My husband and I just stayed at the Hotel on the Cay for a long weekend over Labor Day weekend. Once we were in Christiansted (which is about a 30 minute drive from the airport), it was very easy to get to the ferry and to the hotel. The ferry picks up passengers on the pier in front of the white gazebo at the yellow Christiansted fort. The ferry driver will see you standing there and come pick you up. It is about a one minute trip from the pier to the cay. Once you arrive at the cay, it is a very short walk (about 1 minute) to the lobby. The staff was helpful, but we did have a few problems, which I will explain further below. However, although there were "problems" all of them were resolved.
We were first assigned to room 311, which faces the beautiful fort. However, after being in the room for about 20 minutes, the AC was not cooling down the room. We called down to the lobby, and the lady working said we could switch rooms, and she brought us up the key. We switched to room 303, where the AC worked much better. This room looks out to the east, so we were able to wake up to beautiful sunrises each morning. Of course, the curtains can be closed to block out the sunlight.
The rooms were basic, and in need of some updates. However, the beds were comfortable, and pretty much all we did in the room was sleep and shower, so I don't really care too much about what the furnishings looked like.
Our second problem was trying to figure out how to get coffee for the in-room coffee maker. When we first checked in, I asked about getting coffee, and was told that "they" are supposed to refresh it each day (I don't know who "they" are), but I could buy individual packets at the store on the cay if I needed some. The next morning I went down to the lobby and asked a new lady how to get coffee in the room. At first she started to say that RCI guests are required to buy coffee from the store, but then upon realizing that we were not RCI guests, she went into a back room and brought out 1 packet of coffee for each day we would be staying. There was no sugar or creamer provided. I did go to the store to ask if they had a small carton of milk or creamer, but all they had was a quart of milk..... not what I needed for a 4 day stay.
The grounds of this place are really in need of some upkeep. This could really be a beautiful place. The beach around the area is very nice, and provided some very nice snorkeling toward the northern end of the cay. The store is very convenient, and the restaurant on site had good food. We did have some problems at the restaurant, but since I have read other people's reviews and see that the restaurant is separately owned from the hotel, I will not write about those issues here. There is a pool at the hotel, but we never used it. I'm not even sure if it was clean or filled with water, because it is behind a gate, and we never bothered to look.
The last problem we had here was the inventory that you are required to do in your room when you check in. They give you a list of items that you should check to see if they are in your room, along with prices you will be charged if the items are missing at the end of your stay. When we did the inventory, we were missing an iron and a dish rag. I circled these items on my sheet and brought it down to the lobby. The receptionist said that she would bring up an iron the next day, but we never received the iron. I didn't need an iron though, so that wasn't the problem. I had to ask about it when we were checking out to be sure we didn't get charged for it. They did have the paperwork, and everything was fine, but it seems that they management could charge people for these "missing" items if they're not diligent about asking about them.
All in all, our stay here was pleasant. It was a perfect location for a quiet island vacation. I would definitely return, but hopefully the owners will get this place into better shape, to make it into the gorgeous resort that it could be.

I just returned from my 1 week stay at Hotel on the Cay. Bottom line: I am happy with my choice to stay here, and think it was the best place I could have stayed in Christiansted. However, as other reviewers stated, you have to be ok with staying in a hotel that is a bit run down. The hotel is undergoing renovation now, which will be a really great investment for them. As others have said, all it needs is some updating and this place could be amazing.

St Croix isn't the most glamorous place, and most of the hotels in Christiansted look run down and are surrounded by shady areas. Hotel on the Cay is on its own island, so it is away from the noise, and the shady streets. The seclusion is nice, and because it is on an island, it has its own beautiful beach. The beach IS small, but since I went during low season I had the entire beach to myself. I can see how it can fill up quickly if the hotel has a lot of guests though. One morning I saw someone cleaning the seaweed away, which must be how the sand stays so white and clean. There was definitely room to swim, and the view from the rooms are incredible.

The pool is also very nice, and was always clean. For some reasons there aren't any lights, so swimming at night isn't really possible/enjoyable.

The staff is SO nice, friendly, and helpful. When I arrived, there was an issue with my room reservation, but the manager sorted it out right away. He was very nice, and clearly wanted to make sure we were happy and comfortable. The hotel is near all the water sports, and only a 20 minute drive from pretty much everywhere you might want to visit. The only negative is that there were ants in the bathroom for most of the stay. My friends in a another room also saw ants in their room. Like others said, the rooms ARE run down, but aside for the ants, we always felt clean and safe. For the price, it was worth it (especially compared to other hotels in the area for the same price).

Since we reviewed the suggestions and experience of others on this site, we did not expect luxury. Nevertheless, we were chocked to see the condition of this hotel.
We first stayed in a room facing the water...the views were magnificent. However, our positive experience, ended there. The only bright spot was our conversations and encounter with Sarah, at the front desk...a breath of fresh air. She tried to accommodate us after I reported that the microwave was fitly and the air conditioning in our room was dirty, appeared to be be full of molds-I was suffered from sinus headaches every morning. Sarah did change our rooms when she came the next day,and I was grateful.
The hotel is out-dated, the draperies, and bedding are dirty, and full of dust...I'm surprised I didn't get a sinus infection. The tile floors are of different colors, finally when the hurricane was approaching, we were moved to the other side of the hotel, in a suite. That room had not been cleaned for a few months. The tile floors were dirty, one of the bathrooms was nasty, the sink was clogged, and the decor reminded me of the Flintstones cartoon.
This hotel has so much potential. Although they claimed that they are redecorating, while we were there and picked in on some of the rooms that were being repaired, only the bathrooms are being replaced. The dirty microwaves and filthy air conditioning remains. I love the island, and would consider returning in the near future-will probably look for another accommodation, as I don't want to get sick. We walked around a lot, and visited many of the small native bakeries and restaurants and we loved it. The best thing about our stay, was the friendly people we encountered and the beach.

Location, location, location need I say more. Friendly staff and yes the rooms are dated but clean.
off season nothing was busy. great dining three favorites are Turtles Deli, Pollys and the Pickled Greek. be sure to save room for Baklava ice cream personally made by Pete the owner of the Pickled Greek.

The Habor Master resturant on the Cay also very good for Tuesday dinner and lunches.