Excellent Service, Villa as described

Guest: C H (Chicago Area)
Date of Stay: 08/08/10 Review Submitted: 08/24/10

We recently stayed at Earl's Watergate Villa located at Bolongo Bay in STT. The listing description was very accurate. Compared to other condos we have stayed in, Earl's had a lot more of the staple type items that we did not have to purchase (i.e Toilet paper, garbage bags, dishwasher soap, paper towels, etc). This was very nice not to have to buy these things. The villa was clean and appeared to be in good maintenance order. The air conditioners were great to help keep us cool during our stay. The kitchen had plenty of items that were needed. Earl provided excellent customer service before our stay, during our stay, and after our stay. In fact, about 1 week prior to our visit, we called to ask if our niece could stay in the condo with us since she was going to be On Island at the time, and he said no problem at all and made the arrangements with the housekeeper to make up the extra sofa sleeper bed. He called to make sure we arrived safely and that we had everything we needed in the villa. I would recommend this property since the location and views were great. This condo is located at the Bolongo Bay which includes 3 on-site restaurants, several pools, and a swim up bar. The restaurant located the closest to the unit, about a 30 second walk, MIMS, was excellent and I would highly recommend it. We also took advantage of the Bolongo Bay Heavenly Days day sail which was very nice and walking distance. Compared to other beaches on St Thomas and the beautiful St John island, the beach at Bolongo Bay is not as nice, though it certainly has great views and will suffice if you want to be at a beach without having to drive anywhere. The second bedroom is separated from the master bedroom by two doors between rooms rather than a solid wall. This was not a problem at all. The location of the villa on the island is great, only 10 minutes from downtown, and 10 minutes from RedHook. Laundry facilities are located on the lower floor of the building and was convenient and easy to do. How can you beat doing your laundry and then sitting at the pool with an ocean view while waiting for the clothes to dry :) Thanks to Earl and his villa we had a great experience in STT. Thanks Earl.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers, sightseeing, age 55+, girls getaway.

Guest: Peggy and Don (Ohio)
Date of Stay: 02/03/10 Review Submitted: 02/03/10

My husband and I very much enjoyed Earl Thomas' Watergate condo Jan. 12 - Feb. 2, 2010. Throughout the entire process of booking through stay, Mr. Thomas was most gracious, dependable, prompt. He always replies to queries in a timely and pleasant manner, and it is indeed a pleasure to work with him! The wonderful gift basket upon arrival was so appreciated, and we enjoyed its contents throughout our visit. Mr. Thomas called several times to check on us and our stay. He is truly concerned with his guests' comfort and enjoyment. The condo is attractive, furnished well with comfortable bedding, and is so delightfully clean and well maintained. The housekeeper is conscientious and excellent. This was our 4th stay at Watergate, but our first at this condo, and we will definitely return to this particular condo and Mr. Thomas. We had done the sights, beach hopping, and trips on other visits, so this year spent considerable time enjoying the pool and the warm, friendly owners and guests at the complex, many of whom we had met on previous visits. Some nights we ate on the condo balcony, enjoying the view; many nights we enjoyed local restaurants such as Roberts, Room with A View, North Side Bistro, Wikked, Shipwreck, Jacks, Tickles, Hook-Line and Sinker. Our 3 weeks passed very quickly, and already I miss not being lulled to sleep by the gentle waves. Snow and cold here in Ohio cannot compete with this balmy paradise.

Recommended for:

Clean and well stocked

Guest: Silva Y. (Roseville, Minnesota)
Date of Stay: 01/21/12 Review Submitted: 02/02/12

Earl's waterfront beach condo served our family of four well, with everything we needed for a seven-day stay in St. Thomas. Having been to the island three times previously, the Bolongo Bay location halfway between Red Hook and Charlotte Amalie is convenient base to experience the best of St. Thomas and St. John. And we did it all--ferry to St. John, day snorkel/sail on Heavenly Days, powerboat to the BVI, beaching at Magen's Bay, Lindquist, Sapphire, laying by the condo pool, and shopping in Charlotte Amalie. My husband and son also played golf at Mahogany Run. The place was clean, well stocked with beach towels, bath towels, kitchen utensils, and much more. The view from the balcony is a great place to drink coffee in the morning and watch the waves roll in. The three restaurants on property were very convenient and we ate in all of them. The one negative--Driving on the left side of the road in St. Thomas can be stressful and challenging. Most of the signage is hidden behind shrubbery and the locals have a tendency to drive fast. We made several wrong turns but eventually ended up in the right place. Parking in town is also tight. It's best to park in the main town lot that Earl suggests. You can save a lot of money by renting a vehicle, instead of using taxis, but beware--one person needs to navigate while the other drives. For the price, Earl's condo is a good value, and I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting St. Thomas.

Recommended for:

A Delightful Surprise

Guest: Robert A. (Riverside,R.I. U.S.A.)
Date of Stay: 12/07/11 Review Submitted: 01/07/12

All I have to say is Thank You Earl!!!! This condo is a hidden jewel in the Bolongo Bay! Perfect location for a quiet relaxing get away by tranquil waters with a wonderful view! The condo itself is spacious,clean and well maintained. Earl could not have been more helpful and accommodating of our wants and needs. The condo contained everything and anything we needed to not only enjoy our stay at the condo but also to enjoy our time on the beach! There are three fantastic restaurants along the beach front with one located right under the condo balcony! The property being connected to the Bolongo Bay Beach Resort is very convenient for arranging taxi rides to visit nearby beaches or to take in the sights. The condo is located in a fantastic secluded area where you can sunbath,jetski,arrange for a catamaran day excursion or just spend the day snorkeling(hey you just might come face to face with a turtle like I did......lol). This property was a perfect choice for us. It gave us the option to have fun in the sun,as well as, the opportunity of rest and relaxation! It came equipped with cable tv,internet,a pool just below the balcony and a full kitchen to whip up a meal in......with all the conveniences of home. A quick stop at the Gourmet Gallery on your way to the condo is a must,as it has anything you need to stock up on some food essentials and drinks! Be sure to read all the info Earl provides as it's a great helpful resource to hence your vacation stay! We definitely will be coming back for another stay in the future! Earl.....you are the best! Robert and Kim Atherton

Recommended for:

Would stay again

Guest: colleen m.
Date of Stay: 11/02/11 Review Submitted: 12/18/11

Great accommodations for an extended stay walking distance to a handful of good restaurants and bars. Place was clean and comfortable and ready for us when we arrived. Downside no public transportation available except taxis. Best to rent a car to see the rest of the island.

Owner response:Fortunately, we are located in a private, secluded, tropical paradise setting on St Thomas. We are away from all of the crowds and confusion sometimes associated with most tourist destinations. We have the peace, serenity and calmness that many visitors come to the tropics to experience during their respite away from everyday experiences. However, many of my guests don't find it necessary to rent a car because we have access to so many activities right here on our beach. We have 3 restaurants, tennis, all types of water sports, snorkeling, diving, beach volleyball, deep sea fishing, catamaran sailing trips; along with a list of other activities that can fill your vacation with fun things to do for a complete vacation experience. These activities are all located steps away from our front door on our beautiful tropical beach. I also provide a grocery delivery service where I can have the condo stocked with all of the grocery items and supplies that you want, prior to arrival at the condo. This means that you don't have to spend your valuable vacation time or expense in taking care of grocery shopping. Nevertheless, when you do want to venture out beyond this complete vacation spot, car rentals are readily available at about $40.00 to $60.00 per day. Taxis can be expensive if you use them a lot, but are economical for infrequent use. Two or three cab trips will definitely be less expensive than a car rental. However, new visitors should consider renting a car if you think you will like to get out and explore St. Thomas and possibly take your car on the ferry to visit our beautiful sister island St. John.

Recommended for:

Fantastic condo!

Guest: David O. (Fremont Michigan USA)
Date of Stay: 11/30/11 Review Submitted: 12/11/11

Lovely, well-maintained condo! The lead photo of the bedroom is a bit misleading, however--you will not step out of the window and fall to the ground! There is an 8 x 30 foot balcony that runs the width of the condo; much of which is shaded most of the day by palm trees or the overhead roof. Since this second floor unit faces southeast, if you are an early riser, you can take a chair out the front door overlooking the small parking lot and read in the shade there. All the amenities are provided--towels, paper products, linens, even a couple of snorkel setups. The complex is kid-friendly with a pool (not kiddie-bring water wings for the little ones), but a sandy beach is a few yards away. We only stayed three nights, so we opted not to self-cater, but we found that Iggie's Bar was a good place to split a sandwich and fries and be satisfied. Mim's Bistro is a must for a special dinner--in fact you can watch them set up each afternoon from your balcony. We found the staff overall at Bolongo Bay Beach Resort next door to be friendly and helpful. The bedrooms are large and comfortable, with A/C and fans in each. The kitchen is narrow, but fully equipped, and there is a TV in each bedroom, plus a large flatscreen/DVD in the living area. But with the view, who needs a TV? We found Earl the owner to be very accommodating, and he answered all our questions (even those we didn't think to ask). We have visited the Caribbean more than 30 times in the past, and we have not found a condo better equipped or located for the price. David and Barbara, Michigan

Recommended for:

Great Value Condo In Bolongo

Guest: Casey J. (Boise, Idaho)
Date of Stay: 10/26/11 Review Submitted: 11/24/11

Me and a few friends stayed in Earl's condo late October. We just moved to St. Thomas, so we used it as a transition until we were able to get into perm housing. We came to like this area, and moved to a condo up above in Sea Cliff just up the hill. We also stayed at a few other condo's here for a few days during that transition. That being said, this condo was clean and ready upon arrival, it was the best bang for the buck we found in Bolongo area for vacation rentals during off-season, and Earl was very accommodating and made himself available if we needed anything. The description is of the condo is accurate, location is close to Charlotte Amalie, and Red Hook (about halfway between both) and was stocked with pretty much everything we needed to enjoy our first week here; kitchen suppies, towels, etc. I'm a tech guy, and like to stay connected, so internet was much slower than I'm used to, but was glad there was access. 2 rooms, 2 baths. Rooms have own doors, but are also shared by french style doors, which I enjoyed, it made everything more open, and allowed the other room to have more light and hear the surf. The view is great at Bolongo. 3 pools to choose from, but the Bolongo pool is a 30 second walk from the condo, and overlooks the beach. Although a more rocky beach than others, it is still a good beach to walk along and get into the water; or if into snorkeling, many turtles and rays hang out here due to the grass in the bay. The beach and grounds were very mellow and fairly quiet (especially off season). Iggies is a great mellow beach side bar to just hang out and enjoy the scenery with live music nightly. 2 other higher end restaurants within walking distance. Activites can be arranged with bolongo beach hotel also. Overall a great stay! Thanks for your hospitality Earl. When family comes down, I'll send them your way!

Recommended for:

Huge Disappointment

Guest: Ellen A.
Date of Stay: 10/06/11 Review Submitted: 10/19/11

We just returned from this St. Thomas condo, and we are quite confused by all these 5-star reviews. Our experience was very different. We found the condo to be dirty and poorly-maintained. It’s advertised as “non-smoking”, but we were greeted by ashtrays, one of which had not even been emptied! There was a greasy, sticky film on everything in the kitchen from the appliances and counter tops to the dishes and glasses. There was food on some of the cooking utensils. We had to wash all the dishes before using them, so we had to purchase dishwashing detergent, as there was only enough for one load supplied. There were no spare trash can liners, so we had to supply those ourselves too. There was a foul, vomit-like odor in one of the kitchen cabinets. In addition to the serious housekeeping issues, we found the condo to be in need of maintenance. The bathtub faucets and drains were rusty and loose. The wall air-conditioning units had apparently been repaired or replaced so there were was bare concrete patching around them—it hadn’t even been painted. Many of the beach towels and some of the bath towels had rust stains, and some of the bed linens had holes in them. The bathtubs still have the flimsy fiberglass lining mentioned in a previous review. The common areas sported broken light fixtures and sloppily patched decking. The bathroom storage (and the bedroom closets) were full of what we assumed to be the owner’s paraphernalia and were dirty. We had to clear out the closets in order to hang our clothes. Also, we found the description quite misleading. The second bedroom description includes this characterization: “Louver doors open to spectacular sea views.” Not really! The louvered doors open to the master bedroom, and the louvered doors are the only thing separating the two bedrooms! On the plus side, the view from the balcony was indeed beautiful.

Owner response: As long time owners of our unit that we use ourselves on a regular basis entertaining family and friends I usually eagerly look forward to reviews -- whether positive or negative-- since they help me appreciate what I'm doing right and on the other hand what may need more attention.. For this reason I was particularly disappointed to read this most recent review that is based more in fantasy than reality. Lacking any real facts some very damaging comments were made that just make me "scratch my head " in wonderment. Also, my housekeeper Merlyne met the guests during their visit and in response to her asking them "How is everything" was told " "Everything is great. We're having a good time". I call my guests when they arrive at the condo and contact them several times during their visit to assure that everything is OK and to their liking. My guests also know that I, my housekeeper and maintenance staff are readily available and just a phone call away if any thing that needs attention arises during their visit. I have attempted unsuccessfully on numerous occasions by telephone and email to contact this guest to try to get to the bottom of her displeasure. She has been unresponsive. I am sorry that this guest was disappointed and somehow motivated to post comments that are malicious and disingenuous. Her comments are in direct contrast to the more then 100 positive comments, posted here on my guestbook by my other guests. The comments below are a few of my other guests comments that are in direct contrast to the puzzling ones posted above. They date from just prior to this guests visit a couple of weeks ago: Submitted: September 10, 2011 Date of Stay: August 2011 "The condo is very well stocked with everything you could possibly need - kitchen supplies for cooking, plenty of extra blankets, linens, and towels, and even snorkeling equipment. It's clean and well-maintained. " Submitted August 10, 2011 Date of Stay: July 2011 "We really enjoyed our stay at Earl's condo. Our family of four-2 adults and 2 teenagers were very impressed with the amenities. Comfortable beds, clean kitchen filled with microwave,dishwasher,toaster oven, blender,3 t.v.'s-everything we needed or wanted was there. !" Submitted: August 7, 2011 Date of Stay: July 2011 "Stayed at earls condo and it was great. The condo was very clean when we arrived. Everything needed was at the condo."

Recommended for:

Wonderful place and a generous host!

Guest: Ben M.
Date of Stay: 08/22/11 Review Submitted: 09/10/11

My partner and I stayed in this condo for a week during low season (late August) and we had an absolutely wonderful time. The location of the condo is just as perfect as it looks in the photos, right on the beach and right next to the Bolongo Bay resort, which offers several nice restaurants only a walk away. The resort also offers scuba diving, snorkeling, and other trips, which we happily took advantage of - again, just a short walk down to the docks. It's also a short cab ride from Charlotte Amalie, Red Hook (where you can take the cab to St Johns), and a number of lovely beaches. The condo is very well stocked with everything you could possibly need - kitchen supplies for cooking, plenty of extra blankets, linens, and towels, and even snorkeling equipment. It's clean and well-maintained. Our trip actually overlapped with Hurricane Irene, and Earl, the owner, was extremely thoughtful, flexible, and generous, checking in with us by phone about travel schedule and doing all he could to make sure the hurricane didn't disrupt our stay. I cannot recommend this place more highly! And if you go to the VI during low season, you not only get a better price for accommodations and airfare, you also get to spend time on beaches with no crowds at all, a nice bonus.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers, sightseeing, girls getaway.

Perfect accomodations for our stay on St.Thomas

Guest: Kevin M.
Date of Stay: 07/30/11 Review Submitted: 08/10/11

We really enjoyed our stay at Earl's condo. Our family of four-2 adults and 2 teenagers were very impressed with the amenities. Comfortable beds, clean kitchen filled with microwave,dishwasher,toaster oven, blender,3 t.v.'s-everything we needed or wanted was there. Breathtaking view! Iggies was next door on the beach good food and beautiful outdoor spot to eat. Earl was excellent to work with. He called to check on us and make sure any concerns we had were addressed. He also offered info on great sightseeing spots. The pool was great and was just steps from our door. We found at Bolongo Bay there were lots of water sports available just a short walk down the beach. We were there 8 days and we would have been just as happy if we never left the condo area because everything was there (beach,pool,restaurants,etc). We rented a Jeep and drove to beautiful Magens Bay Beach one day, (well worth the visit). Driving on the left was new to us so that took some getting used to. If you rent a vehicle, be prepared for a learning experience. Another gorgeous spot that Earl recommended we see is called Lindquist Beach, it is absolutely perfect and we did some snorkeling there. We also visited Sapphire Beach which was great as well. We rented jet skis and went para-sailing which was a blast. This was best vacation we have ever been on and we are recommending it to everyone. We would love to go back!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers, sightseeing.