(Great)
Please note that the original date of this review was 07/02/2006 - Coconuts Villa has since been extensively renovated and updated.
Loved the view! We stayed in this villa for a week at the end of May. We absolutely loved the deck and pool area - it has a great view. The deck is large with plenty of room in either the shade or the sun. There is a shaded gazebo area with a big dining table, and comfortable chairs at the table. It also has a seating area of a couch, 2 chairs, coffee table and end table under the shaded area. We spent so much time out here. Whenever we ate a meal at the villa, we were in this shaded area. Nice bird watching too. The deck overlooks a good sized yard with a big area of bougainvillea that was fully in bloom, as well as some trees and bushes. It gave a feeling of spaciousness beyond the deck. You could see a little bit of the house next door if you stood at the edge of the deck, but it was not a problem for privacy.
The view is down the side of Gifft Hill and out to St Thomas and many other smaller islands. It was just beautiful during the day seeing the colors of the water and sky, and the twinkling lights at night. We just soaked it in every day.
The pool was small, but very nice for relaxing in the afternoon. We loved having our own pool, even when we spent time at the beaches, it was refreshing to come back to. It had sun on it most of the day. The water was VERY warm (88 degrees) - a little too warm for us since the weather was hot and muggy. The pool area is very private.
The kitchen was well stocked with pots, pans, cooking utensils, dishes, etc. The kitchen is not a nice fancy modern one, but it was adequate. We didn't really like that it is in a separate building from everything else, and quite a few steps from the outside gazebo dining area. The living room and dining room areas were very nice, but we spent almost no time there. We were outside enjoying the view! There is a loft area with a bed above the living room, steps to it are very steep and it was quite warm up there with no a/c.
The 2 bedrooms are in a separate building across the deck/pool from the kitchen. We stored our luggage in the back bedroom, and used the master bedroom. Bathroom was good sized with plenty of storage space. Bedroom had a/c which we did use at night. Beware that the doorknob lock on the bedroom does not automatically unlock when you open it to go out. (Yes, we locked ourselves out one morning.)
We really liked the location of Gifft Hill. While some prefer the more remote locations, we liked being up the hill with the great view, in a quiet neighborhood with other rentals and some full-time residents, and a short drive to Cruz Bay for restaurants and groceries. (I don't like to cook on vacation.) The drive to the North Shore beaches was easy and not long at all. There was some construction going on all around St John, so we would hear big trucks occasionally on the main road, but overall it was a nice quiet location.
This villa is not as fancy and modern as some of the others we saw on-line, but it was great for us and we enjoyed our stay there.
B&J in VA (this was review was originally posted on 07/02/2006)
