Stayed there years ago and liked it, very basic but right on the beach. Pretty good jumping off point if you rent a car (rent a car!). And depending on your health walk to several restaurants (two very close) and a grocery store.
Enjoy your visit!

We stayed there a few years ago. The hotel is ok, nothing special, just a typical hotel. The one thing that did disappoint us was that the beach is not very good for swimming. The ocean bottom is mainly large rock formations. Way over to the left side of the beach we found a hole in the rock with a sandy bottom that was just deep enough to sit down in. We too went for the price.
The best feature we found was that it was close to Salude.

Thanks loungestx and Bassman. We will definitely be renting a car, as we are eager to see as much of the island as we can.

The news about the beach is disappointing. However, I've found that the beach I'm used to on St. Thomas is completely different from year to year. Some years very sandy, easy entry, other years sand is washed away and down to deep rock, difficult to access. What beach is the Hibiscus on?

Are there other similar (price, small) beachfront resorts that have better beaches on property?

Our favorite beach hotels are Cottages by the Sea and Sandcastles on the Beach. They are side by side on the west side south of F'sted. I find the west side beaches, in general, are the best for swimming. These hotels are not that expensive but you will probably pay a little more than at Hibiscus. A plus for Cottages is that almost all of their rooms have a full kitchen. You will pay extra for a kitchen at Sandcastles.

A kitchen can be a money saver in the long run as going out can be pricey. Maybe look at some condos as well.

The beach is sandy there again!8-) We snorkeled there a few years ago and found it to be a good sandy bottom. I think after Hugo or Marilyn the sand was scooped out of that area, but it's back.

We vacationed at the Pelican Cove condos this past Oct. You can walk from them up the beach to The Palms and then on to Hibiscus. All within easy walking distance. I think when going back, I'd once again choose the condo (two bedrooms, two baths, kitchen,comfy living area,nice balcony, large pool and beach right there), then The Palms, then last I'd choose Hibiscus. Hibiscus seems too 'motelish' to us and their pool is very small. I think you could negotiate the price at The Palms since you're going in low season--- not sure about that, but most places will.

We usually stay out east, but this trip wanted to try a more central location. We really liked it and would stay there again. Do rent a car,though! (unless you only want to veg by the pool or beach, that is) Have fun!

Thanks for your comments, Paula. I'm so glad to hear that the beach has improved. Mother Nature has that way about her, We have already booked at the Hibiscus, since to take advantage of their Summer 2011 special rates (30% off rack rate) we had to reserve by Dec. 31. The cost for the week was quite sweet. Another plus is recent positive comments on Trip Advisor. Positive comments are difficult to find. I have received a couple of e-mails from the owner or manager or owner/manager, and they were so kind, so personal. I'm a sucker for that.

I've been looking at Sandcastles and Cottages for quite some time as well, and would have considered them except that we wanted to be more centrally located. You see, in about 4-5 years we intend to retire to either St. Thomas or St. Croix. I am quite familiar with St. Thomas, but am intrigued by St. Croix. Even though it is only a week, we would like to take a quick peek at the island and the different areas. And, yes, I've been a dedicated reader of the Relocation Board for years.

Thanks for the input from everyone.