Renaissance St. Croix Carambola Beach Resort & Spa

We've been to the Carambola twice we liked it so much. The first trip the service, food, and condition of the resort was better, and it was a 4 star hotel. The second trip the resort looked like it needed some repairs, there were fewer menu offerings, and the hotel staff service was not always the best--closer to a 3 star hotel. The restaurant service, however, was still good. For what you pay, it is a great value. It's a quiet resort on a small, but beautiful, secluded beach. You will definitely need to rent a car if you stay there. There is nothing within walking distance. Good for couples. Not so good for kids.

What else can I say? I love the US Virgin Islands, but had never been to St. Croix prior to booking this trip with cheapcaribbean.com. St. Croix is now my favorite of the three. It has a bit of the bustle of St. Thomas but feels very wide open and uninhabited like St. John. I also stumbled across the hands-down best beach I've ever been to, and I say that as a Florida resident and frequent Caribbean traveler. The Carambola is an older resort tucked away on the northwest side of the island. It has undergone renovations, but I think I was in a room that hadn't been renovated yet and it was fine. It has a decent, if slightly pricey restaurant on site, and the Friday pirate buffet and Moko Jumbie show is one of the must-dos of the island. I got a voucher from cheapcaribbean.com that got me into the all-you-can eat buffet and show for free, and that made it even better. The beach at the Carambola is one of the better ones on the island. The staff was friendly, and my "garden view room" simply meant that I had to look through some lush tropical foliage to see the beach from my screened-in porch. My only complaints about the resort are very minor. There were a couple of cracked tiles in the shower (that may have been corrected by now if the room has been renovated). The bathroom had some ants, but in the Caribbean even the most expensive hotels can have bug problems. There was no ice machine, and you had to wait a bit while a staff member brought ice from the restaurant if you wanted it. The room had a window unit air conditioner, which many hotels in the Caribbean do, but it still wasn't as nice as central A/C. That's it. No further complaints, and that list is very short compared to most of the other island hotels I've stayed at during my travels. The only thing to bear in mind is that there will be no cell service at the Carambola due to the mountains surrounding it. Some people have seizures when they realize that, but I think it's delightful. And now the best part, the Great Deal. St. Croix is not a cheap island to fly to. You can usually get to nearby St. Thomas for several hundred dollars less, probably because St. Thomas is such a huge tourist destination and they have a volume discount. Cheapcaribbean.com set me up with a four-night flight/hotel package at a very nice hotel for about the same price that airfare alone would usually cost. That's true of most of their packages, and sometimes the package is cheaper than the cost of airfare. That's why I stay subscribed to their e-mail newsletter and, each week, try to figure out which package I should buy next.

My fiance and I visited beautiful Carambola in November of 2009. Since it was just before peak season begins we had full access to and privacy on the most beautiful beach on the island of St. Croix. The room was fantastic and overlooked the beautiful white sandy beach. We could hear the crashing of the waves from our room and it enhaced the view of the lush rain forrest. The service was fantastic in the restaurants and bar and the convenient shuttles to Christiansted allowed us to sight see and shop with ease. I'd highly recommend this beautiful tropical get away.

My husband and I got a great fall package deal for Carambola and our stay was wonderful. We stayed in a suite overlooking the beach and the view every morning and evening was magical. The room was perfect for us though some would find it outdated. We are not picky and found it charming. We ate at the bar a few times and found the food good and the prices okay. The grounds were well kept up and everything was clean and neat. We were looking for something secluded and quiet and Carambola fit the bill. We absolutely LOVED St Croix. From snorkeling on the west end and having brunch at the Beachside Cafe to shopping in Christianstead and taking a snorkel tour out to Buck Island (Wave Dancer with JP Horan) , it was a fantastic get away. We would return in a microsecond if we could find the time and money.