USVI-On-Line

OK, so here's a question for all of you -- it may have been posted before, but I probably missed it while I was drooling over pictures of some villas!

I ask this because several people (none of whom had been to St. John) asked me, "Why in the world would you want a pool if you're on an island like that?"

Both times we went to STJ we had a pool, first a little dip pool and then a larger one. I found that
(1) it was great to have breakfast there before we headed out for the day,
(2)it was a great place to hang out if we didn't feel like going anywhere on a given day, and
(3) absolutely blissful after the sunset, and
(4) a great place to go even in the middle of the night if the tradewinds weren't blowing!

Those are my reasons for wanting to have a pool at the villa I rent!

How about the rest of you???!!!

Gizmolady
Who wants to go back there SO BAD!!!!

I have to have a pool and it can not be a shared pool at a condo. I like to cool off in it at night before I go to bed and jump in first thing in the morning to wake up.

I also like to let villa gravity set in and spend the whole day at the house, so I like to be able to have my own private oasis.

It is not an option for me, it is a must have

A pool is great entertainment for our daughter...if we stay in and cook there is something fun for her to do...We're always back from dinner/drinks by around 9ish...its nice to come back to the villa and have the option for a late night dip...

I like a pool for those days I have sharkophobia

I agree -- private pool is a must as well!

mostly I must have a pool but I could be convinced to not having it on the Coral Bay side if it was a location that was going to get cool late day or at night. but even then I'd like a hot tub.

I think having a private pool enhances the experience for all of the reasons listed above.

We had one at Cielo Vista last year, and loved it and used it, we'll have one at Reef Madness this year and expect to do the same.

I can't imagine not having one keeping me from visiting STJ however, if that was the only stumbling block to doing so.

Have never had a pool, and (probably because of that), have never missed it. Granted, we are pretty modest travelers. We go to STJ for the beaches and the snorkeling. We find that we spend very little time during the day at the house. In the evening, we love sitting out on the deck, relaxing w/ good drinks and good books... but we've never really missed having a pool. Now... I'm sure it would be wonderful... but for us, it's not a priority, and not worth the higher price.
Just my $0.02

Kathy

We would come straight home from the beach and get in the pool. It was also nice after supper or in the mornings before everyone got up. It's nice to have, but I could probably live without it, especially places where it might get cold.

During our Caneel trips, we never visited the resort pool and didn’t miss it.

Villa trip #1 – The guys HAD TO HAVE A POOL and neither of them dipped more than a toe in the entire week. The wife half of the friends also didn’t get in. I got in once (it was cold) just because I felt someone had to use the pool!

Villa trip #2 – Same house as above but a month later in the winter season and we used the pool everyday in the afternoon but never at night, the water wasn’t warm enough.

Villa trip #3 – We used the pool morning, afternoon and evening. It was just awesome.

Villa trip #4 – Like #1, only used it once. Like #1, the house was on the North Shore and the pool was cool.

We are beach people and prefer beach swimming to pool swimming. We also aren’t the villa gravity type. That being said, I don’t know if we would want to do without a pool. We really like the ambiance of setting by the pool with drinks in our hand. If we stayed in a small unit, Caneel or Gallows we could do without and likely not miss it.

We have to have it. Last year we had a very private pool which was wonderful because you didn't have to wear a bathing suit. Can't do that in May - bringing 3 newbies with us.
We enjoyed it after a day at the beach. Drinks and snacks every afternoon in the pool. Yum!

On my first few trips to STJ, I got villas will pools. Funny thing is, I almost never got IN the pool.

About 6 trips ago, we discovered a villa that we adore, but it had no pool. We decided to give it a try and have never looked back. We have stayed at that pool-free villa ever since. I realized a pool is not a priority to me. Many reasons:

1) I have a pool at home and have found that when I am on STJ, I want to be in the ocean, something I don't have at home.
2) I am not a villa gravity person. I don't want to spend a lot of time at the villa and a pool just gives my travelling companions an excuse to try to chain me to the villa. I can't have it. I gotta' go.
3) Call me a weirdo, but despite all the chemicals in the world, I just have a "thing" about pools that don't belong to me and that strangers do stuff in. Y'all saw that photo Pipinale posted...you know what I'm talking about. Yeah, that and kid pee. No thanks. Unless I'm cleaning it, I'll pass.

So, for me, no pool.

Our very first villa rental, Dec. '07 in STJ, had a beautiful infinity pool that we all (4 adults) fell in love with. Every day of our trip we spent several hours at/in the pool, mostly late afternoons/evenings. When we selected the villa for our upcoming trip, a pool was first on the must-have list!

IMHO a pool is a MUST HAVE due to our regular routine:

1) Up at the crack o' dawn, breakfast and head to the beach

2) stay at beach until it gets too hot, go to lunch

3) After lunch, head to villa and take a dip in the POOL.

4) Hang out in the pool, drink and relax until sunset.

5) Shower and head to dinner.

6) Repeat for 9 more days...

augie wrote: I can't imagine not having one keeping me from visiting STJ however, if that was the only stumbling block to doing so.

Oh, no, I would not let anyone dissuade me from going based on a pool or anything else! I just thought their comment was interesting, especially since they had never visited!