Caneel Bay is a unique property. Its 170 acres make the resort the largest on St. John as well as one of the largest in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Big, however, doesn't mean bustling. The 166-room resort is located within and surrounded by the U.S. Virgin Islands National Park. That creates a sense of space and tranquility. Signs remind you not to feed the donkeys roaming the land, descendents of those brought to work the sugar mills.

Caneel Bay actually predates the national park. Laurance Rockefeller first came to the island in 1952 on a sailing trip. Enamored with St. John, Rockefeller worked to develop the roads, power and other infrastructure necessary for a hotel. Caneel Bay opened in 1956 as a simple getaway, albeit one that attracted yachters and other wealthy friends of the Rockefellers.

Guests came to savor the island's natural beauty, staying in the comfortable but basic cottages. To preserve St. John's natural landscape, Rockefeller purchased an additional 5,000 acres and donated the property to the federal government, which eventually established the U.S.V.I. National Park.

Rosewood Resorts, which took over Caneel Bay in 1993, has stayed true to Rockefeller's vision. To maintain Rockefeller's sense of retreat, rooms at Caneel Bay do not come with telephones, televisions, iPod docking stations or CD players and the decor seems circa 1970.

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