USVI-On-Line

I tried posting this on another board, but got no response, so thought I'd try here ...

Has anyone stayed at or checked out Villa South Palm (South Palm Villa) in the Virgin Grand Estates, or have any info on it? We've booked it for a week in February with 2 other couples. It looks great, but we were just wondering if anyone has any opinions on it.

Also, we've booked 2 cars in St. Thomas and will be taking the barge from Red Hook. Are cars fine for accessing Virgin Grand Estates and getting around the island? Or do we HAVE TO HAVE jeeps?

I have never stayed at South Palm but I know that it is one of the finer villas in that beautiful development and I am sure you will enjoy yourselves there.
I have stayed in the Gift Hill area many times and have spent 3 weeks vqacationing on St John since August, traveling Gift Hill Road very often lately. IT IS AS BAD AS IT EVER WAS. Ruts, holes, gravel and dirt on the turns and I would definately not want to drive up or down Gift Hill Road between the South Palm and the South Shore Rd where the Westin and the supermarket is located without a jeep. Never in a car and most times not without 4WDR on the turns, particularly uphill.
Do yourself a favor and get jeeps. Also, many of the roads INSIDE the Virgin Grand Estates are stone( concrete) and not asphalt and all of the roads on St John are very slippery when wet. The rental agencies on St John do not even rent cars. For safety and convenience,I would get a jeep.

Still nothing about Villa South Palm? I was hoping for something to tell me we made the right decision.

Oh well, no turning back now!!

I've never stayed in that villa, but have stayed in Virgin Grand Estates. I don't see how you could not love that villa. It has it all.........big pool, full ac, big and beautiful decor. I don't think you have a thing to worry about. It's a very upscale neighborhood. The views are not right over the water. There is some valley before you get to the ocean, but it's still beautiful and you'll enjoy the lights of STT at night.

Stampede Chuck, I haven't stayed there but I stayed in Virgin Grand. We ran that neighborhood and I admired how beautiful it is. It's at the end of the development with no real neighbors - the street just circles around it. There were lots of iquanas hanging out near that house so you'll have 'friends'. I'm sure you will love it!

We have friends who are renting the villa in July. They are planning a wedding and this is the villa that will be their base It will be their 4th trip to STJ, so I feel certain that it is very special!

By the by, we are staying in Villa del Sol in Virgin Grand in June and I really appreciate the heads up on the roads!

Jody H wrote:We have friends who are renting the villa in July. They are planning a wedding and this is the villa that will be their base It will be their 4th trip to STJ, so I feel certain that it is very special!

By the by, we are staying in Villa del Sol in Virgin Grand in June and I really appreciate the heads up on the roads!

Jody H - tell your friends that South Palm is spectacular! At least we thought it was. It's even bigger and better than it looks in the pics on the website. Everything about it is top notch. PM me if you have any questions.

Stampede Chuck, I think Traveler22 was just there - do a search on that Villa and I'm pretty sure he loved it! Have an amazing trip! Do you arrive next Saturday or this Saturday? We arrive the 23rd.

EDIT: Ignore my post - it must have been YOU that loved it - glad you did!

NancyB

Hi Chuck. Although you have not recieved a lot of feedback specific to South Palm, you can rest assured that you will be staying at one of the most upscale villas in one of the best areas on St John. However, I would again urge you, if you have not done so yet, to rethink renting jeeps instead of cars for that location. IMHO, it will be next to impossible for you to travel from the South Shore Road up to South Palm in the Virgin Grand Estates on a daily basis without a jeep. If it rains or there are any oil slicks on the road, you are screwed. It will be hard enough to get up Jacob's Ladder, not to mention the stretch above Rendevous Bay, without a jeep, not only because of the incline but also the potholes. I would not want to see you have to use Centerline Road for all your travels to and from town, as well as the supermarket and the Westin, due to the condition of the roads in that area.
Maybe some of the regulars on the board could offer their opinion. Maybe I'm getting a little, well, squeemish in my old age, but after 20 some trips in all kinds of weather I would never do a car on STJ for more than a trip from the barge to the North Shore beaches.

Ruth, Pia, Rick G.??? Would any of you rent a car on STJ for a villa vacation?

We were just there from Feb 2 to 9 and South Palm is spectacular! A little pricey, but well worth it.

We were able to convince the others in the group to get jeeps, and they were very useful. We didn't have a problem using Centreline to 104 coming out of Cruz Bay, and we used the South Shore Road on the way from the villa down to Cruz Bay. We didn't find the roads to be too rough at all ... the occasional pothole, but nothing you couldn't drive around and avoid.