Islander House on Rocky Cay Beach — Hotel in Saint Andrew

We stood at Islander House in December and spent Christmas there.. ||let me start by answering some questions that we had before we went, ||1. This is NOT a hotel its 3 bedroom house with shared kitchen. Word of advice, if you select the ocean view room it is the best room in the house. ||2. There is no air condition, sadly this is a minus for the house as the island gets VERY hot and stuffy, there is a fan in each room and you can leave the sliding glass door open but keep in mind you will be eaten alive by mosquito's. ||3. There is a shared kitchen, you can cook in the kitchen if you wish, we made Christmas dinner in the kitchen (there is a market down the street) and shared dinner with the other couple staying there, we got to chit chat and felt close to everyone. ||4. Breakfast is served daily, it is small and the lady (Araceli) that serves breakfast is nice, but can be a bit sassy.. just make sure you are clear on what you want lol ||5. There is a private beach that is amazing, right behind the house.. every day a young man puts up 2 hammocks for guest to use and its great to lay out and relax.. when we were there the surge was too high so we couldn't visit the other cayes but the beach alone was worth the stay. ||6. The property has 2 cats and if you leave your door open they will come in the bedroom (even at night when you are sleeping) so if you dont like cats dont stay here, they wont leave you alone.. i have a cat myself so i didn't mind at all, but at night when we were trying to sleep we had to put her outside as she kept trying to curl up on our pillows. ||7. The owners were very nice, they will help you arrange tours if you ask.. and they helped us rent a golf cart to explore the island. ||||in conclusion, if you want a marriot or hyatt type of "resort" this isnt it.. this is a HOUSE you will be staying in someones house (They live upstairs) the bed is not fancy the sheets are not Egyptian cotton .. it gets stuffy at night , there are ALOT of mosquitos so take deet the bathrooms are not "fancy" matter fact there is no cold or hot water, its just water.. (but the island is so hot it is refreshing) ||If you want more of a vacation feel, with room service, hot towels .. .maybe amenities then you are better off staying in one of the other hotels down town. ||||The place is hard to find ., so make sure to tell the taxi driver , casa de tono because there...

Staying here is not just accommodation — it's a cultural experience. The house, over 200 years old, is one of the few original architectural homes still standing in San Andrés. If you're looking to truly understand the island’s history and way of life, this is the place to be.

The owners are friendly and helpful — especially Tonino, whose knowledge and passion for the island make any conversation a delight. We stayed in the top-floor room, and it’s by far the best option: spacious, with a large balcony and beautiful ocean views.

As expected in a house this old, it creaks and ranges throughout — you can hear every step taken across the floors, which is another reason the top room is the best choice, and it has views to the ocean!

That said, a few areas could use attention. No bathroom amenities were provided (no shampoo, conditioner, or shower gel, just those little bars of soap). Breakfast was quite basic, with soda-style orange juice, only American coffee, arepas, and a choice between scrambled eggs or pancakes. There is no hot water (although it is not so bad, it is quite refreshing and the water is not that cold and the weather is really warm). Beach towels are not offered. Breakfast is prepared one by one, so it can be slow.

There are thousands of garden crabs, and there’s also a house cat that enjoys sleeping with guests. Lastly, while the top-floor room is fantastic, its private bathroom is located one floor below and isn’t clearly marked as exclusive and a lock was quickly provided when we asked.

Still, this is a warm and welcoming place full of character. With a few small improvements, it could be truly outstanding.

PS: Bring mosquito repellent! PPS: The wifi does not reach the top room -...

This house looks nice from the outside, but it is not a place you should stay in San Andres. The room was not clean, there was a lot of spiders, mosquitoes and other bugs. The shower / toilet had a lot of bugs as well. On the property there was a lot of animals, including cats that had cleary visible scars and lice, and these cats loved to jump into the bed. Not healthy at all. |The breakfast was one arepa and one glass of juice, and nothing more. The landlord stands at the and of the table and stares at you when you eat. |There is no a/c in the room, and if you do not know, a/c is very important here because it keeps the yellow fever mosquito away. This mosquito spreads dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika fever, Mayaro and yellow fever. There was several of these mosquitoes in our room, and because there was 30-40 degrees celsius (hot) in the room we had to sleep without duvet. In the morning we woke up with bites everywhere.|In the area there is an okay beach, but evetything on the beach closes at 15:00. There is 20 minutes walk to the nearest ATM and at least 40.000 col. pesos for a cab to the city. The area has only one restaurant, at Cocoplum hotel.|Islander house had no internet and the toilet was not working (the landlord had to reset the fuse several times). |We were also told by locals that this area is not safe to be in after dark. Also, there is nothing else to do or see in this area. |Please book your stay at a hotel with better facilities or closer to the city center, Islander House is not a good option, we left...