bunker hill hotel review: budget hotel in Charlotte Amalie
If you are going to St Thomas on vacation, you are spoiled for choice on which hotels to stay in. Do I want to stay beachfront? On the city? Can I travel hack my hotel? What is the most economical choice to stay in?
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My husband and I narrowed down our hotel choice to be within the Charlotte Amalie area. We wanted a place that’s great value for money while also accessible to public transportation.
The bigger, waterfront hotels are spread out on the north or east side of the island and may not exactly have the public transportation options we were looking for, and there were not many choices to stay on points.
So to offset some of our costs, we found two budget hotels that provided value and were available to book on the TY and UR portals: Bunker Hill Hotel and Galleon House.
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Charlotte Amalie does not have a beach. However, they do have this waterfront walk which shows up in postcards and where most cruise ship visitors end up walking around on and starting their excursions to the island. This is insanely popular on port days with thousands of people congregating around it.
Bunker Hill Hotel is located just a few blocks from Charlotte Amalie’s attractions: these include the 99 Steps, Fort Christian, and the famous jewelry shops in the downtown area meant for cruise ship visitors.
The hotel is located on a small hill with no sidewalks on a narrow road so you may need help climbing up and down the road if you have mobility issues. There are only 2 parking spots available upfront, so you may need to find backup parking options close to the hotel in case you are renting a car.
Best of all, for those who opted not to rent a car, a few surfari stops are just a quick 5 to 10 minute walk away! This is perfect for those who want to explore the island on a budget and at their own pace.
Food is expensive in the Caribbean, so we are looking for as many ways to save money as we can. When we saw that the hotel offered a free, hot breakfast, it was what helped seal the deal for us.
Every morning, breakfast is available at the restaurant. At the time we stayed at the hotel, the menu was set, with a meal that you pick daily, and beverage options were tea, coffee, juice, and water. The breakfast was freshly made and filling enough until lunch.
Breakfast is simple but highly recommended. Our server was great and made sure we were well taken care of.
The hotel is quite big, with multiple levels across different buildings. There is only one entrance though, so easy to navigate around. Stairs are abundant with no elevators at all.
Room types vary, depending on how much you are willing to spend per night. If on a budget, one can choose an economy room, where it has an ensuite bathroom, a bed, and very little space for anything else. These types of rooms are a little bit dark, but for less than $100/night, then is a great option for a place you’re just intending to sleep in at night.
On the other side of the spectrum, there are family room suites that have 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a living area, and a small kitchenette. These suites are awesome and come with a semi-private balcony and are close to the pool area and restaurant.
We managed to stay in the two different rooms and we do have to say they are night and day. The suite has loads of light shining through the windows, and the amount of space is just amazing.
The economy room, on the other hand, has very little space, maybe just enough to put luggage on the floor. The room does come with a fridge and a TV as well. The bathroom is a tad bit cramped, with both the toilet and shower area in a small room.
Would we recommend the economy room? Absolutely, if on a budget. However, it won’t hurt to pay a little bit more for a room slightly above the economy option.
If you have mobility issues or have heavy or a lot of luggage, expect to slog your bags up a few flights of steps. Since we mostly travel with a carry-on shared between 2 people, we had no problem with our suitcases going to our room. If you do need help with suitcases, the hotel will be able to help deliver them to your room.
What I absolutely love about the hotel is the pool deck and viewing area. You can see the sunset and the water from the pool deck area and is a good spot to hang out in the evenings, provided there’s not a lot of mosquitoes out for blood.
There are couches and other hang-out spots to sit around and watch the world go by. Bug spray is a must, but the hotel had a can of it available on our patio area.
The pool is quite small, more like a plunge pool than an actual full-size one, but since it has an amazing view, then why not use it? The pool was busy on our first night and it was also raining so the water was not the best. For our next 2 nights, the pool area was empty, so would definitely recommend taking a dip during sunset, as the views are awesome.
There is an in-house restaurant located in the hotel which serves authentic Caribbean food and is just a few steps away from your room. The restaurant also has a viewing area and is open for lunch and dinner daily except Sundays.
The food is adequately priced considering the big servings you’ll get. It is just so convenient that our room is just a few steps away from the restaurant. We ate there for dinner for 2 nights straight.
Right next door to the Bunker Hill Hotel is the Bunker Hill Deli, which serves breakfast and lunch. It is like a school cafeteria time place where you pick which food you want to it based on what’s available or what they cooked for the day.
We did not get a chance to eat in this place although briefly considered doing it on our last day before our flight. It is a small place with homemade food and also good value for money.
Overall, based on what we reviewed so far, the Bunker Hill Hotel is a great value for money especially for those who are on a budget.
The value that you get from the hotel is good, the staff has been nothing but amazing (shout out to Thomas), and has made our stay on the island so much better.
The location is great, and we got a lot of recommendations for food, where to go, and directions from the staff (again, shout out to Thomas). It does have a few downsides like the parking and the no elevator situation, but it’s not that big a deal. The hotel also does not have generators in case there is a blackout, but that is a rare case.
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