27th Anniversary trip-July 2009

Guest: Kellyemc (Rainbow City, AL)
Date of Stay: 07/22/09 Review Submitted: 07/31/09

Our trip to Waterlemon Villa was also our first trip to St. John so we did not know what to expect. We were VERY worried that the lack of AC would be a problem in July. Many people on the forums discouraged us from renting one without air based on our concerns but we took a chance and do not regret it one bit! We are from Alabama and run our air constantly from April to September! The breezes that blow continuously were a joy and believe it or not, one night we actually got a little COLD (it had finally rained about 30 minutes)! The view from the villa is breathtaking and the villa itself is magnificent. The beds were great and the fans kept us cool each night. Waterlemon has so many great touches that made everything so much easier. We are used to walking directly out to a beach when on the Gulf Coast and trips to the beautiful beaches of St. John require some packing and planning. Ellen (the owner) has taken that into account and provides chairs, coolers, and beach towels, which makes this so much easier! The outdoor showers were really nice. I actually put my contacts in BEFORE the shower so I could enjoy the view during the shower! There is also an indoor shower for those nights when you come in late or for the less adventurous so all tastes are covered. There are so many nice touches, like books, movies, candles, spices, and a really well stocked kitchen, not that I believe in doing much cooking on a vacation, but many people do! There are even hairdryers in the bathrooms with diffusers! I didn't take mine to save space so that was great! Another surprise was a speaker for our MP3 player that is NOT an IPOD. I was also able to take my computer so we could find info while there. The drive up was not nearly as frightening some other driveways we have seen on the forums. Backing out required a few passes but my husband mastered that quickly. After we got there, I was really glad we picked Coral Bay. I really can't imagine staying around Cruz Bay and the villas with views of just the ocean are too much like what we have at home. We researched places to stay for hundreds of hours but it really paid off! We have been to other places in the Caribbean and I didn't think any place could be more beautiful that St. Lucia, but St. John just has so many wonderful beaches and the views to the other islands make it a cut above. The colors of the water are amazing and the snorkeling was fantastic. This was our best trip yet!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Fantastic Getaway

Guest: Father of 3 (Maryland)
Date of Stay: 12/17/11 Review Submitted: 12/30/11

This was an excellent vacation. The home sits up high and gives the most incredible view of the bay below. Breathtaking. Purely relaxing vacation. Fun to find a different beach to go to daily and explore. Would highly recommend

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Paradise

Guest: Caribtrvlr (MA)
Date of Stay: 10/08/11 Review Submitted: 10/20/11

Just got back from a fabulous trip to St. John. Waterlemon Villa is ALL ABOUT THE VIEW. It is a beautiful Villa overlooking hurricaine hole and Sir Frances Drake passage. The landscaping and Villa are immaculate. I would definatley recommend(and have) this property to anyone wanting to rent a Villa on STJ. We loved the privacy and enjoyed the pool very much and would jump in after coming back from the beaches or from our many hikes on STJ. The island is very safe and all the locals are very friendly. The closet beach to Waterlemon Villa is Maho and it was one of my favorites. My husband said the snorkling was the best there. He seen barracuda,stingrays,nurse sharks,tarpon,sea turles and lots of healthy coral and colorful fish. Hopeful we can return in a couple years and stay at Waterlemon Villa it is truley a beautiful place.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Paradise!

Guest: Todd (Ellicott City, MD 21043)
Date of Stay: 08/01/11 Review Submitted: 08/15/11

My family of 5 just got back from paradise at Waterlemon Villa. This lovely home was the perfect base camp for our beach and snorkeling adventure. The villa is well-appointed with terra cotta tile throughout the entire home, porch and pool areas. The 2 porches are magnificent; one is screened in to protect you from the bugs and where you will want to eat candle lit meals. We all loved the breezes and vistas of blue waters, lush mountain sides and the clouds passing by. The view is to die for -- no kidding. The house also features awesome wooded ceiling beams which gives the home extra character as well as support. There are also very cool stone and coral arches that reflect the history and style of the sugar mill ruins. The kitchen has everything you need. The outside showers are private and give incredible views. The pool is small, but lovely. You need to skim the pool a few times a day of leaves and flower blossoms, but that was a joy for me. Swimming in the pool is how I started and ended every day. The road to the house really is a rollercoaster, which was a bit scary at first, but then became a fun and exciting part of the day. Driving on all the roads in St. John is not for the faint of heart (especially if you are not in the driver's seat), but is the way to see this gorgeous island. And driving back at home now is a bit boring. The beds are extremely comfortable, as are the couches in the great room and on the porch. We did not need A/C during our trip in August. The ceiling fans and new oscillating fans did the trick. We left the bedroom doors open at night for the trade winds, and were awakened each morning to the sunrise and the roosters crowing. I loved this. The home is very well maintained and clean. We had a few ants here and there, but, hey, you are in paradise at a National Park, there will be bugs. The palms, flowering vines and other flora around the property are beautiful. The house is larger than it appears with ample room to relax and play. Coral Bay is the quiet side of town. We found beaches only a 15-minute drive away; some a bit farther. The house was a great base for use to hike and explore beaches on the East End, South Side and the North Side. I often went on solo adventures as my family loved this house so much that they didn't want to leave its loveliness. Ellen is a great and caring owner who wants you to enjoy her home. Mark, the property manager was terrific!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with teenagers.

My Blue Heaven

Guest: Carole S. (New Jersey)
Date of Stay: 04/02/11 Review Submitted: 04/11/11

Our family of five just returned from eight days in paradise! Waterlemon Villa is truly the location for a dream come true vacation. Beginning with the reservation process through multiple emails and telephone conversations with Ellen, the owner of the property, our experience was nothing short of perfect. Ellen answered all our questions and suggested places to visit and things to do to make our vacation memorable. Arriving on St. John and following the property manager across the island and up the hill to the villa was only the beginning of our adventure! The driveway is quite steep, but my husband managed quite nicely in our rented 4 wheel drive Jeep - extra thrills, but what a view! So worth it! The villa is exactly as it is depicted on the website - beautiful, clean, well-appointed and luxurious. We slept soundly on comfortable mattresses with ceiling fans keeping us cool. The screened in porch affords plenty of space to read, relax, dine, or sit and enjoy the view. We ate outdoors on the porch for every meal except those when we dined out. The pool is a fun option. The kitchen has everything you need to cook any type of meal, in fact the villa lacks nothing in the way of amenities - when I wanted to light the candles, there was a lighter. When I wanted to open a bottle of wine there was a corkscrew. And of course there is a blender! Ellen had pointed us in the direction of all the things we would need - the grocery stores, restaurants, snorkel rental outfitter, etc. Coral Bay is so laid back and peaceful - we were so happy we were not in busy Cruz Bay which bustled like NYC in comparison! The villa is visible from everywhere in Coral Bay high on its hillside and it is fun to look for it when down in town. It is a short drive to the best beaches in the world and the snorkeling is fabulous everywhere. This is the most relaxed we have been EVER on vacation. Our two boys are 15 and 14 and our daughter is 12. They all enjoyed themselves and rated it the most relaxing vacation ever, too. Our son turned 14 while on this trip and he declared it his best birthday ever - high praise from someone who celebrated his 12th birthday at the Grand Canyon! But after snorkeling at Trunk Bay, lunch in Cruz Bay, more snorkeling at Francis Bay topped off with a "cheeseburger in paradise" at Skinny Legs, he speaks truth! We certainly hope to return to St. John and when we do would absolutely return to Waterlemon Villa! Loved it, loved it!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, families with teenagers.

Relax and Enjoy the View!

Guest: Tricia (Denver, CO USA)
Date of Stay: 12/19/10 Review Submitted: 12/29/10

What a beautiful place to get away from it all! We stayed at Waterlemon Villa for Christmas, and it was wonderful. The description of the property is accurate, and the property is very clean and well-maintained. Both the owner, Ellen Sandler, and the agent on St. John, Marc Miller, were pleasant to work with. I would definitely recommend this property to my best friend. We rent a villa because we want to be able to cook for ourselves rather than going out to eat all the time. This is especially true of Waterlemon--we didn't want to be driving all over the island after dark, and it gets dark by 6:00 this time of year. I also found that I didn't want to cook every night, so I discovered a wonderful caterer in Coral Bay who supplied us with a welcome basket the first night, a rise and shine basket for the next morning, and several other meals, both ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook, throughout the week. Since we bought our own wine and cocktails rather than paying restaurant prices, we figure the cost was a toss-up with going out to eat for those meals. Plus, the helpings were heaping, so we had leftovers for other meals. I highly recommend Julie Van Pelt at EastWest Catering. I can't say enough about the food--it was absolutely delicious. We sailed with the Gallups and Kiwi on Long Distance, which is moored in Coral Bay. It was delightful. They took us to two snorkeling places offshore (Newfound Bay and Flanagan's Island), and the snorkeling was superb. It was a great way to spend Christmas Eve. We found some of the beaches a bit crowded--even Lameshur Bay was wall-to-wall people in the afternoon. However, Francis Bay, the best beach on the island in my opinion, never did get very crowded. We didn't even go to Trunk Bay as we stopped and looked at it from above, and it appeared very crowded. Just stick with Francis. It's easy to get to and is a beautiful beach. The snorkeling wasn't as good there as at other beaches (Salt Pond, Leinster, Waterlemon Cay), but I think that was because there were a bunch of swells, which had actually almost closed down Trunk the previous day, in the area. We did see a turtle and plenty of fish, but the water wasn't very clear. That was the only day we had that issue, however. The pace is slow, which is why we went to an island. The house was perfect, the view was amazing, and we'll be back. "How beautiful it is to do nothing and relax afterward." ~Spanish Proverb

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, families with teenagers.

ANOTHER GREAT STAY AT WATERLEMON VILLA!!!

Guest: Tom & Tracy (Keizer, Oregon)
Date of Stay: 06/22/10 Review Submitted: 07/12/10

My wife and I recently had an incredible stay at Waterlemon Villa, where we have stayed in the past and will DEFINTELY stay in the future! In fact, St John is our favorite place on earth, and we would not even CONSIDER returning to St John and renting another home! This property sits on a hillside with an impossibly beautiful view of Coral Bay, and an easy 5 minute drive gets you to the grocery store or to great bars and restaurants. Being on the hillside is a big advantage, because you'll take advantage of the cooling breezes at night. We have rented homes in STJ by the water, and even with A/C, it was always hot and muggy in the house. Waterlemon sits high and the breeze blows right through the house; even without A/C we have never thought it was "too hot" (and we always visit in the summer, when temps are highest). Your private pool really IS private--it faces East, meaning you'll get great sunshine for swimming and laying out starting as early as 8 or 9 every morning; we enjoyed spending a few hours every morning laying out, swimming and reading at home before hitting the beach. There is a home under construction next door, but the noise was minimal, and from our pool and/or lounge chairs we couldn't see any of the workers, and they couldn't see us either. We loved cooking dinner and eating at home. This house has great dishes, pots, pans, etc--everything you need, whether making a full meal for dinner or just preparing snacks to eat poolside. You'll love both the screened in upstairs porch--perfect for eating dinner outside (and protected from the mosquitoes)--and the outside tiled stairs that lead from the kitchen down to the pool deck. The owners of this home seem to have thought of everything to create the perfect vacation home. There are two master bedrooms downstairs, both with their own ensuite bathrooms and showers. This is great if you are traveling with friends (we've stayed here by ourselves, and with another couple). The furniture is very high quality, and the bedding, towels, etc are just great. Again, these owners do NOT cut corners! The bottom line is that this home gives you the comfort and luxury of a fine hotel combined with the privacy and flexibility that you can only get with a rental home. Additionally, the pricing is such that if you are traveling alone, the cost is similar to a nice hotel, and if you are traveling with friends or family and can share the cost, you'll pay much less.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Guest: Taylor (-)
Date of Stay: 12/31/09 Review Submitted: 12/31/09

Waterlemon Villa is a wonderful place to stay. It is located in Coral Bay and has the most spectacular view. I took several books to read, but just could not get into them because I couldn’t take my eyes off the view long enough to do so. The villa is top notch, very nicely decorated and meticulously maintained. There is a screened in porch on the living/kitchen level that was in constant use during our stay. It was great to be able to sit, relax, enjoy the view and not have to worry about the skeeters. There was also a lower level veranda that was not screened that was equally terrific. The two master bedrooms opened to this veranda which also had access to the pool. Excellent seating on both levels and at the pool (which had plenty of loungers and a dining set). The screened porch also had a dining table and we ate all of our meals there. Enjoyed the outside shower attached to the master bedroom. Once again, gorgeous view. The second bedroom was a duplicate of the master. There is a third bedroom with twins on the upper level. With the exception of the third bedroom and bath, there are incredible views from every room in the house. The owner was a pleasure to deal with, as was the on island manager. I highly recommend this villa, but beware, it is very difficult to have to leave when the time comes!Taylor --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Guest: Stephanie B. (-)
Date of Stay: 11/08/09 Review Submitted: 11/08/09

Ellen - So sorry that I never posted a review on VRBO... I just tried to go there, and couldn't figure out how to post. If you would like to post the following for me, please feel free: Although we stayed at Waterlemon Villa in June, I am just today putting some vacation pictures into frames to hang in my home & office. What a wonderful stay - what a beautiful place -- and the VIEW... This was our first trip to the Virgin Islands, and we are so glad we stayed here, and not in a hotel. We had no problems finding our way around the island. Staying where we did, we felt that we really got to see the best of the island. We met some folks staying at one of the big hotels, and while they were having a good time...their experience was TOTALLY different... they never really left the hotel property... BIG MISTAKE. This island is just begging to be discovered. I recently shared my vacation pictures with a friend -- she could not get over the beauty... and the color of the water. We were busy exploring and snorkeling everyday... and I can't think of a better place to return to at the end of the day and relax, but Waterlemon Villa. Sitting on the porch and watching the sunrise was also a favorite to-do. If you think the pictures on the website take your breath away...just WAIT till you see it in person!!! Stephanie

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Guest: Amy (-)
Date of Stay: 08/05/09 Review Submitted: 08/05/09

Dear Ellen, Thank you ~ Thank you! We SOO enjoyed your lovely and absolutely perfect home.....so perfect for us this trip. I loved the sunrises on the deck with my coffee...MOST mornings I was up early enough. :) Your place a very comfortable feel, while still being very beautiful and that's hard to accomplish! We had a couple of charming dinners on the patio and many good conversations, which rarely happens these days. I gave a very special job to my 10 year daughter; she was the one who wrote in your guest book. I think you will enjoy it. Summer is almost gone, and so happy to have been able to have our children experience one of our greatest loves: your island of St. John.... Many good memories ahead for you and your wonderful home! Thank you for sharing, Amy

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