My husband & I are wanting to go to St. John on November 25th until December 3rd. We know nothing about the area & where is the best to stay. We would like to have a pool, be near the beach &/or restaurants. I don't know how we will get around. I read somewhere that you need to rent a car. I would love to hear others input.
Thanks,
Kelley

Kelley, to really see the island you need to rent a car. It's an easy island to drive and you can go to all the beautiful beaches. There are really no homes on the beach in St. John. So a pool and close to shopping are really your wants. They are several good places around Cruz Bay but your budget will determine most recommendations. We've rented villa Amore, easy walk to Woody's & town, we've stayed at Gallows Point, beautiful views nice room andan easy walk to town. We have stayed at Coconut Coast, again it walkable to town and had a pool. We also stayed at Cruz View villas, probably the longest walk to town of all the places I have mentioned but alos the least expensive. Hope that helps you start the process.

We just returned from our first trip to St. John, and like you, we wanted to be able to get into town with ease and have restaurant options. We stayed at Gallows Point and it was perfect for our needs--a nice pool and hottub serve as a central gathering spot. It has nice views, great staff, and pretty decent snorkeling right on site. Easy walk into town for dinner & drinks without having to worry about driving afterward.

Check www.VRBO.com for some good choices.

The hotel choices don't have the best beaches, except Caneel Bay, and that is expensive.

You can rent a villa(most have a pool), rent a car, and go to the best beaches(Caneel Bay included.)

For a first trip, I'd stay near Cruz bay or Chocolate Hole to be near restaurants, etc. Coral Bay has better prices, but a bit remote for me.

Also check St. John villa rentals for many more sources.

Good luck.

Get my best deals from $80 at the Westin betterbidding.com

bidding priceline.com

Join SPG.com flash Card for upgrades

Get their Amex card for free stays with points

maho.org for no bid Gallows Point pretty nice

caneelbay.com very best... Cute little pink jitneys

run u around no need to rent a car usually.

Spirit.com AA.com cheapest flights usually.

Happy Planning!

Do a search on this forum. St John has been a somewhat active subject lately.

In my opinion to appreciate the island you definitely need a car ( jeep ) for your length of stay. Look into that now as that could be difficult time to rent this near your trip. There have also been rental recommendations posted here.

Oh thank you all so much! That gives me a good place to start.

Has anyone ever stayed at Lavender Hill?

Not in a longgggggggg time. It is a great location! Two years ago we met couple who where staying there. They said it very clean and nice. It is a very easy walk to town.

Just saw that you are a diver. St. John has very easy and great diving. Lowkey Water Sports is down the hill from Lavendar Suites.

You can find some reviews of Lavender Hill here:
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.co...wforum.php?f=1