Carambola Beach Resort St. Croix

“Worst Resort Stay Ever – Avoid Carambola at All Costs!” “If you’re looking for friendliness, security, cleanliness, and an overall resort feel – this is NOT the place.” Review: I booked a 7-night stay at Carambola in St. Croix through AA Vacations in August 2025, and it was the worst resort experiences I’ve ever had. From the very beginning, the lack of hospitality was evident. The front desk reps don’t even acknowledge your presence when you walk into the vestibule—you have to be the one to greet them. The guest rooms are shockingly outdated and poorly maintained. There are no phones in the rooms, which means if you have a question or emergency, you must physically walk to reception. Our door lock was dry rotted and fell apart, leaving our room unsecured for the entire day even after we reported it to reception that morning. The wood finishes in the room were grimy and gritty, ants were present, and there was no microwave, which is a problem since food from local markets can’t be warmed up. The amenities are equally disappointing. No lifeguards at the beach or pool, no towel service, and no poolside bar despite being advertised. Not all of the TV channels worked, and at no point during our stay did any staff member check to see if things were going well or if anything could be improved. The resort is also extremely isolated, perched alone on a mountain with nothing within walking distance—no shops, no restaurants, no recreation. You can’t even take a walk off the property safely, since the only access road is a narrow, unlit, curvy mountain road. To make matters worse, the resort forces you to rely on their contracted car service, which is overpriced and unpleasant. We paid $150 for just over two hours of service, and one of the cars had roaches—confirmed by the drivers themselves who carried a can of roach spray in the vehicle. Yes, a roach crawled out during one of my rides. Overall, this was a horrible stay. The front desk staff is unfriendly and unaccommodating, the property is unclean and unsafe, and the entire experience lacks the basic hospitality you’d expect from a “resort.” While it may be quiet, it in no way meets the standard of a resort-quality experience. Bottom line: I would not recommend this place to anyone. Save yourself the frustration and book somewhere else where your time, money, and comfort are valued.

Stayed at Carambola Resort recently. The location and beach are absolutely beautiful, but the resort itself feels very run down and poorly maintained. Cleaning standards are low, and the staff is hit or miss — some very helpful, others not at all. Food was a big letdown and way overpriced. Breakfast was $32 per person for basic eggs, bacon, sausage, and toast. Lunch and dinner were chain-restaurant quality at best. On our first night they had to find staff just to open the restaurant. Thankfully, there are much better options within 10 minutes — The Landing, Off the Wall, and Ama — all on the water and far superior. Finding your room at night can be frustrating since the buildings aren’t well marked. The pool is a nice size but offers very little shade. If you rent a car, the resort is 20 minutes from the airport and within 30 minutes of everything else. St. Croix itself is absolutely awesome — the island made the trip worthwhile. But the resort is best suited if you just need a place to crash while exploring, not if you’re expecting a true resort experience.

This resort has potential but being taken for granted. Having a nice size beach full of seaweed 3 days in a row, poor customer service at your restaurant, and mold/rust in room (unacceptable). The location is great and away from busy town. I would probably suggest renting a car if you are able to drive on opposite side of the road (taxis are expensive). We called the hotel prior to our arrival for a pick up at the airport, we were denied any assistance. Meanwhile talking to one of the taxi driver available at the hotel location we found out it is possible to request an airport pick up. Although, if needed to be drop off at airport from hotel, that service is offered for a fee per person. The beach was cover with seaweed for 3 days. We had to go to another beach to fully enjoy the ocean ( Cay Beach ). Highly recommended. The water is clean. The feet to cross over $5 R/T for adult, $1 kids. They have a BBQ shack ( Rolling Smoke BBQ ) amazing and affordable food options. On the boardwalk before ferry you will find a brunch and ice cream place. The taxi fare from the hotel was $40pp if one person and 20pp if more than 2/3 in group. The food at the resort was “ Meh” nothing stood out for us. Be very careful and check your receipt. We had a price discrepancy in our check, the prices didn’t match the menu price (overcharged). The breakfast was $32pp and $20 kids. Was not worth it for us. The options were limited besides the omelet station. The pastries look frozen, so does the pancake station. The eggs very dry as well as the potatoes. Bagels/yogurt/omelet were ok. The service wasn’t the best either. Lack of service by the pool. We had to walk to front desk for towels. Pool is a decent size. Assuming they: Upgrade the rooms Clean the beach every 2 days Assign an attendant to the pool Add a satellite bar by the tennis court Add some games and wooden chairs on the lawn by tennis court with lights and a fire pit at night Lower the breakfast price or provide more options or simply better food quality choices Modify your lunch menu to reflect island/tropical food choices: BBQ, Conch fritters, rice, tacos for example at decent price will keep your guests from venturing out if they can get the Caribbean feel over all from food and location especially for those looking to relax Train the staff in customer service and how to speak and address guests.

This is a WOW location. Private, tropical, stunning and perfect if you’re looking for your own private beach vacation. My wife and I will be back soon and often. For a wonderful dining experience there are 2 fabulous restaurants 2 miles away on Cane beach.

What We Loved: From the moment we arrived, the staff — including the front gate security and front desk — were welcoming and kind. Our room wasn’t quite ready despite a late arrival around 5:00 PM, but the friendliness helped ease the wait. Breakfast was a highlight each morning, thanks especially to the cook preparing omelets fresh to order with a great attitude. The resort itself is peaceful and quiet, making it easy to sleep in. The gardeners didn’t start early, which we appreciated. The beach area is absolutely beautiful, with soft white sand, lush green mountain views, and little to no sargassum during our stay. The air conditioning and ceiling fans in the room worked very well, keeping things comfortable. What Needs Work: The property overall is quite run-down. Many areas — including the window coverings, walkways, and buildings — are in need of repair. Gutters had plants growing out of them, and rust was visible throughout. The pool appeared green and uninviting, possibly due to surface discoloration, and the former hot tub has been filled with dirt and turned into a planter. In the room, we found sand on the floor upon arrival, the light and fan in the toilet area didn’t work, and the TV was unusable (we ended up using our own Roku stick). There are no pool or beach towels available onsite — you have to request them at the front desk. Additionally, the rinse-off shower near the beach had very low water pressure and no foot wash area, which probably contributed to the sand tracked into the room. Service at breakfast was lacking. The server/hostess seated us but never returned to the table either day — and the restaurant wasn’t busy, with maybe five tables occupied. WiFi in our room was painfully slow at around 3 Mbps, which made even basic tasks difficult. What to Know Before You Go: • Rooms have a small kitchenette with a fridge, microwave, hot plate, and basic supplies. • The resort is about a 30-minute drive from Christiansted, with patchy cell coverage (Verizon). Download maps ahead of time to be used offline. • Roads are dark at night and very narrow and winding. Driving is on the left side of the road, but cars have U.S.-style left-hand steering wheels. • Drinks at the bar are expensive — a virgin piña colada and a rum and Coke came to $23. Having a rental car and buying beverages offsite is a good call. • The Christiansted boardwalk has great, casual dinner spots with scenic views, chickens wandering around, and large fish looking for scraps near the dock. Food: We only ate breakfast at the resort, which was solid. Omelets were made to order and excellent. Bacon was great, though the potatoes and watermelon were a little dry. My son said the pancakes tasted frozen. The rest of the buffet included scrambled eggs, sausage, biscuits & gravy, cereal, yogurt, fruit, grits, and coffee/juice. In town, we had dinner at Shupe’s on the Boardwalk and The Mill Boardwalk Bar Brick Oven Pizza — both were fantastic. Shupe’s food is served to-go style in a paper bag, but the burgers and Cajun fries were delicious. The Mill’s Meat Freak pizza was a hit with both of us. Marriott Titanium Elite Experience: Status was acknowledged. We received free daily breakfast for two (about a $46 value), a drink voucher for two beverages at the bar, and four complimentary bottles of water per day. A late checkout was granted, though only until noon. No room upgrade was offered, even though the resort appeared mostly empty during our stay. Final Thoughts: This was a relatively inexpensive trip, and to some extent, we got what we paid for. The natural beauty of the location is undeniable, and the peaceful atmosphere is a plus. However, the resort needs significant updates to meet the standards typically expected from a Marriott property. If you’re looking for a quiet beach escape and aren’t too picky about the details, it may be worth it — but go in with modest expectations.