we took our 2 kids (4 & 5.5) back in jan 2015. we enjoyed our stay. the unit was exactly as it looked in the pics. we stayed in Jasmine bldg on 3rd floor. there was a musty/moldy smell. mgmt left letter explaining that all sliding doors needed to stay shut, presumably bc of the humidity/moldy smell issue. I’m sure the climate in STT is a big factor for smell, as well as the elevation, but it was disappointing! we stayed at the wyndham in STT for 2 nights years ago, and it had the same smell! privately owned villas we have stayed in on other parts of STT did NOT have this smell, but they were at a much higher elevation.
unit was spacious, but lacking in kitchen supplies. 4 bowls, 4 wine glasses. 1 frying pan. i suspect this is bc RCC maintains every unit equally, still, we have stayed at other condo complexes on other islands run by mgmt companies and kitchens were better stocked. a call to concierge quickly fixed situation and they brought us what we needed. housekeeping did a great job.
there was construction down by the pool area EVERY single day of our stay, for 8 hours! this was highly irritating. mgmt apologized for the inconvenience but it put a HUGE damper on our stay. the noise was very loud and very distracting. we often walked over to the hotel’s pool as a result. we asked concierge for some type of concession or complement due to the CONSTANT construction, but none was offered; just an apology. at $900 per night, an apology doesn’t cut it in my book!
we did NOT visit during a school holiday and were told that occupancy was not particularly high, yet it was difficult to find chaises for us UNLESS i sent my husband down first thing in the morning to reserve spots.
staff was VERY helpful, and all the luxuries you would expect from RC made our stay worth while. The beach was nice but i prefer other STT beaches. we rented a car and went to Magen’s Bay and Coki beach where there were less rocks, seaweed and clearer water. on the flip side to that, it was nice to have drinks, food and facilities right at the hotel whenever needed.
charter a boat for daysail to st johns for snorkeling. also recommend having concierge stock your fridge upon arrival. walk over to the hotel side for a more social scene. rent a car to explore other beaches.
overall a great time with the exception of construction/smell. would not go back though, prefer RC in grand cayman- sunsets and clearer water (but less spacious grounds).
you can't have it all i guess!!!