Secret Harbour Beach Resort

Very nice place to stay with some of the absolute best snorkeling we've experienced. The condo we stayed in was ground floor, but it was building #4 which is elevated slightly, so we did have a pretty good view (the ground floor condos in the other buildings were too close to the main beach walkway, in our opinion). The room itself was nice--nothing super fancy, but everything worked and the bed was comfy and the bathroom was good. All the staff we encountered was friendly and helpful. The beach was never crowded, probably since it was the off season (mid-June). The snorkeling in the harbor was fantastic. The water is clear and not too deep and had plenty of reef areas to see a ton of fish. The restaurants (which are technically not part of the resort) were both very good. Over five days, we ate all but one meal at either Sunset Grille or The Patio and every meal was either very good or excellent. Wait staff in both places was great as well. Overall, a very nice stay at Secret Harbour.

The beach was very nice

As a mother of two, I rely heavily on reviews when choosing a family vacation destination, which is why I feel compelled to share my experience. Unfortunately, I found many of the reviews for Secret Harbour to be misleading.

I am currently staying here and have been for nearly a week. Upon check-in, we were initially assigned Room 423, which had an active sewage issue in the toilet. The room was also in significant disrepair, with peeling paint and furniture that appeared more like worn patio furniture than what you would expect in a resort accommodation.

We were moved next door to Room 422, which was an improvement, but still extremely outdated. The television did not work, there were visible stains on the side of the mattress, and water stains were present on the ceiling. A staff member attempted to repair the television but was unable to resolve the issue. He assured us someone would follow up, but no one ever did.

The pool area is very basic, with minimal shade and few amenities. The highlights of the property are undoubtedly the beach and the restaurant. The snorkeling is excellent, and the beach is beautiful.

That said, we found ourselves purchasing ResortPass access to other properties during our stay because we wished we had booked elsewhere.

The website describes Secret Harbour as an upscale resort. In my opinion, there is nothing upscale about the accommodations or amenities. You are paying a premium for the beachfront location, but the condition of the rooms and the overall resort experience do not justify the nightly rate.

At this price point, there are several other resorts in the area worth considering. Had we known the true condition of the accommodations and amenities, we would have chosen differently.

Great beach horrible staff . The rooms are dated and they are was over priced for the what you get .

We stayed a week with another couple and were very happy with the resort. We had previously stayed at Bolongo Beach a few times, but were unhappy with the amount of seaweed on the beach and the lack of maintenance. Overall we loved Secret Harbour and will be back. The reason for a 4 and not 5 rating was due to the on site restaurant, which the resort doesn’t own or operate.

Pro’s (many)

Beach can’t be beat - perfectly clean, no seaweed, great snorkeling, super staff
Rooms are extremely clean and laid out well with kitchens
On site restaurants- we wish they would replace some of the unfriendly staff (breakfast hostess)
Restaurants at Red Hook are 5 minutes away (we did Duffy’s, Tarpon, and Salt Bay
Beach staff did a good job keeping non-guests from using the beach chairs
I love snorkeling, and saw turtles and millions of fish off the beach
Views from room
Kitchens to prepare meals

Cons

Our bathroom sink never drained in unit 236, even though maintenance came and tried to clear it
The generator near our room was extremely loud (needed due to island power failures)
The hostess for breakfast was rude every day. She was always annoyed when we wanted a table with a beach view. Unfortunately the restaurants are not owned or run by the resort.

We plan to return. The overall stay was great and this is a great choice if you want a small resort to relax.

Location and staff was very accommodating.

A melhor praia de Saint Thomas! Cadeiras de praia, toalhas, água eventualmente. Lugar incrível e instalações com tudo que necessitamos.

Our room was perfect. Beautiful view and very well equipped.

The beach at Secret Harbour is truly perfect — calm, beautiful, and exactly what you hope for in St. Thomas. Most of the staff were friendly and welcoming throughout our stay.

However, the elderly woman at the front desk consistently seemed unhappy and unpleasant. The main older male bartender at Sunset Grille had a similar attitude and often appeared bothered, which took away from the experience. Both may be ready to retire, as hospitality no longer seems to be their strength.

Our room (324) itself was nice, but a few things need attention. The shower curtain had a strong odor and should be replaced. One window had no covering, making the room extremely bright even at night.

Overall, Secret Harbour is a nice place, and we would visit again. I just hope the staff members mentioned either retire or move on, as their attitude doesn’t match the otherwise positive environment.

The highlight of Secret Harbour Beach Resort hands down is the snorkeling, which was the best of any of the other beaches we visited on either St. Thomas or St. John. So many beautiful tropical fish and so much to explore! We had a 1 BR condo ocean front. The condo was not luxurious and had a few small issues. One night the AC unit in the living room spilled water all over the wall and floor, ruining a cell phone charger. However it was very spacious and the full kitchen was great. We ate at the beach side bar/restaurant a few times. The food was good but the service was lacking espeically due to one very rude hostess / server (this was a common theme in St. Thomas in general). All in all, we had a good stay. If you love snorkeling this is the place for you.

Had the best time at Secret Harbor Beach resort. It's a small, intimate resort which has so much going for it. The location was perfect for us - 5 mins to Red Hook which has great restaurants/bars and where the ferry terminal to St John's is located. The condos worked really well. They are big and have a full sized kitchen. We had breakfast in our room but then ate at Sunset Grille on the property for lunch. The food there was always excellent. In fact, the food on the island overall was exceptional. The beach is gorgeous. It's part of a marine reserve so there is fantastic snorkeling and you are literally swimming with fish in crystal clear water. Apparently the water temp (which was refreshing without being too cold) is a good 5-8 degrees warmer than Megan's beach on the other side of the island. There is also a pool and hot tub on an upper terrace which has great views. Recommend getting a condo in blocks 1-4 as they are right on the beach. April was a perfect time to go as it was 80-82 degrees everyday with sunshine. We didn't hire a car but I would recommend it. Taxi's are expensive for a 5 min cab ride. Secret Harbor has parking for guests which is unusual but gives you the freedom to get around the island.

Amazing location beautiful surroundings

Beautiful property with calm waters

The setting tries very hard to carry this place. The ocean is gorgeous. Truly. The pool is fine, the beach is perfectly pleasant. And that is where the magic ends.

This place is wildly overpriced for what it actually is. Not terrible, just aggressively mediocre with a luxury price tag slapped on it.

Also, let’s be honest about the vibe no one mentions: it is basically a daycare with a view. Small children everywhere. It makes sense, it is a calm, safe little beach, but if you are expecting anything remotely peaceful or elevated, think again.

The room situation was almost comical. The door did not work. Not “a little tricky.” Not “needs a jiggle.” It was stuck open. Completely. And the response from staff was essentially a shrug. Security? Privacy? Not their concern, apparently. Since this is a 3rd world country, you do want your doors closed.

And then the pricing of "cabs". Truly unhinged. They just invent numbers. Eight minute shared van ride with a suitcase? Forty five dollars. For what, exactly, the scenic tour of the parking lot?

The service is where things really fall apart. Rude across the board. Front desk, restaurant, general interactions. You feel like you are inconveniencing them by existing. The only bright spot was the housekeeper, who was lovely and the only person who seemed remotely interested in doing her job well.

And the towels. I have never seen a hotel so obsessed with towels. It is like a full time administrative process. Cards, exchanges, tracking, rules. It is absurd. Just buy more towels. You are certainly charging enough.

After we left, we were prompted to write a review and in the email, it said, "KEEP IN MIND: We do not own the restaurants". ahahaha. The restaurants manage to serve genuinely good food, which almost makes it worse, because the service is so unbelievably slow. Fifty five minutes for two eggs on toast. That is not a delay, that is a lifestyle choice. Dinner was no better. HORRIFIC service, terrible attitudes. REALLY BAD. DO NOT COME HERE.

Bottom line: beautiful water cannot save a place that feels like it is nickel and diming you while rolling its eyes at you. If you are going to charge like a luxury resort, you actually have to function like one.

As always, we chose where to stay on St. Thomas based on dive shop reviews, not reviews of the resort, so we are used to "making do" with so-so accommodations. Secret Harbour was a pleasant surprise, being a little outdated but mostly good.

1. Parking: We always rent a car so that we can explore after our morning dives are done, and on some islands the parking situation is stressful. That is NOT the case here. They have it figured out. Resort guests use their room key to access a guest-only parking are that always had open spots. Zero stress.

2. Front desk: Super friendly and helpful No notes.

3. Beach: The beach at the resort is clean, calm and lovely. Because we dive we don't normally spend time at the beach afterwards, but it was obviously well-maintained and a pleasure for swimmers to enjoy.

4. Towel guy: When you check in you are given one towel card per person. When you want a towel you give the guy in the towel hut your card and your room number and then when you return the towel you get the card back. You need to return the card when you check out or you'll be charged for a towel. It's a simple system, except that on three occasions during our week long stay there was no one in the hut, or anywhere around it, when we were there. Because I watched their system, I ended up leaving my card/ taking a towel myself twice and returning my towel / taking back my card once. Some people though might not be inclined to help themselves, and I can see that getting frustrating for them.

5. Room: As many have said, the rooms can be outdated, and that was certainly the case with ours. Our two primary complaints were that we reserved an ocean view room, but our view was of a walkway and a tree, and more importantly, that THIS ROOM HAD THE MOST UNCOMFORTABLE BED IN THE WORLD! We have been taking scuba vacations twice per year for the last ten years, in some hotels that felt more like motels than anything, and still no bed has ever been so un-sleepable as this one. There wasn't just a dip in the mattress. There was a chasm that you could lose a car in. On both sides. What we ended up doing was I slept on the terrible bed in the dead center, at the peak between the two chasms, while my husband slept on the sofa bed in the main room. We made it work.

The other negatives about the room were that the TV in the bedroom didn't work. The toilet water was always an off yellow color. And the AC controls worked when they felt like it. Because this wasn't a luxury vacation for us none of these bothered us much.

Otherwise, the room was perfectly serviceable. The kitchen was clean and had everything we needed. The wifi was steady. The water pressure was good. The sofas and loungers were comfortable.

6. Food: I'm reviewing the restaurant (Sunset Grille) separately, but we ate there twice for dinner and both the food and the service were very good. We had breakfast one day and lunch one day, and both times the services was VERY "island time." It's clearly a different crew for dinner. After that we made our own breakfast in the room and found other places on the island for lunch.

7. Overview: If someone is headed to St. Thomas for a luxury vacation for relaxation and pampering, this is not the place. If you want to take the family somewhere with a good location and good beach, without all the bells and whistles, this is the place. Despite some drawbacks with the age of the property, everyone (but for the restaurant floor staff) was energetic, enthusiastic and pleasant. They really made you feel welcome and comfortable. We don't normally go to the same island twice, but if we were to return to St. Thomas I would stay here again,.

We rented a 1 bedroom ocean front condo for 9 days. Less than a minute from beach. We love it here, our 4th visit. Little to no waves in this bay location, which is great for kids non swimmers, snorkelers. We did not bring our snorkeling equipment this trip,wish we had. Zero issues getting chairs, umbrella at the beach. This beach is not crowded which is great.
Our condo, 311 was nicely done, would be happy to get this condo again. Food is very good at the patio, we are there 4 times for lunch/dinner, once more for breakfast. If menu was a bit more varied.would have went even more often. Ate at sunset grille once, no complaints by me, my wife underwhelmed with lobster Mac in cheese. $17 one way for two to red hook. Order taxi at front desk, easy peasy. The taxi ride from airport to resort reconfirms the wisdom of not renting a vehicle for me. Hilly, hair pins turns, driving on left side, lots of traffic. Only time we leave resort is for dinner in red hook. Lack of car not an issue for us. We use VIP provisioning, link on SHarbor website. They have always worked out well for us.

Pros: The cove is great with lots of snorkeling. All of the rooms have a view -we were on the 4th floor with a really nice big balcony and a view. The restaurant is good with great service. The hotel is in a convenient location near Red Hook. $8 per person by taxi. Bed is really comfortable.

Cons: Biggest downside is the beach gets swarmed by cruise boat folks who get dropped off and and try to use the hotel’s chairs or bring their own. The beach really isn’t that big so it gets crowded pretty quickly.

Our TVs would not work. We told the front desk the first day and they said they would send someone but they never did. That’s kind of a basic amenity for a 4 star hotel I would think.

The condo was roomy and spotless. The Sunset Grille and The Patio were great. All the servers and bartenders were top notch. Great place!