Author: Jenn Manes

People ask me quite often where to stay when visiting St. John. There are so many places to choose from, which makes it very tough to narrow it down. Today I am going to tell you about several options that I can personally vouch for.

Ok, so the first decision that you need to make is which side of the island you’d like to stay on – either Cruz Bay or Coral Bay. Cruz Bay is better for people who want easier access to town, the shops, restaurants, etc. Coral Bay has a few great shops and restaurants too, but not as many as Cruz Bay. The views from some of the hills in Coral Bay are breathtaking, but so are some of the views in and around Cruz Bay. It’s a tough decision to make. I usually tell people that if they plan to go out to dinner every night, then they should pick Cruz Bay. If they want a little more peace and quiet and plan to spend more time at home, Coral Bay may be the better option. It’s truly a matter of preference. And regarding the logistics of it all, Coral Bay is about a 30-minute drive from Cruz Bay.

Ok, so now that you’ve decided which side of the island to stay on, you have to decide the type of accommodation to pick. St. John has only one true resort, and that’s the Westin which is a Marriot property. It’s located on Great Cruz Bay (although its address is Chocolate Hole) and is about five minutes from town. It is not walkable to town unless you want to walk up and down Jacob’s Ladder, which is a super steep hill.

St. John has an abundance of condos to choose from, and all are located in or around Cruz Bay. We have two bed and breakfasts – Garden By the Sea and Estate Lindholm, as well as numerous villas located throughout the island. You can rent a cute little one-bedroom house or a palatial six-bedroom estate and everything in between.

Prices change based on time of year. High season is typically December through April, so prices are the most expensive then. Prices are also dependent on the number of people traveling. Two people will be charged less than six, for example, when renting the same home. This is because you will not need as many bedrooms, nor will you use as much water, power, etc.

Now that we have gotten all of that out of the way, here are several properties that I recommend. Full disclosure here: They are all advertisers on this website. I am super picky about who I work with, so if they are on this website, I personally vouch for them. Quite frankly, if I like you, I will include you. If I don’t, I won’t. It’s not about the money with me. It’s about providing a high-quality product or experience. Basically, I just want y’all to have the best vacation possible. 🙂

Interested in adding your property to this list? Please email me at jenn@explorestj.com to chat.

Villas

Desert Rose is a private, two-bedroom, 2.5-bath Caribbean-style home. It has beautiful views of Coral Bay and a pool. Click here to learn more.

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Fish Tales is a private, two-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom Caribbean-style home. It’s cute, comfy, and has air conditioning and a view. Click here to learn more.

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Mare Blu is a luxurious, six-bedroom oasis overlooking Rendezvous Bay. It has an infinity-edge pool with panoramic ocean views and generous outdoor living space. Click here to learn more.

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Mystical Mermaid is an ultra-private, newly renovated two-bedroom villa located in Fish Bay. It has a large pool and spa and high-band wifi. Click here to learn more.

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Sea Gate Villa is a beautiful and well-appointed five-bedroom villa located close to Cruz Bay. It has beach access, snorkeling onsite, and 24-hour concierge services. Click here to learn more. 

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Southern Exposure is a spacious three-bedroom, three-bath villa with panoramic ocean views. This villa is great for couples and families. Click here to learn more.

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Still Waters is a beautiful, quiet, and relaxing three-bedroom villa. It has a pool, gourmet kitchen, views and is just minutes from Cruz Bay. Click here to learn more.

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Villa Bonita is a three-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom villa located in the quiet Fish Bay neighborhood. This home has water views, a pool, and central air. Click here to learn more. 

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Villa Circe is a stunning six-bedroom, four-bathroom home with panoramic BVI and Coral Bay views. It has a pool, hot tub, and even games for the kids. Click here to learn more. 

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Waterfall is spectacular, tranquil, and private. It has three bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, and a large, heated infinity-edge pool. Click here to learn more.

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Condos

Mermaid’s Tale at Lavender Hill is a one-bedroom suite located in the heart of Cruz Bay. Beautiful views, private deck, walk to everything. Click here to learn more.

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Seagrape Vista has eight luxury suites with year-round sunset views. Pool, parking and located right in Cruz Bay. Click here to learn more. 

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Serendip Vacation Condos offers studio and one-bedroom condos just minutes from Cruz Bay. Rates start at $249 a night. Click here to learn more.

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Vacation Rental Companies

Bonvi Hospitality Group offers a variety of luxury vacation rentals. All are private and many are either waterfront or have ocean views. Click here to learn more.

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Caribbean Soul Vacations is a family-run property management company that offers everything from one-bedroom condos to six-bedroom villas. They have 23 properties to choose from and even accept Marriot points. Click here to learn more.

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Caribbean Villas offers a variety of two to seven-bedroom villas and condos from economical to high-end luxury. More than 80 homes to choose from. Click here to learn more.

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Island Getaways offers elegant two to six-bedroom beachfront and oceanview villas. They’ve created unforgettable vacations since 1996. Click here to learn more.

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James M. Miller Property Management offers more than 30 beautiful rental homes. On-island service. Not on island time. Click here to learn more.

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St. John Rental Villas offers several great vacation rentals all in one place. Villas start at just $300 a night, and there are both affordable and luxury options. Click here to learn more. 

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Nearby Resort

Lovango Resort + Beach Club offers stunning accomodations on an ultra-private island, just minutes from Cruz Bay. Choose to stay in a glamping-style luxury tent, cottage, treehouse or villa. Lovango reopens for the season on December 17th. Click here to learn more. 

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with us!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Follow Explore STJ on Social Media

–> www.facebook.com/explorestj

–> www.instagram.com/explorestj

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Earlier this week, I shared that Quiet Mon Pub has decided to close its doors after 26 years of operations. Well, today I have another announcement from a well-established Cruz Bay restaurant.

The owners of Lime Inn, Chelsea and Richard Baranowski have decided to change up their restaurant offerings for the upcoming season. They plan to open the bar area where they will offer a simpler “Lime Out-relevant concept.” The restaurant area will be available for event space and for buyouts, Chelsea told me earlier this week. Chelsea also mentioned that she plans to operate a small office out of the space with community betterment in mind.

“Lime Inn is under renovation while we switch up our concept and bring something new and exciting to Cruz Bay,” Chelsea said.

Chelsea’s family has owned Lime Inn since 1984. It is one of my favorite places in Cruz Bay, and I will miss the dinner service dearly. But everything that Chelsea and Richard create is amazing – Lime Out and Johnny Lime in Coral Bay, for example – so I know the next phase of Lime Inn will be great too.

As Chelsea mentioned, the restaurant is still undergoing renovations, and they plan to open on December 18th. I will let you know as soon as I learn more.

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with us!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Follow Explore STJ on Social Media

–> www.facebook.com/explorestj

–> www.instagram.com/explorestj

 

Well, friends, this is a sad one to post. Quiet Mon Pub announced that it’s closing after 26 years in business. Its last day will be December 17th.

About a month or so back, I wrote about how the price of rentals – both for long-term residents and vacationers – have skyrocketed here on St. John. Well unfortunately that’s happening in the commercial space too. The rent at Quiet Mon was set to nearly double, which forced the business to make the difficult decision to close. I still have hope that someone will swoop in at the 11th hour, so it can keep its doors open. But sadly, I think that’s simply a dream of mine, perhaps a dream of many.

Quiet Mon is a place that just feels like home. You’re always greeted with a smile and there is always a friend or two (or three, four, or many more) parked over on one of its barstools. It served as a gathering place of sorts for residents and a place where vacationers wandered up the stairs to see the local watering hole that Kenny Chesney mentioned in his Be As You Are song.

🎶 Play my guitar in the Caribbean sun
🎶 Hang with the locals at the Quiet Mon
🎶 Where you can be a tourist
🎶 A beach bum or a star
🎶 And be as you are

Everyone has a story about the Quiet Mon. Whether it’s falling down the stairs and nearly breaking your leg within the first few weeks of moving to the island (I’m looking at you, Mike Hedy!), or remembering that it was the last place you were before you lost your keys, cell phone and got knows what else (yup, this is a lot of us!), or simply locking the doors so you can have beers and football with friends, Quiet Mon is a place where so many memories have been made and will continue to be made over the next month-and-a-half.

Now go ahead and book that last-minute trip to St. John and hang with us over at the Quiet Mon. Sláinte.

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with us!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Follow Explore STJ on Social Media

–> www.facebook.com/explorestj

–> www.instagram.com/explorestj