Where to Stay · Sapphire Beach
$180 a night and $600 a night, on the same half mile of sand.
Here is what actually separates them.
WHERE TO STAY AT SAPPHIRE BEACH
Almost everyone starts by comparing units, which is the hard way to do this. Start by picking the property and the list of 600 drops to something you can actually read.
The three are genuinely different. One sits on the sand, one is up a hill, one is off to the east with a pond and a tennis court. Below is what each is like, what it costs and what the catch is.
01 · ON THE SAND
Sapphire Beach Resort & Marina
The one most people mean when they say they are staying at Sapphire. Six buildings strung along the beach with the marina at the west end and red roofs throughout.
WHY YOU WOULD PICK IT
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You can be in the water in under a minute from most units
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Restaurants, the beach bar and the coffee shop are all a short walk
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Boats and excursions leave from the marina at the end of the property
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A full property generator that runs everything at max capacity, so a St. Thomas power outage does not end your week
THE CATCH
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The highest rates of the three, especially December through April
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Unit condition varies because every owner renovates on their own schedule
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Buildings closest to the beach bar get afternoon noise
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Sargassum lands unevenly along this stretch in the summer
A
BEACH BAR END
B
MIDDLE GREAT PICK
C
PERFECT MIX
D
POOL FACING
E
SUNRISE VIEWS
F
MARINA
02 · UP THE HILL
Sapphire Village
Above everything else on the hill to the west, with blue roofs and the best long views on the property. Seven minutes down to the sand and it is a hill both ways.
WHY YOU WOULD PICK IT
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Roughly half the nightly rate of a comparable beachfront unit
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Sudi's Caribbean Grille on site for breakfast, lunch & dinner
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Views out over St. John and the BVI that the beach buildings do not get
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Two pools and considerably fewer people around them
THE CATCH
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The walk is a real hill and it is worse on the way back up
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You are further from the beach and restaurants and shops
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Backup power covers one outlet per unit, which keeps your phone alive and not your air conditioning
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Space. Most of these are studios, perfect for two but families are tricky.
Saba
101–136 · MARINA SIDE
Dominica
155–190 · MARINA SIDE
Barbados
221–256 · EAST SIDE
Tobago
137–154 · BY THE POOL & RESTAURANT
St. Maarten
191–220 · CENTRAL, BY THE OFFICE
St. Vincent
257–280 · LOWER WEST
St. Kitts
281–325 · NEAREST THE GATE
03 · THE EAST SIDE
Crystal Cove
Set back from the water on the east side of the bay with a natural pond on property and its own buildings A through D.
WHY YOU WOULD PICK IT
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Quieter than the Resort without giving up much walking distance
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Tennis courts and a genuinely pretty stretch of grounds
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Rates usually land below the beachfront buildings for larger space
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Closest access to the seagrass for snorkeling and restaurants
THE CATCH
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You are not stepping straight onto the sand from your door
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Further from the marina if you have early boat mornings
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No generator, so when the power goes out you wait it out like everybody else
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Sargassum does tend to pile up this side when it comes in
A
CLOSE TO BEACH
B
SET BACK
C
UPPER GROUNDS
D
CLOSE TO RESORT
STILL DECIDING
Tell me your situation.
Three different rental properties with three very different experiences, these common scenarios help you decide.
TRAVELING WITH SOMEONE WHO CANNOT DO STAIRS
Crystal Cove
Ground floor units and flat approaches. Ask before booking, since not every building is equal on this.
ONE WEEK BEACH EVERY DAY
Sapphire Beach Resort
Everything you need is right here.
TWO PEOPLE AND A REAL BUDGET
Sapphire Village
The price and space for just two can't be beat.
QUIET & YOU WOULD RATHER NOT OVERPAY
Crystal Cove
The best mix of the two and away from the crowds with natural setting.
NERVOUS ABOUT THE POWER GOING OUT
Sapphire Beach Resort
The only one of the three with a full property generator. If the reviews have made you anxious about outages, this is your answer.
NEXT
Once you have picked a property.
The field guide to the beach
How the bay is laid out, where the three snorkeling spots are and when the sargassum turns up.
Things to do
Most of the good trips on the island leave from the marina at the end of this beach.
Plan your week
Tell us when you are coming and get lodging, excursions and tons of other helpful advice before you land. Sorted.