The Historic Comanche Hotel St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

M.A. Dworkin

St. Croix, USVI - The historic Comanche Hotel sits gracefully on Christiansted Harbor beckoning all who seek the beauty of the Caribbean Sea, the history of the past, and those who wish to escape the routines of the everyday world. The Comanche Hotel is a place of refuge, a place to unwind, a place to let your thoughts float away across the blue waters of the ocean, and cleanse the mind of all that clogs a clear vision of the future.

Through its doors have passed names of greatness, men and women who have  conquered their world but still know the value of relaxation and the importance of obtaining a restful peace of mind. Founding Father Alexander Hamilton; the great actor John Wayne; President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn along with their family; the King of the Tropics Jimmy Buffet; and the Father of the Atomic Bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer; have been among the many who sought to recharge their batteries, reinvent their worlds, and find peacefulness in their thoughts, while staying in the quaint and cozy rooms of the Comanche Hotel. 

It is easy to enjoy this charming, character-filled property, with its on-site restaurants, retail shops, the towering palm trees in its lovely gated garden, while you stroll through the historic spaces that make up the Hotel Comanche compound.   

The history of the hotel dates back to the 1750s with its storied past, tales of the sea, and a time when the waterfront was the economic hub of Christiansted Town and the Danish West Indies. Today’s new generation of travelers come to the Comanche Hotel seeking a sophisticated, island-style escape.   

Tourists enjoy starting off their evenings  by sitting back on their balcony and gazing out at the bobbing boats in the harbor. On a clear day you can see the other islands that make up the U.S. Virgin Islands, while you sip frozen rum concoctions before heading across to the hotel’s newly revamped, open-air Pavilion Bar, with its cushy wicker chairs and sofas. You can grab a beer or down a glass of that famous Cruzan Rum while you top off another great night of relaxation under the swirling twinkle of Caribbean stars.

Over the years many world-weary travelers have found St. Croix and the refuge of the Comanche Hotel to be their home-away-from-home. They know they can count on coming back to its historic charm, its personalized service, and as Jimmy Buffet sings in his homage to Caribbean life in his song Margaritaville: “that frozen concoction that helps me hang on.”