i was reading some reviews over at trip advisor and more than one location had "middle of the night visitors."

i must go for work and am petrified. can anyone tell me if there are mid range accommodations without these concerns? what is it like at maho bay?

help!
thanks,
kerikeri

Keri,
I have been to st John 2 times (June 05 and Sept.05) and never felt unsafe.Always use common sense and you will be fine.

For mid ranged accomodations check out this website: www.gallowspoint.com

Good luck!!
Christie

i went nov04 with someone, but it was a really great place..i never once felt unsafe, or would worry about going there alone. i found that mid-range accomodations were hard to find in st john...most were really expensive..but we ended up staying at maho bay campground b/c basically it was the only affordable thing for the two of us. it was a nice place. completely safe..i agree with christie..use common sense, and i think you have no worries.

thanks but i do use common sense.

the trip advisor postings told in each case of the people opening their eyes to find intruders in their rooms who had let themselves in.

how can common sense prevent this?

I believe this may have applied mostly to people who rented villas as opposed to staying in a hotel. But, St. John is truly magical!

keri, i too have read these reports. i believe they were all from people renting villas, although i'm not positive.
i regularly travel alone and stay in villas, and i must admit that i have a tendency to leave beach access doors open so i can hear the ocean and get the breeze. i believe this is where the problem arises. island thieves know this too.
in any event i assume you will be in a hotel (where guest safety is as important to them as it is to you). lock your doors and secure windows and use the ac! this is the form of common sense being referred to by jamie and christie i believe. and not that this helps all that much, but, as i recall these stories, no one was harmed - just had things taken and were frightened... if would make you feel safer take a can of mace of somesuch with you.
just curious: if you are going for work why is your office not finding and paying for accomadations. and are there more jobs available? i would kill to be sent to st. john for work! relax. enjoy the opportunity. st. john is a beautiful and happy island!!!

Keri,
On our last trip to St John..we stayed at The St John Inn and locked our door everytime we leaved the room and we never had any problems with theft.It is not a fancy hotel..but we were on the go most of the trip so it was fine for us.Like Virginia stated lock your doors and you should be fine.

If it makes you feel any better.One night my husband was very tired and rested while I walked around Cruz Bay..by myself and never felt unsafe.Good luck!Compared to some of the other destinations..I felt very safe.

Christie

I would stay in a hotel not a villa. I would also NOT stay on the first floor. This prevents easy access to your room. There is crime everywhere, but I have only heard of the villas being broken into on st. john.

Keri - I agree with the PP, I am not sure where you are planning on staying, but I would not stay in a villa alone. There are certain places I would, but I would not in the USVI on any island, including St John, which I love. I know someone who owns a villa there, and she stays alone a lot of the time, however, she lives there part time so she is more familiar with the island and she knows her neighbors, etc.

If you can stay in a hotel that would be the best idea.

GL, I hope your trip goes well!

keri, as other posters stated the breakins were in villas..this is a small problem on the islands..most time people leave doors unlocked thus allowing an easy entrance... if doors are locked the thiefs move on,usually. since you're traveling on business i assume your accomodations are taken care of by your employer or are you self employed? if so what price range are you looking for..we need specifics to help you..mid range for one is high or low for others. this info would help us give you the best advice to fit your needs.

Kerikeri,
What about a bed and breakfast where you'd have some privacy, maybe a private entrance, but NOT be inhabiting the place all by yourself? Here's one idea (have read that it's nice; don't know it myself):

http://www.gardenbythesea.com/

Yipes, these stories about break-ins at villas now have me a bit nervous about staying in one wtih my family. Thanks for all the tips above, about locking doors. It's easy to forget or throw caution to the wind, especially when it's a balmy island breeze!

Cali...don't be nervous.st.john continues to be a safer island than most.another suggestion..always put money & valuables in the safe that is in your villa..keeps temptaion at bay !!

St. John is one of the safest places anywhere. I live in a city and my friends in the posh suburbs complain about more break-ins etc. than myself or my neighbors. The streets of Cruz Bay and the rest of St. John are pretty safe for anyone who keeps their wits about them. While there will be horror stories from anywhere, the stories from St. John are fairly moderate. The thieves are only interested in getting a little money. Not to dismiss the seriousness of any crime, but the rate and degree of crime on St. John is relatively low and nothing to be overly afraid of. In addition, they recently added a new police station in Coral Bay to better cover the entire island. I think the big problem with tourists getting robbed is that many places do not have airconditioning and folks sleep with just screen doors or open windows so it is easy for intruders to enter. I would probably not stay at Maho Bay as it is more remote and the accomodations are more rustic (e.g. tents). As Christiegr and Calinurse suggested, I would try a smaller inn where there are other people around for company. Garden-by-the-Sea, St. John Inn or Estate Lindholm are all fine. You may feel intimidated now, but I am confident you'll be on this board in the future as another St. John fan.

Keri,
Garden By the Sea that Tuxedo mentioned looks very nice.I would stay there (if I were you)rather than the St John Inn..where we stayed..it was OK but Garden By the Sea looked nicer!Have fun!

Christie

thanks everybody! i work for an environmental org so budget is always an issue!

i should have asked if traveling after dark is a problem, too, now that the clocks are going back it seems it'll be dark after 6pm...i always take a flashlight, but i wonder if these intruders are lurking near doorways?

thank you so much for your suggestions. they truly help. and mace sounds like a great solution, too!

kerikeri

Traveling in St. John day or night is generally safe for anyone alone. I doubt you will be wandering off into dark alleys or into the woods by yourself. I have not heard of anyone being attacked in St. John while they were just walking to dinner or around town, but of course there's always a first. I'm not sure where you live but if you exercise reasonable caution and common sense just like you would at home, I'm sure you will be fine.

I forgot to address your other intruder question. I would suggest you review these reported break-ins and understand what the circumstances are. I believe most if not all involve someone breaking in either hoping either no one is in or that the breaking in will not be discovered. In other words, none of these victims were physically harmed. Of course it is always disconcerting, but of the hundreds or thousands of people who visit (may be more) each year, you have a handful of incidents. Even the most posh resorts anywhere will report a number of such thefts or incidents. Perhaps someone else from the organization can go with you?

Hi kerikeri, since you work for an environmental org. it's no wonder they'd like you to stay at Maho. I've stayed at their sister site Concordia. The eco-tents are very structural (wood framing) and have locks on the doors to secure them. We had no fears or concerns about intruders or theft. We did keep our doors locked at night and when we were not there. Maho Bay's campground is less remote than Concordia. Also it is typically inhabited by families. I think you will find it has a safe feeling if, as other posters have recommended, you use common sense. Bring a flashlight for walking around at night, keep your tent locked, etc.

St. John is a fun and safe place to visit. Have a great trip! Trish

Keri, look at Caribbeandays.com, there are a couple of listings of apartment type rentals close to town where there will be other people around and which are pretty economical. How long are you staying?

Hello kerikeri! If you just use common sense precautions in St. John you will be OK. St. John is a safe island. What part of thye island do you need to get a place at? North or south?