momma5

My husband and I are looking for a villa for 5 nights in Feb or March. We would like privacy, a jacuzzi, and a not horrible road. We would likie to spend about $340 a night or under. Has anyone stayed at Windcrest, Meritage Cottage, or Sting of Pearls? String of Pearls looks good, but we wonder about bugs since it is on the beach, plus we might miss the view. We stayed at Honeymoon Cottage before, but would like to explore something different, plus Honeymoon's price has gone up with a new owner. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. We love St. John!!!

Tuxedocat

momma5: Feb. and March are tough months to rent for just 5 days. Most places will want to rent for a week. I don't know String of Pearls, but if you look on www.caribbeandays.com (no, I don't have anything to do with this site, I just like the way it's set-up.), Windcrest and Meritage are pretty high up. I think the road to Windcrest is probably not bad as it is part of a bigger complex, and Meritage is in the Chocolate Hole/Hart Bay area of the south shore and there are usually decent roads there. You can always ask for more specific descriptions from the agency. I'd also look at www.carefreegetaways.com In Coral Bay hillside, it can be more dicey regarding the road. The views can be gorgeous though. Look at St. John Livin,' Siempre Azul, and Island Dreams which are also in your price range. Siempre Azul has the benefit of being on the beach but is out of the way. No bad roads there.

Tuxedocat

momma5: I just took a look at String of Pearls and I know exactly where it is. It's a very nice neighborhood and the roads there aren't a problem, but it can get buggy at night. Even at the Westin's outdoor restaurant near the water, it can get buggy. Bug spray and bug "coils" which you burn like incense can greatly reduce the problem. If you're indoors and the place has screens etc., you should be fine. Great Cruz Bay is very sheltered and down near the waterline you won't get the big breezes that blow bugs away. Also, it is not going to be that secluded if you're so close to the Westin. It makes it easier for nightlife and convenient to everything though. I saw that you are looking at the Coral Bay side too. Coral Bay is much quieter but some folks do not like to be so far from the "action." If you liked the quiet of Honeymoon Cottage, you may like Coral Bay.

Tuxedocat

Forgot to say,just a thought. You said you were worried about String of Pearls having so much availability in Feb. and March. But if you look at the rest of the year, it's very nicely booked. It is a very new villa and people tend to book a year or more in advance, so if it just came on line, it wouldn't be so surprising that the most bookings are a year out.

momma5

Thanks for all of your great suggestions and insight, Tuxedocat. Coral Bay did appeal to us when we were there last year. I think we might miss the beautiful views if we were on the beach too. Still searching...