Quick recommendation,

We chartered a 43ft cat for nine days over the Fourth of July through CYOA in St. Thomas, pretty good outfit if you are a little self reliant. At the completion of the charter we decided to spend a night in St. Thomas before heading home. This is going to sound snobby but we usually stay at the Ritz Carlton when on St. Thomas, rates were $585 plus tax last weekend. So instead of dropping a grand for two rooms on one night we decided to put that money towards our next charter and find something a little more reasonable. CYOA recommended that we call Villa Olga, we did only to find that they were booked due to a wedding. The lady who answered their phone was nice enough to refer us to the Crystal Palace, great job Villa Olga. We called right away and spoke with Ronnie the owner, he couldn't have been more accommodating, not only did he have rooms he offered to pick us up at the marina. (Us and our six huge bags of gear from the charter)

We weren't expecting much, just a roof over our heads and a hot shower. Wow were we surprised, not only is the Crystal Palace filled with great history, it's view of the harbor rivals any that I have seen. Ronnie even gave us some history of Charlotte Amalie on the drive up to his inn. Having a cocktail on the magnificent veranda at the Crystal Palace over looking the harbor quickly made us forget about the Ritz. If your looking for room service, beach cabanas or turn down service go to the Ritz or the Marriott. If your looking for charm, history and a magnificent view call the Crystal Palace! We'll be staying with Ronnie next trip for sure.

Dan
www.photaquaphy.com