Accommodations in the Virgin Islands

Travelers looking for the perfect place to stay have an unusually large range of options in the Virgin Islands. From fabulous campgrounds and eco-tourism sites to all-inclusive hotels and mega-resorts, properties run the gamut of styles and price tags.

With so many lodging styles to choose from, vacationers may want to take a look at a few hotel details before making their choices. You may prefer to search our Star Ratings and Best Hotels For pages to find the amenities or services that best suit you, or you may opt for browsing the alphabetical listing that is also available. Those looking for specific hotel information will find plenty of details on many different aspects by clicking on the name of any property.

Location

Perhaps more so than many other locations in the Caribbean, when planning a vacation in the Virgin Islands, it is immensely important that you consider location.  The Virgin Islands are split up into two different groups, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands, and within each group there are multiple islands.  Although there are a number of ferry services available, if you do not plan to take advantage of water transportation, you will have to select an island to host your vacation. 

The main islands in the British Virgin Islands are Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, and Jost Van Dyke.  In the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas are the main vacation spots.  What most traveler's find is that the U.S. Virgin Islands are more tourist friendly, and offer a number of big name resorts like Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort & Spa (St. Thomas), as well as a wider variety of smaller inns, guest houses, and rental properties.  If you're interested in something more secluded and less overrun, the British Virgin Islands, and properties such as Lavendar Breeze on Jost Van Dyke, will be more up your alley.  Of the British Virgin Islands, Tortola is the most tourist-y, offering the biggest variety of lodging options.

You can learn more about each of the Virgin Islands by visiting our Map of the Virgin Islands.

Types of Accommodations

Hotels

All-inclusive resorts offer plenty of fun for those looking to relax without their wallet or their cares in sight. Meanwhile, mega-resorts offer upscale tropical living. Hotels, inns, and bed-and-breakfasts offer a homier, more intimate alternative to the big resorts.

Condo & Villa Rentals

The Virgin Islands also offer a wide range of rental properties, with options as small as an apartment or as large as your own private island. Villas and cottages are often posh, but many rental properties help keep costs low for budget-conscious travelers. Meanwhile, some travelers even choose to spend their vacation aboard a rented yacht.

Camping & Eco-Tourism

The Virgin Islands are home to some of the world's most famous campgrounds, particularly in the British Virgin Islands where it is perfectly acceptable to set up camp and stay on a pristine tropical beach.  St. John is the only U.S. Virgin Island that has camp grounds, and Maho Bay Camp and Concordia Eco-Tents are two eco-friendly lodging options.

Personal Considerations

There are many interests to take into consideration as you plan where to stay in the Virgin Islands, with everything from the size of the group you're traveling with, to the amount of time you'll spend in the country coming into play.

Party Size

The greater the size of your party, the more effort it will take to find the appropriate lodgings for you.  You want to not only find a place that everyone will fit comfortably in, but that is affordable as well.  You may choose to book several rooms at a budget-friendly hotel, like Heritage Inn (Tortola), which is an all-suites hotel, but a villa rental may be the best option.  This way you will have numerous rooms, more space, and the potential to prepare your own meals because there will most likely be a kitchen included on the property. 

The type of group you are traveling with may be a deciding factor in where you choose to stay as well.  Adult friends looking for a raucous time, a spa getaway, or a golf trip may want to avoid resorts that are geared more towards families, and if a romantic hideaway is what you have planned, choosing a couples-only locale or private rental property will be ideal.  If you are traveling with young children, look out for specials where kids stay and eat free, and properties that have kids pools, playgrounds, and other fun activities planned for the younger set.

Interests

The closer you are to the attractions you want to visit, the easier your trip will be.  If you're itching to explore historic homes and plantations, St. John and St. Croix will be ideal; if island government interests you, those sites are located on St. Thomas, and most of the museums worth visiting are on St. Croix as well.  If pampering is important to you, a hotel that has a spa on-site may be important, or if you're interested in hitting the links, a resort with a golf course on site, like Buccaneer Hotel (St. Croix) will make your commute a non-issue. 

Length of Stay

The longer your stay in the Virgin Islands, the more consideration will have to go into your choice of accommodations.  A weekend trip can be spent pretty much anywhere without much though, but visitors planning week-long trips or more may want to find lodgings that feel more like home.  A rental property is a great option when you're planning on staying for awhile.

Quality

Using our Star Rating system can help you to narrow down your choices when it comes to choosing a hotel in the Virgin Islands.  The Star Rating system judges each hotel independently of price, focusing on the décor, amenities, cleanliness, care the staff provides, and more.  Still, it is common to see that as the Star Rating goes up, the price of the room goes up as well.  Luckily, with a little bit of research, you can find a wide array of pricing options within each Star Rating.  No matter what your budget, you'll be able to find the perfect place to stay.

One and Two Stars

When considering at a 1 Star property in the Virgin Islands, you can expect to find a hotel on the smaller side, typically owned and operated by one person, or a family.  The rooms will be small as well, with few amenities, but this may be just fine for a vacationer who doesn't plan to spend much time in their room to begin with. 

The Virgin Island's 1 Star Properties include Sebastian's On the Beach (Tortola) and Hotel 1829 (Charlotte Amalie), and range in price between $80 to $285(USD).

Still small, but verging on medium-sized, the islands' 2 Star hotels are often still locally owned, but might be part of a national chain.  Amenities will still be few, but you can usually expect to find an on-site restaurant, bar, or at the very least, room service during certain hours of the day.  The Virgin Island's 2 Star properties include Blue Tang (St. John), and Cottages by the Sea (St. Croix) range in price between $95 and $550(USD).

Three Stars

Hotels classified as being 3 Star properties are more spacious than the lower rated properties, and have many more nice amenities.  The rooms may not be overtly-extravagant, but the service will over ride a plain room.  These hotels will will have room service, and perhaps a restaurant or two.  The Virgin Islands' 3 Star properties include Magen's Point Resort (St. Thomas) and White Bay Villas and Seaside Cottages (Jost Van Dyke), and range in price between $170 and $650(USD).

Four Stars

The 4 Star properties in the Virgin Islands can be considered above average in size.  They are well-appointed, well-taken care of, and well-staffed.  Extras might include jacuzzi tubs in the bathroom, or specialty linens.  The Virgin Islands' 4 Star properties include Saba Rock Resort (Virgin Gorda) and , and range in price between $190 and $1050(USD).

Five Stars

Top of the line and best of the best are phrases used to describe the 5 Star hotels in the Virgin Islands.  These properties boast the best in amenities, care, décor, and extras.  It goes without saying that when you select a property rated highly, you will be treated highly during your stay.  We currently have no Virgin Islands properties listed at 5 Stars.

Hotel Search

One of our features at Virgin Islands Guide is an advanced hotel search tool that enables you to narrow your accommodations search down to a few choices.  Enter some details into our system regarding what you're looking for, and we will generate a list that matches your criteria. 

After you learn about all of your accommodation options, you're sure to find one that's just right for your own vacation in the Virgin Islands.