USVI Villas

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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