Hi, We have been kicking around different villas in St. John with no avail! They all look great but we just can't decide. Any suggestions???

Hi northerngal,
What are your criteria for villas? How many people are you looking to put up? What area(s) of the island are you considering. What villas have you looked at so far? We stay in John's Folly Cottages out in Concordia near Salt Pond Bay, but it's not for everyone. Tell me more about what you're looking for and we'll try to help. There are a number of STJ lovers on this board.

Hi, Thanks for the fast response! There is just my husband and I going for our 25th anniversary. He feels like he really needs AC in at least the bedroom. We both would like a pool and I would like something pretty clean and updated. A view is a must! We had it narrowed down to Rhumb Runner ( it looks a little dated) or Moonsong (hot tub-no pool, not sure how clean hot tubs are) Thanks for any input!

Hi northerngal. I stayed at calabashcottages "windwardside" villa last year(in Coral Bay area on Calabash Boom). Hot tub but no pool and no AC(would't have used it anyway the breeze was more than enough). Excellent place for $2100 pr week.
This year I'm staying at Happy Moon villa which I found at vivacations.com.
It's fairly new,has a small pool and fantastic views, AC in buildings but other people who've rented it said the AC wasn't neccesary up on the mountain. It's up on Ajax peak nearer to Coral Bay than Cruz. Cost $2500 per week. IF you have any questions post them to Jofus. Good Luck!

jofus, were you paying those $ for high season? at John's Folly we paid around $800 for a week in May '04.

Just curious. I know where that place in Calabash Boom is.

northerngal, depends on the time of year and where on the island you are how the breeze is. We stayed in a small cottage since it was just me and DH, but it was simple, no AC, no pool or hot tub. You might try www.stjohnlinks.com, as that's where we found our place to stay. You can search villas by size and I think most you can rent direct from the owner.

Trish

Hi Northern gal,

Hubby and I answer a few basic questions to help narrow down our search: Whats your budget? On what area of the island would you prefer to rent? Sunrise or sunset? Privacy? Pool or hot tub or both? Extras we include are distance to beaches/ or town, villa amenities (i.e. outdoor showers are great), hammock, etc. Once we answer these questions narrowing down our choices was easier. Let us know what you prefer!

To tpatricco: Yes it was the height of the high season. We go in Feb. Our anniversary is Feb.15 it's also the slow season for my husbands business so that's when it's easiest for us to get away it's unfortunate that its also the most expensive time to go but It's worth it for us. Just curious what does DH stand for I see lots of people use that is it "Darling Husband"?
BTW northerngal answers to crowisland ?
will help alot in advising

jofus, DH= dear husband or similar. Our anniversary is Feb 22nd, and we honeymooned in STJ, so we like to go back too. This year we opted to go in May and stay for two weeks. It was very reasonable and even though we did have a few rainy days, it was the most relaxing trip we've had in years! We know how different the costs are in high season.

Has northerngal specified when she's planning to go? This will make a major difference on budget.

Also, do you want near Cruz Bay or toward the more quiet East End or out past Coral Bay (my favorite)...

What is your price range??
And, how close do you want to be to the action.

If you are willing to consider St. Croix, take a look at www.noproblemmon.com. It was wonderful. Told my optometrist about it and he and his wife went this summer. Very private with pool and spa.

Hi, Thanks for all the good questions. We are planning on going January 7-15th, 2005. I know that this is high season but it's the only time we have available. We would like to stay under $3000/wk. Since we've never been to the island I'm not sure where we want to be - any suggestions? Privacy is a must, would love a pool but am unsure how clean a hot tub would be. Would love to be able to walk to beach but also want a view. Am I asking for too much!!! Thanks for all your help.

NORTHERNGAL both villas i posted earlier are great on privacy but a jeep rental is a must unless you stay in the Cruz Bay area. Try www.usvi.com or simply St. John usvi on any search engine. I spent LOTS of time researching the island before I went the first time. Lonely Planet has a good virgin islands book. Because the island is so small and it only has 2 towns it's not overwhelming to research. Look into it and decide what you want that will make narrowing your options easier. I think I've found every villa thats for rent on STJ and there are plenty under$3000. Check out vivacation.com. Some I can think of are Happy Moon, Lil Plantation. Also caribbeanvilla.com has Bayview(I was really tempted by that one but it's more then my hubby and I need so I went with Happy Moon) and Aria. Theese 2 are up on Ajax peak with excellent views and pools and I believe all are under$3000. As I said I spents LOTS of time researching, feel free to ask questions just post to JOFUS

to jofus: Thanks for the info. I just pulled up Time Out and Mandavilla. What do you know about either of these places?

My husband and I stayed at Time Out last year. It was a great place with an amazing view from all the rooms of the house, nice pool and a small hot tub .There are 2 bedrooms separated by a great room. It is about 15-20 minutes from the National Park beaches. I would definitely rent a jeep if you plan to stay there as the driveway is quite steep.
I can not comment on the other villa

pumpkin13: Thanks for the info. Can you tell me where on the island this is located? Did you eat out much and where? How far were you from the water? This is so great to talk to someone who has been there!

Time Out is near Chocolate Hole.

thanks - any suggestions?

Hey northerngal,
Both Timeout and Mandavilla are on the western side of the island near the "main" town of Cruz Bay where the dock is and the majority of shops & restaurants are. My hubby and I both prefer the seclusion of the eastern side near Coral Bay. We rent villas that are private enough for clothing to be optional. We rent a jeep get supplies we need from the Starfish market in Cruz Bay and then head to the other side of the island only coming to town if need be. By the way groceries are expensive since everything has to be brought there. This year I'm staying for 2 weeks so I'm sending packages with dry supplies
i.e. cereal,pasta,coffee,sundries etc. There is a sevice called "Connections" that you can mail items to and they will hold for you till you arrive on the island to pick them up.I'd be happy to answer any questions you have if I can St. John is my favorite subject

northerngal, My husband and I have been to STJ a few times, but typically do it a little less amenity oriented than you are interested in. We've done the eco-tents and also a small cottage which we really enjoyed, but no pool...no hot tub. You've got some good suggestions from other posters. Let me know when you're ready for where to snorkle & eat suggestions. I'll be glad to help!

Your main decision is whether or not you want to be near "town" or in a quieter area (near Coral Bay or East End). Take a look at a map and get a sense of where you might want to be...see what villas coordinate with that and choose one that works. You'll love STJ no matter where you stay! We do!

northerngal: Time out is in Chocolate hole about a 10 minute drive to Cruz Bay. As with many of the villas, Time Out is high above the water. We did see some boats docked in Chocolate hole, however not much of a beach. We drove to the national park beaches We were in St. John for a week and ate dinner out every night. However it was nice to have the kitchen to make breakfast and lunches which we brought to the beach.

For dinner we ate at Asolare (my favorite), Stone Terrace, Zozo's, Paradiso, Lime Inn, Chateau Bordeau, and Shipwreck Landing.
We loved Time Out and thought it was a great place to be based to explore St. John. Some people prefer the Coral Bay area which was alot less crowded and seemed alittle more laid back. it is a matter of your interests. Let me know if you have any other questions about St. John or Time Out specifically.