The Old Gin House and Scubaqua Diving

St. Eustatius, Caribbean

Located on the Caribbean island of St. Eustatius – an island that many call “Old School Caribbean” – the Old Gin House Hotel is a quaint waterfront hotel that offers tons of personality. You will not find mass tourism, large casinos, or crowded shopping streets here. Instead, you will find beautiful scenery, incredible diving, and welcoming people! The island is located 30 miles south of St, Maarten. Winair operates 5 daily flights from St. Maarten and the flight time is approximately 20 minutes.

The island of Statia is a volcanic island and does have volcanic sand beaches. The main beach is located adjacent to the Dive Center and next to the hotel. The island’s nickname, the golden rock of the Caribbean, came about because it was a very wealthy trading spot during the Golden age of the Caribbean – with some 20,000 inhabitants and thousands of ships called at her shores.

The Old Gin House has 20 impressive suites split up into 3 categories – 14 Garden View rooms, 2 Ocean Front rooms, 1 Pool room, 1 apartment, and 2 one bedroom Suites. The King bed Garden rooms are furnished with King Size mahogany beds and colonial style furniture. The pool is located in the Garden, close to the Garden View rooms. Pool towels and lounge chairs are available for your use.

The Hotel has a beautiful historic bar and restaurant, which is now located in the old Mooshay Bay Public House. You will be surrounded by ambience and charm while being served everything ranging from classic cocktails to new recipes prepared by the chefs on site. If you are coming with a group, you can arrange a private dining service for groups.

The front desk can help arrange many land excursions and tours, ranging from car rentals if you want to get out and explore on your own to guided walking history tours. Wi-Fi is available for guests who bring their own laptop. If you forgot yours, there is a computer available in the lobby.

Resort Amenities Include:

Beach Chairs
Umbrellas
Towel Service
Wi-Fi internet access

Suite Amenities Include:

Phone
Cable Television
Air conditioning
King Size Beds
Balcony seats
Hair Dryer (upon request)
Iron and Ironing Board (upon request)
Ocean Front rooms also have a small fridge

DIVING IN ST. EUSTATIUS

Diving in Statia is regarded as some of the best in the Caribbean. Explore reefs, wrecks, pinnacles, and walls with Scubaqua Dive Center. You can explore 36 dive sites – most of which are moored to protect the reef from anchorage. Scubaqua offers low guest-to-guide ratio and dives for all levels. So whether you are a beginner or advanced, you will be able to enjoy the true beauty of diving St. Eustatius! They have 2 dive boats, a 36 foot boat called Green Flash and a 27 foot single hull called Yellow Boat. The majority of dive sites can be reached within a 5-20 minute boat ride from the harbor.

Explore the tranquil waters of the Caribbean accompanied by experienced dive instructors. Dive into the untapped Marine Reserve where you can enjoy and explore walls, historical wrecks, patch reefs, macro dive sites, lava flows, boulder slides, and rock outcroppings. An unforgettable experience that will impress even the most experienced divers!

If you have never heard about this small, undiscovered island in the Caribbean, it is only because it’s a well-kept secret. Unaffected by mass tourism, St. Eustatius is not your average Caribbean Island. Imagine the Caribbean about 25 or 30 years ago and you get close. The reefs surrounding St. Eustatius are flourishing in a protected marine park. Underwater you will experience what much of the Caribbean must have looked like many years ago. The eye-catching volcano “the Quill” dominates the island with its impressive crater and is responsible for the huge amount of lava flows and blocks under the surface. These old labyrinths of lava are now fully overgrown with coral and sponges. Combine these reefs with numerous historical dive sites and more recent sunk wrecks and you will find yourself a diver’s paradise!