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TOP RATING! FIVE STARS!
couldn't have been more perfect!
PHOTOS HERE
http://share-dell.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeAMnDZk5btGbfbg
I will write a much more detailed report but for now i have to say that everything was perfect!
american flight direct to st t was lovely! so quick you never realize it from new york...
budget rent a car was 169 for an automatic four door car(they gave us an upgrade...and well worth it for the full week....those taxis can add up if you want to get around and they are per person etc...
no problems with budget at all i highly recommed them
secret harbour is HEAVEN...we checked out almost every other hotel we could and we couldn't wait to get back to our new 'home' on nazareth bay!
all the rooms are great.....we preferred the top floor with lots of light and sun and central view of the bay! all the furniture was white wicker and the floors white tiles and the kitchen new white formica can't go wrong so clean and lovely...
who can beat it....just steps from your one bedroom condo is your beautiful clean beach .....the room had cable...so we were able to watch hurricane frances every day etc..and even catch a movie at night...
the front office is incredible the PEOPLE make the place for sure!
MARGARET is a doll at the front desk and she made sure every need was taken care of from the start! also JULIA TOO....two great ladies
earnest halliday the manager was great he always took time to check on us and kept everyone smiling..he is a great host!!!
SANDRA in reservations is THE BEST! she really knows her stuff and even helped us see some other rooms since we are thinking of having a family reunion in the near future and some of the two bedrooms were great for that! THANK YOU SANDRA! YOU GAVE US THE 'PERFECT ROOM' and your lovely personality made us feel so welcomed!
we were a three minute ride to red hook which has everything you need
THANKS TO ISLAND PAUL.....WE HAD ALL THE SCOOP AHEAD OF TIME..WHERE TO GO WHAT TO DO! ETC....THANK YOU PAUL!
THIS BOARD WAS WONDERFUL ....IT IS HOW WE MET A GREAT NEW FRIEND AND HOPE TO MEET MORE OF YOU ALL IN THE FUTURE...sorry we missed the get together it was just after we left ....!!!
marina market is best for groceries and great deli items etc....
oh and NO BUGS...just one night with some ants that my husband got rid of realizing we had a hole in the terrace door......a littel duct tape solved that problem.....
the hotel was so much better than expected.....food in the restaurant was great i loved the peanut butter chocolate pie...
also we visited st john and enjoyed hawksnest THANK YOU TO WHOMEVER HERE TOLD US NOT TO BOTHER WITH TRUNK so we just took that pic on the overlook and went to hawksnest where it was way more quiet and free!
caneel was not worth bothering with...i stayed there many times in the past but it was not the same....seems like the people who work there don't care anymore and it is not a warm welcoming place...we couln't wait to get back to secret harbour
the ferry ride with the car was easy! you have to back in to the ferry..good thing i wasn't driving!
my favorite new restaurant hands down is in frenchtown
NOCHE....amazing southwestern food...and most of all the staff there was so great we made new friends there tooo...ate there three times in the week!
shopping was as usual fun but the outdoor market just near town had the best bargains and goodies to bring home for little gifts.....unless you need perfume or jewelry you might as well just get a fun item at the outdoor market..
PAUL AGAIN THANK YOU FOR BEING OUR 'FAMILY' AWAY FROM HOME! YOU WERE THE MOST GRACIOUS HOST ON YOUR ISLAND! THANKS FOR BEING OUR NEW FRIEND!......WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR NEXT TRIP ALREADY
now......pix wil be coming on part TWO so read on soon
Post Edited (09-25-04 12:26)
http://share-dell.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeAMnDZk5btGbfbg
CHECK THAT LINK FOR PIX OF SECRET HARBOUR
sorry we didn't take many pix in town or in red hook or at the secret harbour office but you get the idea....it was way to relaxing we kept forgetting to use the camera....
but for those of you considering this place it is heaven!
STEVE took a great video JUST OF SECRET HARBOUR the entire grounds and beach and views from every angle at every time of day....for anyone who wants to know what this place is like let me know i will make you a copy!
BUT DON'T TELL ANYONE ...!!! IT IS A SECRET!!!!
Post Edited (09-25-04 12:26)
Thanks for sharing your report and pictures! I got my fix for the time being.
I agree with you SH is the BEST, but shhhhh.
54 more days I will be there for two weeks!
KIMBERLY!! i am sooo jealous!
Ginger
You really need to be more enthusiastic about your vacations!
Seriously, glad you had a great time. Although we never stayed at SH, you have made me think about it for next time.
Ginger,
Great report -- you captured the enthusiasm we felt when we returned from SH last December perfectly!
Only thing about your report that did surprise me was that you made no mention of Ernest, the general manager. We agree that the entire staff is fabulous, but Ernest was my hero. The wheelchair accessible rooms don't have full kitchens (just a mini fridge and a wet bar), so Ernest went out and bought us a microwave to use in our room. He offered to get ice for us in the middle of the night, and made sure that I had access to everything I could ever want. I even got to dance with him as he sang at the manager's cocktail party -- now that is how to woo your guests!
We liked the islands so much that we moved down here to St. Croix at the end of May. In August, we were sitting at the airport in Puerto Rico waiting to fly home after a doctor's appointment, and who should walk by us but Ernest. He recognized us immediately, and was just as charming and cordial as ever. I'm sure any good hotel manager can recognize certain guests furing their stay, but I assure you that there aren't many who would stil remember them eight months later, and in a totally unfamiliar environment.
It's that level of attention to the PEOPLE who stay there plus the fantastic secluded beach and coral reefs right outside your room that makes Secret Harbour the amazing place that it is.
Glad you enjoyed it so much, and I wish everyone who is heading there as magical a vacation as we had. (Be sure to look for the school of reef squid when you go snorkleing -- the are amazing creatures that display irridescent colors as you swim with them. And try a night snorkel it's absolutely amazing to see the creatures that only come out after dark.)
HC
hipcrip......yes yes i DID mention ernest ....check up where i talk about the staff!
he was great! we love ernest and he was fabulous singing at the cocktail party too!!!!
so glad you enjoyed it tooo....
jake have a great time....the open air market is right in the center of charlotte amailie....right off the road where the offices are YOU CAN'T MISS IT......just one block further west starts the string of stores...
the open market is there every day business hours however there are more of them when ships are in town....
but we went on friday on our way to the airport home and no ships were in but about half the vendors were there and were more than happy to fuss all over us ...we got some lovely bargains...
can't help it chris i am counting the days to figure out how to go back asap!
bumping up for pix request...enjoy
I hope my wife doesn't read this post. I am surprising her with a trip to St Thomas on Oct 8th for our 1 year Anniversary. We never got a real honeymoon because she was in school...the next time we tried , her grandmother passed away so our trip got cancelled. She's never been to place with white sandy beaches and clear water. I am extremely excited.
I researched and researched and am glad that I picked Secret Harbor. Thanks for the pics and review. I'm sure we will enjoy it tremendously.
Gus you made the right choice! You will BOTH love it!
Have a fabulous time. i know you will
Thanks for the pix! I stayed there a year ago and fell in love with STT. I am moving to STT this Friday. The pix helped as I grunt through my last couple of days at work!!
Gus,
I just wanted to warn you that you better plan on making lots of trips to the Caribbean. My husband made the mistake of encouraging me go on my first trip to a place with warm blue water and white sandy beaches and great snokeling and now I am hooked! That place was St. John by the way. He keeps wanting to plan vacations to the mountains but I seem to win out most of the time.
Thanks for the warning.
We actually live in the mountains so the beach is always a plus.
No problem. I hope you keep winning.
Ginger:
My wife and I have been organizing winter get-aways for ourselves and friends for the past five years..always to St. Thomas. The place where we usually stay is going through some "changes" so we began to research other options. We came across Secret Harbour. And now that we have read your glowing report and seen your great pix we are certain that we are about to do the RIGHT THING for ourselves and the other five couples. We are all very casual and love the East End. We always manage to get over to St. John's for a couple of day trips. So it should be perfect. A couple of questions, though. Your pictures seem to be from the second floor of one of the buildings. I was thinking that I would like to stay on the beach level (I am usually in charge of the blender). Any down-side to the lower level? Were you in a one-bedroom? Did you look at the two-bedrooms? From the SH web-site, there appears to be 4 building on the beach. Would you recommend a particular building offering the best access to the beach, etc? We are going to go with two 2-bedrooms and then two single rooms for a total of 12 adults. Again, thank you for your thoughts and the great pix!
I would be curious to know: where is the place that you normally stay that is going through "changes". I hope it is not where I am staying the end of November.
jimmy mac.....THANKS SO MUCH....
we were on the top floor (we wanted the bottom but they were all full)
but the top is great if you like a view AND SUN ON THE TERRACE!
the bottom is lovely too! we saw many and most of them are TWO BEDROOMS so that might be good for you!
the best access to the beach is building ONE AND TWO..
building four is more to the dock but very nice KEEP IN MIND BUILDING FOUR HAS STEPS DOWN TO THE BEACH AROUND 20
i am going back now in late december with a couple of friends.....
i am now addicted
In the area of Coki Beach, there was a hotel, The Renaissance/Marriott. They sold it to a Mexican group, The Palace. They turned it into an all-inclusive and it died. On the grounds are a series of villas that have full access to the hotel facilities. There are several: Blazing Villas, Absolute Villas, etc. All of them "at the Grand Palace." It was great for groups...but not fancy. However, I just found out that the Palace has CLOSED. So did its facilities: beach, bar, pool, restaurants, etc. Just waiting to see what happens to the hotel and who comes in. It is a great location, but that is the spot that is going through changes.....more to come....I guess.
Ginger:
Thanks for the heads-up. I noticed from the web-site that Bldg 4 is near the dock. The 20 steps don't bother me.....maybe it will give us a little elevation and some of the view that you speak of for the other buildings????? Is it a good location over near the dock? Any down-side to it? And do you know if they run any sailing vessels over to St. John's from that dock? We are a large enough group that we could hire our own boat with captain and crew (we did this over at Blazing Villas) and I wonder if they could pick us up at Secret Harbour....just a thought. Well, I guess you have to start packin'.....you must have really become addicted....thanks again.
