Hotel on the Cay Christiansted

We just returned from a fabulous week at hotel on the Cay. If you're looking for an inexpensive, laid back Caribbean vacation, this is the place for you. The location couldn't have been better.... a secluded little island with its own beach.... a snorkeler's dream. We went specifically to this hotel because we like to snorkel and don't like to have to schedule boats and tours, etc. We were able to spot various fish and sea creatures right off the hotel shores that we didn't even come across at Buck Island. So bring your own gear for unlimited snorkeling.

Much to the contrary of other reviews, we found Peter extremely informative and helpful throughout the week. He showed us the best places to snorkel, got us on a Buck Island tour on a spur of the moment whim, and even hooked us up with a free Dive Experience scuba lesson that included a terrific beginner's dive from a boat that set anchor not too far off the hotel beach.

Some of the previous reviewers must have caught Sweeney on a bad day, because our 5 hour tour with him was incredible. We not only toured the Botanical Gardens and Cruzan Rum Factory, but also the rain forest, (which included a stop to see the world famous beer drinking pigs and feed them a beer), a stop atop Columbus' Landing for a photo opportunity, and a stop at Turtle Bay for lunch at Turtle's Deli where the sandwiches were big enough for 2. His microphone worked fine the entire tour.

As for the hotel, the rooms were clean and comfortable. Only 5 working channels on the TV, but we weren't there to watch television. There were plenty of places to eat within a block or two of the Christiansted shore, and the water taxi was always available to get there. No, it was not the Ritz, but for the price it was by far the best value on the island. We're already planning our return next year.

I loved Hotel on the Cay. As a a single woman I felt that I was in a very secure location on an island in the harbor. The staff was very concerned that I enjoyed my stay and that I felt comforable. This is a budget hotel that is trying to be better. It was very clean and neat.The beach was racked every morning.The food was well prepared.All in all I had a great trip and I enjoyed my stay.

Just came back from Hotel on the Cay (May 04). The hotel is under new management. Old management was not doing it's job, hence the bad reviews you might have read. It is getting better though. Now ask yourselves what the purpose of your trip is: If you are going to St Croix to play golf; tennis; swimming pool, etc...go to the Buccaneer Hotel. If you want to lay on the bach, snorkel, scuba dive, and spend time outside of your hotel room, then come to the Hotel on the Cay.

Let me draw a picture of St. Croix: Christiansted is where all the action is. Fredericksted is dying due to the Secretary of Tourism not doing her job...ships are not coming in with tourists. St. Croix is quiet, slow paced, stores close early. The Hotel on the cay is a short ferry away from Christiansted and their beach is great. I didn't see glass all over....just huge conchs all around!

Yes, the rooms were not that great, but we didn't go there for the rooms, we went there for the blue water and the beach. And we got an unbeatable rate for the week through RCI's armed forces vacation club :)

Yes, I went to the Buccaneer hotel for the day and it is great, nice, but you would pay for one night what I paid for the week...so who cares if they don't have an elevator?!

I went snorkeling around the island, laid out on the beach, the pool is great too. The bartenders serve a nice banana-coconut-colada that you need to try. We went to the beaches of Buck island and snorkeled there; we went scuba diving with Cane Scuba Diving to the Wall, and yes we made the mistake of paying $80 for two people with Sweeney and his safari tour...but we got to see things that we wouldn't have seen otherwise.

Do I recommend the Hotel on the Cay? absolutely if you are on a budget.

We had a great time visiting St. Croix, but wish we had stayed somewhere else. CONS: (1) there was no hot water in the room, at best it got luke warm (when we mentioned this to the front desk they didn't seem suprised or even concerned and it was never fixed); (2) there were ants in the room all over the kitchen and bathroom counters (the front desk was aware of the problem and once again unconcerned); (3) there was no room service at the "hotel"; (4) there was no elevator up to the room (five flights of stairs) and no help carrying your bags; (5) the walls were paper thin and the beds uncomfortable; (6) the pool area was drab if that's even possible and frequented by local teenagers despite a "sign" to the contrary; (7) beach was private but awfully small.

PROS: St. Croix had some wonderful restaurants and the diving was excellent (I recommend "N2 the Blue"). I recommend visiting St. Croix, but staying somewhere else if you can afford to do so.

Hotel on the Cay (HOTC) is in the perfect location, an island in the Christiansted harbor. You're a short hotel ferry ride from downtown but, quietly comfortable on your own island. The rooms are NOT fancy, no marble bath, no plush carpeting, no mints on the pillow, they are however, clean and well equipped with a small 'fridge, microwave, toaster oven, sink, utensils and all have an ocean, harbor or Christiansted view. The HOTC has it's own beach, great for snorkeling, or rent a jet ski or kayak. There's also a beachfront restaraunt for breakfast and lunch and don't miss the Tuesday night BBQ and entertainment. The staff at HOTC are very friendly and helpful.

I just got back from my vacation and I'm ready to go back! Hotel on the Cay is the place to stay. You have your own private island, your own beach, all rooms have a beautiful view. There is ferry service to Christiansted from early morning to midnight. I liked being on our own island because it was secure. The hotel had beautiful landscaping and a gorgous waterfall. It was well kept. There was also a swimming pool. The customer service was excellent. The rooms were basic and clean. It was very affordable. I recommend it. So if you are looking for a great place to go on vacation, check this place out!

Hotel on the Cay is a good locale for the younger budget traveler who doesn't expect a lot in the way of amenities. In fact, the best "amenity" at the hotel is the staff ... friendly, accommodating and responsive. The rooms are basic and spotlessly clean, but the furnishings can be shabby/sub-par. For example, the bed mattresses are only 4 inches thick. Although they are on top of a regular box spring, it was more like sleeping on a futon than an actual bed. Woke up every morning with a backache from the too-hard mattress. (Might be easier on younger bones!) Small annoyances can take their toll, too. For example, everyone seemed to have a problem with toilets. Had to hold down the handle and wait for it to cycle through every time. If they would clean/change out the toilets inner workings, the problem would be solved without much of an investment. The beach is the greatest asset the hotel has, but sadly, they are not taking the best care of it. I've never seen so much broken glass on a beach before and wonder why it isnt combed periodically to alleviate the problem. Id be concerned about letting small kids run around in it. The ferry service is great; runs regularly and staff is super helpful and friendly. The restaurant is OK for lunches, but is not open for dinner. The drinks were high-priced ($3.50 per beer, $6 per mixed drink!) so its better to buy/make your own. Peter is supposedly the hotels go to guy for information, whether it be day trips, local customs or timeshares. We attended his initial St. Croix orientation session and werent impressed. He spent the majority of the hour in rambling tale-telling. The main takeaways we got were: 1. Be polite and respectful to locals and theyll reciprocate (No rocket-science in that tidbit of info) 2. Sweeney is the best tour guide in town. (Read on for more about that) 3. The hourly bus to Fredericksted is only $2 compared to a $20 taxi fare. (There Just saved you an hour of your vacation time! No need to listen to Peters personal perspective on St. Croix history.) The free pamphlets you get from the National Park Service had better historical information and the park staff gave lots of interesting (and non-biased) information. As for island tours, contrary to what Peter tells you, Sweeney is NOT the best tour guide on the island! He was lackadaisical in his tour and haughty in its delivery. We did not get a tour of the rum factory, but just a visit to the showroom. He did not slow down, let alone stop, long enough for us to get photos anywhere. At Whim plantation, he was supposed to give us a tour around the grounds but disappeared. We were supposed to spend time in Fredericksted, and all he did was take us to a place (of his choosing) for lunch and then we left. He didnt want to stop at the Mahogany carving factory, either, until we point blank asked him to since it was supposed to be included in the tour . His microphone did not work properly and all we heard for most of the tour was ear-blasting static. You can do much, much, better hiring your own driver for the day who will take you where you want to go and spend as much time as you like at your chosen locations. Example: Cost for two on Sweeneys tour was apx. $80. Another couple paid the same amount for their own driver for the day and thoroughly enjoyed the trip he gave them. All in all, Hotel on the Cay is a two-star facility located in a two-star location (St. Croix). Would not go back again nor would we recommend it.

We just got back from our honeymoon to St. Croix. We visited during the offseason, 1st week of Sept. 2003. St. Croix is a wonderful place to visit, unfortunately, we wish we had a nicer hotel. The hotel looks great from the outside and has a wonderful "private" beach. The front desk staff was very nice and helpful. The rooms are subpar. Picture a motel room, just not a nice motel like a Motel 6 or a Super 8, just a regular motel room. The shower head sprayed water all over the bathroom floor unless it was at just the right angle. The television had about 6 channels (thankfully they has ESPN), none of which included the Weather Channel. When you're visiting during the middle of hurricane season, it would have been nice to see a forecast. When we first arrived and checked in, the guy who carried a bag to our room for us told us he was a rastafarian and offered to sell us some pot. We were not offended by this but found it to be very out of place. Any older couples or people with kids may have had other opinions. Like I said before, the front desk staff was great and there is an entertainment director named Peter who was a wealth of information and a pleasure to talk to. The island has alot of great sites and we went on some fun tours. Please do not let our opinion of this hotel sway you from visiting this wonderful island!

Did the RCI timeshare thing - and stayed here. It's our second time - so we knew what we getting into - and knew it was worth the problems. The Hotel is easily in the best location in Christensted - maybe in the entire carribean. On it's own island, with a totally wonderful beach - connected to the action (such as it is) in Christensted with it's own personal ferry. So top marks for location. On the other hand - the resort is old, and getting older. It's not the cleanest place in the world (dishes were dirty, and there's no sink), and not the best maintained (screen doors aren't always on the tracks, for one tiny example). But if you look beyond, and just relax - it's one great place to have a vacation. Would I go back - you bet ya! Would I rather they renovated before - sure. But even without - as is always true in the real estate world - it's location, location, location!

We have just returned from our vacation in St. Croix. We had great time. Hotel on the Cay had everything we were looking for. Great view, beautiful beach and friendly people. The accomodations were basic but clean and comfortable. The location of the hotel is the biggest attraction, it is on a little island of its own accross from the Christianhead. They have a very dependable boat service and the trip takes only a minute to get to the town. So you have all the good things of being close to the town and also you feel you have your own island to yourself. We also loved St. Croix, beautiful island and very friendly people.