Sugar Bay Resort and Spa Rating: 3.5 Pearls

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

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The mini-golf course

The Sugar Bay Resort and Spa is a family-oriented, 294-room, full-service, all-inclusive resort that covers meals, drinks and activities such as snorkeling and windsurfing in the price of the stay (unlike the Frenchman's Reef Marriott or the Ritz-Carlton). Activity is centered on the grotto pool, right next to the beach, but the tennis courts, water sports, mini-golf course, and other kid-friendly activities are all on site to keep guests busy. For families, the Sugar Bay offers more than any other resort in St. Thomas, including the Ritz-Carlton and the Marriott, and its bested only by the considerably more expensive Westin St. John (one island away).

• Prompt response to service requests -- like extra towels in five minutes
• Room service available from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• On-staff concierge to help plan island activities

View on a Larger Map

The hotel is located on the resort-heavy East End, near Red Hook, but there's nothing accessible within walking distance.

• 30-minute cab ride from St. Thomas' airport
• Closest town is Red Hook, about a five-minute ($5 per person) cab ride
• 15-minute drive from duty-free bargain shopping in Charlotte Amalie
• Ferry to neighboring St. John can be picked up in Red Hook

The beach

The roughly 300-foot-long strip of beach is a touch smaller and rockier than what you'll find at other resorts on St. Thomas, like Bolongo Bay, Sapphire Beach Resort & Marina, or the Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas, so the soft-sand areas can get a bit more crowded.

• Great snorkeling in the rocky patches
• Water-sports equipment, like kayaks or bumper boats, available for rent
• Barefoot swimmers need to avoid the rocky patches

The Resort-View Room

All guest rooms were updated in 2006 to have better beds and tropical furnishings.

• Rooms start at a very comfortable 475 square feet, which is larger than the standard rooms at the Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton
• All rooms have a balcony (unlike at the Marriott), and even in the Resort-View Room, you can still get a glimpse of the ocean
• Comfortable beds
• Older Zenith tube TV
• Empty mini-fridge in every room, as well as a coffeemaker
• Large, clean bathrooms
• In-room safe large enough to accommodate a laptop

The casino

• Free-form grotto pool overlooking the beach, ringed by lounge chairs, umbrellas, and palm trees -- it's one of the best pools in St. Thomas
• Journeys Spa -- rivaling the spa at the Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton as among the best in St. Thomas -- offers a variety of massages, body treatments, salon services, and waxing. Access to the hot tub and steam room costs an extra $15 per day.
• Large fitness center with weight-training and cardio equipment, but no personal TV monitors (as found at the Marriott)
• On-site casino, or more accurately the slot-machine room, is typical of those in St. Thomas -- no poker, no blackjack, and no guests.
• Four tennis courts and one basketball court
• Mini-golf course
• On-site car-rental kiosk

Bumper boats

Bested only by the more-expensive Westin on the island of St. John, the resort offers more for families than the competing Marriott or even the Ritz-Carlton.

• Large standard rooms, available with two double beds or one king; additional rollaway beds available at no extra charge
• Sugar Bay's "Kids Klub" offers supervised all-day activities like scavenger hunts, snorkeling, and iguana feeding for kids ages four to 12.
• Exceptional grotto-style pool
• On-site mini-golf course
• Fun water activities for kids, like bumper boats

The guest rooms and grounds are well maintained, as well as any of the leading resorts in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

A dish at Manor House

• The Ocean Club, more accurately a kiosk, has pastries and coffee for breakfast
• Manor House, the resort's only more upscale breakfast and dinner option, serves a breakfast buffet as well as a la carte items.
• For lunch, The Mangrove Cafe has salads, sandwiches and light entrees.
• Turtle Rock Bar also serves lunch, along with beers and frozen drinks.
• Caribe, a Latin-style restaurant, serves dinner every night except Thursday.
• Room service is available 6:30 a.m. until 9 p.m.
• For off-site restaurants, you'll have to head to Red Hook, five minutes away by car (about $5 per person by taxi).
• All-inclusive meal plans apply to all guests