Pros
- Half-mile long beach with views of St. John and otherislands
- All rooms are beachfront suites
- One mile from Red Hook's shops and restaurants
- Each room has a porch or balcony, and full kitchens
- Scenic bi-level pool
- On-site dive shop and water sports provider
- Beach is great for snorkeling
- Walk-out point with great bay views
See MorePros
Cons
- Quality of rooms varies depending on the owner or rentalcompany
- Maintenance problems and dated decor in some units
- Fee for Wi-Fi, and the signal is unreliable
- Not many places to eat on the property
See MoreCons
Bottom Line
This property was impacted by Hurricane Irma in September 2017. We will update our review as soon as we have more information. The beach is Sapphire Beach Resort’s main draw. It's on one of the best stretches of sand on the island, and the water is clear, turquoise, and calm; the view from the beach is stunning -- St. John and other satellite islands are visible in the distance. The resort is conveniently located one mile up the hill from Red Hook, where there are shops and restaurants. There aren’t, however, many property amenities -- there is a fee for Wi-Fi, not many places to eat on the property, and no fitness center, business center, or spa. The units at the resort are individually owned and managed by different companies, so the quality of the rooms varies greatly.
See MoreBottom Line
Hotel & Amenities Photos
Amenities
- Internet
- Jacuzzi
- Pool
See More Amenities
Oyster Awards
- Best Beach Hotels in St. Thomas
- Best Beach Hotels in the U.S. Virgin Islands
- Best Hotel Beaches in the U.S. Virgin Islands
Oyster Hotel Review
Sapphire Beach Resort
Hotel Class:Mid-Range
Scene
No-frills condo-hotel on an excellent beach
The resort feels more like a private condo property than aresort (and in some ways, it is). There is no fitness center, spa, business center, roomservice, or pool/ beachside drink service. Since the condos have full kitchensand large living areas, most guests spend their time in their units at night.There is no nightlife, especially since the one food stand on the beach closesin the evening.
The units are individually owned and decorated, and some are managed and maintained through rental companies. Guests have theoption of renting directly from an owner or going through a rental company. Thedownside of this is that the rooms differ greatly in quality -- especially infurnishings and upkeep.
Made up of five buildings spread along the beach, the resort has white facades, wooden walkways, and red-roof overhangs.The resort doesn’t have a lobby. Rather, a unit in building A is used as a front desk, and it is not well marked.
See MoreScene
Location
On the East End of St. Thomas, about a five-minute drive from the quaint town of Red Hook
The Sapphire Beach Resort is located on the East End of theisland, known for its beaches and snorkeling. The resort is a five-minute drivefrom Red Hook, a small, quaint town with great restaurants and good shopping. Thehotel is a 25- to 30-minute drive from the airport and Charlotte-Amalie, dependingon traffic.
Like most hotels in St. Thomas, there is not much withinwalking distance, and it’s an understatement to say that the narrow, windingmountain roads are not pedestrian-friendly. There are usually taxi driversright at the entrance of the hotel to cart guests around, although cabs chargeper person and can get expensive. A car rental is recommended.
See MoreLocation
Rooms
Varying room quality, but great beach views
The best thing about the rooms at Sapphire are the beautifulbeach views. All rooms face the water and have their own spacious patios orbalconies. The beach is gorgeous with trees, shade, and turquoise water. The rooms are also allsuites or villas and are fairly spacious witha large living area, fully stocked kitchens (with pots, pans, utensils, plates,and glassware), and good-size bathrooms. But the similarities end there. Since all the units areindividually owned and many are managed through different rental companies, thequality of the rooms varies. While some guests have suites that are updated andmodern with contemporary furnishings, light beachy decor, and well-maintainedinfrastructure, other rooms are not as polished.
Some of the rooms looked dark and dated -- one had old wicker furnishings and worn couches, an old dining table with old, hardfoam cushions in a garish tropical pattern, and a thin, old bedspread.There were also maintenance problems in the unit, such as exposed outlets, mold onthe bathroom ceiling, and a noisy bathroom fan.Another beachfront suite was more updatedand included a tile bathroom with chic blue lighting, leather headboard,and a cherry- wood dining table. It had a modern kitchen with stainless steelappliances, granite countertops, and an attractive backsplash. But the unitwas quite dark and dreary, and was missing that light, tropical feel. The villa, located on the top level of the building, was more luxurious. With two levels and more open space, it did not feel as dark anddrab as the other suites. It was decorated in light greens and blues andhad more contemporary furnishings.
While the nicer rooms provide a good value for the money,especially considering the units’ beachfront locations, the older units aredated, dark, and drab, and not worth the price. The rooms at the are much nicer, and you are stillon the beach. While not particularly luxurious, the rooms at Sugar Bay Resortand Spa are comfortable, clean, and decorated with light, tropical decor.
See MoreRooms
Features
Come for the beach, snorkeling, and views
Sapphire Beach, like the even more popular Magens Beach, is one of the best in the Virgin Islands. To some, Sapphire is the better beach, since it draws a somewhat smaller crowd of cruise-ship passengers.The beach is the highlight of the resort, and guests spend most of their time here. The beach directly in the front of the resort is scenic and beautiful, but not great for swimming. Trees run along the waterfront providing minimal entry into the water, and there are rocks and coral. There is a large stretch of sand to the left side of the resort (a two-minute walk from most rooms) that is better for swimming. The water here is clear and turquoise blue, and is famous for its snorkeling. The beach also provides stunning views of St. John and other smaller islands.
However, this stretch of sand is a popular beach and can get crowded. The beach sits in front of Crystal Cove, the resort next door, and is open to the public as well. While there are plenty of loungers, you may be sitting close to your neighbor. There is an on-site water sports provider.
The pool is located on the other end of the property. It hastwo tiers with a waterfall in between. The area is nicely landscaped with stonepatios and palm trees, including a little gazebo hut and garden in the middleof the pool. The pool area also has a walk-out dirt path that stretches out intothe bay. It is lined with palm trees and provides some beautiful scenery of thewater and surrounding islands.
There are not a lot of food options on-site and guests willfind themselves driving or taking a cab to Red Hook for food quite often. Thereis a food stand and bar by the beach that is open until early evening as well as a bar and grill near the property that has live entertainment some nights. After that,food options are limited.
See MoreFeatures
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Oyster Hotel Review
Sapphire Beach Resort
Hotel Class:Mid-Range
Scene
No-frills condo-hotel on an excellent beach
The resort feels more like a private condo property than aresort (and in some ways, it is). There is no fitness center, spa, business center, roomservice, or pool/ beachside drink service. Since the condos have full kitchensand large living areas, most guests spend their time in their units at night.There is no nightlife, especially since the one food stand on the beach closesin the evening.
The units are individually owned and decorated, and some are managed and maintained through rental companies. Guests have theoption of renting directly from an owner or going through a rental company. Thedownside of this is that the rooms differ greatly in quality -- especially infurnishings and upkeep.
Made up of five buildings spread along the beach, the resort has white facades, wooden walkways, and red-roof overhangs.The resort doesn’t have a lobby. Rather, a unit in building A is used as a front desk, and it is not well marked.
See MoreScene
Location
On the East End of St. Thomas, about a five-minute drive from the quaint town of Red Hook
The Sapphire Beach Resort is located on the East End of theisland, known for its beaches and snorkeling. The resort is a five-minute drivefrom Red Hook, a small, quaint town with great restaurants and good shopping. Thehotel is a 25- to 30-minute drive from the airport and Charlotte-Amalie, dependingon traffic.
Like most hotels in St. Thomas, there is not much withinwalking distance, and it’s an understatement to say that the narrow, windingmountain roads are not pedestrian-friendly. There are usually taxi driversright at the entrance of the hotel to cart guests around, although cabs chargeper person and can get expensive. A car rental is recommended.
See MoreLocation
Rooms
Varying room quality, but great beach views
The best thing about the rooms at Sapphire are the beautifulbeach views. All rooms face the water and have their own spacious patios orbalconies. The beach is gorgeous with trees, shade, and turquoise water. The rooms are also allsuites or villas and are fairly spacious witha large living area, fully stocked kitchens (with pots, pans, utensils, plates,and glassware), and good-size bathrooms. But the similarities end there. Since all the units areindividually owned and many are managed through different rental companies, thequality of the rooms varies. While some guests have suites that are updated andmodern with contemporary furnishings, light beachy decor, and well-maintainedinfrastructure, other rooms are not as polished.
Some of the rooms looked dark and dated -- one had old wicker furnishings and worn couches, an old dining table with old, hardfoam cushions in a garish tropical pattern, and a thin, old bedspread.There were also maintenance problems in the unit, such as exposed outlets, mold onthe bathroom ceiling, and a noisy bathroom fan.Another beachfront suite was more updatedand included a tile bathroom with chic blue lighting, leather headboard,and a cherry- wood dining table. It had a modern kitchen with stainless steelappliances, granite countertops, and an attractive backsplash. But the unitwas quite dark and dreary, and was missing that light, tropical feel. The villa, located on the top level of the building, was more luxurious. With two levels and more open space, it did not feel as dark anddrab as the other suites. It was decorated in light greens and blues andhad more contemporary furnishings.
While the nicer rooms provide a good value for the money,especially considering the units’ beachfront locations, the older units aredated, dark, and drab, and not worth the price. The rooms at the are much nicer, and you are stillon the beach. While not particularly luxurious, the rooms at Sugar Bay Resortand Spa are comfortable, clean, and decorated with light, tropical decor.
See MoreRooms
Features
Come for the beach, snorkeling, and views
Sapphire Beach, like the even more popular Magens Beach, is one of the best in the Virgin Islands. To some, Sapphire is the better beach, since it draws a somewhat smaller crowd of cruise-ship passengers.The beach is the highlight of the resort, and guests spend most of their time here. The beach directly in the front of the resort is scenic and beautiful, but not great for swimming. Trees run along the waterfront providing minimal entry into the water, and there are rocks and coral. There is a large stretch of sand to the left side of the resort (a two-minute walk from most rooms) that is better for swimming. The water here is clear and turquoise blue, and is famous for its snorkeling. The beach also provides stunning views of St. John and other smaller islands.
However, this stretch of sand is a popular beach and can get crowded. The beach sits in front of Crystal Cove, the resort next door, and is open to the public as well. While there are plenty of loungers, you may be sitting close to your neighbor. There is an on-site water sports provider.
The pool is located on the other end of the property. It hastwo tiers with a waterfall in between. The area is nicely landscaped with stonepatios and palm trees, including a little gazebo hut and garden in the middleof the pool. The pool area also has a walk-out dirt path that stretches out intothe bay. It is lined with palm trees and provides some beautiful scenery of thewater and surrounding islands.
There are not a lot of food options on-site and guests willfind themselves driving or taking a cab to Red Hook for food quite often. Thereis a food stand and bar by the beach that is open until early evening as well as a bar and grill near the property that has live entertainment some nights. After that,food options are limited.
See MoreFeatures
Amenities
Air Conditioner
Balcony / Terrace / Patio
Beach
Cable
Concierge
Free Breakfast
Full Kitchen
Internet
Jacuzzi
Meeting / Conference Rooms
Pool
Poolside Drink Service
Rental Car Service Desk Onsite
Room Service
Separate Bedroom / Living Room Space
Swim-Up Bar
Tennis Court
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.
