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| Gentle Winds Resort Condominiums | Tom ~ Upper Marlboro, MD |
December 2007
Arrival - Gentle Winds is a 66 unit condo on the north shore of St Croix about 5 miles outside Christiansted. You approach of scenic Rt 80 onto a lengthy palm tree lined driveway. Once you crest the hill you are treated to a magnificent view of the azure blue waters of the Caribbean and the Gentle Winds resort unfolds in front of you; manicured grounds, large pool of deck area, and a powdery sand beach.
Rooms - We stayed in unit C-6, 3b/r, 3 bath,furnished in island rattan and works of art from local artist. First floor has entry way breakfast nook, fully equipped kitchen, great room, master suite w/bath and another bedroom with its own bath. There is an enclosed porch off the great room with a great view of the grounds, pool, ocean, beach shack serving great burgers and drinks, and a club house. Up the spiral stairway is an open loft bedroom with an open balcony with a mountain view. To the left is the 2nd master suite w/ full bath. This bedroom also has its own deck with chaise loungers. On a clear night, you can see the lights of St Thomas, St John and Tortola. The deck is VERY private so any activities cannot be observed by neighbors. The unit is air-conditioned, every room has a ceiling fan and there is a washer/dryer so you do not need to back large quantities of clothes.
Restaurants - Christiansted is about 5-7 miles away (15 minutes) and has a large array of restuarants. There is a broadwalk that runs almost the full length of the harbour. There is about 5 or 6 good restuarant/bars with opne air dining. Our favorite is Rum Runner which is connected to the Caravelle Hotel. Great daily specials and we have not had a bad meal there in 4 years - we stay at least 1 week/year and eat there 3 to4 times per visit. Another good restuarnt is Tutto Bene, located just outside C-sted.Great Italian food. "Off the Wall" is on the North Shore road about 10 minutes past Gentle Winds. Great place for lunch.
Bars - Off the Wall, Sunset Grill outside of Frederiksted,
Beach and Pools - The beach at Gentle Winds is about 30-40 yards deep and about 150-200 yards long. There is an ample supply of lounge chairs and palapas to supply shade. Snorkeling can be done about 40 yards off-shore where the coral reef begins. There is a sandy bottom out to the reef. Waves are usually gentle and the water is usually gin clear. The pool as depths from 2 to 10 feet and is about 25 ft by 70 feet. It is surrounded by a deck with chairs, tables and umbrellas. There is also a beach shack there serving great food and drinks. It is usually opened from about 12 noon to 5pm, later depending on the crowd or lack thereof.
Grounds - Very manicured public areas with tons of palm trees, hibicus and other local flowers and plants. There is also a chip and putt area for the golfer in the group. Also, 2 tennis courts are available but I cannot attest to the quality as I have never used them - the beach kept calling me.
No organized activities or tours
Conclusion -
Fantastic place to spend a week or a month. Great beach, pool, public areas, wonderful group of people with a Resident Manager alwasy on duty for un-anicipated problems. As stated, we have been going there the last 4 years and have aleady reserved for next year.
Feel free to contact me if you require additional info.
The main reason I took the time to write this review is that the owner of the unit we stay in (C-6, Patrick O'Neill) is a very honest, conscientious, accomodating landlord. He answered all of our questions truthfully and has been very available for follow-up issues. He has an infrastructure going there that is fantastic. For example, our A/C unit went out about 7 pm two days before Thnaksgiving. After a few phone calls, there was a repairman there at 11am the next morning and the system was reported!! That is fantastic service anywhere...
Patrick can be contacted at gentlewinds.com. Please feel free to contact me for any mor infor you would like on this resort or St Croix in general. My wife and I have been vacationing there since we spent our honeymoon at the Buccaneer Hotel in 1976 and have visiting probably a dozen times since.
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Last Updated: December 10, 2007
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