Nancy Anderson represents it. I have never stayed there, but if she has it, you can bet it is lovely and held to a very high standard.

I would stay there in a heartbeat but they don't accept children and are always pretty booked.

The pool looks large. The view looks amazing. Mafolie is a good location - very central - very close to Megan's Bay and not a long drive to Red Hook. You'll be close to lots of good restaurants and your night view of Charlotte Amalie and the harbor is going to be spectacular. I once lived in a home facing that view and it can't be described - everything twinkles.

Renting it is a unique opportunity because it offers you the privacy and intimacy of a villa with large verandah and pool, yet it is really a studio so it isn't as costly as the larger villas.

Do it, do it! LOL Seriously, if you found an opening, jump on it.

Hi again Bluwater
You never fail to come through, as you know by now I depend on you and your advise. Had a good laugh with your comment about "they don't accept children" am I to assume you don't have kids?????? I know....I know what they say about one who assumes. Anyway I'm still chuckling.
sleeper18

ha ha...no...I DO have kids Sleeper, which is why I never get to stay at this place 🙁

If you stay at Caribia, please take pics and share with us. Everyone needs to keep this place in mind. The cost of a hotel room, the size of a cottage, them amenities of a full-scale villa (i.e. a pool larger than a postage stamp). VERY rare.

Question for Bluwater,
You seem to be the expert in St Thomas, here's my question.
We are renting a studio from David Paresky at bestbeach (Crystal Cove Deluxe Suites). http://www.bestbeach.com/html/index.shtml
What can you tell me about these units?
How would you compare them to the Mariott Morning Star Resort?
Cheers,
nsalphadog

Hi nsalphadog-

I have never satyed at Crystal Cove, but have seen them many times from the outside. They sit on Sapphire beach, which I am partial to. However, they sit back. Your proximity to the beach and your view can vary depending on which building you are in. As I recall, and have just confiemd by fidning a layout shot of the resort, it is shaped in a semi-circle. See here...

As you can see from the layout, you can sit way back between the two other buildings, or face one of the buildings. As I see it, nothing really gives you a good panorama. I also wonder about that big pond and mosquitos. It also looks kind of tired to me. It might not be fair since I have not stayed there, but this is what I see from the outside.

I have stayed at Sapphire about 7 times in the last 10 years, and since this place shares the property, I have seen it quite a bit. The best building is probably going to be that first one all the way on the right of the picture...it will face St John. Anything on the left will face nothing....and the center buildings will face the water, but no down island views.

If I had to guess about this place, I would say it is "decent"....and if your budget is tight and this fits, don't be afraid. The location is tremendous and you'll be on the right beach. If you budget can afford a little more, keep looking. Someone may correct me since I have never stayed here.....but I haven't by design.

Morningstar - lovely! Have you stayed there before? No comparison to CC...night and day. Morningstar is a full service lux resort with pools, restaurants, etc. Aren't they in two totally different price categories? Morningstar must be much more expensive.....beachfront on another top beach, plush (marble baths, mahogany, etc) , access to amenities at the larger Frenchman's Reef up on top with its huge pool with waterfall and true swim up bar with seats in the water. Morningstar also has a large pool. Morningstar is the tropical style sister to the main hotel because it sits on the beach and is a garden style hotel (no elevators).

It is the kind of place where you want to wear the right thing to the lobby - but not stuffy - I find it lively and fun. There is a little private ferry that runs from the resort to Charlotte Amalie and back. The food is very, very expensive....but very good....lots of palces to eat on the property - maybe 7 or 8.

The location isn't great in terms of being convenient to other things...you'll need a car. It is in the middle of nowhere...closer to Charlotte Amalie than anything else (10 mins?)...in an upscale residental community and out on a peninsula.

Comparing these two is like comparing a Hyundai and a Jaguar. Carribean Travel and Life Mag does an annual reader's poll and publishes the results. The 2005 poll rated Frenchman's Reef and Morningstar as the #1 resort overall in the entire Caribbean and the #1 resort for the view in the entire Caribbean.

Morningstar...

nsalphadog: The biggest difference is that The Reef is a hotel, with hotel amenities (room service, spa, front desk, on-site restaurants, etc) and Crystal Cove is a condominium complex, and very old school. I think they were the first on St Thomas. On the other hand, instead of a room, you get an entire dwelling- living room, dining room, kitchen, etc.

In reply to nsafphadog : There are a bunch of reviews on Tripadvisor.com about Crystal Cove. They have it ranked as #2 place to stay. You used David from best beach so I believe you will get the services of a women named Norma who sounds wonderful. You might be giving up that kind of personal attention at a big resort.

Wow, thanks everyone for the information!
It's invaluable.
nsalphadog