Looking for some comments on prospective villas

[KTinTX]

Hey everybody...about to get a new ticker! Heading back to STJ in June and looking at some different villa options. We are a family of 4 (myself, wife, 13yo daughter, 16yo son) but unless the villa has twin beds in the 2nd bedroom will need at least 3 bedrooms.

Things important in a villa to us:

VIEW (would really love a north shore/catherineberg view)
A/C in bedrooms
nice pool, preferably with the view
decent kitchen
Nice indoor/outdoor space
prefer either N. Shore/Catherinberg or South Shore locations

Have found a couple of places that have piqued my interest, and would love some comments from anyone that has seen them, stayed there, or has any recent knowledge of them! A couple definitely push the budget, but considering the expense vs. view/location.

Great Escape (Catherineberg)
Abrigado
Beach Garden St. John (Chocolate Hole)
Casa Del Sol (Rendezvous Bay)
Latitude (Klein Bay)
Amorosa (upper Peter Bay)

Thanks for the input!

[Nancy_B]

Happy hunting!

I've stayed at 2 on your list. Here are my thoughts:

Abrigado - was BRAND new when we stayed there. LOVED it - very beautiful. It is set inland a bit so the view is not full sweeping ocean. Only the two master bedrooms have a view - the other two are set behind which I would think would be fine for your kids. Great pool and lounge chairs, etc. AC is throughout the entire house.

Casa Del Sol - my personal favorite. We'll stay there again for two weeks this May. I love the outdoor spaces - nice porticos to sit, read and stare that the amazing sweeping ocean views. The layout is great as each bedroom is separate from the main house in it's own pod and each has it's own AC unit. The showers have open air windows so you can check out the sweeping ocean views while you shower. Can you tell my preference for views? The villa is over 10 years old now and some of the furniture was getting a bit dated but it holds a special place in my heart as it was where we were married in 2001. I love the great room, it can be totally open to the outside if you choose.

Any other questions, let me know.

[Muhaha]

Have you also considered Sago Palms? It is fairly affordable and the view is looking out over Jumbie, Denis, Hawksnest, Johanson's reef, and view is from St Thomas on the left to Mary's Point on the right. Stayed there in January.

[KTinTX]

Thanks for the initial inputs! I checked out Sago Palms, but their info says no kids under 16...so that one won't work. Nice looking location/views though.

I also appreciate others' suggestions in case it's something I've missed.

Thanks!

[Muhaha]

Thanks for the initial inputs! I checked out Sago Palms, but their info says no kids under 16...so that one won't work. Nice looking location/views though.

I also appreciate others' suggestions in case it's something I've missed.

Thanks!

Yeah, but I have found in the past that sometimes if you ask they will make exceptions. Not sure if the owners of Sago will, but you never know.

[Bigcheeze]

Chococruz or Coconuts

[Teresa_Rae]

Thanks for the initial inputs! I checked out Sago Palms, but their info says no kids under 16...so that one won't work. Nice looking location/views though.

I also appreciate others' suggestions in case it's something I've missed.

Thanks!

I would ask. They were willing to let us rent it with a 17 month old toddler because the ratio was 4 adults to 1 kid and I said I'd sign a waiver. They were very nice about it, it wasn't a big deal at all. They say no kids under 16 because there are drop offs that aren't safe for little ones and out of an abundance of caution they say 16.

[PA Girl]

Thanks for the initial inputs! I checked out Sago Palms, but their info says no kids under 16...so that one won't work. Nice looking location/views though.

I also appreciate others' suggestions in case it's something I've missed.

Thanks!

I agree with the other posters, absolutely ask. We have "no kids" villas with our son. I always offered to sign a waiver and I think only once did the owners request it.

[Knolmom]

We just stayed @ Sago in August with our 13 yr old twin nephews. Sago would not be safe for the little ones are there are some dangerous drop offs,and, as the villa manager says'' it is not a peanut butter and jelly house"! How old is the child? Maybe I can provide some input? It is a gorgeous house but the driveway/road is a mile-long ditch, and that's no lie.

[iowaguy]

Our friends stayed in Beach Garden Villa and we spent a lot of time there. It certainly doesn't have the North Shore view you want, but it is gorgeous and luxurious. Great kitchen. Very cool pool deck.

[GraysonDave]

We'll be at Casa del Sol soon and if you haven't picked one by then feel free to ask about our experience.

Glad to read Nancy B's comments. The place looks great on the internet but you never really know til you're there.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

[Knolmom]

You can certainly rent Sago with a 13 and 16 yr old. They would be in heaven. The views are to die for, both from the upper level living area which incldes the great room, the jacuzzi the covered and uncovered deck and the master with its own private deck area to the lower level,with the pool,cocktail ledge and bedroom decks. There is another sitting room, TV room off one of the lower bedrooms. It's just a great house, A/c worked fine, the views are just so expansive and Private Homes Mary Eileen/Mary Phyllis are just so low key and easy to work with. And the price is so right! Anything goes wrong, they are on it immediately!( power outage so they came to start up the generator so we could shower before going to a wedding on STT)also discovered bees making a nest right at the bedroom door when we returned from the beach one day. But that driveway.....

[Muhaha]

But that driveway.....

Bah, the driveway wasn't THAT bad The driveway challenge was certainly worth the north shore view.

[Knolmom]

I agree!

[Chris @ Work]

Based on what I have read about Sago we are prepared to walk if necessary. April can't come soon enough.