|
|
|
USVI Villas
By Paris Permenter & John Bigley
For couples in search of a little elbow room and a "home away from
home" atmosphere, the villas of the US Virgin Islands might just
fit the bill. Properties on St. John, St. Thomas, and St. Croix offer
honeymooners and others looking for space and privacy a large inventory
of villas. Accommodations range from spacious condominium units to private
houses fit for the rich and famous, complete with private pools, tennis
courts, and even in-house movie theaters.
Prices for USVI villas range from day rates comparable to a resort to
the-sky’s-the-limit. Off-season rates bring many luxury villas into
everyday budgets or may permit travelers to upgrade to a larger villa
with an entertainment room, private pool, or other lavish amenities.
Although the expansiveness of many villas properties might seem best suited
to families, a growing number of honeymooners are reserving villas in
the USVI. Some villas offer partial rentals of either the main villa or
the guest house. "We're seeing more couples renting villas,"
notes Nancy Anderson, president of St. Thomas-based McLaughlin Anderson
Luxury Villas. "Off season, from mid-May through mid-December, we
have quite a few larger villas with a two-person rate. A lot of houses
have special rates and the couple saves on meals. People love to cook
and our kitchens are very well equipped." Anderson notes that many
honeymooners also reserve a villa for an entire group. "I am amazed
how many honeymooners I see with parties of six, traveling with family
members and friends or blending their families."
For travelers who would like to take a vacation from kitchen duties, several
companies in the USVI also offer catering services. On St. John, KatiLady
Katering and Room
Service offer private chef service for villa guests, ranging from
breakfast drop-offs to romantic dinners to catered parties. Other travelers
opt to arrange licensed masseuses for poolside treatments.
EXPANSIVE VILLAS
 "At
our company, there is a real move to the luxury arena. We’re seeing
many more people splurging and renting large supervillas," notes
Anderson. Large villas offer multi-million dollar surroundings and unparalleled
privacy. Villas such as St. John's Seacove offers five bedrooms, a private
pool, and nearly 11,000 square feet of space for up to 10 guests. One
of St. John’s newest luxury villas is Kismet, a five-bedroom house
with a movie theater with a 2,000-movie collection and electronically
adjustable movie seats, a billiards room, and more.
Villas on St. John can be in demand far in advance, as is the case with
Great Expectations (800-553-0109, www.greatexpectationsusvi.com),
a five-bedroom villa with a two-bedroom guest house. The property is usually
booked six months in advance and is especially popular with active travelers
who find a private regulation doubles tennis court on site as well as
basketball, exercise equipment, swimming, and hot tubs for both the villa
and the guest house.
ST. THOMAS AND ST. CROIX
While the highest concentration of villas in the USVI is found on St.
John, the other islands also offer a good selection of villa rentals.
"We would like to recommend St. Thomas in the USVI as an island with
good prices, still some availability, and great villa living," says
Jan Gordon of Wimco (800-449-1553, www.wimco.com
), a villa agency with properties on each of the US Virgin Islands. Popular
villa properties on St. Thomas include Diva, a four-bedroom villa near
Peterborg. Gordon also recommends the recently completed five-bedroom
L'Esperance near Flag Hill for its excellent views.
On St. Croix, Wimco choices range from the one-bedroom Villa Sierra Verde
to the romantic Villa Madeline, both on the East End. Bringing a family
along on your romantic getaway? Expansive villas such as the four-bedroom,
four-bath Mandevilla, with a view of Buck Island, and the five-bedroom,
five-bath Sans Souci are options for larger groups with children. While
both these larger properties welcome children, policies vary from villa
to villa; some have a minimum age requirement due to balconies or pools.
For some couples, the grounds of the villa can be a draw. The Villa Botanica
(800-537-6246, fax 340-777-4737, www.mclaughlinanderson.com),
an old estate on St. Thomas, has been transformed by its horticulturist
owners into a garden refuge. The two-bedroom villa, a favorite with weddings
and corporate groups, includes a special orchid house and views of Charlotte
Amalie.
HOTEL VILLAS
Along with stand-alone villas, lovers will also find villa rentals available
through several island hotels. The Westin St. John (888-627-7206, 340-779-4500,
www.westinresortstjohn.com)
offers 67 villa properties with full kitchens, washer and dryer facilities,
and separate living areas. Studio, one- and two-bedroom villas offer semi-private
pools. Three-bedroom villas feature private pools.
On St. Thomas, the Ritz-Carlton also offers villa rentals. "The Ritz-Carlton
Club owners' suites--these are two- and three-bedroom apartments--have
sumptuous luxury and all the service of the Ritz Carlton," notes
Wimco's Gordon. Also on St. Thomas, Bolongo Bay Beach Club (800-524-4746,
fax 340-775-3208, www.bolongobay.com)
offers studio and two-bedroom condominium villas, each with a full kitchen
but with the amenities of the resort just down the beach.
RESOURCES
McLaughlin Anderson
800-537-6246
www.mclaughlinanderson.com
Wimco
800-449-1553
www.wimco.com
St. Croix Hotel & Tourism
Association
800-524-2026
St. Croix Accommodations Council
340-713-9119
St. Thomas-St. John Hotel
& Tourism Association
340-774-6835
St. John Accommodations Council
800-416-1205
United States Virgin Islands
800-372-USVI (8784)
www.usvitourism.vi
|
|
