I don’t know what I like best about Marriott’s Frenchman’s Reef Resort.

Is it the stunning view from open patio in front of my room of the town across the bay at dusk when the lights from the sprawling urban area sparkle on the harbor and half the adjacent mountainside? Is it the walk along the resort’s tropical seaside gardens in the morning, when the sun is just coming up over the horizon? Or the array of activities like boating and charters, scuba diving, land and sea tours, and marine activities like parasailing, sport fishing and kayak eco tours offered on site in the lobby’s Adventure Center? How about the resort’s three spectacular swimming pools and its health club and extensive menu of spa services and treatments?

Being a self-confessed foodie, I’d probably pick dining at Havana Blue, the on-site oceanfront restaurant at the resort, which is tucked away from the hubbub of Charlotte Amalie, yet only 3 miles from the center of the U.S. Virgin Island’s capital city.

The restaurant is known for its mix of authentic Cuban and Latin dishes infused with the flavors of the Pacific Rim.

After ascending the staircase to the popular eatery, I was struck by the serenity of the cool, breezy dining mecca where an eight-foot wall of water at the entranceway flows gently over a huge glass pane with a neon sign announcing Havana Blue in soothing blue letters.

The restaurant makes a vivid first impression with its white walls and ceiling, white circular canopy over the central bar, everything highlighted by blue lights and gold glowing candles and luminaries. Along the oceanside wall, tall windows open to let in sea breezes that gently billow the drapery with the slightest nudge of a tropical zephyr.

It’s an image of tropical serenity meeting up with cutting edge chic that owners and former Manhattanites Eric and Nicole Horstmeyer strive for — and obviously achieve.

Listening to a soft infusion of upbeat, jazz-influenced music, I perched at an oceanview table and began a seven-course, chef’s tasting menu that included offerings like a flight of three soups, a Kobe beef mini burger served with chipotle aioli sauce, the house signature dish of miso and lemongrass glazed sea bass, an ancho chile and espresso rubbed grilled Angus filet and a creme brulee topped with Asian pear for dessert.

While Havana Blue offers a selection of more than 100 premium and reserve wines, the bar staff is also adept at concocting a myriad of specialty drinks like the Havana Blueberry, a mix of vanilla rum, blueberry puree and pineapple juice on a graham cracker-rimmed glass, eight different mojitos, Brazilian caipirinhas and more.

Just a short drive away from the resort, Paradise Point has become my favorite destination in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Sitting 700 feet above sea level at the top of Flag Hill, the popular tourist attraction has an incredible view of Charlotte Amalie and much of St. Thomas island.

To get to the top, a skyride aerial tram can carry up to 24 passengers. Most people stop at the top of the skyride to take in the panoramic view, snack on food and order the Paradise Point Bushwacker, a potent mix of Bailey’s, Kahlua, dark cacao, dark rum, vodka and Amaretto. At the latest count, 1,020,203 Bushwackers were served at the hilltop bar.

Patrons wanting to circumvent the $30 skyride fee can drive their car to the top instead. Keep in mind, though, that the road is steep and winding and that parking is often sparse. Hearty souls can also elect to hike up the road to the top, an option I’d recommend only to those in fairly decent shape.





IF YOU’RE GOING ...

Frenchman’s Reef



•For more information on the U.S. Virgin Islands, call (800) 372-8784 or visit www.usvitourism.vi.

•For more information on Marriott’s Frenchman’s Reef Resort, call (800) 223-6388 or visit www.marriottfrenchmansreef.com.