We stayed in "Ocean Breeze" condo in the Saba building overlooking the marina. We rented directly from the owner who was more then helpful before our arrival. The condo is super clean, cozy and comfy for two. The condo has everything you need all you have to bring is your clothes. We did take advantage of the kitchen and cooked breakfast and about 3 dinners there. The balcony was awesome & we spent a lot of our time hanging out watching the boats come and go. There is a restaurant and pool located directly across the parking lot. We had dinner there twice and both times it was very good. Their menu is mostly burgers, ribs, salads and so on. Sapphire Village has more of a residential feel rather than a vacation resort. There were a few vacationers there but many of the units seemed to be occupied by traveling nurses and/or longer term rentals. That was perfectly fine with us but if you are looking for more of a "hotel/resort" feeling this may not be for you. The grounds are beautiful and clean. The walk to the beach was easy. Be sure to check out all of the iguana's that hang out on the docks. At night you can see huge tarpon fish in the water among all of the boats. You can easily catch the Safari bus at the entrance to Sapphire Village. There always seemed to be a taxi waiting at the top of the hill also. We did walk back from Red Hook one day and it is possible to do it but...... the roads are narrow and all it would take is for a driver to be distracted and you could be easily hit so we don't recommend it! We had a lot rain but we still managed to get in quite a bit of beach and pool time. The clouds are actually welcoming because without them it is HOT, HOT. We took a day trip over to St. John which was fun. We went on New Horizons over to the BVI's. It was pricey but WELL WORTH IT. The boat leaves right from Sapphire Marina, actually many tours leave from the marina. Overall it was a great stay and the location is perfect.
TIPS:
1 If you are prone to getting bit by mosquito's or no-seeums bring a lot of bug spray. Due to the wet weather they were out in full force.
2 A trip to St John is inexpensive on the ferry and definitely fun!
3 New Horizons powerboat trip to the BVI. A bit expensive but totally worth it.
4 Pack half of the clothes you would normally take, you won't wear half of what you take!
5 Contact Rita at www.condodelmar.com She is the owner of the unit we stayed in and we highly recommend it. If you need a bigger unit, I'm sure she would be able to help you find one.

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.