The Hotel on the Cay

A 5⭐ for the service. A 5⭐ for the location. A 3⭐ for the grounds. Management is in the process of updating The Hotel's outside and the rooms. There was a little bit of construction going on. I can't wait to see the finished product. Hotel on The Cay is located on Protestant Cay. There's a free taxi boat to the island that's right off the coast of Christansted. It runs every 10 minutes 24/7. There are lots of bars and restaurants a short walk from the dock. There is also a BBQ restaurant and Bar on the beach near the hotel. Next time we visit St. Croix we'll definitely stay here again. FYI A cab from the airport was $40 for a couple with 4 bags.

Okay!! You gotta on the Cay! At least once for the experience of having your own private island for vacation. Under renovation right now but very nicely moving forward. Very nice beach bar. Good BBQ on the beach. Everything like chairs snd umbrellas amd volleyball and nice smooth sand to walk on. Gotta stay here for the experience! Not a bad price, about 150 a night during off season!

Wow! What a great vacation. The property is old and under renovations and no pool but, beautiful beach & snorkeling. Room was very clean and housekeeping did a thorough job. Water taxi was always available so no worries getting back and forth to the boardwalk. What really made the stay great were all the employee’s . Thank you to: Faye, Sarah, Joan, Kayla, Ayo, Jenyah, Dana, Kaz & Ramon. You have to play Bingo on Wednesdays my friend Carol won on her birthday . Will be back.

From the shuttle across the water from the boardwalk to the office personnel when you arrive the experience was great. |The hotel is in a great location and the beach along with the views were awesome. |The room was comfortable, small balcony, view was great, along with the bed I slept well.|Downside is they are still in the midst of rebuilding the grounds along with the pool area. With maintenance and overall recovery from past storms in 2017 that hit them real hard as construction material with old items scattered in areas that very well could be put away from visiting eyes. |Lots to be done to bring this hotel back to its former glory with project funding hopefully this will be accomplished..

Has seen it's better days, but still a cool hotel. Currently under modest renovation. When I stayed here in the late 90s is was great. Rooms are island style, air conditioning was good. The location is awesome with the beach and bar the draw. Customer service is few and far between on the island as a whole, so don't be shocked when everyone you encounter is annoyed because you're a mainlander....... surprisingly even the bartenders.

We have been coming here for 24 years but we left only three days into or stay and don't plan on returning until three hotel is majorly upgraded. There is no generator so when the power goes up which is frequently there is also no water. We were without both for hours. The place looks like a dump. Using a microwave in one room blew the power in other rooms. The older staff was very helpful but the younger staff could have cared less. They replaced the railings on the balconies with solid walls so you can no longer sit on the balcony and see the beach. We had high hopes for this new owner but the place is going down fast. After 24 years we will not be back.

Rooms are dated, not cleaned daily, cracked tiles, walls, ceiling, ants everywhere. No room service, had to carry our own luggage up flights of stairs, no safe and no pool. More like an extended stay, not a hotel. Staff was accomodating, very friendly, pleasant and upfront about challenges. The plus side is the beach is wonderful and the night life for the bar was fun. There is sometimes a delay in getting the ferry, but the captains are pleasant and informative. Not worth the money for a full vacation stay.

Do not eat at the beach bar unless you like plastic in your food. Waited over and hour for chairs, never got them, the food is awful. Don’t recommend 😔

The hotel needs a major makeover, pool and fountains all empty holding still water for mosquitos population to boom. The AC unit barely worked and made loud noises all night, the tv was not clear with no smart features and sadly rooms walls where a bit thin so we could hear screaming baby all night which also made it difficult for intimacy. my husband & I were celebrating 20th wedding anniversary so that was a bit disappointing.

I have been coming to Hotel on the Cay since I was a young teen, and now over 20 years later, I am still visiting yearly but now with my husband and 3 children in tow. Year after year, we count down the days until our next visit to our favorite place on Earth. It's such a special and magical place on an incredibly beautiful island. Our kids swim with turtles all day, eat ice pops on the beautiful soft sandy beach, and float around on the beautiful calm waters. We are all living the dream while vacationing here. We love coming back year after year because there isn't any place more beautiful and the people are happy, friendly, and welcoming. Cathy the manager is wonderful! She makes sure to greet us with a smile and makes sure everything is perfect. It's just a quick ferry ride over to town so it's nice to be able to walk everywhere. We can't wait to see you all in November! Love, The Budd's

Customer service needs work man !! I could not believe how rude the supervisor at the front desk was. For the two nights we stayed there, this woman has no interest in my bf & I's presence. Upon check in (booked through hotels.com for a really good deal), the supervisor was unable to locate our reservation. If you've ever traveled like an ocean away, that's the last thing you'd wanna hear. I had my reservation pulled up in my phone to verify the booking. About 8 mins pass and they find the reservation in the computer and not in their folder. Some advice: make sure to have your e-mail ready. We eventually was given the run down on the hotel and the time the boat runs back and forth to the dock. FYI: This hotel is on another island that you take by boat. Not far at all. About a 4 min ride. My bf and I settled in and I wanted to take a nap but we were hungry. He wanted to check out the bar for food and drinks. Food: stopped serving by 4. We were 14 mins late. Later that night I needed WiFi because I was still working while away. When I asked for the code at the front desk, our bestie mumbled it without looking at us. I then asked her what it was again. She mumbled it...again. Sigh. Day TWO! Bf and I decide we know where we're going to eat so we Opt for that and decide to come to the hotel later that night for drinks. The bar was closing up at 10. As we approached we were told that they ain't had nothing for us but a couple options. Hhhannnoyyeeedd!! We got one drink each and went to our rooms. The bartender was nice enough to get us some coke for free in our cups to drink with our Crucian rum we bought. Bf passed out and I watched Cartoon Network til I passed out. If you have to stay here, then do it. If not, you're not missing out.

I booked St Croix bc it's the only place my husband and I could go in the Caribbean without a COVID test...but bam, the very next day after booking flights, a covid test was required. I researched many hotels before finally settling on Hotel on the Cay (cay pronounced key). But listen, you're paying $170ish a night for a pretty ok-ish hotel. If you want luxury, book The Buccaneer for $2,065 a night. Otherwise I'm pretty sure this hotel is the next best option. If you are a complainer, don't stay here, you'll just find something to complain about the whole time and you'll ruin your own trip. But if you want a clean hotel room that's cute, amazing views, a clean beach, lounge chairs, good food, good drinks, and a quick ferry ride into the "town", this is the place for you!

I love the beach here but I was disappointed when they told my brother in law that his service dog could not come. I called the hotel the next day as they state on several websites that service dogs are allowed (which is a law) but that the only service dogs allowed on the beach are the ones that are staying with guests of the hotel. I tried to push and in the end the lady I was speaking to said "ok then" and hung up. Refusing entry or service to someone with a disability is illegal but they seem to not understand this. The purpose of service dogs is to enable ALL persons the right to enjoy establishments. I am truly disgusted that they are this ignorant. Service dogs are allowed on protected national parks but not on a beach with a shitty, out of date hotel?! Furthermore, the gentleman who sets up umbrellas/ chairs was completely rude and unpleasant to me.

I would like to start by saying it was my lifes dream to stay here. I was do disappointed, they lied about having an elevator. I heard there was free breakfast but it was not offered to us. Sorry I would not stay there ever again, A.MM.

Great place if you just need a place to lay your head and a cool private beach to chill. We stayed here for the week and we were not disappointed. Best part of the week were the conversations with our ferry driver Miles. We will be back to St. Croix 100% because of him and his love of the island. He gave us great recommendations on places to eat, places to visit, places to snorkel, and all around advise of the island. He totally made this trip better for us first timers to the Caribbean. Thanks Miles, and thank you St Croix. Hotel on the Cay was worth the money, worth our time, and we will be back very soon. By the way, the reef off the island is active and amazing. Great for snorkeling!!!

Amazing!!!. All the staff was so sweet. The bar is amazing with a great grill to eat at. The ferry only takes about 2-5 minutes. All the people we met here was so sweet and welcoming. We are already planning another trip next spring.

I like the beach here, as well as the restaurant. Even enjoyed the hotel before I bought a condo in St. Croix. I don't mind that you can't bring your own chairs, since you need to rent them, or even the fact you can't bring your own cooler, necessitating that you buy all your drinks at the bar. The issue I have is that I watched this place deny a woman who had a DIABETIC SERVICE DOG. The dog was literally a necessity, and apparently they don't know the law. It was a selfish cash grab, and it's reported to the ADA. I'd be happy to share details once the complaint is filled. It belonged to my friend, and was medically prescribed, wearing its vest, with all the papers. Not sure what to say besides the fact that the staff is uninformed and doesn't care.

We didn't stay here so my review is only on the ferry service, beach, and restaurant. We came to the beach for my birthday and it was just amazing. Beautiful crystal clear water, nice people, lots of fish to look at, and great food and drinks. My hubby is not big on open water and had never swam in the ocean and this was the absolute best place to do it. Worth every penny of the $5 ferry ride. Next time we come we will be staying here.

Nice concept but this hotel needs a lot of work to bring it to the kind of life it deserves. Customer service was really good. Friendly and helpfull folks in the front desk. As with everything on this island, most of the buildings are old and require rebuild after a hurracane. The furnitures in the room are old so it gives the room an old look like the 70s or 80s. So the hotel is on an island of its own therefore you get great view of the ocean all around. There's a beach on the cay and I think the only beach in Christiansted. Guest of the hotel have free access to the beach but folks from the island come across on a small fee less than $5 round trip. A boat ride gets you from the main island to the cay and back to main island is the only transportation on the cay. From the cay you see, hear and feel the buzz on the boardwalk lined with various restaurants, bars, hotels, and stores for your shopping needs.

I'm currently staying at the Hotel on the Cay doing post disaster work following Hurricane Maria. Although the hotel isn't operating with 100% amenities, it couldn't have been a better experience. The staff/management from Wisconsin has been amazing. They've been very helpful with any request I've had. Being that I've been on island for 6 weeks I've stayed at many other hotels downtown. None of them compare to this one. The rooms seem newly renovated and the beds are very comfy. Each rooms has a mini fridge, microwave, and toaster oven. The rooms are very clean and modern. Dont hesitate to spend your money here. You won't be disappointed.

This review comes with a note: I did not stay at the hotel. I came here to spend the day at the beach when my cruise ship docked in Frederiksted, so my review is based on that experience only. The beach at this hotel is beautiful. The hotel is located on a little island within quick boating distance of the boardwalk in Christiansted. My first "beach day" in the Caribbean was spent at this place, and I do not regret spending my day in St. Croix here rather than on one of the other excursions offered by my cruise ship. While the beach does face a bay and you cannot go out very far because of the boats, it's still a beautiful stretch of beachfront with the loveliest crystal-blue water. Be prepared to rent an umbrella when you come here, because there aren't enough palm trees to provide adequate shade and the Caribbean sun is very strong - a lesson I learned in Puerto Rico - and you will burn if you don't take precautions. It cost $10 to rent an umbrella. I don't know how much it costs to rent a beach chair because mine was included in the money I forked over to the cruise company to book the excursion to the Hotel on the Cay in the first place. The beach was incredibly relaxing. I went there on a sublimely perfect day - it was very warm, but not suffocatingly hot; the sun was out the entire time; and the color of the water against the backdrop of the colorful buildings of Christiansted across the way made for a perfect view. Since the beach is private, I did not encounter any people trying to sell me stuff while I was relaxing - unfortunately, that was the case at other beaches I went to in the Caribbean and while it is mildly irritating for tourists, it's sad for the people who have to make their living that way. The beach was clean when I was there and the mixed drinks were great (and $8). The lady who brought the drinks was prompt and very attentive, and the staff were very nice in general. The food here wasn't the greatest - it was typical bar/grill food, and there was really nothing here that I could eat. I ended up making a meal out of a plate of rice and french fries. Healthy? No. But I was on a beach in St. Croix, so I didn't really care. The bathrooms were also sketchy. They reminded me of a more run-down version of the beach bathrooms at Jones Beach - bunches of people using them over the course of the day, not massively clean, etc. Only one sink was operational in the women's bathroom when I was there, but there were never too many people in there at once so it wasn't a tremendous problem. As an aside, Christiansted itself is surprisingly sketchy and sort of run-down, and if you aren't inclined to take a walk along the boardwalk or do a lot of jewelry shopping, then there isn't much for you to do there. That's what makes Hotel on the Cay such a worthwhile stop on your St. Croix vacation. It's beautiful, tropical, safe and incredibly relaxing. I would return to St. Croix simply to spend another day on the hotel's beach. It was a nice place to spend a wonderful afternoon.

Before you come here, do ask yourself how you want to spend your vacation in the beautiful island of St. Croix. If you want to be pampered in luxury, play golf, chill at the spa, or hang out in the hotel room all day and order room service, go somewhere else. But if you are looking for the calm blue water and some awesome snorkeling, do, do come here. They are only steps away from your room!!! There are two main towns on St. Croix: Fredericksted and Christiansted. Fredericksted is where all the cruise ships dock. All the way on the opposite end of the island is Christiansted. I decided to come here to avoid the cruise ship tourist mob that tend to ruin the small island ambiance and jack prices up. Christiansted is a nice little town, if you can even call it that. It has 3 streets total, a couple of souvenir shops, some dive shops, some restaurants and bars. Very quiet and most places are closed by sundown. Quick tip: make sure to have all your essentials in your carry-on. Unfortunately the airline lost my luggage and apparently there are only 1-2 stores tops on this side of the island that carry a toothbrush. Hotel on the Cay, as the name suggests, is in its own island. There's a reliable ferry service free of charge taking you to and from Christiansted, and it only takes about 2 minutes. The hotel has a pool and its own private beach. Free beach chairs and fresh beach towels you can get from the lobby all day long. The hotel bar is by the beach and they serve delicious food and all sorts of tropical drinks. Also on the beach was a small hut where you can rent all sorts of gears, kayak, sailboats, jetskis, etc. This lodging arrangement I think is the best for its convenience. By the time you walk out of your room, you're already at the beach, and now if you swim about 50 yards out to the right towards the open ocean, Voila!!! You will find yourself surrounded in the abundance of marine life. I was out there for hours everyday and saw a lot of fish, corals, cucumbers, urchins, an octopus, a sting ray, and check this,... a sea turtle!!! Too bad I was only there for 3 days otherwise I'm sure a shark would've made it on the list as well. I was there during Thanksgiving, paid about $100 per night, got 2 double beds in spacious room with ocean view. The accommodation was basic, there's AC (very important), fridge, microwave, a little kitchenette. The room was clean but the decor was so 70's and showed signs of wear and tear. The TV only had 6 channels max depending where the antenna is pointing, but I was just there to put my head on the pillow after a long exhausting day under the sun. Under a "better" management, they could easily renovate, turn this place into a 5-star mega resort and charge three times as much. I love this place just the way it is. Can't wait to go back there for my next vacation.

I adore chill places - which is why I chose to go back to STX after a brief visit to Christiansted in February after the cruise ship (not my thing) docked in Frederiksted. When I was walking along the boardwalk in Christiansted, I looked over and saw people enjoying a white sand beach on a little island and thought, "I want to stay there." I never dreamed it would be as affordable as it was. It's not fancy, but I don't need fancy. And anything the place may lack in ambience it more than makes up for in location. I loved being right on the beach. The staff is also very sweet and helpful. I came back from an overnight trip to St. John, walked into my room and wondered what was burning. Then I realized it was cigarette smoke wafting underneath the door connecting my room to the next. I have a pretty severe allergy to smoke - and when I asked at the front desk if someone had just moved in next to me who smoked, she immediately offered to move me to another room. I didn't even have to ask. Take advantage of the van trip to the grocery store - hours and service at the restaurant are spotty at best, or at least they were when I visited. You've got the beach basically at your front door. What else do you really need?

The only thing going for this hotel is it's convenient location. The beds are well worn and broken down. The rooms are Motel 6 at best. The beach is nice but chairs are $5, umbrellas are $10... Even if you're a guest. Drinks yesterday were $8 a piece... Today are $9 a piece. Talk about Nickel and dimeing a person. The pool was nice. Was supposed to stay here 6 days but checked out after 3 and went to the Buccaneer and had an amazing time. Worth spending the extra money. Avoid this place unless you're on a TIGHT budget and want to pay as you go.

I probably won't come back. I understand COVID has affected the entire area but I just can't bring myself to come back here if it was all expense paid. The WiFi doesn't work. The pools are out of service. They don't have to many healthy options on the entire area. The area is overpriced because it's expecting tourists. Water shoes are definitely needed for the beach as well as googles if you want to try and enjoy it. Cabs cost to much to get anywhere. You can't have fun unless you come with $1000 and that's for just 1 person. This place is not budget friendly or middle class friendly. Rich people only but even they would get made about having awful quality in everything. Until this island is fix I don't see myself ever coming back. I'll go to the British Virgin Islands instead. Or anywhere else. Also the area is not kid friendly. Take your family somewhere respectable. Adults don't care what they say around kids here. Disrespectful. The kids that live here are apparently use to it. I can't

This review is only for the beach portion of the hotel. Hotel on the Cay is actually located off of St. Croix. You can only access via a short 2 min ferry ride from the Christiansted boardwalk. Once you dock you get off and you walk towards the hotel/beach restaurant. I have ordered drinks and ribs there but service has always been slow and the bar tenders have never been nice. Best Part of Hotel on the Cay is the beach. The ferry ride is only worth it if your going to the beach. They have kayak rentals but make note that the chairs are only for hotel guests but if no one is watching who cares right? If your walking in Christiansted and want to hit up the beach without having to drive miles just head on over to hotel on the cay, plop down on the sand and chill. You can even say you were off island for a bit.

We didn't stay here, this review is about the bar staff. We almost didn't go due to the bad reviews, but times have changed. We sat at the bar, we were greeted right away, made special drinks, and treated like royalty. It was a special evening on the beach!

If you like run down rusty rooms (literally) and the rudest bar staff on St Croix then you are at the right place. "You people are weird" should not be the greeting for any patrons of your bar. Never again.

Not the fanciest hotel we've ever stayed in, but the location is a fair trade-off. Other reviewers are mistaken - if you are staying at the hotel, the ferry is free, as are beach chairs and umbrellas. (Only non-guests coming over from St Croix proper are charged.) The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch, and the bar makes some excellent beach drinks. The water sports concession is terrific, and very generous with their time and guidance.

Gorgeous location with private beach, superior customer care, convenient to St. Croix cristiantown. The rooms are a bit outdated, otherwise this spot is the best. A beautiful, secluded beach with boats to rent and other sports activities, a beach bar and restaurant, and a convenient ferry to the "mainland" island. A special thank you to Sarafina at the front desk, who made our visit truly wonderful. We are already planning to return to the Hotel on the Cay (pronounced "Key" by the locals) for our next St. Croix vacation. You should too ( :

Do not stay here. 1. You will not sleep as the beds are in such poor condition. 2. your room will be dirty 3. your balcony will have either a slider you cannot open or if you do open there will be no screen and some "species" waiting to come in 4. your bathroom will have crud and the towels will be like old tissue and the rest of your room will be so run down and awful that you will attempt to be on the beach or out at all hours 5. the staff is non-communicative, likely because they don't want to be there either 6. many items will be missing from your fully stocked kitchenette room and you can be charged for what is missing - if you are suppose to have two glasses then one that is 3 oz and one that is a plastic red cup will be counted 7. you may or may not score a beach umbrella depending on if the 7 available are taken or not and you will be charged extra 8. there might be wi-fi but not in your room 9. there might be t.v. but not in your room 10. the laundry will not be working 11. no one swims in the pool likely because it was last cleaned in 1976 and other things swim in there 12. the bar/bbq staff will only love you if you are a working at the near-by refinery and going to drink all day and night otherwise there will be no interest in serving you 13. there is little to no food service 14. there are some very strange people associated with and hanging around this place, they seem to live there and who knows their sources of income, be careful to stay away from them 15. you can find other places to stay like vacation rentals that will provide a good vacation, staying here will leave you with a bad impression and never wanting to return to the island.

Note: did not stay at the hotel - merely spent a few hours of the day enjoying the beach. We drove through C-sted and came across a hotel on its own island, on the island, so we decided to check it out. You take a ferry on a 5-minute trip to the island, which costs about $5 (round trip). The ferry captain was charming and engaged easily in conversation. Once you dock, you can venture into the gift shop which is at the end of the dock, or you can keep going to the hotel via a sandy sidewalk. The beach was beautiful. You have the full view of the different sides of the harbor, no matter which direction you face. The waves were calm in the swimming area and the water a beautiful blue. We rented kayaks to paddle around the island, a single and a double. After 1 trip around, I decided I had had enough of the adventure and sat the next trip out. The gentleman running the booth saw that there was only 1 person in the double and he quickly grabbed a single kayak and traded us out. The people were great and friendly. I had read a few reviews on travel sites about haggling for cheaper prices, but I felt the price we paid was fair. For the next 3 hours, I enjoyed the sand and sun and the little humans enjoyed kayaking around the harbor. The island and kayak rental area are 5 stars, however, the bar/restaurant was at most 3 stars. The food was charred - I had a chicken sandwich that was more akin to rubber than to chicken, and the other 2 had cheeseburgers - cheese was extra, lettuce was wilted, tomatoes were days old. I also ordered a piña colada (according to another reviewer, the drinks were supposed to be amazing), but I tasted no alcohol and a hearty amount of sweet cream of coconut (perhaps they thought I was under the age?). The glass was mostly full of ice, which was odd. For $8, it wasn't worth it. For a relaxing day on a wonderful beach, check out Hotel on the Cay. Even with having to rent chairs and/or umbrellas, it is all worth not having to lug around that stuff during your vacation.

John, the general manager of the hotel was friendly, personable, and very welcoming. Interesting man, working on his PhD in his spare time and also maintaining an interest in his guests. Always professional, helpful and kind while looking after the best interest of his guests. While the inner courtyard could use some maintenance and upkeep, the rooms were clean, well maintained and organized. The views from the rooms were across the water towards Gallows Bay or toward Christiansted Harbor. The hotel was run very efficiently.

Looks like a great place to stay, out on your own private island! But the reality is not all that. Sort of run down and shabby, staff is apathetic, rooms are not all that nice. It is fun to ride the little ferry to and from the waterfront in town, and proximity to downtown shops, restaurants and amenities was great. We had great massages in town, more on that later. All in all, Hotel on the Cay not all its cracked up to be.

not so clean. but nice location. the restaurant's food is overcooked but their tropical drinks are very yummy. the beach looks out on the harbor so you can't really swim out so far or you'll hit some boats. there arn't any fish to see here. the sand is not that clean with cigarette butts and some old broken glass (but not sharp). I ended up by the pool more than the beach because it was so small and cramped. there really wasn't anywhere to go swimming.

I stayed at the hotel during the off season (hurricane season) and managed to stay in between two bad sets of weather. In my mind the hotel is basically a typical dive hotel. The rooms aren't great but they aren't terrible either, and who stays in the room that much on vacation, especially when you are at the beach??? When we booked we thought the island was going to be a little further away but the ferry was a two minute ride and extremely convenient, you never have to wait very long. All of the rooms have a kitchenette, which would be really nice if we stayed longer and if we had made it to a grocery store. The showers are Better than Average, and the views from the room are suberb. The beds were comfortable, the rooms really just need a little bit of updating, which they are actually in the process of doing. When we stayed (August 2012) they were in the process of rennovating half of the rooms. The restaurant is open from 7am to 4pm but the bar stays open longer if there are people around. They have a weekly schedule of activities, but since it was the off season a number of the activities were cancelled because there just weren't that many peopleround. The fun part of staying here was A) there was a beach steps from the hotel with good snorkeling (if you stay in Christiansted, there is no beach, just a dock) B) there are tons of crabs, hermit crabs, lizards, and birds running around, and C) You are still close to everything in Christiansted. The hotel is not a luxury resort, but it is clean with good showers and has beach access, and was reasonably priced.