We stayed in Barbados Rm 248 at Sapphire Village. We found the room on homeaway.com. The pictures of the condo online looked great, but you hold your breath until you see it in person, and when we got there we were not disappointed at all! The condo was perfect, clean, well equipped with everything we needed, not to mention it had a perfect view of sapphire beach and marina. Minutes from the ferry to St. Johns, two minute walk to the beach, and there were several pools to use. Can't wait to book it again.

We stayed at the Sapphire Marina Resort, which technically is not part of the property, but for all intents and purposes, is an extension of the resort. The condo was rented to us by the individual owner, R. Staheli, and it was clean, well stocked, and had plenty of snorkel gear, towels, WiFi Internet, and a beautiful view of the marina, the ocean, and St. John. The property has a lively restaurant and bar, and a pool. The property management is attentive, and there is a laundromat on site.

The food served at the restaurant is top notch, and reasonably priced for the area. It is walking distance (but a mildly treacherous walk along the main road) to Red Hook, with shopping and a ferry to St John and Tortola.

We have stayed at this property numerous times, and while there are finer properties on the island, the views are among the best and the value is excellent.

We just returned from an 8 day stay at Sapphire Village Condominiums, Barbados #248 in St. Thomas. We read varied reviews and can offer some current conditions after staying from the 20th to the 28th of January, 2011. Our room overlooked the marina and had great views of St. John and the BVI's in the distance. We did not really use the pools (there are 2) but they were always clean and well maintained. The walk to the beach is short and entertaining if you like iguanas!! There are charters, jet ski rentals and boat rentals all on site, as well as a car rental office if you wish to take your chances on the roads here. The positives of Sapphire Village are as follows: First, a close taxi/safari ride to Red Hook. Not the Red Hook is anything special, but you are right at the ferry dock to go to St. John or Jost Van Dyke. The ferry to St. John is only $12 round trip and St. John offers a far more laid back feel than the shopping-oriented St. Thomas. Second, the prices were pretty reasonable considering you don't need a car when you stay there. We even hitched rides to Red Hook with friendly residents of the village who happened to be going that way. Third, the views and beach are great. Do yourself a favor though and get a publication with the cruise ship schedule. That way you'll know how busy the beach and traffic will be. On a busy day, there may be 7 cruise ships in town and they bus cruisers to different beaches on the island, including Sapphire Beach. It never got too crowded, but it was always good to be in the know as to what the busy days were going to be. The waters are blue and clean and the snorkling is great. I saw giant stingrays and my girlfriend swam with sea turtles. Finally, the prices are reasonable. We were able to book 8i nights and 9 days for $1095, which for two people is pretty raffordable.

The negatives are more subjective, as everyone's unit is different. Ours could have used a solid bathroom door instead of the louvre door, which made privacy a little limited when your in a studio. Our furniture was iffy and the kitchen lacked a few creature comforts. They did supply snorkling and beach chairs, so I guess its a wash. The other issue was the on-site restaraunt was pricey and had so-so food, but had been recently painted as they continue to update the development. You can use the Banana Cabana during the day for sandwiches that are delivered to you on the beach, but that too gets pricey. On St. Thomas, booze is cheap and food is expensive, so you have to explore to find the best eats for the best prices, unless money is no object.

Overall, we would recommend Sapphire Village as a great alternative to a hotel because of its location most of all. The driving on this island is somewhat crazy and if you rent a unit up in the hills, it can be downright challenging and/or inconvenient. Sapphire Village is located off a main road, has easy access by bus/taxi and a good east side location. My recomendation is to get lots of pictures of your room and decide if it meets your needs. If your like us, you'll only be having breakfast there in the morning and sleeping at night. You'll be busy doing nothing somewhere else during the course of the day.

We just returned from one week at the Sapphire Village Condo's in St. Thomas...we were in the building named Tobago and all I can say is that it is truly the most beautiful and affordable destination one can hope for, so much so, we are returning in March.
The location is amazing, you have one of the most desirable beaches right in front of you in St. Thomas, you are right next to a marina offering so many wonderful excursions...we took the yaght NIGHTWIND with Capt Rick and had a wonderful day sailing and snorkeling....also took the BREAKAWAY and spent a day in Virgin Gorda at the Baths, and a most memorable afternoon at Jost Van Dyke at the Soggy Dollar Bar...this is a MUST....words cannot describe both the beauty and relaxation. You are guaranteed to meet so many wonderful people......
Another highlight was taking the ferry to St John....the ferry is literally 1/4 mile from the condo and you are in St. John in 20 minutes...and from there you will see some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, not to mention some of the finest restauraunts...we went to La Tapa, right next to Woody's and it was a 5 star with such warm ambiance...
If you plan the trip well, this can be an affordable and amazing destination. We are both convinced after traveling throughout the Carribean that St. Thomas will become our home away from home....Go and enjoy!