USVI-On-Line

Ok, the reason for my previous post (about an inexpensive but nice condo stay) was because I want to surprise all my kids and grandkids next Christmas with a paid trip to St. John. I did this 3 or 4 years ago and it was hands down the very best vacation of my whole life.

However, the villa prices have seemed to almost double since then! Inflation sure hasn't. So, I'm coming to the 'experts' again--who has stayed with a large party in a nice relatively inexpensive villa (good location--not east end please, it's just too far for all the little ones after & before a LONG day of travel plus too much travel to the beaches etc).

Any & all input appreciated!

We had 12 (6 adults, 6 kids) in Vistaero in May 09. It was great for our group with lots of space inside & out, a/c in the bedrooms, some bedrooms had sleep sofas so little kids could be in with their parents. It also had a large pool and a working hot tub. The view was spectactular. Since our stay there have been a couple of reviews that things are slipping in maintenance at the villa, so I'd ask a lot of questions about current condition if you're thinking of booking it.

Others to consider are Villekula (through seaview homes). When we booked,this was very reasonable and is 5 bedrooms, although it looks like their rates have gone up a lot since. The advantage to this one is that it's very close to the Westin (in case some want to head that way for entertainment) and the roads are all paved and very flat/easy to deal with.

Other options (haven't stayed here) that we looked into were: Viridian Garden (I think it didn't have A/C in all bedrooms, so check that), Paulette (no view), and Casa Luna (too far out in Coral Bay).

good luck with the hunt.

Most villas, not all, but many charge a premium rate for Christmas week, so it would be helpful to know what you consider a reasonable price.
Also, what are the ages of the little ones, that will rule out some villas that don't allow children.

That's a good point about kids' ages. If your group is all over 8yrs old, there are more villas open to you (several do not allow children under 6 or . Also, as you're comparing prices, ask for the price for your specific party. Destination St. John doesn't charge for kids under 6, other companies do, so for our group of 12 we were quoted rates for 6 people, and other rates for 12.

A couple of other villas I can think of are:
Eden's Whim (kids over 6 or 8 only)
Great Expectations

Thanks for the good tips, recommendations, and suggestions!

We definitely would NOT be going at Christmas. I'm thinking more like the 'dog days of summer' when you can get more for your money because of other's fears of hurricanes. Not that I would want my family to be down there in that mess, but I am definitely of the 'risk-taker' category. Plus I love the relative quiet of that time period--reminds me of the St. John I fell in love with almost 20 years ago!

Next August, there would be one 11-y-o, two 9-y-os, one 7-y-o and one 5.5 y-o that thinks he's a 10-y-o!

They are all avid swimmers so perhaps if that's the owners hesitancy in renting to kids under 8, I could be persuasive?

OR, I could push it to the NEXT year when they'd all be 1 year older obviously. Hate to wait that long though becase you never know what a year will bring.

Keep the great suggestions coming. Plus the idea that some of the kids wouldn't count as a person in the rate charged is one I hadn't pondered--so that would definitely help in the price.

thank you all--you're great!

Finally had a chance to look up all those that have been suggested thus far. There are some great ones; thank you! Also thanks for the helpful 'heads up' re: checking ongoing maintenance, kids ages, some don't charge for kids so I shouldn't categorically dismiss any that are outside of my price range, etc.

I was hoping to keep it under $5000 for the week so there are definitely some possibilities here.

If anyone else has some other suggestions, please keep them coming.

And to those that gave me the very,very good suggestions thus far, thank you SO much!

St. John Lover wrote: They are all avid swimmers so perhaps if that's the owners hesitancy in renting to kids under 8, I could be persuasive?

Yes. All but once I was successful in being granted an exception. One particular owner asked me to sign a waiver, which I had no problem doing.

St. John Lover,

I'd like to give a thumbs up for Vistaero. My group recently (last two weeks in November) returned from staying at this villa. Yes, there were some "minor" maintenance issues but I have to say Destination STJ responded quickly to any issues we had. New hot tub is great and it did get used frequently by our group. There are exceptional views, lots of covered outdoor space as well as non-covered space. Bedrooms were spacious and bathrooms very nice. Only two negatives - the one downstairs bedroom did have somewhat of a "MUSTY" smell - there were a couple of storage areas that were damp - accessible from this bedroom. There could have been more towels for the villa - although we did not follow up and request more - might be something you want to do if you should decide on this villa. It has a great pool for kids - lots of space for activities as well as the adults can be close by. Three of the bedrooms do have TV's and as said before, I believe at least two bedrooms (possibly 3) have pull out couches. Let me know if you have any questions I can answer.

That's exactly the kind of info I need; thank you so much. I've put Vistaero at the top of my list. Now, I just have to pin down dates with everyone (that may be the hardest part!).

Thank you!

Ambiance (with Destination St. John) sleeps 11 (the website has not been updated to reflect a new bedroom addition). It has a huge pool that would appeal to kids and a great sunset view. Just under budget (off-season).

As I said in my earlier post, Vistaero worked very well for our large group, and like the other poster, we were very happy with Destination St. JOhn. One thing to be aware of - all the Vistaero bedrooms open to the exterior decks (no interior access), so if you have kids in their own bedroom (without their parents), you'll have to go out to the deck and then back in to get to their room. We used baby monitors for those kids in their own room, and for the littlest ones, we put them in the rooms with the parents (on the pull outs).

I am going too chime in for Vistaero as well. We have stayed there twice and would do so again in a heartbeat! It has great "wow" factor and Destination St. John is wonderful to work with.

Starlit Escape can sleep 11 and is $3920 for the week in the off season. Super clean, comfortable with a Pool and lots of space

I stayed at Starlit Escape and it was wonderful - and the price is right.