Olga's Fancy — Hotel in Charlotte Amalie

Surfers Cottage

We were looking to extend our stay in the BVI for a few days and wanted to explore Historic Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas. Olga’s Fancy had many recommendations from folks and the only room available for the duration of our stay was the “Surfer’s Cottage”.

As the story goes, Olga’s Fancy is a family owned boutique hotel that was started in the 50’s by repurposing a local official’s estate. The property has numerous buildings on various levels and is located right on the water’s edge in the Frenchtown section of town. It is a short walk to some quaint shops and restaurants of Frenchtown and is an easy walk to the Ferry Terminal or Historic District.

The owners are pleasant, engaging, and easy to talk to and are quick to offer suggestions for their guests. For an older property, it is very clean and well maintained and is a welcome departure from the typical sterile four walls that come with a big box hotel chain. While this design offers a unique charm, guests that prefer big box hotel chains may not appreciate some of the unique characteristics of Olga’s such as the many stairs required to get to most of the rooms.

Specifically, we stayed in the “Surfer’s Cottage”, which is a small multi room efficiency that is situated in an adjacent building from the main hotel. Its eclectic design offers a private gated patio, efficiency kitchen, and separate living room and bedroom areas. That bathroom is tiny but sufficient, and representative of what you anticipate in an older structure. The Surfer’s Cottage is located on the ground level and is accessed by a short set of stairs making it an easier alternative for somebody that can’t navigate longer staircases as easily.

I highly recommend Olga’s Fancy and, while any of the rooms are sure to be beautiful and offer exceptional views, the Surfer’s Cottage provides a quiet sanctuary with its own...

I just returned from a four day three night stay in St Thomas. The island is still recovering from last year’s hurricanes, but Olga’s Fancy Hotel appeared to have most of the exterior repairs completed. The “hotel” is not a traditional hotel, it is more of a series of buildings spread up a steep mountainside allowing the rooms to have views of the ocean, bays and Hassel Island. All the communal areas are outdoors/open air which is great when trying to find a place to sit and read a book or enjoy the ocean breeze. Caution there are a lot of stairs (hence the mountain), so be prepared to carry your luggage.

Upon arrival I was warmly greeted and given a rundown of all local (Frenchtown) restaurants and shops. The hotel is a nice 3-minute walk away from some of the best offerings of Frenchtown. While the hotel is on the water, there is no “beach”. You do have access to the harbor and local transportation to the many beaches that St Thomas has to offer.

My room had a pleasant view of the bay, Hassel Island and the salt water pool. The room was neat and clean, and the Air Conditioner worked great. Both the AC and the pool were great escapes from the St Thomas heat.

The staff and services were above expectations and I would recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a non-resort style...

Olga's Fancy was a wonderful experience! We booked 4 rooms for the whole family and we all felt so comfortable there. I loved Candy and Eddie, who were incredible hosts and knew the island so well, especially since Candy grew up there. I also really appreciated the fresh water available throughout the day and the free coffee in the morning - two things I can't go without. It was also walking distance to food, so you can grab a sandwich or get breakfast without getting into a car. There was also a nice restaurant nearby, literally a stones throw away, if you wanted something fancier. Besides being able to walk to food, you could go for a long walk or a run, right along the water. We didn't get the chance to use the salt water pool, but it looked so inviting and a great alternative to the beach for those who just want to relax after a busy day. After visiting a popular resort for a day boat charter, I appreciated the quiet and solitude of Olga's Fancy compared to the tons of people in the pool and on the beach at the resort. In contrast to the resort, being at Olga's Fancy made me feel more like a local than a tourist, which is something I personally prefer when visiting different locations. In other words, Olga's Fancy was a great place to stay and I'd go back in...