Carambola Beach Resort St. Croix, US Virgin Islands

As many others have written, this property has SOOO much potential. I really wanted to give it 4 stars but 3.5 is the best it deserves; however, a 1 star is underrated and a 5 star is overrated. Positives for me included 1) a rapid check in 2) a roomy and clean room (#097) 3) attentive service … but you did need to request it 4) satisfying food at the bar with reasonable prices (alcohol was expensive) 5) snorkeling area in Davis Bay 6) a quiet atmosphere off the tourist area. Negatives for me 1) the pool is swim able but is now permanently stained from previous months of neglect. It was being serviced during my stay but needs to be drained and resurfaced. Shame on Marriott for depicting it as pristine with a working hot tub on the website 2) the beach while nice is also depicted as pristine. It only needs a few days of TLC maintenance with new and matching chairs and umbrellas 3) trash around the property (while most is the result of unsophisticated guests) needs to be picked up immediately. This wasn’t as excessive as others have mentioned but it exists. Bottom Line is it’s a higher maintenance property (many separate buildings) in a difficult high-humidity climate. I loved the drive to the property (rent a car) but watch out for pot holes. Value for the price paid still 3.5 stars

Shocked this property is even associated with marriott. By far the most outdated and rundown property of theres I've ever visited. Booked 4 nights moved out after 2. The rooms are so dated. Tvs don't work. Trash cans over flowing. Dirt and debris piled up in areas. Windows not cleaned in years. Pool tiles are mostly loose and shifting. Algae in large spots of the pool. On a positive note the views are awesome and the dinners excellent. Needs a complete make over. I stay over 100 nights a year at marriott and this was embarrassing.

The reviews had me worried, but we honestly loved our stay. We had a second floor room, and it was really pretty, spacious, and clean. The bed was very comfortable, and the AC was great. We had a lovely balcony and great ocean views. The only strange thing was the shower only had warm/hot water, which wasn't a problem for us so we didn't ask for a room change. Our room was a walk from the main building, which gave us some good exercise and kept things peaceful and quiet. If you have mobility issues, you may want to call ahead and make sure they give you a room in a closer building. We loved the grounds, and the snorkeling right our your door was excellent! The beach wasn't raked thoroughly, but we personally liked the more natural look. Pool was very nice (I'm picky, and I didnt think it was gross or anything), and restaurants had good food. Restaurant prices were a bit high, so we did go venture to some of the other restaurants in the area (not very many). We rented a car so we could explore more, and I would recommend that. Overall, if you're looking for an absolutely pristine property, you should be paying absolutely pristine prices. There is no poolside drink service, *only* 1.5 restaurants (one is only open on weekends), and every surface isn't repainted every 4months to combat being right on the shore. But honestly, we really loved it, thought it was very nice, and would come back. One rec: bring bug spray (for the whole island)

The unfriendly front desk employees make you feel not welcome from check in to check out. Resort grounds are not kept up. Room, bed linens and furniture all need some updating. It does not seem to have the typical Marriott standards. Beach sunsets are beautiful.

Our recent stay at Carambola Beach Resort, a Marriott property managed by Aimbridge Hospitality, left us with mixed feelings. Traveling with two families and teenagers, a total of nine people, we booked four Beach Front suites. While the potential of the grounds is evident, various aspects of our experience fell short. General Manager , Gerald Tellez was never on the ground and was not available to meet, even after Linkedin messages. We did speak with his assistant manager who was trying to help to limited success. Check-in: Despite using the Marriott mobile application for a seemingly quicker check-in, the process took an hour. Our request for four rooms next to each other was partially fulfilled, with two rooms adjacent and two further apart. Unfortunately, communication and coordination seemed lacking. Grounds: The grounds, cleaned daily, boast a beautiful beach. However, the absence of umbrellas and limited beds left us organizing our own relaxation spots. The ocean, though spectacular, highlighted some maintenance issues such as filthy steps, dead cockroaches, and broken paths. Unfortunately, the pool fell below our expectations, and the non-functional hot tub added to the disappointment. Rooms: The junior suites impressed with a modern 50” TV but fell short on cleanliness. Sand in the rooms was a recurrent issue, requiring multiple requests for cleaning. Only the parent room received daily attention. The presence of live cockroaches in one room was a concerning experience. On a positive note, the amenities like the shower, comfortable bed, and balcony with a stunning view stood out. No WIFI in the rooms, only in the lobby and pool area. Restaurants: Our inclusive breakfast experience left much to be desired. The omelette station shone, but other dishes were bland, and service was lacking. Dinner at the grill was marred by extended waiting times, although lunch on the final day provided a more positive experience. Bar: Disappointing incidents at the bar where we were asked to return after 30 minutes due to the bartender being busy was a unique and unwelcome experience. Reception/Service: Service issues persisted, with unenthusiastic reception staff. Positive encounters with Jahneesha, Lenesa, and Naishma were overshadowed by a general lack of responsiveness from other team members. Requests to change sheets, clean rooms, and obtain basic amenities were met with surprising resistance. Asking us, the guest to change the sheets and clean the rooms… Bellboy: David, the bellboy, stood out as a positive force, providing assistance with a smile and good vibes. Conclusion: Regrettably, due to the overall experience and the apparent need for substantial improvements in service and maintenance, we cannot envision returning to Carambola Beach Resort. A change in ownership and significant upgrades to the grounds are essential before we can recommend this hotel to others.

This resort has so much potential. Sadly it is not well maintained. Very surprised this is a Marriott resort. Pros: The staff is very friendly. Mark and Erald are friendly and excellent bartenders. Great fish tacos. The beach is great. Cons: resort is kind of run down (doesn’t seem like the owners really care), the pool is green and needs to be drained, internet and tv is not available in all rooms, rooms cleaned every 2 days. You need cash for every taxi ride and this resort doesn’t have an ATM as a heads up.

I enjoyed my stay my room was ready when I got there and it was clean. It’s quiet and very relaxing. The view from my room was perfect. I don’t recommend beachfront your paying extra for nothing. Oceanfront should be just fine. Housekeeping came every other day like they said when we checked in which I was fine with and when we needed more things we got them quickly. The beach was clean as well as the pool and jacuzzi. The jacuzzi wasn’t working at the time the bubbles come in hug it never got hot. After 10pm it’s absolutely silent nothing is available on the resort. There are no phones in the room so you have to walk to the front desk and there is absolutely no service in the room unless you come out of the room. I have T-Mobile and my partner had xfinity which worked perfectly fine. There is no WiFi in the room. There are two restaurants fine dining and for dinner and why but the pool that serves things like pizza wings fries wraps etc. the food was good especially the pizza and wings and the pizza was big. We also ate at the fine dining and I all thought the menu was limited the food I had was prepared good it was cold and maybe took about 30 minutes to receive. I never ate breakfast didn’t think it was worth $30 for what they were offering. Uber and Lyft don’t exist you have to schedule a taxi an hour before you want to go. I enjoyed the resort I recommend for romance relaxation and peace.

I dont take reviews lightly - look at my travels and you will see what I mean. So here goes! BACKGROUND: Three couples (including my wife and I) decided to take a chance on this resort back in the summer (for a February trip). We read the reviews (many times), looked at the pictures (many times) and debated changing resorts (many times). I'll tell you that all the poor reviews have merit, but I don't think it's as bad as some say, but get this: The Resort has seen better days! Was probably 5 star when the pictures were taken - but that had to be a LONG LONG time ago! I'll give you the pros and cons - and let you make the decision. PROS: 1) The beach is nice, plenty wide, and beautiful. There's some erosion in parts, but very nice. 2) The A/C in the rooms worked very good! I don't take to going on vacation and sweating to death 3) The beds were super comfortable! I'm talking SUPER comfy! CONS (Where to start) 1) I'm a 20 year Bonvoy member - doesn't matter 2) EXTREMELY REMOTE - 30 minutes from nearest town - if you don't have a car you will REGRET IT! Taxis are scarce! 3) They don't answer the phone - don't even bother 4) No Internet in the rooms - service only available at restaurants and front desk 5) Many reviews talked about restaurants running out of food! YES, YES, YES! For the 5 days we were there - they didn't have any lite beer???? No wine???? Every day they didn't have menu items! I went to the store and bought cases of Miller Lite - they couldn't do that? ***? 6) Workout facility is a joke, half the free weights are missing 7) Overall, the resort is WORN OUT AND TIRED - landscaping poor, pool deck falling apart, furniture stained, rooms beat up! I could go on - but I'll leave it at that! If you want a nice place - go down to the Buccaneer! We did - fabulous!

My experience was similar to the most recent reviews highlighting lackluster experience. The staff is amazing. The property is dated. No WiFi in rooms. The pool was cloudy. The property maintenance was lacking. Then there’s the blackouts with the electricity. All the other things I was willing to contribute to off season, but this was just mind blowing. Like, certainly not what I would expect from a Marriott property. They did offer to comp our night. The electricity was off that morning when we left for the beach. It was still off when we returned. It finally came back on as I was consoling hotels. Sleeping without air conditioning is not an option for me. Overall, just not an impressive stay. It was on the level of Motel 6 with a beautiful beach to look at. I would not stay here again.