bluebeardscastle.myfreeforum.org

This is peak season....any trip reports out there yet Question

Would be great to read a post from someone recently down as to what they saw and where they ate their best meal etc.

Tina: you must be getting anxious? You are heading down to paradise soon, aren't you?

Carol Wink

Actually going Feb 21st, haven't been down for over 4 years!

Hi All! We had the pleasure of being able to inspect the property during our stop at St. Thomas off the Carninal Valor this past week. This was our first visit to the castle ever, so we don't know what it was like years ago. It is indeed an older resort, but in our opinion it has a lot of appeal. There is much face lifting that needs to be done to some of the buildings, sidewalks & staircases. David(Head Maintenace Man) and his crew was on the job and we could tell that a lot has been recently. The landscaping looks as if it was being worked on. This is where I think a lot of improvement could be made. I am sure it is just a matter of time to get it back into shape. After reading all the previous reports we did not know what to expect. Overall we were quite pleased with the resort and we are looking forward to spending an entire week there in 2010. I would expect by that time things will be looking very good, if we continue with the repairs that need to be made. Loved the gift shop and had a great time at happy hour. Can't wait to go back!

Thanks Michael for your report. You bought at the Castle sight unseen since this was your first visit ever... oh my you were brave!

Only 1 month and I'll be checking it out myself after a too long between trips down there , such is life .

Tina:

Yes, sight unseen. We were more or less given the unit week so we couldn't refuse. After reading the posts on the yahoo,group page we were a little worried, but after seeing the property and now knowing that the lawsuit is settled we are very happy we have our unit. As long as we keep David and his crew headed in the right direction with the repairs that need to be made(and any contractor work that needs to be done), I really think that Bluebeard's will once again be the place to OWN.

Mike

We will be there Sunday! Can't wait to see whats new! Hope the old Dungeon Bar is open. It was closed last year.

We too will be down there on February 21...can't wait!! Very Happy

My family and I just returned from the castle. We had not been there in 4 years and I was happy to see that repairs had been made and that it appears that the overall deterioration I had observed in the past has stopped. We had three units for the week, two were in Villas I and the other in the Castle wing (204) The Villas I units seems to be in better shape that the Caslte wing, but overall no real problems. AC worked well, hot water OK and general cleaniness passed our muster.

Overall the big shocker was trying to find a decent meal on Sunday (and also in our case on Presidents day). Nothing open at the castle on Sunday . Ended up at the Shipwreck Tavern. Nice looking menu but a Frat house atmosphere. Rm with a View open on Prez day -Monday. No breakfast on site at any time during our stay. We worked around this with the help of Heather at the Concierge desk. She was the most helpful staffer during our stay.

Had great meal at Craig and Sally's, meals at Room with a View and Banana Tree were excellent but quality control in the kitchen was lacking at Room with a View. Zuppa de Mer over Linguini was served without the Linguini?? My sons and their wives went to Mafolie and had a decent meal in an indecent timeframe - they are woefully understaffed. The excuse is that "this is what it's like when it gets busy"? Breakfast at Glady's downtown was great and Bad-Ass Coffee at the Yacht Haven was a good breakfast on the go - selection of Muffins and stuffed croissants. GREAT Kona coffee.

Other good stuff - the beaches were all excellent. Made the trip to Trunk Bay on St John's, Megans and Coki Beach. I have two grandsons 4 and 6 and they didn't want to leave. Took a boat trip to BVI (the Baths and Snorkeling) but wind and water were too rough for much of any snorkeling and trying to get into the Soggy Dollar bar was a chore against the surf. Bottom line is a 55 ft powerboat vs a small craft advisory makes for a bumpy ride . Problem is they have your deposit and unless they cancel - you're stuck.

Overall we tried to stay with an island attitude and focus on the good stuff. I've owned at the Castle since the mid 80's and have seen some rocky times. I was encouraged by this trip. Although I would like to see it become a first class resort, that may be a cost the owners ultimately can't afford. I feel that if we spend our Litigation settlement dollars wisely and maintain the castle over time it can be a nice respite from our daily grinds if we approach it with the right attitude. I overheard a conversation at the bar between what I assume were two owners and I thought it told a lot about where we are as owners. We're now owners and landlords, but no one wants to be a slumlord.