St. Croix Renaissance (U.S. Virgin Islands) [Master Thread]
Jun 20, 2015, 10:25 am
#61
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: CLT
Programs: Marriott Plat, AA Gold
Posts: 1,076
I was here for 5 nights for a wedding in mid-May. I arrived late at night and rented a car--the ride to the hotel was definitely harrowing given the lack of streetlights, driving on the left side, no Internet-service on our phones (supposedly Verizon data works there but I rarely got service and not at all at the hotel), and the windy, bumpy roads. I was lucky my navigator did a good job following the map and directions we got. It's easier getting around during the day, and you get somewhat used to driving on the left side after a while, but that first drive at night is scary. I would strongly recommend downloading the road maps and directions between the airport and the hotel to your phone in your home country before you take off so that you can just follow along on your phone's map when you arrive (your GPS will still work even without cell service).
The Cruzan rum factory is right by the airport and gives tours. It was an OK tour--it's nice that it ends with a bunch of tasty rum cocktails. It might be a good activity to do on your last day right before you get on the plane!
There's also a Kmart near the airport if you want to stock up on food for your room and save a few dollars.
One final note--get to the St Croix airport at least 90 minutes prior to your flight departing. You have to go through customs at the airport even if flying back to the US, which I was not expecting from a US territory.
The Cruzan rum factory is right by the airport and gives tours. It was an OK tour--it's nice that it ends with a bunch of tasty rum cocktails. It might be a good activity to do on your last day right before you get on the plane!
There's also a Kmart near the airport if you want to stock up on food for your room and save a few dollars.One final note--get to the St Croix airport at least 90 minutes prior to your flight departing. You have to go through customs at the airport even if flying back to the US, which I was not expecting from a US territory.
I was surprised by the customs at the airport initially as well, but makes sense since you can check the booze you buy from the Cruzan distillery for free (up to a certain limit I believe).
Jun 20, 2015, 11:05 am
#62
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 115
I actually brought my regular non-phone GPS and it worked great, probably better than it works in the US sometimes haha.
I was surprised by the customs at the airport initially as well, but makes sense since you can check the booze you buy from the Cruzan distillery for free (up to a certain limit I believe).
I was surprised by the customs at the airport initially as well, but makes sense since you can check the booze you buy from the Cruzan distillery for free (up to a certain limit I believe).
One other odd part about going through customs is I gave the customs agent my driver's license and he asked if I had a passport with me. I said no. He said I should bring my passport with me next time as it "gives you more options." I have no idea what this means. I did notice that the sign on the wall by customs also said something about how a passport was recommended. It's still unclear to me what the passport advantage is though.
Jun 20, 2015, 11:55 am
#63
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Tampa, FL
Programs: AAMM & PLT; UA Gold, DL Silver, Marriott LT Titanium Elite, Hilton Diamond, Hertz #1 Gold Club
Posts: 1,591
St. Croix Renaissance (U.S. Virgin Islands)
Reason for passport is illegal immigration. Lots of Down Islanders and Dominicans transit through the VI.
Jun 27, 2015, 4:55 pm
#64
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 42
For Family
Hi There
Would you recommend Renaissance St. Croix for a family
I called and they told me no problem to stay in the of the studio suites with the three kids
I have a bunch of points so the trip will be free
We like quiet spots with the kids though I am concerned about not being able to walk to anything and wonder if St. Kitts would be better
Any thoughts on St. Croix with a 5, 8 and 11 year old would be helpful
Also, if you have been to St. Kitts - how does the swimming in the ocean compare to St. Croix
Thanks
Would you recommend Renaissance St. Croix for a family
I called and they told me no problem to stay in the of the studio suites with the three kids
I have a bunch of points so the trip will be free
We like quiet spots with the kids though I am concerned about not being able to walk to anything and wonder if St. Kitts would be better
Any thoughts on St. Croix with a 5, 8 and 11 year old would be helpful
Also, if you have been to St. Kitts - how does the swimming in the ocean compare to St. Croix
Thanks
Jun 29, 2015, 7:01 pm
#65
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 115
Hi There
Would you recommend Renaissance St. Croix for a family
I called and they told me no problem to stay in the of the studio suites with the three kids
I have a bunch of points so the trip will be free
We like quiet spots with the kids though I am concerned about not being able to walk to anything and wonder if St. Kitts would be better
Any thoughts on St. Croix with a 5, 8 and 11 year old would be helpful
Also, if you have been to St. Kitts - how does the swimming in the ocean compare to St. Croix
Thanks
Would you recommend Renaissance St. Croix for a family
I called and they told me no problem to stay in the of the studio suites with the three kids
I have a bunch of points so the trip will be free
We like quiet spots with the kids though I am concerned about not being able to walk to anything and wonder if St. Kitts would be better
Any thoughts on St. Croix with a 5, 8 and 11 year old would be helpful
Also, if you have been to St. Kitts - how does the swimming in the ocean compare to St. Croix
Thanks
All the rooms have a king sized bed and a queen sized sofa bed. So if one of the kids slept with you and the other 2 were on the sofa bed, it could work all in one room. But it would be tight. The bathrooms are double vanity and the shower/toilet is closed off in a separate room from the vanities which certainly would help for a 4 person occupancy.
Jun 30, 2015, 6:20 am
#66
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: CLT
Programs: Marriott Plat, AA Gold
Posts: 1,076
I'll preface this by saying I don't have kids, but I think kids that age would be incredibly bored at the Renaissance St Croix. St Croix is a slow island to start with, and the Renaissance is really isolated. Thinking back on it, I might've seen one kid in the 5 days I was there (which is partially explained by the fact that I was there in May). At the resort you can lay on the beach or by the rather basic pool, swim/snorkel in the ocean, or go for a one hour hike up into the rainforest. That's really it. Everything else of interest will be a 20+ minute drive away, and there's not THAT much more of interest, especially to a kid.
All the rooms have a king sized bed and a queen sized sofa bed. So if one of the kids slept with you and the other 2 were on the sofa bed, it could work all in one room. But it would be tight. The bathrooms are double vanity and the shower/toilet is closed off in a separate room from the vanities which certainly would help for a 4 person occupancy.
All the rooms have a king sized bed and a queen sized sofa bed. So if one of the kids slept with you and the other 2 were on the sofa bed, it could work all in one room. But it would be tight. The bathrooms are double vanity and the shower/toilet is closed off in a separate room from the vanities which certainly would help for a 4 person occupancy.
St. Croix and St. Kitts were actually the only Caribbean places I've been to. The St. Kitts Marriott did seem to have more kids there and more kids activities but even St. Kitts probably isn't an ideal place for kids IMO. I guess kids would like some of the typical "honeymoon-type activities" such as horseback riding (which I think is available on St. Croix), ziplining (doesn't look like is available on St. Croix), or taking a catamaran trip.
As far as the beach itself, I thought it was better in St. Croix (both at the resort and elsewhere, especially Buck Island and Point Udall). The beach at St. Kitts Marriott was pretty good but you could tell all the sand was trucked in, but I was not really impressed with the other beaches on the island which seemed to have a lot of trash around (and this coming from someone that grew up going to the Jersey Shore).
Aug 5, 2015, 5:52 pm
#68
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: BWI
Programs: WA,AA,BA,SPG,HH
Posts: 67
Auto rental advice at the resort
I have a stay coming up here in late September. I've heard mixed opinions on either A) having our rental brought to and picked up from the resort or B) just picking it up and dropping it off at the airport. We have a 8a flight out on our departure date, so I'm torn on needing to deal with a rental that morning. Though I also haven't found any rental agencies that deliver to the hotel. Thx!
Sep 15, 2015, 10:22 pm
#69
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 115
I have a stay coming up here in late September. I've heard mixed opinions on either A) having our rental brought to and picked up from the resort or B) just picking it up and dropping it off at the airport. We have a 8a flight out on our departure date, so I'm torn on needing to deal with a rental that morning. Though I also haven't found any rental agencies that deliver to the hotel. Thx!
Sorry for the late reply, but I'd say you should get the car at the airport, assuming the rental car agency will be open when you drop the car off. I rented from Avis--the rental car counter and rental car parking lot is right outside the airport. It's not much of a hassle unless there's a long line, as you do have to actually go up to the rental car counter to drop your keys off. I waited for the people in front of me to get their cars, but if I'd been in a big hurry, I probably would've asked if I could just go in front of them as I was dropping off rather than picking up. At that time of day though, I wouldn't think there'd be any line as no flights would've arrived yet.
Taxis from the airport to the Renaissance aren't cheap.
There's a gas station fairly near the airport. 5 minute drive away.
Sep 29, 2018, 5:27 pm
#70
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Rowley, MA / Edgartown, MA / Christiansted, St. Croix (USVI)
Programs: UA LT GS/4.96MM, Marriott LT Titanium, IHG Platinum, Global Entry, TSA Pre✓, Korea SeS, APEC
Posts: 579
Renaissance St. Croix - Is It Open?
I've been trying to find out if the Renaissance in St. Croix is open. I look on the website and there are no rooms available, regardless of the date. The agent I spoke with says no rooms for my dates but can't tell me if the hotel is open. Any information is appreciated.
Oct 2, 2018, 9:55 am
#71
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: Delta Diamond, Marriott Ambassador & Lifetime Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, United Silver
Posts: 6,334
No. It isn't. If you have to visit St. Croix, The Buccaneer Hotel is the only good, full-service hotel resort on the island that is open.
On St. Thomas, the Ritz-Carlton has reopened as a Fairfield Inn, but is in pretty bad order with property construction and, apparently, construction workers staying on-property.
On St. Thomas, the Ritz-Carlton has reopened as a Fairfield Inn, but is in pretty bad order with property construction and, apparently, construction workers staying on-property.
Oct 23, 2018, 2:37 pm
#72
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: Delta Diamond, Marriott Ambassador & Lifetime Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, United Silver
Posts: 6,334
This would explain why the hotel is still closed:
For those unaware, the Virgin Islands government and its pension fund are basically bankrupt. The pension fund tried selling the hotel before the 2017 hurricanes but was unsuccessful.
Carambola, St. Croix’s second largest with 151 rooms, does not yet have a projected opening date. The hotel is owned by the territory’s pension system, which aims to sell it.
https://stjohnsource.com/2018/10/11/...hats-changing/
https://stjohnsource.com/2018/10/11/...hats-changing/
Oct 23, 2018, 2:51 pm
#73
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SLC/HEL/Anywhere with a Beach
Programs: Marriott Ambassador; AA EXP 3MM; AS MVP, Hilton Gold, CH-47/UH-60/C-23/C-130 VET
Posts: 5,234
And ... running a tropical island with a lot of tourism revenue should be pretty easy ... but that's for another forum!
Oct 23, 2018, 3:08 pm
#74
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: Delta Diamond, Marriott Ambassador & Lifetime Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, United Silver
Posts: 6,334
The property has tremendous potential, but needed a good renovation at the time. I imagine either it was under-insured and didn't get enough money to rebuild or the bankrupt pension system took an insurance payment to stabilize its other financial woes.
When I was there it didn't have the amenities you would expect either, especially restaurants and bars. I couldn't imagine spending a full week there. It is so isolated that you would expect at least two or three distinct restaurants and two or three bars. I couldn't even get a drink, let alone food, at 9:30 p.m. one night because everything was closed up. Frederiksted is the closest town, but you don't go there after dark.
If you go to St. Croix you're better off staying at The Buccaneer Hotel, which is on the east end of island and is within 10 minutes (by car) of at least a half-dozen bars and restaurants.
Oct 23, 2018, 3:37 pm
#75
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: CLT
Programs: Marriott Plat, AA Gold
Posts: 1,076
I had a long-term project in the Virgin Islands that saw me flying to St. Croix and St. Thomas two or three weeks out of the month between 2016 and 2017. I went back to St. Croix in mid-2017 when the project was done and stayed at the Carambola Renaissance.
The property has tremendous potential, but needed a good renovation at the time. I imagine either it was under-insured and didn't get enough money to rebuild or the bankrupt pension system took an insurance payment to stabilize its other financial woes.
When I was there it didn't have the amenities you would expect either, especially restaurants and bars. I couldn't imagine spending a full week there. It is so isolated that you would expect at least two or three distinct restaurants and two or three bars. I couldn't even get a drink, let alone food, at 9:30 p.m. one night because everything was closed up. Frederiksted is the closest town, but you don't go there after dark.
If you go to St. Croix you're better off staying at The Buccaneer Hotel, which is on the east end of island and is within 10 minutes (by car) of at least a half-dozen bars and restaurants.
The property has tremendous potential, but needed a good renovation at the time. I imagine either it was under-insured and didn't get enough money to rebuild or the bankrupt pension system took an insurance payment to stabilize its other financial woes.
When I was there it didn't have the amenities you would expect either, especially restaurants and bars. I couldn't imagine spending a full week there. It is so isolated that you would expect at least two or three distinct restaurants and two or three bars. I couldn't even get a drink, let alone food, at 9:30 p.m. one night because everything was closed up. Frederiksted is the closest town, but you don't go there after dark.
If you go to St. Croix you're better off staying at The Buccaneer Hotel, which is on the east end of island and is within 10 minutes (by car) of at least a half-dozen bars and restaurants.
It didn’t seem to be a huge property, so I wouldn’t necessarily expect that many dining options. I think it still had 2 or 3 though? Can’t remember.
I guess they were mostly beach bar type places but there were 4-5 restaurants or so less than 10 minutes away at Cane Bay.
Last edited by GoPhils; Oct 23, 2018 at 3:48 pm