Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina

You know when you read reviews and you go, did we stay at the same resort?! That's a little how I feel with Scrub Island. I try really hard to read reviews and understand where people are coming from before I book a trip - what are their travel experiences that have shaped their perception, etc. In any case, I think people are being far too critical of Scrub Island - this is a lovely resort that is a great option for people who want to experience the British Virgin Islands! I'll start off by saying that I originally looked at a variety of resort options - Saba was booked, Bitter End had not made reservations available yet for its new accommodations (we visited for part of our boat day, and I do love BEYC), and Little Dix Bay was over $2k/night for our dates. I don't know why I didn't look at Peter Island (a travel agent friend visited our same week and thought it was terrific) - maybe because reservations were not yet available since its newly re-opened. In any case, we were very happy with our choice of Scrub Island! For the record, we also met people who moored at Scrub that stayed an additional night because it was such a highlight of a stop for them! And, we talked to lots of folks at the pool, at dinner, etc. who were enjoying their stays. Nary a complaint among those we spoke with, so go figure. I traveled with my husband and two boys, ages 12 and 14. We stayed in a Governor's Suite for 3 nights (this was on the back end of a longer trip). The room was PHENOMENAL. Our balcony in room 1724 was gigantic - and had the most beautiful view. The room was huge and well-appointed. We thought that housekeeping did a nice job every day with twice-daily services. We enjoyed the lovely pool area - kids had a great time on the water trampoline, the slide, and taking out kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, etc. The swim up bar met our needs. If I'm being picky, they don't have drink service at your pool chairs and the service at the swim-up bar is just, eh - but in line with a number of other places in the Caribbean. Would I have enjoyed frozen grapes, popsicles, and cold towels brought to my pool chair? Sure, but did I expect it at the price point? Nope. Based upon reviews we had read, we decided to do breakfast at the market (close to our room) - and honestly, there's no better place to dine than on our gorgeous balcony. I loved sipping coffee and reading my book. We also got pizza there for lunch one day and dinner one night (after a long day out on a boat). We did the breakfast buffet in the restaurant on our final morning - I actually thought the made to order items were very good - the omelet, pancakes, and the french toast (that's the big winner!). Service was not speedy but also par for the course in the Caribbean. We loved the proximity to Marina Cay via the ferry for dinners out (make a reservation - easy to do on their WhatsApp - we had to wait for a while on our first night because we didn't have a reservation). They had incredible food and great drinks - also a very cool vibe. We went there two nights - and loved the lobster mac n cheese and lobster platter. I understand that it's owned by Scrub. Our trip was certainly made better by the full-day charter that we took with Taiwo at TRC Boating - highly recommend! So, my summary is that Scrub is a great value for what it provides - we paid half of what we would've paid to stay in what's considered a comparable resort in the BVIs and my only complaint is that the service wasn't over the top (mostly at the pool). For context, we've enjoyed Four Seasons Anguilla and Four Seasons Maui, Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic, etc. You can see that Scrub is doing lots of renovations right now and I would say that its best days are ahead.

The staff at the resort is good, but the front desk is difficult to communicate wth and is not terribly attentive. The restaurant and other staff are good, nice and courteous. The resort facilities are fairly tired and need a refresh, in my opinion. The facilities are nice, but additional programming would help. Some of the advertised programming, like an organized hiks and the yoga sessions were none existant and the resort had no way of accomodating those requests. The fitness ceter wwas tired and unkempt. Given the nature of this resort and the resort fee, this was upsetting and disappointing. The food quality was great. The spa was beautiful and the staff were great when it was not too busy, but when they got busy, the attentiveness and quality of care slipped. The North beach is gorgeous, but sadly, is not swimmable, as there is no sandy area to walk in and the depth is lacking. The beach by the main resort is also difficult to enter, but at least once in the water, it is much more swimmable, although small and not terribly picyuresqe. The north beach is a far better place to go, but the difficulty in being able to swim there is a major disappintment. Finally, the rooms should be better equipped with wine glasses, corkscrews, and the like. It would be a nice touch.

60% of the staff are asleep at the wheel. The other 40% are holding the resort in place. The breakfast is sad at best. I felt that I've had more choice at a Marriott Courtyard. It really was a poor and sad breakfast. We ate both the casual restaurant and the fine dining restaurant. I could have probably sailed a boat to Virgin Gorda, eaten and been back at my table for how long it took to be served. The service is far too slow for a resort that markets itself as top notch. This is a very average resort that needs an overhaul. I wish that I could write a better review as our villa was cute and adorable but again overpriced. However, there is one amazing staff member, a gentleman from Bali. He brings some life to the report and he is an incredible staff member - he is definitely a part of the 40% of staff working to keep the resort in business.

We were very excited to visit Scrub Island for a night on our vacation. While everything was fine, the staff very friendly and the food ok the general vibe of the place is tired. For the price I am shocked that it is rated 4.5 stars. You can def do better for $1200 a night!

Amazing time! We spent a night mid week on our charter. The marina was great. We did however get a very narrow spot , for first time captains I would recommend having the staff come aboard. We spent the day swimming at the pools and took the shuttle to the other beach. The other beach was currently under construction and had a very small pool. My family did however love the water slide at the main pool, and thought it was so fun that the pool never closes( warning it may be noisy for hotel guests). The market had a wonderful selection and helpful staff. Make sure to take advantage of the free water taxi to trellis bay and marina key. It was wonderful that the paddle boats and kayaks are included with your stay . Can’t wait to come back!