Let’s get the disclosure out of the way. I’m here in St. Kitts because Marriott’s public relations team paid for me to be here as part of a “9 bloggers in paradise” promotion. There’s a hashtag on Twitter where you can follow all of our tweets: #blogparadise.

So there’s the shill. But what I’ve really appreciated so far – and quite frankly, did not expect – was the honest conversation I had with the marketing manager, Matt Shankels and the general manager, Flor van der Vaart,  over dinner.

We had a far-reaching talk, spanning everything from St. Kitts’ competitors (quick – what comes to mind when you hear St. Kitts? Tough one. The island suffers from a bit of an identity crisis) to the typical customer profile (part people vacationing on loyalty points, part people who want to check out a less-discovered island) to the fallout from the economic downturn (their view: 2010 will still be difficult for large Caribbean resorts, but 2011 is looking brighter).  

But what I thought was most interesting were the renovations that the hotel is doing in response to TripAdvisor reviews and other customer feedback.

The Marriott here is far and away the biggest resort on the island, with 459 rooms. When you come over the hill from the airport and Basseterre, it dominates the landscape - which has drawn criticism from long-time St. Kitts lovers, who come here for the charming plantation inns and low key British-Caribbean vibe.

 That being said, it is still the number one resort on TripAdvisor, with an 84 percent approval rating. Because, let’s face it, lots of families and business travelers look for consistency when they book their one big yearly vacation. A Marriott burger is a Mariott burger, no matter where you go – and if you are trying to get a cranky toddler to eat, that can be a good thing.

Start reading the reviews, though, and a few themes emerge: The hotel doesn’t feel “Caribbean.” Dining doesn’t feel special. The beach isn’t all that. The service needs to be friendlier (I don’t agree with the last one; even going around on my own without hotel management following me, everyone has been nice. But then, I”m a guest who doesn’t require a lot of handholding).  

Shankels said that he prints out the reviews and goes over them with the staff. The resort is making changes specifically to address the issues - from hanging up and selling artwork from local painters to setting up outdoor dining when the weather is nice to knocking out the wall that divides the resort from the beach and builidng a deck/beach bar. It really shows how social media and customers’ ability to give direct feedback is driving the hospitality agenda these days.  

(Of course, if I were the Marriott team here, I’d take outreach one more step further by going on TripAdvisor and responding DIRECTLY to the comments. Or at the very least, put up a note from Flor on all of his new initiatives. That guy has energy to spare.)

More St. Kitts to come, as I’m fascinated with the island’s history, which is tragic, poignant, uplifiting – and still changing. Stay tuned…

Read what’s going on at the Golden Lemon, a venerable B&B on the island, here.