Staying At the Buccaneer Resort/St. Croix, US VI.

Those who have followed my blogs know that my wife and I had multiple visits the US Virgin Islands of St Thomas and St John in the last few of years. I have previously posted reviews of them and also places we frequented including the Westin on St John and the Sapphire Beach & Marina and The Ritz Carlton on ST. Thomas. After much reading we decided to complete the triangle of the three main islands of the USVI and visit St Croix. We were very happy we did. We enjoyed the island.

It's my wife who now does much of our planning. Each time she consulted me about travel plans in the past half year, the Buccaneer Resort kept coming up in conversation. In the end, after a series of phone calls and personal attention from the Buccaneer Resort, she set up the reservations and I was quite pleased with her choice.

History

The property was part of an estate with the first buildings established in 1653. A century later after the Danes took possession of the islands, the property was used as a sugar factory and a mill was constructed. The ruins are still there. After going through other hands it was also used for cotton growing and cattle raising.

As taken directly from the Buccaneer web site these words describe the early days of the resort...

Finally in 1948, the Armstrong family, who had owned and operated the cattle estate since 1922, opened The Buccaneer for business with eleven guest rooms. It was the first hotel in St. Croix to be built and operated by an island family.

Guests, known as "continentals," made a two-day trip from the mainland to stay there and often mixed their own drinks, helped rake the beach, paint furniture, and plan meals...
Guest rooms, which slowly and steadily grew in number to meet the demands of increasing business, were named after the coin of the day during the swashbuckling buccaneer era, including Lucky Farthings, Pretty Penny, Pieces of Eight and Doubloons, a tradition that continues with the opening of the Luxury Beachside Doubloons.

Making the Deal

My wife and I were traveling on a moderate budget and were booked in the Great House where most rooms seem to be. There are a number of different guest room areas. Some above and some on the beach. The Great House is high up on a hill with commanding views of the beaches and surrounding grounds. There are different level accommodation prices in that building starting at $250 garden view to suites with ocean view at $500 off season. This is also where the main restaurant, The Terrace, is. The accommodations included a buffet breakfast every morning. It was excellent, more later.

Though the Great House is a good climb up a hill from the beaches it can be accomplished in about ten to fifteen minutes but better yet, if, after a tough day of relaxing on the palm tree lined beaches, snorkeling in the resorts clear waters, or roughing it at the pool, you can simply call and a van will pick you up. The same ride is available for those at beach front rooms for coming up to dinner at the Terrace. A quick call and couple of minutes later you are in the lobby of the Great House, down on the beach, or at any part of the complex you need to go to. The guys, who were shuttling people around this huge resort in comfortable and clean vans, were quite friendly and helpful. Though we never did stay in the Great House, I did take a peek at a couple of rooms on the ground floor and they looked quite comfortable and roomy. We would have been quite happy staying in one judging from what a brief glimpse could tell. Do try and get a beach-side view. You won't regret it!

A Side deal

My wife paid for some kind of current deal, Explore and Rejuvenate Package at $100 per couple it enabled us to have a rental car for a day, receive massages at the spa, and have a bottle of champagne upon arrival. I believe there was a choice for green fees for two or tennis involved too. There may have been more to it but that's what I remember and I thought it an excellent value. Best of all, it included a free night stay!

Arrival

We arranged our own transportation to the hotel. They do not have free shuttle from the airport but will arrange transport for you if needed. We had a rental car for the week. That special deal at the hotel that my wife contracted for paid for one day's Hertz rental. With paperwork from the hotel, that free extra day was deducted from our car rental bill when we returned the car at weeks end.

As we entered the gated palm-tree lined entrance of the resort we were greeted by the gate attendant who asked our name. Without hesitation he had us follow a car up to the Main lobby in the Great House.

The people at the desk were expecting us and we were greeted with friendly smiles and punch cocktails, virgin or not. This was our first chance to check out the amazing views, glorious!

Much to our surprise we were upgraded. My wife's eyes noticeably opened with joy when we were told there happened to be room in the luxury beach-side, Doubloons guestrooms. I simply write of our experiences these days and do little of the planning. She had already read about these luxury guestrooms and knew what the Doubloons were about. These rooms start at $500 off season and in high season are $800 per night.

Our Rooms

The resort had a bellman take our luggage and place it into one of the shuttle vans. He then proceeded to take us to our room and show us our accommodations.

Upon opening the door we found a bottle of champagne and a fruit basket with crackers and cheeses. I happen to love Brie, so it was an excellent start.

The bellman first showed us our view. We were on the second floor and the view from our 8' x 18' terrace was beautiful with lush palm trees, blue waters, and a fine beach below. Seeing the rainforest mountains in the back ground completed the painting. The steel and soft-cushioned furniture on the terrace was well made and definitely an upgrade.

We were a bit disappointed that we did not have a king bed. I'm a large guy. The bed we shared was comfortable though. The two queen beds were still lost in the vast size of the all marble-floored room. A large and long, soft-cushioned recliner with a table lamp was perfect for reading while in air-conditioning. A table and chairs were set up by the small bar area that had ice and water refreshed twice a day. A small refrigerator was convenient as was the coffee maker. Along the same wall was a window seat. It was from that side of the room that we overlooked the golf course and health trail.

The TV brought in many continental TV networks including all the cable news stations. A DVD/CD player were there for our convenience. Local calls from the three phones in the room were free.

We were the escorted around the corner to our walk-in closet/dressing room that had drawers and hanger area with a pair of terry robes along with an ironing board that was recessed in the wall. A keyed safe was also in the room though not secured to anything.

A large room with both a large whirlpool tub and a separate, all-tile shower with seat and enough room for four was set beside another room that had a toilet and telephone. There was a sink in the tub and shower room and also a large sink and vanity just outside of it.

According to my wife the brand of counter-top amenities of shampoo, rinse, body cream, and other items were top shelf. Sorry I don't recall the manufacturer but I do recall the company being established in Great Britain.

The Buccaneer does not have the highest quality in towels and bedding but they were adequate. To show how adequate, my wife never once had to ask for extra towels. They were well stocked.

Service and a Couple of Problems

Our daily house-keeping service and turn-down service was perfect. Never a problem. The ladies were sweet and attentive to any small needs we had.

We did have a problem with our A/C one night and a plumbing problem too. I made a call and plumbing problem was taken care of when we were out site seeing during the day.

We were informed that the A/C may have taken a few hours to rectify so we were offered another room for the night and they would send people over to make that move in minutes. We decided to take a chance and hope it would be taken care of in short order. It was, and we had a comfortable nights sleep.

It's here where the hotel was exemplary in their manner. I understand things can happen and on a large complex like this resort, something negative is bound to happen sometime. Kudos to the Buccaneer that attacked the problem without hesitation and looked out for our needs. You can't ask for better than that.

Beaches and Pools

The complex has three beaches. We visited two and were pleased with plenty of lounges and shaded areas. There was none of that coming out in the early morning with people "reserving" their chairs with towels, books and whatever. We had plenty of choice. Now this was the quieter season. We were there in July. I'm not sure what high season brings, but there were plenty of lounges along the beaches. The waters were quite calm too. Many people took advantage of the floats and sunned while relaxing in the water.

Nearby the beaches are two restaurants. On our beach, that also had a small pier where children were jumping off hand-n-hand, is The Mermaid. The outdoor room or beach-side umbrellas in front of the bar were a perfect place for lunch. We ate there a few times. The burgers and the salads were just fine.

On the last day at the resort we noticed a gal coming around to the lounge chairs on the beach. She said it was a new service. I say, "Wonderful". I love being able to sit back and relax, order a drink or lunch, and be able to sign it off to our room. That's relaxing in luxury.

On the other beach just back a bit beyond the pool where we relaxed a couple of times, is the Grotto Grill. We never tried them but it is convenient to the beach and pool. The pool was very clean and the palm trees between it and the beach made for fine subject matter for photos in the evening when we were watching the sunset.

One evening we were enjoying the quiet and comfort of the pool all alone when a crowd came in. OK, it was just another couple. My wife and I decided we would share the pool with them. How nice of us. After talking a little while we discovered we were both celebrating our 35 wedding anniversary this spring/summer. How nice it was talking and sharing time with another couple committed to each other. We had another fine day talking when we went on the Buck Island Tour.

On still nights "no see-ums", tiny gnat like bugs, would come out and be a nuisance. Our room had bug spray, it may be a good idea to bring some though bugs were not a major problem at all. I was just a couple of evenings on the beach where we felt them.

We did some snorkeling from our beach and though there isn't much in underwater flora, we did get to see a turtle and a sting ray. A small reef also gives some views of local underwater fauna. Because the beaches are in a sort of inlet, there is not a lot of boat traffic. It was quite calm and peaceful during our stay.

There were much better places to snorkel. It was however nice to know we could simply swim right out to some underwater wonders from our beach. The resort does have snorkeling equipment. Check my reviews of St Croix Island and Buck Island Reef National Monument for more snorkeling information.

More Dining

As mentioned we did enjoy the resort's beach restaurant during the day for more casual dining and we made use of some of St Croix's excellent dining opportunities in the town of Christiansted, just five minutes away. We did however, have our daily breakfast and dinner a couple of times at the Great House, Terrace Restaurant.

The fabulous views are enhanced by a drink or two from the Terrace Bar that wisely has the bar tenders in a sort of pit so those sitting on the bar stools have a better view of the vistas below and beyond.

Breakfast at the Terrace was quite fine. It is buffet but if you really need one of the staff to get anything for you, they will. The custom omelets were good and each day they had some kind of egg special. They twice offered eggs Benedict and they were perfectly made with a fine tasting hollandaise.

I particularly liked the fresh juices. A mix of guava and pulpy orange was to my liking. Hey, they do know how to make some good grits in the USVI too. The sausage and bacon were different tasting than what I was used to but I happened to enjoy their sausage patties. They offered two kinds of breakfast potatoes each day. Plenty of fresh fruit and a variety of fresh breads, muffins, and cereal were available.

Dinner at the Terrace is an elegant affair but not stuffy. People from other resorts make reservations for this place too. A fine wine list and bar selection starts all off well. Our dinners were perfectly cooked and prepared nicely in a fine presentation. Our waiter was a hoot. We enjoyed the restaurant and suggest trying it at least once even if not staying at the resort.

What is especially creative about the restaurant is that it is open-air but well protected under a roof and just on the other side of the huge terrace area, beyond the bar is another area set up lounge-style that has live music every night. That soft music from there is also is heard in the main restaurant so a romantic feel fills the air.

For anyone not wanting to dine at the restaurant but still looking for some light, night-fare the Terrace Bar area has a "bistro" menu available. Once again you have live music and incredible views. It can't be beat.

A Few Extras to Talk About

The grounds of the resort were beautifully designed and maintained. There was always something being done somewhere but in quiet fashion. Except for hearing a hedge trimmer on our last day, we were not bothered by any undue noises.

We did not golf but an eighteen hold course surrounds the property. They don't use a watering system on the fairways so there was browning due to lack of rain but the greens seemed to be in perfect order. We hooked up with another couple who golfed often and were quite happy with the facility.

Tension

The Concierge Service was spotty. They had a new gal and another who knew the ropes. Sorry, but if I have to watch a concierge start looking up phone numbers for some of the most popular places to dine or visit, in the yellow pages, then something is wrong. That happened when looking for reservations for a fine dining room in town by the name of Savant and also getting information for one of the islands most sought after tours, Buck Island Reef National Monument. Those numbers should be at fingertips if not in the memory banks of a good concierge. One had it right, then other didn't. I'm sorry I lost what I consider "precious vacation time" with someone who should not be at that desk without supervision and a file full of answers to FAQs. I don't blame the person here, she was trying extremely hard to please us. I blame the resort for not giving good training or having someone to support the new person nearby.

Relaxation

Our visit to the spa for our massage found an environment that was pleasing and extremely relaxing with quiet music and pleasant aromas. My massage by Sage was both invigorating and relaxing at the same time. I came out feeling sprite and light in spirit, not bad for a big fat guy. A back problem I went in with was gone!

There is a pool just outside the Spa. The area doesn't look like it is used often and unfortunately doesn't seem to be a priority area of the resort. It's the only area that did not have a "shine" to it.

The nearby resort shops, just steps from the Great House, offer most anything you might need without having to make a trek into town.

The people at the beaches and pool were very friendly and willing to help. The fellow taking care of Water Sports and such was particularly friendly.

I noticed a small room that was dedicated to kids. I never saw anyone in there but I did see some personal sitting some kids on the beach. The gal had the full attention of the two young people she was minding. The kids were having a good time and the gal seemed to know how to deal with kids in a fun and professional way.

Final Thoughts

The resort is a about a half hour ride or less from the airport. It's a level ride so no crazy driving. I liked two things about the location of the resort. It is just a five minute car ride to the main town of Christiansted. That was perfect for us when we wanted to leave the resort for a bit of shopping and or off site dining. The town has some fine dining and a couple of laid back places right on the docks. We loved it.

I also liked that the Buccaneer Resort is midway between the two ends of the island. We were never far from home when we made some excursions on our own.

Throughout the resort, whether it was the gate keeper, the maintenance staff, the shuttle drivers, house keeping and people behind the desk, we found people who were VERY helpful, friendly and professional and made our stay a memorable one. On the two instances where there were problems, the Buccaneer staff jumped to the rescue.

Even though everything wasn't absolutely perfect and the place isn't all white glove service, I still give it a five star rating out of five stars. We had a grand time there feeling safe and pampered on the grounds and also having the freedom to go adventure in town or other parts of the island from a well located property.

My wife and I were sorry we were not able to make it to the Manager's Cocktail Party that is presented every Tuesday and hosted by Elizabeth A. Armstrong, one of the members of the founding family. We came in on a Wednesday and left on a Tuesday. We also missed the weekly "crab races". I read afterward about water colour painting with a local artist up at the terrace. My wife an artist and art teacher herself would have enjoyed that. I suppose you can't do everything, but it sure is fun to try.

I'll also note that beside some of the "packages" available I did notice that a 5% discount to all room charges is available to all return guests. Though the dollar savings is a draw, it was the exemplary service and friendly smiles that will bring us back to the Buccaneer Resort some day.