Marketplace Suites

Generally I was pleased with my Marketplace suite. I think three and one-half stars is appropriate, but I don't have that option. The view is not inspiring. Here are my basic points: Good For me, the location was excellent, The apartment was large and clean, The air-conditioning worked perfectly, The king-sized bed was beautifully comfortable, The kitchen stove, large refrigerator, and microwave oven were new and clean, The bathroom and shower were large and accommodating, The Starfish Market and the nearby delicatessen were easily accessible, Taxis could be summoned by telephone, Window shades were effective in shielding the apartment from light and heat. Not so good The coffee maker came without cartridges for making coffee. Supplies of soap, bath paper, and paper towels could be more generous, The television channel selection could have been greater--not necessarily costly outlets such as HBO and Showtime, but lesser stations such as CNN, Game Show, and MeTV, The furniture was barely adequate--the couches were low, the desks small, the chairs uncomfortable. All the chairs had no arms, and the couches had low arms, Tenants were required to carry their own trash to a dumpster, A most pleasant woman was provided information about geography and activities, but her accounts could have been less sparse,

We have been visiting St John annually for a little over 10 years. Most of the time we bring other friends and family but since we had never stayed at Marketplace, we came for a week by ourselves. The rooms are well done, comfortable, and spacious. We always rent a car for our stay so not being right in Cruz Bay wasn’t an issue. The Star Market and Sam and Jacks on the same property was fantastic. Our room (12) only had a cooktop and dorm size refrigerator. Since the grocery was downstairs this wasn’t an issue since we didn’t need to stock up and only go to the store once during the stay. A couple of things to put on a wish list would be to have beach chairs come w the units, we brought ours but had to check an extra suitcase. Adding a community grill would be nice, maybe on the other side of the hardware store. The place is mostly deserted in the evenings when you would be grilling out. We are already looking at booking next Spring and bringing my sisters down it was a great new find!

I would recommend staying here is you are looking for a convenient, extremely spacious unit. There are about 12 rentals on the third floor of the Marketplace Shopping Center, I stayed in Room 7 because I wanted a window and was pleasantly surprised there were 4 additional windows in the master, in addition to the one in the living area. The view isn't the greatest, it looks out over the parking lot, but you can see the sunset and it lets in lots of light. The website has photos. I didn't rent a car so wanted a place that wasn't far from downtown Cruz Bay. It was easy to catch a taxi once I got off the ferry from St. Thomas. Walking in the main entrance on the first floor, you will see a decent grocery store (Starfish Market), a bookstore with coffee and plenty of paperbacks for the beach as well as a bank with 2 ATMs, although I didn't have any luck with the ATMs. Second floor has a small drug store and a Pack and Mail place. There is an elevator on the first floor as well. The third floor has a deli and a lockbox where you will be given a code to get your room key. You will only be given one key, but my friend and I used the lockbox for access if we were out separately. These places are huge, seriously, but very modern with no tropical beachy feel, if that's what you're looking for. Access to the bathroom/clothes storage area is through the Master bedroom. Wasn't crazy about that. And there are frosted glass panels in between the master and living area that allow light from lamps to shine in the adjoining space. Not a big deal, but you might want to bring an eye mask. Communication with the staff is good, they responded promptly to all my inquiries. Having a grocery store downstairs was super convenient, plus there are several laundromats and a restaurant within a short walk up the hill. Beach towels are in the room, that was nice. Suggestion if you don't have a car. Once you are by the ferry terminal, talk to the taxi people about an island tour. There are open air taxis that seat up to 12 people and I went on a three hour tour for about $35 per person. The driver stopped several times - you will have time to grab a drink at the outdoor Windmill Bar with it's incredible view, as well as a half hour or so at the old sugar mill (Annaberg Plantation) . You also get views of most of the beaches and stop at several of those as well. My guide drove like a bat out of hell, on those curvy mountain roads, a thrill ride in itself. As for the negatives, if you are walking into town, as I was, it can be a bit of a challenge. I was glad I had my Teva hiking sandals. The road is narrow and busy, some sections don't have sidewalks, the places that do have sidewalks are uneven, you have to cross the street several times, navigate a busy roundabout, cross a rocky parking lot and climb a bit of a hill. Lots of chickens lol. Say hi to Elvis the Gas Man at the propane place. He works with his door open and plays trombone. I didn't time it, but gu

The property is connected to a shopping center. So groceries and drugstore items are easily accessible. Being this connected it can get a little loud in the mornings if you want to sleep in. There aren’t any windows facing out away from the center of the complex. Parking is close and convenient. The room was clean and comfortable.

Very quick customer service!

Loved the suite, loved the awesome deli next door, liked the market, drugstore and bank downstairs. Easy 10 minute walk to Cruz Bay. Disliked the noise. Up by 7, noise persisted to midnight, deliveries, etc.

This was a great place to stay to be able to feel at home rather than at a resort. The one difficulty we had was getting a taxi to come up to the property to get us when we wanted to go to a beach or the ferry. We had better luck texting than calling, but it really took 24 hours notice to get a taxi to the Marketplace.

Quiet and enjoyable stay a short walk to town. The suite was spacious and had all the amenities we needed and more. This is not your typical big island hotel which makes it that much nicer.

No hair dryer.