Your Vacation Journal - St. Thomas - Elysian Beach Resort

Posted by: KrisComm

Your Vacation Journal - St. Thomas - Elysian Beach Resort - 07/23/13 12:58 PM

Share your vacation stories! What made your stay at WorldMark St. Thomas - Elysian Beach Resort memorable? What made it fun? Tell us all about it!
Posted by: slabeaume

studio parlor - 12/13/13 08:58 AM

Had a great time here! Spent 9 nights on St. Thomas at the Elysian (1 night at the Wyndham Bluebeards Beach Resort). For an indepth review of our trip with lots of pictures, check out my blog here:
http://travelingwithsue.blogspot.com/2013/11/2013-st-thomas-9-day-vacation-to-island.html
Posted by: D.Place

Re: Your Vacation Journal - St. Thomas - Elysian Beach Resort - 05/29/14 12:48 PM

The staff was friendly and very helpful. The check-in was quick with very little paper work to complete.The facilities were well kept and clean.I had two different king studio rooms that were similar. The patio furniture consisted of two chairs,lounge chair and a small table. The other unit had a larger table. All rooms should have a large table. The internet was unusable in the evening which I contributed to everyone returning to the rooms and logging on. The bandwidth is way too small for that many guests. We should not be charged for this inferior internet. DO NOT buy the internet, use the lobby and if your unit is facing and close to the office you are able to log on from your unit (building U). The unit next to us had a group of people that were very loud after quiet hours but when we asked them to be a little less noisy they did. I would have like security to have handle this. I also believe some of the rooms are leased out for commercial purpose. The rooms need to be updated but comfortable plus the a/c is cold. The frig is an apartment size type. There is a grocery store on the main road to the left and the Red Hook area has many places to eat. We had breakfast at Molly Magies and dinner at the Love Shack both of them I recommend. Also we went to a local bar close to the hotel called Latitude 18, good food and great music. We took a cab so all could enjoy the evening. If you use a cab make sure you tell them where you are going because some cabs won’t go on the road to the bar (steep and gravel). Ask the cab what they are going to charge ( should be $6/person one way) before you leave. Bring your own suntan lotion plus plenty of strong bug spray, the cost locally is 3x the cost in the US. The pool needs some repair, tiles missing or cracked but very clean with plenty of lounge chairs. We did a day charter with New Horizons Break Away Charters and had a great time. Great boat, crew and itinerary. We called them directly and asked for a discount which they gladly gave us a day rate of $120 vs $150. We rented a car and planned to take the car ferry to St. Johns but only one boat was operating so make sure you asked if all boats are operating or it will take forever to come back. We took the passenger ferry to St. Johns and rented a car and again ask for a discount. Make sure you use a designated driver, you don’t want to meet the local police. If you plan on going into the St. Thomas’s main shopping district, try and find out if a cruise ship will be there. We went and three ships were in so there was an additional 10k people shopping, very crowed both people and traffic. The locals know when the boats will be in. Over all we had a great time in St. Thomas and would return.
Posted by: nellbek

Re: Your Vacation Journal - St. Thomas - Elysian Beach Resort - 03/03/15 06:51 AM

Sorry for the long post, but here are some reviews, suggestions, and things we learned on our trip to St Thomas the last week of January 2015. Hope this helps!
The Resort
We booked 13 months ahead and got a smaller room (studio double) than we would have liked. It was fine although it is annoying not having a place to cook at all (there is only a sink, microwave, and refrigerator/freezer). We had a great view from our unit on the second floor in building B and it was really close to the pool, beach and bar. Don’t forget that there is a $22 daily energy fee. We got the usual harassment about an owners meeting when we arrived and they asked for $20 that we would get back when we showed up for the meeting. It was all about Wyndham and Margaritaville, neither of which we wanted to buy into. A complete waste of time since it wasn’t even related to Worldmark. Don’t waste your time on the island going to this!
Driving
We rented a car from the airport and the first few days of driving were absolutely terrifying, and while I was never entirely comfortable, I did get used to it. Remember to stay on the left (keep your shoulder to the road shoulder), be careful on tight roads and corners (lanes are very often only a suggestion), honking is typically friendly and to let you to know to go ahead (such as turning), and traffic jams are common in Charlotte Amalie. Many of the roads are not marked well at all, so unfortunately, it is fairly easy to miss a turn. We rode taxis to Mountain Top on St Thomas and while visiting St. John. In both places the tight roads and steep inclines are daunting (plus the car barge from Red Hook didn’t appear totally seaworthy), so the taxi for these was definitely nice.
Parking
The parking lot at the dock in Red Hook was full both times we tried to park there (even at 8am). There is a lot right across the main road from the dock lot that charges the same amount. We heard parking in Charlotte Amalie can be difficult, so we got there early and there was plenty of parking at Fort Christian which is a short walk from Vendor’s Plaza and downtown.
Shopping
We went to the Vendor’s Plaza in Charlotte Amalie where really nice vendors in booths will bargain on just about anything they have (purses, trinkets, shirts) and got a few good deals. We only visited a few stores in the downtown area since the barkers were absolutely obnoxious (the people that try to get you into their jewelry stores non-stop). We also took a taxi up to Mountain top where there are a ton of fairly inexpensive souvenirs and nice views.
Eating
You will want to buy bottled water/drinks (we bought water by the gallon) since the tap water is not good and bring snacks/dry foods in your suitcase. We ate at Sangrias at Elysian multiple times and never had a bad meal and the prices are decent for breakfast and dinner. The bar near the pool also has good drinks and is a good place to meet people and chat. We tried a food truck at Brewers beach that had decent burgers & such, Izzys at Bolongo was decent & not too pricey, and Molly Molones in Red Hook was okay.
Grocery stores
We went to 3 different stores - Plaza Extra in Tutu Park, Food Center closest to Elysian, and Moe’s Fresh Market downtown Red Hook (recently opened). Avoid Tutu Park and all the shopping there if at all possible. Food Center has essentials (and fairly inexpensive liquor) but there can often be empty spaces on the shelves. Moe’s was definitely the nicest (parking is difficult), has a lot of organic and gluten free items, and reminds me a bit of a very small Whole Foods. For future visits, I would choose Moe’s.
Beaches
We went to Brewer’s Beach (by the airport), which is definitely a locals beach, but fairly uncrowded and we saw turtles and rays while snorkeling there (make sure to leave before sundown). Hiked down to Mermaid’s Chair on the very west end and while it didn’t look good for swimming, it was a neat area, just be prepared for a very long walk back up to the car. Cowpet (the beach at Elysian) is decent for sitting and relaxing with shade and chairs, but not as pretty as other beaches. Our favorite on St Thomas was Lindquist Beach/Smith Bay Park. There is a new parking lot just off the road (right after the turn for Sapphire) and a short walk down to white sand and turquoise water beach (with a life guard). Definitely not a far drive from the resort. We wish that we had made it to Coki and Magen’s, but I guess that gives us a reason to come back!
St Thomas
Took the passenger ferry over and right after you get off, there is a lot with taxis typically waiting to take you to any of the multiple beaches. We rode all of the way out to Francis and while it was pretty, the waves all over the island were huge the day we were there and we were a bit wary of getting in. Please note that the taxis do not come that way often at all and we ended up having to walk the 1.5 miles back to Maho which is not comfortable in flip flops. We ended up spending the day at Trunk, which was worth the crowds since it is gorgeous (and the crowds thin out later in the day). There are restrooms and fresh water showers there as well as a snack bar and entrance fee. Taxis are typically waiting around for passengers, so it is no trouble getting back to the ferry dock.
Tours
We went on two tours while we were there, an ecotour from VI Ecotours (not far from the resort) which had kayaking, snorkeling, and hiking (saw fish, lobster, and octopus) and had a really nice time. Every Monday (I think) the resort has a Carnival (like a luau) and before the luau, a travel agent gave a presentation on tours from New Horizons and we got a discount on a tour to the BVI. It was one of the highlights of our trip (passport required) since we went to The Baths on Virgin Gorda, lunch on Marina Cay, snorkeling, and the Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke (the best beach of them all). We would go back just to visit these places again. They also have a snorkel tour to St John that looked like fun (open bar on tours in the afternoon and very family friendly).
Cautions
The only things I would mention to be wary of are Tutu park shopping area, it is definitely a locals area and while nothing happened to us there, we were definitely uncomfortable and would never go back. When the wind dies down, the mosquitoes come out, bring spray since they can carry Dengue or Chikungunya. And while this is so basic, reapply your sunscreen a lot - we got slightly burned even following the 80 minute guide line and saw plenty of fried people while we were there, don't underestimate how strong the tropical sun is. Pay attention to the cruise ship schedule since tours, beaches, shopping, etc, get packed on certain days. Last, the airport can take a while (checking into your flight, customs, and then security) arrive at least two hours before your flight. Most of all relax and have fun!