Why does everyone dislike Chocolate Hole - St. John??
 

We have heard from several people that they &quot;did not care for&quot; Chocolate Hole.<BR><BR>Can anyone be more specific? Not having been to St. John it's hard to determine why so many people dislike this area.<BR><BR>We are looking at a villa there, it is actually our first choice. Before we decide, though, can anyone give us some information on how these 3 areas differ?<BR><BR>Contant Point, Cruz Bay Hillside, Chocolate Hole Hillside.<BR><BR>Thanks.

I lived in a villa on Chocolate Hole. There's no beach to speak of and what there is is rocky tho the water's clear.<BR>Twilight no-see-ums are a problem unless you're further up on the hillside. There are a lot of villas here/60s-70s style. Not particularly<BR>a lush area;arid,cacti,scrub. I prefer villas at the end of the island, Coral Bay and beyond.

Debbie - I understand the dillema you are in, I have read several posts like your and I was in the same position as you 2 years ago.<BR><BR>I read your villa choices and if it were me. I would definitely choose Contant Point or Great Cruz Bay hillside area. Both locations, in my opinion have better views and very close to town.<BR><BR>We drove out to the Chocolate Hole area and were glad we didn't choose that area.Not that it's real bad, we just liked the other areas better. <BR><BR>We had absolutely no problems in Contant Point with bugs. Beautiful breezes and the views were stunning.<BR><BR>The convenience to town and the drive was much easier and the villas were gorgeous. <BR><BR>Good luck, you will love St. John.

We actually would have picked Contant Point Villa (Calicaribe through Destination St. John) as our first pick had it not been for no air. I think in May we will need it. Am I right?<BR><BR>The villa at Cruz Bay Hillside (Perelandra through Carefree Getaways) looks cute, but not as nice as the 2 others we picked, and the window space not as great - i.e. regular windows, not floor to ceiling. We also thought it might be a little noisier in this area, and only the bedrooms are air-conidtioned.<BR><BR>Our first choice, then has come to Villa Temptress (through Destination St. John). Maybe I'm missing something, but the foliage and views look stunning to me, as does the villa.<BR><BR>Thoughts?

The early part of May was in the high 80's and warm. The Contant Point villa that we rented only had a/c in the bedrooms (it's really all you need). We found though in the evening we would shut it off because the ceiling fans were plenty. The only time we had the air on was during the afternoon when the sun was strong. Most of the time we were out during the day.<BR><BR>The ceiling fans inside the main villa were kept on all day and when we returned from the beach the temp inside was fine once we opened all the sliding screen doors.. They also had ceiling fans outside on the deck that we would turn on in the afternoon after returning home from a day of beaching.<BR><BR>Evenings were wonderful out on the deck.<BR><BR>I would talk to your villa agent. The villa you chose in Chocolate Hole looks very pretty. Again, it's a matter of choice. We still preferred Contant Point. NO noise, traffic, total privacy. Did you read all the Villa reviews on the USVI site?<BR><BR>I agree with the other posts, you will absolutely love St. John.<BR><BR>

I wouldn't let whole-house A/C be the deciding factor. It's really not necessary and it cuts your choices down significantly. I would definitely get it in the bedrooms (nothing worse than being too hot to sleep) but as someone mentioned, you probably aren't going to be around enough during the day to make a difference. We were there in October (still pretty hot) and ran the bedroom A/C units w/ the bedroom doors open when we were home. Between that and the ceiling fans it was fine. When you're in the islands it's nice being able to keep your windows open and enjoy the breezes, sounds of nature, etc. <BR><BR>If you're worried about the Chocolate Hole area what about La Collina? Perhaps not quite as well-appointed as Temptress, but it looks larger and it's closer to town without being too close (like Perelandra?). The views are very nice.

Debbie - Where did you decide. Anxious to hear. St. John is wonderful. Wait till you see those beaches. They are everywhere. Wonderful little island.

Decide (and all others who helped us out) -<BR><BR>We finally decided on Chocolate Hole after talking with many people, and seeing photos and getting a trip report from a wonderful poster who stayed at the villa we picked!<BR><BR>We're staying at Villa Temptress through Destination St. John May 3-10th. Can't wait. <BR><BR>Now we're looking forward to discovering what there is to do on island. We'd love to take a trip to one of the other islands one day - Tortola, Virgin Gorda, etc. Any ideas?

How far is the commute to a good beach from Villa Temptress?

Not far at all. Maybe 10 minutes to the North Shore which has the island's best beaches. Of course, Chocolate Hole beach--not quite as nice as those on the north shore--is just a hop, skip and a jump.

Hello,<BR>It really is not an issue where you stay in st. john because you usually drive to the north shore beaches daily.<BR><BR>We stayed in chocolate hole in april and loved it the views were not the best but still beautiful. You will love it were ever you stay.<BR>Susan

Too bad you can't stay right on the beach. What a drag to have to schlepp everything to the beach. There's just nothing like being a few steps from the water when you wake up and right before going to sleep at night.

I wanted to be high up for the views and for the tradewinds.<BR><BR>I also don't want to go to the same beach everyday.<BR><BR>So, a 10 min. drive to the Northshore beaches to me will actually be enjoyable. I'm in no hurry when I'm on vacation.

Someone unfamiliar with St. John might think that there are plentiful villas right on beautiful beaches. Unfortunately that's not true since Rockefeller donated the area to the National Park and building is restricted on those beaches. Thankfully it won't become the overdeveloped one building after another crowding on the beaches like so many islands. Those going to St. John and not choosing Caneel or one of the few villas that are on a beach expect to drive to the beach. It's not for everyone thank goodness and the popularity and growth of the numerous villas and condo resorts has done enough damage to the once pristine island.

A/C--which villa did you stay in on Contant Point? Water Cliff? Would you stay there again?

Argonauta Villa. Heavenly. Best views. Really unbelievable. Villa was on the edge with no unobstructured views from anywhere. Beautiful place inside and out. Would highly recommend it.<BR><BR>vacationvistas.com

(Typo in above post)<BR><BR>The person who requested which villa on Contant Point. It is Villa Argonauta.<BR><BR>We chose this villa after reading reviews about Villa Argonauta (St John, USVI). Everyone was right on the mark. Gorgeous villa. <BR><BR><BR><BR>Thanks

There are a couple of reasons. The biggest one is the Pond Bay Resort development. In years past it was loud listening to the construction. Now the development is stalled which means little or no construction noise but an eyesore if your villa overlooks it. Check the location of your villa, if it's not overlooking this mess then book your stay!

I am a big fan of this area. Best value for villas with extra amenities like hot tubs and pools. It is only a few minutes further down the road from town and beaches, barely a skip past Great Cruz Bay.

I've stayed in Chocolate Hole for several of my trips to St John. Coral Bay is more remote and Great Cruz Bay is more lux. If you're looking for the best villa rental areas, those are your best options with Chocolate Hole a close second behind GCB in my humble opinion.

b_a, how on earth did you find this one 9 yr old thread & decide to post?