We have traveled to St. Croix several times. We normally stay at the Divi or Buccaneer, both excellent properties. This time, however, everyone was completely booked because Hovensa Oil Refinery had 1800 workers on the island. We ended up renting a villa at Villa Madeleine for the week.

It was a pleasant stay! We love it way out on the east end so you definately need a car. Some of the villas overlook Teague Bay to the north, our's overlooked the south shore and the Divi Casino.

Villas are individually owned. Some are rented, some are not. You must go through stcroixislandvillas.com or vacationstcroix.com to find out what's available.

Although some of the furnishings, linens, etc, weren't something we would use, we found the unit quite acceptable, clean and spacious. Each unit has it's own pool...just a few steps outside your bedroom. And all of the villas are set up in such a way that you still have privacy at your pool. Bedrooms, bathrooms and living rooms were decent. A small kitchen was great for heating up leftovers. The guest bedroom, which we didn't use, had a washer and dryer, two single beds that could be put together, and another shower/bathroom.

The unit had air (which was discouraged), ceiling fans, cable tv and high speed internet capability. You have to go outside to get a cell signal, usually Cingular or Sprint.
The only noticable noise came from some generator or air conditioning unit down at the Divi Casino.

Nearby restaurants: Lori's Just in Case Deli and Duggan's Reef at the bottom of the hill, Chicken Charlie's Roadhouse in Solitude, The Cultured Pelican (italian) nearby, the Divi restaurant, Cheyney Bay restaurant, and Cheeseburgers in America's Paradise. We tried Bacchus for the first time and it was very good. Tuesday night's Buffet at Hotel on the Cay was great! Gertrudes (near Hovensa) Friday night buffet was very good. And don't miss out on lunch in downtown Christiansted at Harveys!!!! It may look like a dive, but the Harvey family are gracious hosts. Just pick one of their several lunch items and it comes packed with a plate of peas and rice, mac & cheese, cole slaw, fungee, plantains, and more! You leave stuffed!

Visit Point Udall, the furthest east of the US, while you're there. Unfortunately, USVI hasn't cleaned off the grahfiti. Llewelyn plays at Cheeseburgers on Saturday nights. Bill Bass plays at the Buccaneer on Sunday nights. Don't miss them!

Use Duggan's beach or the Divi beach. You can't go wrong.
Been to over 20 islands....we love St. Croix's east end!

Staying here was a fantastic experience. The villa that I stayed in was decorated very well and tastefully. It had everything you could need, from beach towels to guidebooks, to board games. There was even high speed internet access. The private pool was fabulous and very romantic. In fact the whole place was perfect if you want to get away from it all. It was very secluded and I never actually saw another person while I was there except the man at the guards gate who would wave every time we drove through. The views are excellent. I think every villa faces the ocean.

My only complaint was the bed which was uncomfortable, but I would definitely stay here again and recommend it to others. I had a fantastic time.

Stayed at Unit 26 (Toucan House) with our daughter, who stayed in a self-contained bedroom that opens to the pool. The friendly property managers (Kim and Larry) met us at the airport, arranged for car rental (a must on the east end of the island), and managed to replace the broken refrigerator almost immediately after giving $60 for dinner to make up for the inconvenience.

Short walk to the casino and the Divi resort, where there's live music almost every night. Try the lobster salad at the Starlite restaurant in the resort. Probably the best restaurant on the island, Dugan's Reef, is across the highway from the entrance to the complex and a very good deli is at the entrance.

The island is beautiful, mostly undeveloped, has good shopping, wonderful food, and has quite a bit of history. It's also one of the few Caribbean islands that is great for bicycling (I rode almost every day). Knowing very little about the island on arrival, our stay here turned out to be one of our best family vacations ever.