BLUEBEARD'S CASTLE- FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
What is Bluebeard's Castle and where is it located?
Bluebeard's Castle is a timeshare resort that is centrally located near downtown Charlotte Amalie in the US Virgin Islands. It is located on a hill with beautiful views of the harbor. While it does not have its own beach, you are within a very short drive to numerous gorgeous beaches either on St. Thomas or nearby in St. John or the BVIs.
St. Thomas International Airport is only a 10 minutes drive away.
What is the mailing address of Bluebeard's Castle?
Bluebeard's Castle
PO Box 7158
St. Thomas, VI 00801
--or--
1331 Estate Taarneberg
St. Thomas, VI 00802
Taxis can be expensive and the Castle is located on a hill thus walking can be strenuous. Rental cars are usually cheaper and you can book one at a discounted rate using our travel links. Keep in mind, they drive on the left side of the road in St. Thomas but after the first few times of driving, you realize that it is easy to keep left.
What about airfare to St. Thomas (STT)?
Travel to St. Thomas can be expensive but if you book your airline rockets ahead of time and are flexible with your departure dates, you can avoid the Saturday/Sunday costs and spend extra days at the Castle or other islands. Please book flights at a discounted rates using our travel links.
Where can I find a grocery store close by?
For those who intend to use the amenities in your room to the fullest, it is recommended that you go to Pueblo Market or Kmart for items such as snacks and soda. Pueblo Market is a short drive from the Castle and is a grocery store with all items. There is a small Kmart located nearby which people often find the best place to find alcohol at discounted prices.
Does Bluebeard's Castle have places to eat on site?
There are a few options on site. These include the following:
- Great House Coffee Shop - formerly the Castle Convenience Store will offer beverages, deli, sundries and souvenirs with seating in a lovely adjacent outside courtyard
Castle Gastropub- will open in 2021.
Spyglass– fine dining restaurant and wine experience that will be located in the former Room With A View space.
Frenchtown Brewing Company– relationship being finalized with local Frenchtown Brewing Company to manufacture craft beer on the ground floor of the vacant, for decades, Town Hall Building.
I read reviews on travel sites and see many different views. What should I believe?
If you want the Ritz, then you should book your vacation there. If you want to have a beach outside your doorstep, then Bluebeard’s Castle is not your place to stay. If you want to walk everywhere, staying at Bluebeard’s Castle may not be the best idea, due to its location atop a hill. IF you want an all-inclusive resort that plans trips for you and takes care of your kids, then Bluebeard’s Castle is not for you.
Bluebeard’s Castle has a great location that allows you to have a home base to check out a variety of different beaches and places on and off island. For example, one day you may go to Morning Star or Magens Bay. One day may be a trip to St. John’s. The next a trip to the Virgin Gorda baths. The choices are unlimited.
Is there a St, Thomas beach directory?
Yes, please visit the St. Thomas Beach Directory
If I wanted to buy a unit at Bluebeard's Castle, whom do I contact?
There is now the ability to buy units that are available for resale.
I often hear about Hilltop, PP, Villas 1, Hilltop 3- what do those names stand for?
There are four (4) Associations at Bluebeard's Castle Resort. They are Hilltop, Hilltop 3, Villas 1, and Pirate's Pension (PP). Your unit number determines which association you belong to. Your point of contact is your Board of Directors and their contact info is found here.
- Villas I (Units 155-175) permanently closed as of 2020
- Hilltop (Units 211-330)
- Hilltop Villas 3 (Units 100-154, 200-210)
- Pirates Pension (Units 392-422)
I read about WUOs - what does that mean?
WUOs stands for "Whole Unit Owners". In the Hilltop Association ONLY, there are 10 "Whole Unit Owners" or "WUOs". These are timeshare owners who live year-round at the Castle. They have a voting block that typically sticks together and thus they can (and have recently) controlled who is elected to the Board of Directors for Hilltop- the largest Association at the Castle.
This can be viewed as a conflict of interest since the WUOs interests vary greatly from the typical interval week owner. Interval week owners currently get 1 vote per one week owned while WUOs get 52 votes.
What is % voting?
Percentage (%) voting is based on the amount you pay equalling how much your vote is worth.
- Why is this important? It is important because an interval week owner (one who owns one week or maybe two) pays significantly more than a WUO.
- What is the difference? With % voting, a WUO would only get about 35 votes not 52 compared to 1 vote for an interval owner.
- Is this legal or not? There is a pending court case but the currently elected Hilltop board has decided, for obvious reasons, to not push this since they most likely would be removed from office. According to the USVI condominium statute (since there is no timeshare statute), % voting should be used.
BLUEBEARD'S CASTLE- The untold story
For years and years, Bluebeard's Castle was the jewel of St. Thomas. Beautiful views. Magnificent location. Exciting nightlife. Activities galore. Then something happened.............the story is too long to place here but to sum it up in a few short words- the resort was left to fend for itself. Timeshare owners were betrayed by those they had trusted with their maintenance fees. It ultimately led to an ugly fight and a standoff.
In the end, the resort suffered. It suffered from poor reviews. It suffered due to lack of maintenance. It suffered due to many factors. The days of glory seemed to be far removed........
Fortunately, through its dedicated volunteer Boards, lawsuits were settled and now the rebuilding has started. A rebirth of the once, great resort is underway. Don't believe it? Check out the weekly reports posted on this site. If that is not enough for you, please go to the amenities page or resort pictures page to see pictures of the refurbished rooms.
It will take the resort years to change the viewpoint that exists out there in internet land. Many reviews are not kind and rightfully so. These people, be it timeshare owners who traded into the resort or one time island visitors, did not understand the background and the dynamics that led to the condition of the resort thus they cannot be blamed. That will change and is changing. WHY? Because any Bluebeard's Castle timeshare owner knows that this resort is a second home. A place where you meet with friends and make new ones. A place to relax and watch a cruise ship sail away into the sunset. Or to watch the cars drive around downtown. A place to visit great beaches and still be on US territories. A location that is a direct flight or short connecting flight from places like Boston, New York, Chicago, and other frozen east coast and midwest towns.
Bluebeard's Castle is back and will continue to become the jewel of the island once again. Not an owner? That is too bad because owners at Bluebeard's Castle know where it is at and it is right here!
The Grand Re-opening of Bluebeard's Castle took place on April 12, 2011. The Governor of the US Virgin Islands, John DeJongh Jr. was on hand as well as numerous local dignitaries to share in the excitement.
Below are some pictures from the event that include the new lobby and conference room.
Click below to navigate to further information
Current Board Members
History
Associations
Billing
Timeshare Calender
Check in/Out
General Manager at the Castle
Orvin Sanes
[email protected]
or call 340-774-1600
The Associations are Hilltop, Hilltop 3, Villas 1, and Pirate's Pension. More information regarding each is found under the Association tab. You belong to Associations according to your room number.
Villas I (Units 155-175) - not be rebuilt after the hurricanes
Hilltop Villas 1 & 2 (Units 211-330)
Hilltop Villas 3 (Units 100-154, 200-210)
Pirates Pension (Units 392-422)
Questions for each association should be directed at their respective Board Of Directors. For contact information, click here.
