best western

[beachgal58]

anyone have the 411 on best western, beach, hotel have day passes? i know there r 2, i think it is emerald beach that has the nice sandy beach. seems like i read someone on this thread spent the day here, the beach was nice and they allowed them to use the restrooms in the lobby. i am wiling to pay whatever to use the pool, bar, anyone help with this? thanks, cindy

[Jeanne B]

I'm quite certain a day pass isn't required for BW Emerald Beach, I think you only have to pay for the use of chairs ($5??).

 

If you're most interested in a beach that's very close to the port than BW would probably be your best bet but personally I think there are MUCH more beautiful beaches to choose from on St Thomas with much better views such as Sapphire, Megans and others. Just my opinion, though!!;)

[beachgal58]

thanks, dont we have to walk down a very sttep hil at saphire beach? one of the men in our group has a bad leg, is it a 3 min walk or 20 min? we have been to coki and to st john several times.. megans snorkeling sounds terrible, so we thought maybe the bw! would love to go to saphire but if the hill is very steep and long, our pal cant do it. cindy

[Jeanne B]

If you take a taxi (not the dollar taxi) to Sapphire they'll drop you off right at the resort, if you take the dollar taxi they stop at the top of the hill and you have to walk down.

[beachgal58]

thanks jeanne, how far is the walk down the hill? my buddy has had surgery on his leg, incision from groin to the ankle, he is doing fine and walks well, depends on the length and is it smooth to walk on? i dont think he would want to climb up or down rocks or fall inholes. i am an idiot, i dont care! haha but i am not sure how stable he will be if it is rough and steep. if it is an easy stroll thats fine. cindy

[richtersl]

If you grab a cab to Sapphire they'll drop you off right at the beach. The hill is rather steep, from what I recollect. It's maybe a 5 minute walk until you get to level ground. All you're doing is walking down the paved driveway into the resort parking lot. Just take a cab. ;)

 

Snorkeling at the BW is not the good from what I hear. And you already know that at Magen's it's not very good. :)

[Jeanne B]

Snorkeling at the BW is not the good from what I hear.

 

You're absolutely right, for snorkeling the BW is not the place to go.

[beachgal58]

thanks cruisers! if a cab goes right down the hill, that will be perfect! my pal is 68 and cant walk long distances anyway, this will be great. from all i have read, i was under the impression that they dropped us off at the top, but if it is paved...thanks..cindy

[Jeanne B]

thanks cruisers! if a cab goes right down the hill, that will be perfect! my pal is 68 and cant walk long distances anyway, this will be great. from all i have read, i was under the impression that they dropped us off at the top, but if it is paved...thanks..cindy

 

Every post I've ever read has said that if you take a taxi (not the safari bus/dollar taxi) they'll drop you off right at the beach but just to be safe you may want to clarify with the taxi driver before you get in that he's going to drop you off at the beach and not the top of the hill.

 

Have a great time, the views from Sapphire are beautiful (some of which are views of St John). One other beach I would suggest would be Secret Harbour Beach Resort, small, quiet, bar and restaurant on site, good snorkeling, shallow water close to the beach and sometimes more calm than Sapphire since it's in a cove, the views aren't as nice as Sapphire but it's still pretty. Not as well known by cruiseship passengers so it's often recommended to those people looking for something more peaceful. For beauty Sapphire is definitely my favorite but SH would probably always be my second recommendation on St Thomas for different reasons.

 

Here's a picture of Sapphire Beach...

 

 

And Secret Harbour...

 

[beachgal58]

thank-you for the photos! from here... the st louis area, they look lovely!! yes, ic an ask the driver to take us right down to the bottom. secret harbor is fine too. do u know if either or both offer facilities? cindy