Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina

We had an amazing stay at Scrub Island Resort. We had a villa and it was perfect for our group of 14. The island is beautiful..but what made this trip next level and memorable aside from hanging with old friends and their families was our Concierge Murali and his team. First class. Communication prior to arrival was next level. Service while at the resort and riding out a Hurricane for 24 hours was what made the trip. The food was great at the resort. Staff from the executive chef to the shuttle and ferry drivers was exceptional..we would definitely return.

My husband and I stayed at Scrub Island Resort for 3 nights in January 2024. We had an absolutely wonderful time. Were welcomed with a lovely cocktail when we arrived and we were escorted to our room after we checked-in. We spent the first day relaxing in and at the adult pool overlooking the marina. Was a perfect afternoon. The second day was spent at the private beach on the island. We enjoyed good food and drinks and the service was great. We also enjoyed the pool by the beach. The third day we took an all-day tour to Virgin Gorda from Scrub and had a blast. The food on the island was good. Breakfasts were the best. We ate at both Donovan’s Reef and Cardamom and Co. When we go next, we would probably just dine at Donovan’s Reef. Some live music in the evenings was really the only thing we felt was missing on our visit there. After dinner, we spent the evenings walking around and enjoying the night sky. It’s a very peaceful place. It was for us anyways. While we enjoyed our 3 nights there, a 4th would’ve been nice. Our room was beautiful. We had no issues. The staff were friendly, mostly (the staff at dinner in Cardamom and Co were a bit unfriendly). We enjoyed the servers at breakfast a lot. We plan to visit Scrub again someday.

I had high expectations for Scrub given recommendations I was given from friends, previous reviews, the hotels "luxury" class classifications, and the cost of the rooms. I will preface that we visited during the full moon party which may have impacted our experience, but let me start with the positives. Pros- The tiered design of the resort is unique and beautiful and the aesthetic quality of the rooms was very nice. The balconies have incredible views and were very comfortable. We were greeted by a delightful host, Colette, who was warm, welcoming and gave us a fantastic tour of the facility, helped up us get situated as we waited for our room to become available, and introduced us to more staff in the check-in/concierge area. Also, the food on the property was good with a variety of options. Cons- For a 3 star hotel, these may not be issues, but paying $4,000 for a three night stay--one suite and one single room--you arrive with some expectations about quality. First, we had numerous problems with our rooms. I don't think I have every had to report so many problems with a hotel room. First, one of the rooms smelled like cigarette smoke. Second, the bathtub clogged when we first ran water in it. The water was yellow and had hair in it. Third, the TVs didn't work properly requiring another call for maintenance. Fourth, when I preheated the oven in the suite, the unit filled with smoke and bad smell. Fifth (and I get this is minor), the soap dispensers in the shower were not full and after being on a boat for days, I was really looking forward to their great smelling toiletries. When I reported items one through three to the front desk--I was tired of being the squeaky wheel so I didn't report four and five--the front desk clerk seemed to imply we smoked in the room and then said that to make any changes would require a maintenance person go into the room. There was no immediate apology and it seemed as though he distrusted my assessment. While there I also asked for more room keys so that people from both units could come and go and he seemed to distrust why I would need these keys. It felt like an odd interaction. While I would say 30% of the staff seemed friendly enough, there was a definite air of resentment among the staff. For example, when you approach the bar, they would finish prepping the bar, refilling mixer and garnish containers, rather than acknowledge you--maybe for 5 minutes which feels much longer. Early one evening we tried to get pizza at the deli and without much communication, the worker informed us they were just too overwhelmed and decided to stop taking orders. There was no apology or recommendation of where to go (considering we were trapped on an island). This is where the issue of the Full Moon Party comes in. During the first part of our stay, the resort was packed with American party-goers who were not exactly the kindest, most respectful guests. The staff did seem to become more hospitable after some of the crowds dissipated. However, we had just spend 8 days on a boat and found delightful, welcoming locals everywhere we turned so it was a marked difference when we encountered the service at Scrub. A smaller issue--there also isn't poolside service which I think would be typical at a hotel of this quality. Lastly, the property just seems to need some TLC mostly in the common areas. For example, the treads on the steps are torn, the pool side seats are dated, and the outdoor bathrooms need to be cleaned more frequently. Overall, I know some of these items may seem like minor things, but given the price of the resort and that everywhere you look, they mention they are a "luxury" resort, I would have expected more. At the very least, I would think if you have that many things go wrong with your rooms, there would be more responsiveness to ensure the rest of your stay was seamless.

First Class service from the time we were picked up at airport to time dropped off. We had a 1 bedroom suite with an amazing view! Room was clean, close to restaurant and pool. The grounds are breathtaking and well kept. Food was amazing, we didn’t have anything we didn’t enjoy! The service we received from Jennifer and Gusti was 5 star. Both of them gave us ideas of what to do at the resort. We would recommend this resort.

What a gem! Magnificent property, spacious well equipped rooms, excellent amenities and staff, high quality restaurants, perfect stop on your bareboat charter, or in our case, home base prior to and after our charter. Really a standout in the BVI!