bosco

I could really use some vacation advice. My husband and are interested in taking a vacation next spring to the BVI. We're looking for a small, quaint, charming, elegant hotel, inn, or even a villa/cottage that is close to a beautiful beach with gorgeous scenery. Private beach is preferable. Having a difficult time deciding where to stay. We were interested in Peter Island, but the cost is out of our price range. Accommodation wise, we are looking for something similar to junior suite (not a small room). Our total vacation budget is $6000 (including airfare). Airfare typically costs us about $1300 for two. This budget needs to include accommodations, food and any activities. We looked at Biras Creek, but not sure if it was too rustic, although it does look nice. Is there any other place we should consider? Other hotels, inns and what about villas? Any favorites as far as islands go? Virgin Gorda looks the nicest to me. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

RobertoB

If you haven't seen this site lots of places in the BVIs:

http://britishvirginislands.com/accommodations.htm

beentherealready

check out: guavaberryspringbay.com

TravelingSue

A friend of ours is going all inclusive to Little Dix Bay (in May) for $7000 including airfare, but that is out of NYC, so it might be less(or more) for you. It looks amazing. You might want to check it out.

Dianebridle

www.scubamom.com has a great review on four BVI resorts with direct links to their websites, some of which has virtual tours. This might help.

beth48

You could definitely go to Long Bay on Tortola for that amount of $$. It's a nice resort that sits mostly on a hillside with lovely ocean views from every room. They do have some ocean front rooms also - check out their web site for their variety in room choices. The beach is beautiful and never crowded. I understand there is a nice secluded beach nearby but we never got there. Make sure you rent a car - the views from the hills of Tortola are breathtaking!

rebelyeller

I am not certain how long your planned vacation is but Virgin Gorda is my favorite island in the Caribbean. Biras Creek is constantly rated one of the top resorts in the Caribbean so I don't think you have to worry about it being too rustic. I have never stayed there but have visited the resort several times. My family goes to Virgin Gorda every March for about 10 days and stays in Mahoe Bay in various villas. I think you could probably find one in your price range. Go to www.virgingordabvi.com for rental info. Food is not cheap on the island and most of the restaurants outside of the resorts are average. We usually cook most meals in our villa. There are a couple of grocery stores on the island, one in Spanishtown on the harbor (name escapes me). Good luck.

Eagle

Hi, We have stayed at Mango Bay Resort which is on Mahoe bay. It is quite small, kitchen facilities, one and 2 bedroom private beach and very picturesque. We enjoyedit. Staff was great and there is a great Italian restaurant very neary the grounds that you can walk too. We cooked msot of our meals as restaurants are expensive. Its a goood place and I think we paid about $275 or less a night. Think you would enjoy it.

ejcrowe

I definitely second the recommendation to check out ScubaMom's website. She's got indepth reviews of the major resorts in the Virgin Islands, and also one long review that compares 4 resorts and ranks them for food, romance, privacy, snorkeling, room, and activities.

I love Guana Island, which is a small private island off the coast of Tortola. It's smaller than Peter Island (only 15 cottages for a maximum of 30 guests) but it definitely fulfills your "quaint" and "charming" requirements. Most of the island has been left in its natural state, so there are tons of hiking trails. There are, I think, 7 beaches. One is the main beach with the beach bar and water sports, and the others you have to get to by boat or through a hiking trail. The daily rate includes all meals and wines with lunch and dinner. Drinks and activities like a private castaway picnic or water skiing are extra, but are very reasonably priced. The food at Guana was nearly all fresh--they grow most of their own fruits and vegetables, and the nightly fish option is whatever was caught that morning. The snorkeling was great off the main beach, which never had more than 6 people on it when I was there. The rooms at Guana are grouped in cottages. Each room has a king bed, a bathroom, and a sitting area, in addition to a patio with two loungers on it. The cottages are up on a hill, so you have stunning views of Tortola, the Caribbean, Jost Van Dyke, and the Atlantic, depending on your cottage location.

Last year the off season package for a week at Guana was $3500 for 7 nights, and it included extras like a sunset cruise and a castaway picnic. I'm not sure if the price is the same this year or not, but it sounds like it could be perfect for you and still stay within your price range.

Hope you have a wonderful time in the BVIs, no matter where you choose. If you have other questions, please fire away!

Karissa37

Guavaberry Spring Bay Vacations Homes are TRULY wonderful!! I've spent seven summers of my life there, and never have I had a vacation so wonderful and relaxing...Ask about the HOlly House or the Jemstone...

Good luck!

sunshinenrain

My husband and I went on our honeymoon to the BVI. We loved Little Dix Bay in Virgin Gorda. I believe we paided around $220 a night (during July), not including food. The place was awesome, their beach was nice and they also provided free water taxis to drop you off at any of the other beaches - which we took advantage of every day. The Baths is a definite must see. Virgin Gorda is a beautiful island, and if you love snorkeling and laying on the beach, then this is the place for you. We also loved it because it wasn't as touristy as St. Thomas. St. John's is also worth seeing as they have many, many unspoiled beaches there and 2/3 of the island is a national park. We stayed at the Westin St. John's, which I wouldn't recommend that highly. Food is very expensive on both islands. We typically spent $20-25 for dinner each almost every night.

flypet

Long Bay is great. We've been there twice. Once to honeymoon. Second to vacation with three other couples. Both times were equally wonderful. The property is beautiful, the staff friendly, and the food is great. We have booked, and loved, hillside deluxe both times. Next time we will do beachfront. The island is wonderful. Definitely extend the car rental that will come with your package. Plus, taxis are reasonable and easy to come by. The beaches are all good. Snorkel trips and day trips to other islands are fun. Patouche is a good charter company. We like to ferry to Jost Van Dyke - the island reminds us of the South Pacific in those old, corny John Wayne movies. If there during the full moon then Bomba's Full Moon Party is a must. What a hoot.
Wherever you end up, you'll have a great vacation.

Maureen

We stayed at the Sugar Mill Hotel in Tortola this last December. The villa and plantation suites were the nicest units. Small, quiet, romantic property with outstanding award winning cuisine and breathtaking views. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. You will need to rent a jeep to drive to other beaches as the beach at the property is small and good basically for a place to end the day. Swimming is good at the property. Cane Garden Bay has tons of lounges to rent, good swimming, wonderful views and good food especially at Myett's. Also took a water taxi to Jost Van Dyke for the day from the marina--a short drive from the property.
Restaurant for lunch at Sugar Mill is on the beach with gorgeous views. Pool was usually empty and we had it to ourselves most of the time. We would definitely return to Sugar Mill. The website is sugarmillhotel.com.