The hotel
Stayed the first night in a studio 202 which may have been a bit small for our taste so we upgraded to suite 207. Very clean, comfortable and worth the extra money if you can afford it. Patio facing the beach was nice to enjoy morning coffee before starting the day. The two windows along both sides of the king size bed were great for cross breeze and beautiful views of the garden. Never even thought about using the air conditioner. The kitchen is equipped with everything except food. From a toaster to a muffin pan. We went out to buy dish detergent just to find some under the sink when I got back.


The Restaurant
The first day we had the small, (more than enough for one person) Caesars salad; it was a great. The next time we made reservation and we had such a good time with the waitress that she sat down for a minute because we were having such an enjoyable time talking, but not overbearing. It was like we were old friends catching up. The prices might be a bit steep for some but heck, you’re on vacation . We also enjoyed the rib eye steak and bbq ribs that were on the cookout menu were great.

The Gym
Their gym policy is a little different. You must make an appointment with the trainer prior to use of any equipment. It is a requirement so if you‘re a gym nut like I am, schedule your appointment on your arrival. The tour was relatively quick. The gym is equipped with a BoFlex, Treadmill etc…It was explained to me that a tour was necessary for liability reasons. Totally Understandable!


The beach
I believe the water may be the most beautiful I have ever seen. It was as clear as drinking water. The sand was a little rough but bearable nonetheless. Never had a problem getting a lounge chair, always plentiful. There is a public beach next to the SCOTB, but to my surprise it wasn’t a problem. As a matter of fact I enjoyed seeing the that the people of the island can still appreciate what I traveled hundreds of miles to enjoy.



The staff
From check-in to check-out never had a problem. Service was top notch , as good as any 5 star hotel, maybe even better than some I‘ve stayed in. Everyone we encountered appeared as if they wanted to be there. Not because it was there J O B.

All in all I’ve never choose the same hotel after the first visit, but maybe I have been searching for something and didn’t know it. Well I am happy to say I found what I never knew I was even looking for. Thank you, Sand Castle On The Beach.

I reseached my vacation throughly before booking directly on sandcastleonthebeach.com

It was a special trip and I wanted the best - the "Luxury Beachfront Villa" as advertised on the website. I paid top dollar too, but it had everuthing I wanted as I narrowed down my search (room on the sand, 2 pools, gay friendly, nice beach, kitchen in villa).

At check-in I provided my confirmation email as "stressed" in the document I received after booking my room several months earlier. The lady at the desk goes, "ok follow me ... your room is just up the stairs". I go, "thats weird. I have the luxury beachfront villa room, its suppose to be on the sand." She says," Oh we told the reseller you booked through that room wasn't available". I say, I booked directly through your website (appearantly not, they must of made a contract with a reseller and now don't like paying the commision).

To make a long story short, I went through the roof and got the room I paid for in advance 3 months earily.

The whole experience put such a damper on my stay because I expected them to tell me every morning that we would have to move. The poor women we displaced (becuase they double booked the room) checked in several days later and appearantly settled for a free massage and the lesser room than they paid for (they booked directly through the owner whom they met on a gay cruise they mentioned to me).

The more expensive rooms are worth the money but there are only 2 of them. I loved the room and the hotel - it was what I painstackingly reseached and paid for in advance. How can you take a chance though that these owners can do what they want at your vacations' expense The management couldn't of been any less caring of what they did to me, my guest and my hard earned vacation. I heard similar complaints while there too.

Mixed emotions - I might go back if they send me a certified letter signed my the owner that I have the room I paid for next time, they put me in something better at another hotel if something happens out of there control (I won't settle for a massage to make it all better - not at those prices).

Feel free to email me at bankerbuddy@hotmail.com

The Sandcastle on the Beach was not what I expected, especially for what I paid. The location was near several housing projects on a rough part of the island , Frederiksted. The noise from the music went all night and the management could not move us to a different room. The hotel did not provide shampoo so bring your own! The hotel was advertised as an island oasis, but my partner and I did not enjoy the stay. I am usually very easy going, but the mattresses were very worn out and the hotel left a lot to be desired. The staff was not overtly friendly.

You will definitely need a car.

This was our very first trip together and we booked very last minute, so trying to find a warm, affordable destination in December was tough. SCOTB was available, in our price range, and offered what we wanted... beach and bed. Had read TripAdvisor first, I may not have booked, given that this resort tends to cater to the GL crown and I would have worried that we would feel out of place. I'm SO GLAD I didn't know! SCOTB was delightful in its simplicity, and we had nothing to fear about being a straight couple there & feeling out of place. The staff & guests were so friendly, I particularly enjoyed chatting with the gentleman who said he'd been coming every winter for the last 10 years... It speaks volumes for a resort to have such loyalty.

BEACH: Yep, it's small, and I had a real obsessive compulsive desire to take a rake to it, but it was private & quiet and uncrowded. They had snorkle equipment for rent & we loved doing that. We took home an entire suitcase full of shells!

(To save a little money, we bought Cruzan rum from KMart ($5.99) and a variety of juices & snacks & stuff and brought it to the beach every day along with the cooler they provided full of ice. No need to run up to the bar, we had our cocktails right there! Also, you can bring 5 bottles of the stuff home per adult, so talk about cheap gifts for your friends!!!)

ROOM: Our room was across the street, so we had no view, but we did have a large 2-room, 2 bathroom suite with a full kitchen. It was simple (think Motel 6) and the mattress was a little worn, but the sheets were clean, as was the entire room, every day, no matter how much sand we managed to track in. PATRICIA, our housekeeper, was a saint. (Also the advantage to being across the street is that it has its own pool. One day we skipped the beach & stayed outside our room. We had the pool to ourselves & enjoyed the privacy of an afternoon's solitude.)

FOOD: The restaurant is pricey, but I so enjoyed the steak that ROBERTO prepared for me. I also enjoyed having Carribean lobster for the first time - didn't like it as much as melt in your mouth Maine, but it was tasty. And unlike a previous poster, I never had issues with service. If you dine there, ask for PAM or PAT or RITA. They will not only take good care of you, they're quite funny too. There was a restaurant in town we tried called BLUE MOON - also nice, if you want a good meal & a change of venue.

RENT A CAR!!! Christiansted is 20 minutes by car & it is quite fun & challenging to drive on the opposite side of the road. There are great shops & restaurants there. It's an easy drive & nice to have the ability to take off & go there when you please.

CHRISTIANSTED: Parking is a nightmare, so just be patient & you'll find a spot eventually. Take your time shopping for the St Croix Hook bracelets. Everyone has them.

I highly recommend visiting JEWELWEED on King Street. Anita is very cool & has a lovely little shop full of unique designs and Lou is the reigning Mrs. USVI :-) Honestly, if you're going to shop for jewelry, I hope you will look at the smaller shops where the stuff is made on site. We bought a gorgeous moonstone pendant from them & Anita took the time to shorten the necklace to just the right length for me right there and then.

PURPLE PAPAYA has all the trinkets & stuff - ask for Maria, she can help with anything. They have cheap bathing suits, books with rum recipes so you can add that along with the bottles you bring home to make a nice gift, and pretty much whatever other stuff you want. (Oh, and there's a guy who sells knock off purses right in front of their shop that are actually pretty nice.)

LUNCHERIA - Seriously good Mexican food. Lenny is fabulous & he pours generous drinks. They are one of the few places open all day.

RUM RUNNERS - you gotta go there just for the view and maybe to feed the resident crabs. I was NOT real fond of the food, the service was average, and the drinks were expensive.

Will we go back? Absolutely. I think we'll get married there next year. We already asked Pam if she'd get ordained from one of those internet places by then so she can perform the wedding at dinner sometime between our salad and steak. I figure we could save on an officiant's fee by just giving her a reeeeeealllly nice tip :-)