Elysian Beach Resort Hotel

, Charlotte Amalie, Virgin Islands U.S.
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Elysian Beach Resort Hotel

, Charlotte Amalie
6800 Estate Nazareth - Charlotte Amalie - 00802 - Virgin Islands U.S. Hotel Website | 340-775-1000
282 Traveller

Reviews - Elysian Beach Resort Hotel

8/10
Love it, Love it, Love it!
Submitted by: Joanne in 28/03/11
  • Age Group: 60plus
  • From: United States
  • Traveller type: Retired
My husband and I own a timeshare at the Elysian. We have what is called a Lockout, meaning it has two rooms connected. This year we were extremely (EXTREMELY) impressed with the renovation of the rooms. We've never encountered any cockroaches and our unit is on the ground floor. I do not like any kind of bugs what-so-ever so I would definitely know if one was in our rooms. For those people who complain their room wasn't ready when they arrived, most rooms in all hotels aren't ready until around 3:30 or 4:00 anywhere on the island. If you arrive earlier than that, change your clothes and sit on a lounge chair by the beach, read a book and relax or check your email in their lounge. Too many people are uptight when they arrive in St. Thomas. As far as the pool not being usable, there has to be sometime in the year when repairs are made and why not during the summer when the season is slow for receiving tourists? So what if the pool isn't ready? There's a beach right there! The two restaurants that closed aren't owned by the Elysian. So don't blame the resort. I called the Elysian several months ago and asked about the restaurants being closed. They had no idea why they closed either, although, I received just today an email from a friend who said the two restaurants are now open. But don't take my word for that. You can take a taxi into Red Hook. It's just a short drive or rent a car from the airport. Talk to other tourists staying at the resort. They may even drive you into Red Hook if they're renting a car. We always rent a car because we want to explore the whole island while there and try different restaurants and sightsee. I've always found the people at the front desk friendly and not rude at all. In fact, while waiting for our room, we sit and chit chat with them if they aren't too busy. I have seen some pretty rude tourists, though, making all sorts of demands and wonder how the desk people can put up with them. Actually, the majority of residents on the island are very friendly and will go out of their way to welcome tourists. As far as mosquitos, I always bring a spray bottle of repellent with me. It is, after all, the tropics. Same thing with sunscreen. Of course if you buy them at the resort's little store, you're going to pay more. If you don't want to pack that sort of thing, drive to K'Mart or shop at the local drugstore in Red Hook. It's a beautiful resort and every day a maintenance crew is working hard outside. There's a reason why we come back every year. No....I take that back. There's a lot of reasons why we come back every year!
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Historical Traveller Reviews of Elysian Beach Resort Hotel

Want to go back to the Elysian-Loved it!!!!!

from A TripAdvisor Member
My husband and I had the opportunity to travel to the resort the last week of October 2003.We have never visited the island and were a little nervous about the resort based on some of the luke warm reviews that I had previously researched.Let me say that the resort is truly one of the best spots we have ever visited!The room was clean,bright and what a view!.Roberts American grill restaurant was fabulous and Kevin and Paige were the best!!!Bonnies was good for a slow paced breakfast but we didn't bother having dinner there.(Don't waste your time)The location was ideal to hop over to red hook for dinner or a short ferry ride to ST.John.PS-Don't miss the toad and the tart resturant (funky fun)or the old stone farm house-both were incredible.We have traveled all over the carribean and although parts of the island were a little on the run down side, the people were great and we would visit again in a second.Note-the beach may be a little rocky in spots but not terrible and so peaceful.The swimming pool was huge and the seats inside the waterfall were an added bonus.Don't miss the opportunity to visit and leave your rush like existance behind-it feels good !!!!

Extremely peaceful location

from helaurin
We spent a quiet week at the Elysian in May 2002. Overall, we liked it and would consider returning there. Pros: Quiet location (almost to a fault), nice pool (though not huge), nice-sized rooms, good views, quiet beach. Very large bathroom. Nice minibar area. Nice view from private balcony. Staff was generally friendly. Fairly convenient to both Red Hook and Charlotte Amalie by car. Beach was very private (not like Magen's Bay, where we couldn't find any space at all). Cons: When we went, only the little beach bar/grill was open, so there was only one place for food during the week on the resort. Even the poolside bar was closed. We rented a car to check out other resorts and restaurants.
The bathroom space could be more attractively used by using larger tubs (preferably whirlpool or jacuzzis). The resort documentation indicated that non-motorized watersports (snorkeling, ocean kayaking, etc.) were supposed to be included, and they weren't, so we had to rent equipment.
The beach had lots of small and medium rocks just after you entered the water, so you'll need water shoes. The outside jacuzzi by the pool was small, and sometimes not too clean (dirt and plant material sometimes ran into the jacuzzi because of the way it is landscaped). Mixed: For those who like bustling resorts, look elsewhere. If you need peace and quiet (and lots of it), this may be the place for you. Be aware that you will need a car to get food other than beach bar grill food. Also, the grounds are quite hilly; those with knee joint problems may wish to look for a resort that is layed out on more of flat location.

Pleasnat surprise

from A TripAdvisor Member
We were in for a pleasant surprise at the Elysian, after being switched there at the last minute from Blubeard's Castle(due to their construction and pool closing). We inititiated the switch after reading recent reviews on Bluebeards! Having read a number of mixed reviews on Elysian...most of other people's horror stories or disappointments were not experienced by ourselves, or the other couple we traveled with! In general, we were quite pleased with the facility. Because we have used timeshares a number of times, we were already prepared to know that we would not be receiving daily maid service...once a week is average. The room was spacious and very clean and the view was adequate. the rocky beach area leaved a little to be desired, but because we had a car, we drove to the nearby Coki Beach(a jewel) nearly everyday. The pool was quite lovely and seemed to be very well maintained. The food at Bonnie's by the Sea was average(skip the Pig Roast) and we enjoyed a very good meal at Roberts. The proximity of the Elysian to Red Hook made it a quick trip back and forth for groceries( at Marina Market...we were NOT impressed with their coconut muffins) and very close to the ferry to St John's. Golf carts would be helpful for shuttling up and down to the beach/pool area, as everything was on steep inclines(as is all of St T)!! We would return to the Elysian...think since Fairfield recently took it over, they are trying to upgrade the entire facility!

Leaves A Lot to Be Desired

from A TripAdvisor Member
This is our second trip to St. Thomas. Last year's stay at the Marriott Frenchman's Reef set the expectation level high. Therefore my immediate response upon arrival at the Elysian was disappointed. There is NO Grand entryway, lobby, atrium or anything of the sort. just some unenthusiastic employees behind a plain old desk. At check-in the clerk provided us 2 beach towels, 2 room keys and 1 lock for the safe. The towels were clean but it was obvious it was time for them to be replaced. Then they had the nerve to have us sign a waiver for a $25 charge for each towel not returned at checkout. The bellhop or should I just say driver took us up the hill to our room which was a more pleasant experience Nice and spacious! The view was gorgeous! Just be prepared to hike each time to get to the gym, beach, pool, front desk, etc. The rooms are cleaned only on Wednesdays. We had plumbing problems 2 of the 7 days we were there. Bonnies By the Sea left a lot to be desired. My husband and I ate at the bar so he could watch a football game on the TV. This provided a view of the kitchen staff and its practices. The cook did not wear any gloves and continuously wiped sweat from her brow prior to touching food. In addition, she was tasting the food as she prepared it. And what took the cakeis she burned the hamburger buns on the grill so she used a knife to scrape off the burned parts and kept going. It was just beyond belief.
Needless to say that was the ONLY experience I had at Bonnies because we refused to return.Roberts on the other hand is wonderful however he only serves dinner and Sunday Brunch. The chef and staff are very warm and friendly! They went over and beyond our expectations. By the way, be sure to try the She Crab Soup and Homemade Icecream!!!!

loved the elysian

from A TripAdvisor Member
When we first arrived to St thomas we had reservations at Blue Beards Castle. It was so bad that after 2 nights we transferred to the Elysian which is a sister resort. We loved it there. The people were very nice and very helpful. the room was nice, clean, and had a beautiful view. The restuarants (Bonnie's by the Sea and Roberts) had very good food. Between the two restaurants had 5 or 6 meals and everything was very good. Pool was very nice with a tropical appearance. Beach was relaxing with plenty of lounge chairs to kick back in. Watch out for the iguana's at lunch time at Bonnie's by the Sea! They can be a little aggressive for that sandwich! dinners are very nice there being right on the beach. Definately worth renting a car. For $220 from Discount rent a car we had a car for the week, and when you go to St. John, ferry your car there with you!. We went where we wanted and when we wanted. We were always back at the resort by dark though. It gave us time to hang out at the pool and on the beach. (Tell Raphael at the pool hello! very nice man and a true islander. He was a wealth of information for us) I would recommend carrying your own water during the day. It is something that as silly as it sounds could get really expensive! I would freeze a few bottles each night and then place them between my beach towels, for insulation, during the day and they would stay ice cold almost all day. We had some foods in our room so that we didn't have to eat out every meal, every day. Had great breakfasts at Sapphire's beach resort, also worth going there on Sunday afternoons for their beach party. It is a great time to see the locals at their weekly hangout. $10 buffet and there was enough food on the plate to feed a small army! Liked Magen's bay on the north side of the island and really liked Hawksnest bay on St John. On St thomas we found Coki beach to be the most enjoyable snorkling and on St John of course Trunk bay. Oh and don't forget the sunblock! Dealing with a sunburn during vacation is not worth it! you will go home with a tan even if you use sun block (no less than 15 put on a few times each day). Loved the Elysian, loved the island, and would recommend anyone to try a trip there.

Had A Great Time!

from A TripAdvisor Member
My husband and I recently spent a week in St. Thomas. We stayed at the Elysian. We had a wonderful time. We arrived, not expecting much after reading other reviews. The culture is not the steriotypical "American" culture. It is very laid back -- that's one of the things that makes St. Thomas a great vacation spot. We soon learned that if you are nice to the staff, they are nice to you! They were always willing to help when treated respectfully and patiently. The resort was clean and well maintained, but not the Ritz! We checked out other resorts on the island and soon found that the Elysian was much better than average. The only resort that we found to be better was the Ritz-Carlton.

Food on the island is expensive. Water was $4.00/bottle! It would be a good idea to pack a few bottles of water from home and buy gallons of distilled water at the grocery store to refill them. We also bought cereal for breakfast and food to make sandwiches for lunch -- that helped keep the expense down. Robert's and Bonnie's By the Sea (both on the Elysian property) had great food. Bonnie's was very reasonable, Robert's was more expensive ($22-$28 per entree) which is more typical of the prices on St. Thomas.

We rented a car for the week -- it was well worth it. We visited 5 different beaches during our week there. I highly recommend taking the car ferry at Red Hook to St. John. Trunk Bay was our favorite beach.

Had a wonderful time!!!

from A TripAdvisor Member
We just returned from a week long vacation in St. Thomas. We stayed at the Elysian Beach Resort. I give the island high marks for beautiful beaches and just wonderful nature and views. We also enjoyed our stay at the Elysian. We knew that it was a time share and not a hotel, and so we didn't have high expectations. The room was nice and clean. The beach was pretty although a bit small (remember to bring water shoes because it's rocky). Bonnie's and Robert's are too expensive and not worh the money. Don't eat there. I suggest you rent a car (a compact for a week was $ 194 at AVIS) and go to nearby Red Hook were you'll find a wide choice of restaurants (Daffy's is good and inexpensive.
Fungi on the Beach not worth the money). Pick up groceries at Marina Market (great bakery with wonderful coconut muffins). Also in Red Hook you can catch the ferry to St. John. With our little rented car we beach hopped the whole week (twice at St. John - it costs $ 35 round trip to transport your car and family on the ferry - worth it because you would need a taxi there anyways). Whatever hotel you decide on, make sure it's on the east end of St. Thomas. Most of the action and beaches (Secret Harbor, Sapphire, Coki) are there, and the drive to Megen's bay is not too long. Compared to what we are used to here in the continental USA, everywhere on St. Thomas the service is slow and the attitude is laid back (somewhat indiferent). But if you are cool and relaxed about it and adapt to the slow pace and the "island time" you'll find the locals to be very friendly and well disposed. And you'll have a great time too! I will definitely return to St. Thomas, but maybe stay at Secret Harbor Beachside Villas. The quality of that hotel is similar to the Elysian's, but the beach is much better.

never again!

from A TripAdvisor Member
The bartender and chef at Robert's (an on-site restaurant) were friendly, fun, and could make a fabulous drink and/ or meal! That is the ONLY good thing about this place! Bonnies has terrible food and service (that is if you even have the patience to wait long enough to be acknowledged). The iguanas that swarm the dining area are much more pleasant than the staff. The front desk staff was nothing but rude!!!!
Our room was cleaned once in a week...and even then only 1 clean towel was left. If you need toilet paper you must beg and weep to the desk or a passing maid if you are lucky enough to catch one. The beach was pretty and we had a great view from our room. If you plan to visit the Elysian, a bit of advice... bring your own towels and toilet paper.
There is no iron, so pack only wrinkle proof clothing. Lug a hair dryer in that suitcase as well, you won't find one here. Wear your crash helmet when on the road (or dealing w/ the front desk for that matter).
Bring Lysol, the place smells like mold. I enjoyed the US and BVI"s...just not our accomidations. A motel 6 would have been better!

A Mixed Review for the Elysian

from trinigirlmd
Take heed -- the Elysian is not a hotel. It is a Timeshare resort and does not offer the same service as a full service hotel!!!!

We stayed at the Elysian late June/early July 2003. We paid very little for our room (about 25% of the list rate) because we won a travel auction, so it was worth what we paid. Small but nice beach (has rocks near the water so bring beach shoes.) Beach had lots of chairs and quite a bit of shade.

Our room was cleaned once -- on the Wednesday of the week we were there. If you're willing to pay extra you can have your room cleaned every day.

We stayed in a hotel room in the F building near the ice machines. From our balcony we had a nice view of the ocean. Our room had two beds, satellite TV, lots of closet space, separate dressing area, separate tub & bath, microwave and a mini refrigerator and some plates and cutlery.

IMO the resort is very quiet, very clean and well-maintained. We ate at Bonnie's most days for breakfast. A previous poster was right. Service is spotty at Bonnie's. After the first day we started seating ourselves and became regulars so service got better. We didn't eat at Roberts (the other restaurant on site.)

The resort is a long uphill walk from the main road, so it's worthwhile to rent a car -- unless you're fit. They drive on the opposite side of the road, but the roads are very smooth, although they're winding and steep. My husband got the hang of it pretty quickly, although turns were a challenge.

We got a very good rate from the stateside Budget Car Rental -- not the local one because they were much higher. Don't believe anyone who says the local Budget franchise will not accept your Internet booking on the main Budget site.

Service at the Elysian (and most of the island) reminded me of service in another famous Caribbean island we've been to. You always got the feeling that you were interrupting the staff from doing something really important :-) Don't be shy to ask for what you want. Including towels and wash cloths that seemed to be in short supply.

Take advantage of the almost free shuttle (started July 1) that takes you to shopping, Bluebeard's and Magen's Bay. It was great to let someone else do the driving.

Do not use the telephone if you can avoid it. The cost is about $6 each time you use the phone! I believe there's a pay phone near Bonnie's where you could avoid the surcharge.

Check in on the Saturday we got there was quick and efficient. Check out was a hassle because we were leaving on a Saturday and there was only one person at the desk at the 10 am mandatory checkout time.

The Elysian is in the East End which makes it very accessible to lots of restaurants, the ferries to St John and the British Virgin Islands, grocery stores (Marina Market's bakery was fantastic) and Internet access (we used Grateful Deli -- but it was slow, but cheap.) By the way, signage to the Elysian from the main road is non-existent. Look for the small Bonnie's sign so you will know where to turn.

Had a nice time in the Virgin Islands -- even got over to St John and visited Hawksnest Beach and Trunk Bay.

The weather cooperated while we were there, so that made all the difference. We could leave the resort every day and go someplace else.

All in all, the Elysian provided fair service for a really low price.
We were satisfied.

St. Thomas is a Paradise

from A TripAdvisor Member
We stayed at the Elysian Resort near Red Hook on St. Thomas. We loved the Island despite some shortcomings. The resort had a wonderful beach and a great restaurant which was reasonable and excellent.

We were nestled between the Ritz Carlton and the Yacht Club so the location was great. It was a 5 minute cab ride to Red Hook which also had great restaurants and nice little shops. We took cabs everywhere we went which cost us about $125 for 6 days. - $50 of that was the r/t to the airport. They charge per person.

Alcohol was extremely cheap there. We bought all of our booze from Kmarts which had great choices. If you buy a bottle of rum distilled in the VI you are able to bring back an additional 5 bottles per person. AWalmart and Home Depot will be opening up in 2003.

Food is very expensive from the market. We had a small kitchenette which included a microwave, coffee pot, sink and small fridge. We had beer and coffee in our room which helped defray the expense. There are always happy hours around so that's good.

There will be a gift shop at the Resort in December so that will help when buying small items. There is a mail service in Red Hook to mail post cards also.

We were there from 11/13-11/19. Although it was the rainy season, we had minimal rain. The weather was fantastic. 80 degrees year round with minimal humidity. There were events arranged by the resort daily which you could do or just laze around at the beach.

We were in a deluxe room which consisted of ceramic tile, private balcony, kind size bed, TV with cable, huge bathroom, 2 large closets and the kitchenette. We paid $104 per night including taxes.

The coffeepot leaked and there was no hot water.
We changed rooms once because the TV was bad so...you need to check things out when you arrive. The resort is 15 years old. But, the location really was great, I think.

Top Local Tips for Charlotte Amalie

Restaurants Off the hook-Red Bank, Indigo Megans Bay Hotel, St Thomas Diary-near Megans Bay, Roberts-the Elysian

Latitude 18, near Red Hook If you like music, jazz, follk, R&B, maybe a little dancing, and a funky beach atmosphere, find Latitude 18 off the road to Elysian and other resorts. It's on a terrible side road, watch for signs, follow it until you think you must have gone wrong, and there you are. Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sun afternoon are usually good times. Food is simple but good. Live-aboard boat people go here. Excellent local bands.

Latitude 18 There is a small restaurant/bar not too far from the Elysian the we went to for good music and lots of fun. You have a relaxing water front view and friendly locals to hang out with.

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Other names for Elysian Beach Resort Hotel

  • hotel elysian beach
  • elysian beach st thomas
  • elysian beach resort st thomas
  • elysian beach resort
  • elysian beach hotel
  • Address: 6800 Estate Nazareth - Charlotte Amalie - 00802 - Virgin Islands U.S.
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