Air Condition? How necessary in April? Full or part?

pupperdog · Post by **pupperdog** » Sun Jun 15, 2014 9:30 am

Hi! I've been living vicariously through you all for several years--trying to soak up knowledge! Thanks to everyone!
I've been extremely blessed to have several trip to St. John as a guest of a friend who owns a luxurious time share at the Westin--she always did a ladies week in October.
Unfortunately, that's no more.
I want to continue the ladie's week tradition--am looking at mid-April (and discovered that rates go down then--yea!) for 5-6 ladies.
I've been reading villa reviews and researching--but haven't been able to find an answer to the above question re: air conditioning.
At the Westin, we had full a/c--but I notice that a lot of the villas for rent have a/c only in the bedrooms.
How necessary is full a/c in April?
And any suggestions for a 3-bedroom villa--on Cruz Bay end?
(Although if my hubby and I ever buy down there, we'll probably want to be closer to Coral Bay--but that's a future dream!!!)
Thanks again to everyone--I've got to get my St. John fix!!!
Janet

loria · Post by **loria** » Sun Jun 15, 2014 9:56 am

i don't think full AC is ever needed...... trade winds, ceiling fans do the work....

lazylane · Post by **lazylane** » Sun Jun 15, 2014 11:32 am

I need a/c in the bedroom....ceiling fans and tradewinds don't get it for me for sleeping.....I need it cool to sleep...no matter what month it is...

kklay · Post by **kklay** » Sun Jun 15, 2014 11:57 am

I am with the group that needs AC in the bedrooms. Don't require full AC in the rest of the house. Unless you plan on spending several full days at your villa, rather than going to beaches during the day, I don't think full house AC is needed. Have fun planning your trip!

snorkeler525 · Post by **snorkeler525** » Sun Jun 15, 2014 1:29 pm

Definitely a/c in the bedrooms at a minimum. Problem with the trade winds is that if there are no screens, the bugs come in. So, if you go with something that isn't fully a/c make sure it has screens in the windows. In April, the average high is 83 F while the low is 72 F so be your own judge as to whether you can live without a/c in the whole house. The highest recorded temperature ever was in April 1984 at 108 F!!

PaminMaine · Post by **PaminMaine** » Sun Jun 15, 2014 4:13 pm

The last villa we rented faced cruise bay with large windows all the way across the front. There was only A/C in the bedroom. I tried closing the windows + blinds, leaving windows open, and open with the curtains pulled. There was nothing that would keep it below 85+ every day when we returned from the beach. PHEW. The sun can brutal, I will opt for A/C unless I am high up on Coral Bay.

PA Girl · Post by **PA Girl** » Sun Jun 15, 2014 5:18 pm

Location and house design make a huge difference when it comes to the "need" for AC.

We spent several summer trips at Caneel in the pre-AC days and were very comfortable with huge screens and ceiling fans. After that, there were winter trips to old style Caribbean cottages with only ceiling fans and those trips were very comfortable too.

Then we stayed at a great house in chocolate hole that got full sun, all day, in January and then I understood why people needed AC in at least the bedrooms. That house baked all day, every day. We had AC in the bedrooms so it was tolerable.

A couple of years ago we rented a place up on the mountain in february that should have been cool at night but the design didn't allow for cross breezes in the bedrooms. We went from wearing long sleeves on the porch to running AC all night in bedrooms that barely cooled down.

I would definitely err on the side of caution and pick a house with bedroom C.

pupperdog · Post by **pupperdog** » Sun Jun 15, 2014 9:00 pm

Thanks to everyone for the advice!
I know that until my seemingly-never-ending-hot-flashes lessened just a little the question of FULL A/C wouldn't have even be up for debate!!!
Screens are an excellent suggestion--we just take them for granted here in Missouri!
I've spent the day researching villas--instead of doing what I really should have been doing!--and am getting so excited!!!
Probably at least A/C in the bedrooms--even lessened hot flashes are so not a joy!!!

Now, back to trying to talk hubby into buying a place and moving down there full-time--just need to convince him that he CAN be a beach person!

Thanks again--

Janet

NJsurfsup · Post by **NJsurfsup** » Mon Jun 16, 2014 1:35 pm

Have you checked out morgan point (full ac ) I have been eyeing it thanks to a rec from a longtime forumite. Close to westin so you will be familiar with the local.

pupperdog · Post by **pupperdog** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 8:40 pm

Morgan Point sounds great--definitely being put in running.

I SO appreciate all the input from everyone--I learn something everyday from the people on this forum! Thank you!

Janet

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