PRICE:
Frommer's Recommended

With its buff-colored stucco, terra-cotta tiles, and archways, this rather sterile-looking hotel evokes Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic, but it's the most prominent building on a 3-acre island set in the middle of Christiansted's harbor. Reaching it requires a 4-minute boat ride from a well-marked quay in the town center (hotel guests ride free; nonguests pay $3 round-trip). Its position in the clear waters of the harbor is both its main plus and its main drawback: Its wide, sandy beaches provide the only pollution-free swimming in the town center, but it's the first hotel to be battered when a hurricane strikes. In theory, this battered old place should be a lavishly landscaped, upscale retreat; unfortunately, it's not. Nevertheless, it does provide adequate, simple, and clean accommodations near the beach. Units are fairly roomy, and open onto small metal-railed balconies with a view of the garden or Christiansted Harbor. There's a watersports center on-site, where you can rent windsurfing and snorkeling equipment, as well as jet skis. The restaurant, Harbormaster, is the only choice on the cay, but really hits the spot after a long day at the beach.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Virgin Islands, 9th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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