We were very excited to stay at Gallows Point, especially after reading all of the great reviews on this site. I’m embarrassed to say that I use the reviews from this site all of the time but haven’t ever posted a thing, Until now!
ROOMS:
After calling Gallows from the St. Thomas airport to let them know what ferry we would be on (as requested by Gallows) a very nice employee met us there and showed us to our room by open air taxi. The nice thing is that it is VERY personal. No “resort type” waiting for 3-4 hours for your bags to arrive in your room. We checked in and were offered some delicious rum punch ( a local favorite) and then were followed to our room with our bags right behind. We stayed in 1D which is the very last building on the ocean side, with an upper ocean view. I did read online that a lot of the condos have been updated with granite counter tops and such, however ours didn’t have that. NO BIG DEAL! The kitchen has everything you could need, from a full set of dishes to a toaster and even a blender! Also a cooler for any outings. The upper units are 2 levels, the lower part is the living room, kitchen, full bath, and huge balcony, and upstairs is the bedroom with a ½ bath. Both levels have tv’s. We were VERY happy.
GALLOWS AMMENITIES:
The shop on the premises, “every ting” is GREAT. We tried to rent a jeep ourselves one day when we were out and about and everyone told us they were out of Wranglers. We walked back to the store and they were able to reserve one right away. They also have no problem making reservations for you at any of the local restaurants. They also have the basics you would need…cheese/crackers, wine, beer, bagels, cream cheese, eggs, etc…
There is also a Market (Starfish Market) that is up the street (short taxi ride) that is a full service grocery store. We went there the day before a boat trip to buy fresh deli meat and cheeses for sandwiches. They had everything we’d get back home (full deli/rotisserie chickens/great wine and cheese shop). Well worth the trip!
DINING:
We had dinner the 1st night at Zozo’s, which is the restaurant located above the Gallows concierge desk. It’s Italian and we easily made Sat. night reservations at the bar upstairs which overlooks the view of St. Thomas. DELICIOUS. Actually made reservations there for our final night as well. Met a great couple sitting next to us who were from Long Island, who we went to the Beach Bar with afterwards, and ended up chartering a boat to the BVI’s with the next day (which cuts down on costs big time!).
The 2nd night we had dinner at Rhumb Lines, which we’d heard a lot about. I thought it was a thai restaurant (we love thai) and although there were some thai entrees, it was really a mix of a lot of things. My husband had the filet ( not the best cut of meat he’d had) and I ordered the pad thai with beef, chicken, and shrimp. Definitely NOT the type of pad thai we’re used to. (very liquidy/saucy). Good though, but very different, and just the right amount of heat. The ambiance there was great though, and had we not been SO tired from our day long trip to the BVI’s, I think we would have really enjoyed it more.
Had lunch at Banana deck the 3rd day which was delicious also. Their Jerk Seasoning down here is to Die for! Very good. Had dinner at The Lime Inn that night, REALLY great! I had scallops and he had the whole Jerk Snapper (again, the jerk is awesome). GREAT atmosphere and the owners were super nice. Took pics with them before we left.
Tuesday nights at Gallows is cocktail night. From 5-6pm they host cocktails and appetizers by the pool. My husband said they had some of the best appetizers he’d ever had (and we are “foodies"!)
Tuesday night is also Caribbean Lobster night at Morgan Mango’s and it’s a must. Nice open air restaurant that is one of only 2 restaurants who is able to get the Caribbean lobster.
Rented a jeep the 4th day and traveled the entire island. You really get to see a lot of the nice and remote beaches the island has to offer….but in terms of food, you MUST travel to Coral Bay and have a burger at Skinny Legs. I’d read on here that they were good, but that was one of the best burgers I’ve EVER had! So glad we made the stop!
The great thing about gallows is that you can make breakfast/lunch in your room which saves on money and on “rush time”. No need to get up and get dressed and walk somewhere to eat. Eat on your balcony and ENJOY THE VIEW!! The sun sets directly across from us every night as we would “cheers” each other with a glass of wine.
THINGS TO DO:
Day trip to BVI’s. We rented a power boat from “ocean runner” right off of the ferry docks, and split it with another couple. At first we were going to navigate the trip ourselves, as we’re both boaters back home, but after a second thought, decided to hire a captain, “Cleve”. He was great. We were so glad we did because the first thing you have to do is clear customs which is on Tortola (finding the bay would’ve been tricky) and then venture out to the surrounding islands. With a captain we didn’t have to worry about where we were going (and seeing all of the best spots) and we could also relax and enjoy some Coronas! After customs he took us to Norman Island where the Indian Caves are. Great snorkeling there. We had lunch at Pirates on the beach, then headed to the island of Jost (“yost”) Van Dyke where the Soggy Dollar bar is. GO THERE!!!!! Its called that because you have to anchor your boat out and wade into the shoreline where the bar is (hence the “soggy dollar” name). That’s where a lot of young people hang out and they make great pain killers! Had a fabulous time. Wish we didn’t have to clear customs to go there otherwise we’d go every afternoon.
JEEPin’ it. We rented a brand new Wrangler from “Cool Breeze Jeep Rental” which “every ting” organized. Followed a map in one of the free local magazines we picked up and headed out. The island is 9 miles long and there are only a few major roads so it’s not too difficult. Warning: The roads are VERY, VERY steep in spots and you do drive on the “wrong” side of the road. The jeep was $77/day and well worth it. You can hop from bay to bay and snorkel/lay out at each one. We went all the way across the north side of the island and then south towards Salt pond/Leinster Bay. Once you hit Leinster, keep going down the dirt road and you’ll eventually end up at Little Leinster that is worth the trip. Beautiful and very deserted. The views from some of the hills are the best I’ve EVER seen. REMARKABLE.
FISH ON?! If you’re at all interested in Fishing, off shore fishing is the only way to go (that’s where all of the big stuff is) and “A Mixed Bag” is the only company to use! We decided to do an afternoon trip from 2-6 and were about 8 miles off shore. Rob was our capt. And Jay was his mate. They were both great and made the trip unbelievable. We caught a barracuda, a horse-eyed jack, a tuna, and 2 sharks (one was 7’ and about 200 lbs). Fished until the sun set and then headed back in towards shore. GREAT time!
The Beach bar is at the bottom of the hill from Gallows and was always a great place to stop for a cold beer and an appetizer after a long day.
Overall it was the best vacation we’ve been on and I wouldn’t recommend staying anywhere but Gallows Point! (didn’t even see where the Westin was it was so far from town!) Gallows AND St. Johns were everything we could’ve hoped for and more. Completely exceeded our expectations!
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for:
An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, People with disabilities, Great pool scene, Pet owners, Families with young children, Families with teenagers
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun, Outdoor / Adventure, Great food / Wine