DianaD

Hi ,

My husband and I would like to remt a villa in St John. We would like to know which area is the prettiest and nicest to stay . Any referrals on villas would be helpful as well

dhayden

My husband and I always stay on the Coral Bay side. We prefer it to be quieter and for us Cruz Bay is too busy for us. Go to www.windspree.com to view homes to rent.

alw1977

Hi Diana -
I personally believe that there is no "prettiest" or "nicest" area of St. John. They are all nice, it's just a matter of what you want. Do you want more privacy and quiet? If so, then Coral Bay is for you. But, do know that it's a 25+ minute drive to Cruz Bay on some curvy roads.

Personally, I like the Great Cruz Bay/Chocolate Hole/Rendezvous Bay area. It's close to town (10 minutes or so), grocery stores, bars and the famous North Shore beaches. I also like the views to St. Thomas from this area.

Do you want seclusion or action? I've been to St. John twice - it's my favorite island so far. Wherever you choose, you'll have a great time.

DebitNM

We have friends who live just outside Coral Bay. While visiting them 2 years ago, we went out for a walk in their neighborhood.

We happened upon a beautiful villa, newly constructed. The owner was outside and we started talking. They invited us in to show us their villa. It was beautiful! Great views, nicely decorated, pool, outdoor showers and on and on.

http://windspree.com/homes/memorydaze/

Check it out, it was really special. We will be visiting our friends again in March 09. Can't wait to go back to St John.

Deb
{I have no financial or other interest in this property; just saw your post and thought I could offer a place that I actually saw. The owners were really nice folks too.}

kellybeaches

Hi DianaD,
What size villa are you looking for? We stayed at www.antantebythesea.com in Sept 07 and loved it. You can see both the sunrise and sunsets, it’s near Cruz Bay (about 10min drive), has a pool/hot tub, and the owners were great to work with. My pics are here. Good luck!

Part 1:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slidesho...uf3aj&Ux=0

Part 2:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLan...share&Ux=0

Pulley

Diana,

What's important to you? Size, pool, A/C(especially in the summer) location, etc. We've been going to St. John at least twice a year since 1999. Our "favorite" villa is LaPapaya, rented through Destination St. John, it's hillside on Chocolate Hole. We had views of St. Thomas, Puerto Rico & St. Croix. Also watched crusie ship come by day & night. Despite what some people may say this neighborhood is as quiet as anything on Coral Bay we've experienced. The only noise you are likely to hear is from construction. That's happening all over the island, Cruz Bay, Great Cruz Bay, Chocolate Hole, Coral Bay, North Shore, etc.

You'll definitely need a car no matter where you stay, unless you plant your self at Caneel. The are so many great beaches all over St. John that you'll want to visit as many as possible.

Tuxedocat

DianaD: Ditto what everyone else has said! The reason why St. John is a very popular destination is because it really doesn't have a "prettiest" area, but it does have a wide range of offerings. You need to give a more detailed criteria for a good recommendation(s). Many people like the Great Cruz Bay area which is on the mid to high end of villas overall, not remote but still quiet. The villas can run between $2500 to $7000 a week there dependent on size and amenities. You really need to be more specific regarding your requirements. Is it just for a couple?

janiekins

We just stayed at Miles away last month - located in Rendezvous Bay.

We LOVED it. Everything in the villa is brand new. It is located in a VERY private setting. Beautiful pool. Everything was spotless! I cannot say enough about this villa!

http://www.destinationstjohn.com/miles_away.htm

kellybeaches

Oops! Just noticed I forgot a "d" in the url! It should be:
Www.andantebythesea.com

iamq

We stayed at a small, very nice villa up the hillside from Francis Bay. There are very few villas in this area, which was nice. It felt remote (which we liked), but was only about 15 minutes from Cruz Bay and about 20 minutes from Coral Bay. I'd stay in this area again in a heartbeat.

tess53

imo the best thing to do is contact a few villa rental agencies... tell them what you're looking for, budget, size, pool hot tub etc and they will find an appropriate place for you. some agents : www.cateredto.com , www.caribbeanvilla.com, www.destinationstjohn.com, www.suitestjohn.com -- all are respected agencies and with some great villas & condos !!! good luck !!

LisaMS

Diana, not sure what you are looking for in a villa but my husband and I just stayed in the Coral Bay area at Tradewinds Cottage. We were very pleased with the place; small but adaquate space; clean; great views, quiet area, and great value if you are looking for a small place for just the two of you.

www.tradewindscottage.com

LaSalle61

Hi Diane,
We have visited St. John at least 15 times and have rented villas the last four times and now wouldn't do it any other way. Check the websites of all the rental companies-they do a great job. We've used Caribbeanvilla.com for small villas at Chocolate Hole North and Deevers Bay("Island Time" is charming for two to four people). There is a big construction project at Chocolate Hole, but Deevers Bay is around the bend and not affected by it. However, ask about construction near any villa. It's almost unavoidable but some sites are more intrusuve than others. We discovered several villas at Rendevous Bay that we would like to look at for next time-magnificent views looking east. More expensive villas can be found overlooking the north shore. There is a lovely two apartment villa in a sugar mill reproduction called Peter Bay Gatehouse which overlooks Cinnamon Bay. Gallows Point Resort is great if you want to be very close to town and have resort amenities with condo-type accommodations(stayed there many times before trying a villa.) In general, I would avoid anything on the town side of the Westin.

Tuxedocat

What happened to DianaD? I'd also like to mention www.carefreegetaways.com which is a small local outfit with husband/wife team.

DianaD

Hello ,

Here I am . I have been reading all the post . My husband and I are a little spoiled so I would like a villa that is not crowded by other villas but near the best beaches with a pool and great views . Also would likeit to have pretty landscaping . Since it is only the two of us I would like to stay under 5000 for the week . I was also considering returning to VG ,but would really like to try something different but just as pretty and safe .

liblady

We stayed at Gallows Point. The pros:
You can walk into town, the views are outstanding, you have a full kitchen so you can keep a few things in the fridge. The housekeeping was great, we snorkeled off their dock. The cons: there was construction on that main street leading to the resort and it did start early in the morning. We were there in May, though so it may be finished. Have a great trip!

DianaD

MIles away looks nice .. How are the views . Is St John hard to get to from Connecticut

Tuxedocat

I'm from Connecticut and we used to fly right out of Bradley to San Juan and then to St. Thomas, but recently, they have scheduled the planes so that you end up waiting around in San Juan airport for more than 2 hours. Personally hate that. We are planning to fly from either JFK, Newark or Boston, all which have direct flights to St. Thomas. I'd rather spend the time driving than waiting around in the airport. If the wait were on the return trip, I could deal with it better. Also, these direct flights are actually cheaper than flying out of Bradley. Other than my own issue with the longer layover, St. Thomas is relatively easy to get to from Connecticut. BTW, look at the villa called Le Chateau on www.cateredto.com It's in Catherineberg which is an area facing the northshore. Very posh area. The northshore is where many of the famously beautiful beaches are. We prefer the southshore which is wilder. Peter Bay Gatehouse is also a possible great choice if you want to be in the most exclusive enclave on the island, but it has no pool and there are other villas near by, but the property has top shelf appointments, drop-dead gorgeous views and is very close to some of the best beaches. Also, wherever you look into, I suggest inquire if there is any construction nearby. There is a good deal of construction going on near the Westin resort area, but Catherineberg/Peter Bay area is not near there.