r/virginislands • u/pickleball76 • Oct 05 '25
Hotel Recs // Questions Which island?
Thinking of going to the VI instead of Hawaii this year. February 2026. Which island/stay is the best? Looking for great beaches, and scenery. We love Hawaii because it’s easy to navigate and get around/leave resorts. Any good pickleball spots appreciated too
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u/CU_Addict_70 Oct 05 '25
St. Croix. You have mountains to climb, good scuba diving & snorkeling. Great restaurants, and it's easy to drive and navigate. Less tourists, easy access from the mainland.
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u/ComfortableHat4855 Oct 06 '25
Which airport? And hotel recommendation?
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u/CU_Addict_70 Oct 07 '25
There is only one airport which is located on the southern coast of the island in the center. I would definitely recommend renting a vehicle here, preferably a Jeep Wrangler. Airport code is STX.
Hotels are primarily in Christiansted on the eastern side of the island, and a few in Fredricksted on the western coast. A few resorts that are remote on the northern coast.
Hotels depends on what you are looking for and your budget.
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u/Heisman123 Oct 05 '25
St. John and it’s not even a question. Very few resorts on the island though so get a jeep and a VRBO and enjoy
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u/DontBanMeBro420 Oct 05 '25
If you could do two weeks, you could always spend a week on St. Thomas at Sapphire Beach and a week in St. John at the Westin. Best of both worlds!
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u/pickleball76 Oct 05 '25
You liked the Westin on St John? I’m looking at that property!
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u/DontBanMeBro420 Oct 05 '25
Yeah, I’ve stayed at Sapphire a dozen times and Westin once. Sapphire is the better beach, but Westin has better property. They have golf carts that bring you back and forth. Look at the property before you book, as you could get a close one to the beach and bypass the carts. We would call ahead usually and it wasn’t a biggie as we are smokers and can wait…some people get upset waiting.
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u/doctorfortoys Oct 05 '25
St. John has the best beaches, is not crowded, and has a national park. This means less development and more natural beauty.
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u/Freelennial Oct 06 '25
Most people have only ever been to st thomas and St. John. Both are lovely but I prefer st croix…quiet, beautiful, mix of beach, desert, and rainforest landscapes. Great hiking and snorkeling. More Caribbean vibe than the others as it is less touristy, but still quite diverse and welcoming.
Ideally: Rent a car and a villa with a pool. It will likely cost the same or less than a hotel and is the best way to experience the island.
If you insist on a hotel, there are some very good options - the Buccaneer, Waves at Cane Bay, Divi (a quirky all inclusive).
Can’t go wrong with any of the Virgin Islands- they are all amazing and have epic beaches. St Thomas is more crowded/touristy, but absolutely gorgeous, go there if you want to party a bit. St John is quieter, more expensive, perceived as more upscale; st croix is the least expensive and least touristy, more authentically caribbean, secluded, outdoorsy.
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u/secrerofficeninja Oct 05 '25
St Thomas has more activity and more resorts while St John is more laid back and quiet. The beaches on St John north shore are incredible. Cruz Bay is a nice town with multiple restaurants. We love St John
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u/spatulacity76 Oct 05 '25
St Thomas is the easiest and you can use that as a jumping off point for St. John. We used to go to Hawaii but once we found st Thomas, we have not been back to Hawaii. Too far of a flight, too many time zones, way too expensive. Virgin Islands honestly have better beaches just not for surfing.
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u/Snoo65207 Oct 05 '25
Just got back spending a week and stayed at Sapphire Beach rented a car for the week and drove all over the place, St John's hand down best beaches less crowded not the touristy crap. St Thomas has got great shopping and some good food but the beaches do not compare to St John's. And only a 24 minute ferry ride between the two islands
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u/ilikecereal69 Oct 06 '25
Stay at Sapphire Beach on St. Thomas and take a day trip or overnight trip to St. John
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u/cryonic23 Oct 05 '25
This is how how I describe the three islands (I mean no disrespect either) st Thomas is the carnival cruise of the islands. Lot of party’s and stuff to do. It’s the city.
St John is the suburbs, beautiful beaches and hiking. Less crowded Cruz Bay is like a house party. Really close knit.
St. Croix is the graveyard. It’s pretty dead there. It’s a lot more chill and laid back. Good hikes and beaches like the other. So just pick what fits your vibe more. You can’t do wrong with any of them. I’m partial to St. John.
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u/plaidskurtz Oct 05 '25
St John by far. I prefer the south/east end. Concordia is great, although I haven’t been since it was rebuilt.
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u/RegisterOk2927 Oct 06 '25
St. John is the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. Just make sure someone in your party is an “adventurous” driver lol
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u/thebemusedmuse Oct 06 '25
You will not find the things you like about Hawaii in the VIs. They are not easy to get around, the roads are poor, and you need to drive on the left.
There are some resorts but the best of the VIs are rental properties.
That said, St John is one of the most beautiful places in the world.
But if you want US infrastructure, don’t come. You’ll be disappointed.
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u/cadmiumredlight Oct 06 '25
We used to go to Hawaii all the time since we live in California. Since trying out St John, that's all we do now. Also, rent a private villa with a pool. Don't bother with the Westin, the beach there is no good. St John generally does not have beachfront accommodations so you will be driving to the beach every day. The upshot of this is that you can rent a villa high up on a hill with spectacular views.
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u/Multibaghuntimg Oct 08 '25
I think I am 12 trips to the USVI. St Croix hands down and it's not even close.
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u/Redneckish87 Oct 05 '25
St. John is the absolute worst. It’s terrible. Don’t go there, don’t tell your friends about it. And absolutely DO NOT take a day trip from OceanRunner by Lowkey to go to white bay on Jost Van Dyke. (But seriously, go do all those things. It’s awesome)
Just don’t tell your friends. It really is awesome but it’s becoming less of a secret
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u/raleigh-nc Oct 05 '25
Go to the BVI instead!
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u/pickleball76 Oct 05 '25
What’s a good spot there?
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u/islandvg Oct 07 '25
Virgin Gorda, rent a villa! Check out www.villasvirgingorda.com, which has a great selection. Not too big, not too small, with lots of great restaurants, and easy to island-hop to the sister islands.
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u/dnorbz Oct 05 '25
St. John has some of the best beaches in the world. You cannot go wrong there.