isn’t the case. But We listen intently to the specials. We order

We wait. We don’t have water.

She talks to the table across from us. She leaves. No water No recognition.

I take our water pitcher ti the bartender And ask if he can refill it He leaves and comes back with two.

And says the servers never fill the water pitchers you better take two. I said no thank you We just need the one. He literally said Suit your self. At this point I’m stewing and feel like I am clearly trash InYour restaurant.

So we wait. Im looking at my husband. Im looking at the couple with the very romantic waterfront table. The Jersey chefs with their entire meal. And My empty drink Empty water. The nasty bartender. And I am done So I go over to the bar and see what I assume is either a manager or a head serviced. Short blond hair and she says I’ll come to your table and talk

Negative I do not want to be further embarrassed or made to feel less important. We just wanted to leave.

The manager did agree to refund the water taxi fee I’ll be interested to see if that happens

My advice to you-

I’m sorry we are not “in the industry” But we wanted a nice dinner for our honeymoon And at 9:38 on my last night in st John I’m writing this letter to you. I’m not going to give you some nasty trip advisor review I’m have seen your companies responses They are defensive and dismissive. I am in hopes you read this email and accept the coaching for what it is.

An opportunity to make a customer feel valued.

I changed my mind. No response to the...

We recently purchased a “Beach Club for the Day” package online. Later I realized that this was one of the biggest overly-hyped but well-marketed hyperbole I've seen recently. I just can't believe we fell for it.

Package includes a round trip boat ride from Saint Thomas. Get private loungers on a exclusive beach resort, go for a hike around the island, visit the Crescent Beach, enjoy beautiful BVI views during the hike, shop and eat at the resort shops and the restaurant, etc…

“Beach Club”, their words, not mine… “St. Thomas Ferry • Beach Club for the Day”. Again their words, not mine. First problem… “It is not a swim-in beach”... This disclaimer can be found at the bottom of the email they send. Their words, not mine. How can they justify marketing this package as a “Beach Club” day trip, and not having a "beach" in front of the resort which their guests can actually swim in?

They advertised the "Crescent Beach" on the opposite side of the island, which isn't really a beach, and requires an extremely difficult hike with an elevation about 300 ft up, and going down a steep hill, too. It was falsely advertised as 20 minutes walk. It took us about 30-40 minutes each way. Why take a 30-minutes strenuous hike under the Caribbean sun, while rest of the beaches on St Thomas is practically 30 seconds away from where you can park your car? I wouldn't even put Crescent Beach on the top 20 beaches of little what I've seen on the USVI.

They advertised views of BVI during the same strenuous hike under the Caribbean sun which can also be seen from St Thomas (lookouts like Mountain Top, and others) or many other lookouts located in St John.

They advertised the food and drink service to the pool, as if it was an all-inclusive feature. You pay for your food and drink. Restaurant is about 50 yards away from the pool, and servicing your "paid" customers within that proximity is nothing to brag about.

After seeing this review, the manager called me quite early hours in the morning. Left a voice mail, and wanted to talk in person. Clear attitude of an egotistical businessman who has lost touch with reality, and wants to lecture others on how wrong they are.

We’ve had a GREAT time in St Thomas, and St John for a week. Visited many beaches, luxury resorts, and hotels, fine dining restaurants, took a boat trip. Certainly no one needs a rip-off day trip to Lovango Resort like this one. Again, I’m sorry that I feel for it, but at least now I have a funny...

Save your money and go somewhere else, seriously.

Concierge: Before the trip, It took 2 emails and 2 calls to get ahold of the concierge and I was told to wait and they would help with plans. The wait led all boat tours to sell out, leading us to have to book a $1500 excursion vs. $500-600. After a rushed phone call, I had to continually update the concierge on my plans, when all you want is to relax on vacation.

The room: Theres no room key, our safe was broken, so we had to take our valuables everywhere. Theres no "air conditioning", it's a small tube that barely blows cold air on the bed, so you rely on fans. The mosquitos were relentless while sleeping, and you couldn't enjoy the view without getting eaten alive. Also, you go on vacation to relax and are woken up everyday with the 5:45am sunrise, then lay there wait for a 8:30am breakfast in an uncomfortable bed.

The food: Everyday it was the same recycled food that was suffice, but subpar. All the coffee is watered down and our Nespresso machine kept malfunctioning. When I asked if they had any form of latte/coffee, the bartender said she would "check" and then proceeded to ignore me completely. Our first dinner was decent for $400, and the following evening was completely different. We even ordered the same dish that came out very different and one had to be comp'ed because they said it was the chefs "first time making it"... They use the "island" excuse a lot, but there's restaurants on St. Thomas and St. John with a plethora of options and no apparent trouble receiving goods.

Attention to detail: We had to ask for the reusable water bottles they said were a welcome gift, the tea/sugar were never restocked, the snorkeling gear packed for my excursion had two different sized fins (thank god the boat had extra), the ferry schedule kept changing and although they asked my itinerary every day, they still led me to miss a ferry for dinner leading us to scramble. No gym, not walkable considering its on a hill, and theres barely anyone staying on the resort so any "activities" are painfully awkward with no one there but you and the staff.

Overall, to splurge and go to a luxurious resort for $1000+ a night, it was a significant disappointment. If you're looking for a place to stay, consider anywhere else or grab a tent and hike up a mountain for the...