Jamie D.
Google
Book it! Words can't do justice to the Sandcastle Hotel & Soggy Dollar Bar.
Short version: We stayed in Cottage Beachfront 2 for 5 nights. The view is amazing. The cottage has a king-sized bed & is cozy & comfortable with amenities including beach floats, private beach area, hammocks, welcome gifts, honor bar, priority dinner reservations, & an amazing outdoor shower. The food at Jolly Roger\Spice is 5 stars all the way. The staff are incredibly friendly & helpful. They make you feel like family. The bar gets busy 1st thing with the boats lining up right offshore, & the crowds from cruise ships, but hotel guests take priority & have a private sitting area, so you don't have to fight the masses for a beach spot. If you are looking for an amazing & relaxing experience to make memories, then this is a must-go place. If you can’t stay at the Sandcastle hotel, then at least visit the Soggy Dollar bar. It isn’t on the calendar yet, but we intend to go back. Until then we will Stay Soggy by watching the shoreline & listening to the music.
Detailed version: I surprised my husband with a 5-night stay at Sandcastle for his birthday. He listens to Soggy Dollar Radio non-stop & loves to watch the shore on their webcam, so this seemed like the perfect place to celebrate. I had high expectations & my expectations were exceeded. More importantly, it was an amazing trip for my husband.
It started when we got off the ferry in Jost Van Dyke & were looking for a taxi. A very nice woman, Michelle, came up & asked if we needed help. I told her our need & she offered to help. It turned out that she works at Sandcastle. It was her day off, but she found a taxi & sent us off. It was nice of her to help us (unsolicited) on her day off. This was a great start.
On arrival we were greeted by Tamara with a big smile. Michelle or Tamara checked on us each day. They helped us with reservations & arranged for a taxi to be waiting at the Tortola ferry port when we left.
The cottage was a large room with a king-sized bed, an armoire & a sitting area. The bathroom has a toilet, sink & a door leading to the outside shower. I was a little skeptical of the outside shower, but it was incredible. The weather was warm & the beautiful sky with the sound of the waves while showering was a great experience.
Dinner was at Spice restaurant (Jolly Roger coffee\breakfast spot by day & Spice by night). We were greeted & helped by Geoffrey (Geoffrey by night\Live Wyr by day\Nash by birth). He has an incredible smile & his personality bubbles with friendliness & fun. He waited on us, answered our questions, & never left us needing a thing. The food was amazing. From the appetizer to dessert, everything was made perfectly & tasted delicious.
The next day, we had coffee on our porch & floated in the water for hours (using the complimentary floats provided by Sandcastle). We had breakfast at Jolly Roger where we saw Live Wyr & met Reyonce. They provided a delicious breakfast & coffee with beautiful designs. We met Annie (a mgr) & Gregory (waitstaff) when they welcomed us & checked that we had everything that we needed. This was just the start of the staff's friendliness and superior service.
We ate dinner at Spice 3 nights & Jolly Roger breakfast every morning. The food & service were consistent throughout. Geoffrey & Reyonce are amazing!
The bar is an experience. The bartenders are friendly & skilled. (Shout out to Jamie!) At the bar, there is a drink board. Anyone can go to Soggy Dollar’s website & buy you a Painkiller & send a message which is put on the drink board. Our children & friends were able to send Happy Birthday wishes & buy my husband a drink. We also took advantage of the bar webcam by setting up a time for our kids to see us giving them a wave. They all loved it!
The gift shop is full of fun finds & my favorite shop keeper, Sheena. They sell the usual & quality of the items is good & the prices are on par with a souvenir type shop.
Whether I knew them by name or not, everyone that we encountered during our Sandcastle stay was welcoming & friendly.
