The best and fresh seafood as always. My go to place when I have friends that are lovers of seafood and I want to “wow” them. Everyday it’s a fresh catch and specials. We had delicious mussels, soft shell crabs, cajan whole red snapper, fish tacos, crab cakes. All delicious with great seasonings. Note, small dining and bring your own wine. My secret places.
The resort is located very privately and secluded on the north side of the island, in itself that makes is heaven on earth to me! Entrance is gated with a guard on duty 24/7 to restrict entrance to guests and authorized parties (and currently is also doing temperature checks on everyone entering in accordance with Covid regulations). Due to its location a rental car is pretty much a must unless you are planning on just hanging out on the resort's beach or are willing to pay the $30 one way taxi fare to get into Christiansted or Frederiksted. Parking is free in the guest parking lot just across from the lobby and within easy, though slightly downward sloping (or upward on your way back to the car) walk on paved walkways that are easily navigated even with luggage or a stroller. It is set right on a wonderful sandy beach with just enough coral and a couple of tide pool areas to make it equally nice for sunseekers as those that like to snorkel and enjoy some sea life... the beach teams with crabs, the tide pools hold urchins, tiny fish and snails, the water teams with tropical fish such as tangs, damsels, angelfish and even stingrays. There are beach chairs available for use (beach towels available at the front desk) and a volleyball net set up for those that like to be a bit more active. And though all beaches on St. Croix are public this beach certainly at least felt private and probably doesn't get much outside traffic due to it's location. There is a hiking trail that leads from the resort up a steep hill through dense foliage (very pretty) to a rocky beach and a set of gorgeous tide pools to the west of the resort... well worth the hike! The 2-story buildings are spread out over beautiful and well maintained resort grounds, providing an open feel with a sense of privacy not often found. Our room was on the ground floor and the patio just steps off the beach... we kept the patio doors wide open day and night to let in the ocean breeze and the sound of the waves, truly exceptional! Inside it was clean and comfortably furnished including a king bed and a separate sitting area (both of which had a TV though other than watching the Bills play on Sunday we didn't turn either one on). There were 6 units in our building (3 ground level, 3 on 2nd floor) and they were so well insulated that we couldn't hear any other guests at all. Due to Covid restrictions housekeeping was reduced to Mondays and Thursdays but if needed fresh towels and/or supplies were available through the front desk. The pool and spa were sparkling clean and set right off the Beach Bar with a gorgeous view of the beach. There were plenty of lounge chairs as well as tables with chairs and umbrellas set around it to offer guests room to sunbathe or even work from their laptops via free WiFi. The Saman restaurant was unfortunately still closed due to renovation, however, a breakfast buffet was available daily and the Flamboyant Lounge & Beach Grill was open daily from 4-9pm. Though it was not a full up restaurant it offered sit down service with a selection of appetizers as well as pizza and a small selection of entrées. Food was good, staff friendly and accommodating giving off a warm island feel and working hard to keep customers satisfied. There was a full bar with a sufficient selection of beer as well as wine, and the mixed drinks were great (the Cruzan Confusion being my favorite). There are several really good/excellent restaurants within a 15 mile radius though a few were closed due to Covid... two are an absolute must for dinner, AMA at Cane Bay (about 2 miles from Carambola) which is right on the beach with the waves literally crashing at your feet) and Savant on a quiet street in Christiansted away from the hustle and bustle (about 12 miles from resort). Both offer an amazing atmosphere and excellent food (fine cuisine) with full bar and ample wine lists. Other great restaurants we tried were The Beach Cafe at Sandcastle, Louie & Nacho's (both on Dorsch Beach Frederiksted), Leatherback Landing (Cane Bay), and The Mill (Christiansted boardwalk)... food and drink as well as service was good at all of them! In conclusion, we were more than happy having chosen the Carambola Resort as our accommodation for our trip to St. Croix. It fit our bill to the T and exceeded our expectations. Is it for everyone? Certainly not if you expect to be in the middle of the action, crammed into a hotel bunker with rows upon rows of multi-level buildings and entertainment presented to you every moment of the day. But should you be like us and seek a tranquil, intimate retreat to just relax, take in the natural beauty of the island and make your own plans, to explore St. Croix as you wish... all at a very very reasonable price... then it doesn't get any better than this!!!…
I booked this because it is a Marriott resort, but Marriott has forgotten this one. The Beach and Sea View was amazing, Mother nature did her part. The room wasn't as pictured (maybe years ago). We booked the best room they had, Deluxe Studio beachfront suit. There wasn't anything deluxe about this room. The bed was shot, with springs popping every time you moved. we couldn't hardly sleep on it, we didn't lounge around on it for long, the sofa was about the same. The bedding was stained and the pillows cases were in varying shades of white. The bathroom shower door leaked a river every time you showered. You can tell this has not been taken care of in a long time. The AC worked great. We apparently had pot smoking neighbors as many time we'd wake up to the smell of pot in our room, the fire alarm was even set off after 2am one night. The restaurant at the resort was decent but would recommend not eating supper there often. The servers were more concerned with socializing with each other during dinner service then waiting on the guest. The food was nothing special and over priced for what it was. Breakfast was wonderful with a friendly crew. Most of the bar tenders are great. All I really wanted was a clean comfortable room with a view for our honeymoon. I can overlook a lot but this failed on to many fronts. The Island is Great but find another option if staying. I rated it a 2 because it was a beautiful beach.…
One of the best resorts on the still struggling island of St. Croix (post-COVID, and Hurricanes Irma & Maria). Nice westerly facing beach and very quiet. It does require a bit of a drive to get here. Good bar, ok restaurant, polite staff. A/C in rooms is great. Layout is multiple bungalow type buildings. Remember everything here is “island time”. Plan for long waits for meals, etc.
The carambola beach is beautiful . The staff is wonderful. The rooms are HORRIBLE! Moldy, dilapidated, bugs, noisy. I thought we would be safe selecting an unknown hotel owned by marriot…I was wrong. We all returned to the states after my 60th birthday celebration there with cold symptoms…perhaps a “mold cold”?
We always use Marriott properties when we travel and we always count on them to deliver a superb experience. However, the photos we saw on this resort’s website were very misleading. The room was not clean, the service was slow and poor, they were obviously understaffed. Even when they came to clean the room during our stay they did a poor job - the floor never was cleaned properly from the beginning to the end of our trip. We paid a lot for a room that overlooked the ocean but the balcony was in very poor condition and our particular building was very rundown. This experience with a Marriott property is not one I would like to repeat in the future. Thank you.
Bad service, unfriendly staff, dirty room, slow service at the restaurant, rude office staff buildings in bad need of repairs grounds and location is good and the is nice wouldn’t return here, island is not very clean and there is some crime so be careful
We had a wonderful time staying at the Carambola resort. The location is perfectly secluded with an amazing beach. We really liked the large room and patio overlooking the beach. We enjoyed good snorkeling and a wonderful hike to the tide pools. The staff are awesome and very helpful. If you need anything just ask. The hotel does need a renovation and more staff to get it back to it's former glory. But considering what they have been through over the past few years we were impressed. I can't wait to come back in a couple years to see this wonderful resort at 100%.
We had a wonderful stay . Kamiesha and Elizabeth , as well all staff were friendly and attentive. Front desk manager Kamiesha went out of her way , We had champagne and cheesecake as a nice surprise in our room from front desk . Our room was sea front . We had increduble evenings listening to the waves . The grounds are very lovely and tropical .We are looking forward to our next visit.
We stayed at the Carambola for 5 nights from Feb 1, 2022 to Feb 6, then spent the last 5 days at the Hotel on the Cay in Christiansted. I had read negative reviews before arrival and was shocked at how great the place was. The scenery and the beach are beautiful and the service and food were great. Our room was spotless and we received cleaning and bed service three out of five days. The omelette station and breakfast were outstanding. The staff and bartender were all polite and friendly. The room was like a small apartment with a screened porch, so we could here the ocean surf, a large refrigerator, a microwave, a large flat screen TV and a large bathroom with a walk in shower. The poll as clean and alrge with excellent towel service and adjacent to the bar for easy beverage service. Of note, you need to rent a car if you stay here as it is remote. That is a positive for the natural beauty but a negative for access to a grocery store. I have already reserved a room for next Feb. I recommend a stay at Carambola for its natural beauty and excellence in service and accommodations combined with a stay in Christianstad to be near the culture and restaurants. Looking forward to Feb, 2023!…
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