Reviews for Chocolate Hole Vacation Rental - VRBO 120366 - 3 BR USVI - St. John Villa, Unbelievable Ocean View.Villa Mar De Amores in St John USVI

MAGNIFICENT!!!!

Guest Regina
Date of stay 11/17/12
Review Submitted 12/07/12

You will not be disappointed! From the moment we entered the house, we were overwhelmed. It looks exactly like the pictures. The view is spectacular. After spending the days at the beach and exploring the island we would spend the evenings grilling some steaks and just enjoying the deck and the pool. A special thanks to Claudia and Javier for sharing their home and making our 2012 Thanksgiving week one we will never forget. We will be back!

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

Very nice and big house with the best view of the island!

Guest PaolaSaralegui
Date of stay 03/11/12
Review Submitted 07/25/12

Best place for a perfect family vacation! The pictures truly reflect the house appearance, a beautiful and clean house, with nearby restaurants, markets, shops and beaches!! The owners were very friendly and helpful. We definitely recommend this property for single couples, families with kids or just a group of friends.

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

A Week in Heaven!!!

Guest Wayne
Date of stay 07/24/10
Review Submitted 08/12/10

My wife and I had a perfect week-long stay at Villa Mar de Amores. Everything in the Villa was as advertised, and the owners were very helpful in helping us plan for our stay. This was our first time in the Caribbean, and St. John was a perfect get-away. We chose to snorkel most days, and take advantage of the various west and north side beaches. Leinster Bay had the best snorkeling, with Honeymoon Beach coming in second. We had a wonderful time on the Bad Kitty (Calypso Tours) day-long boat trip to the British, VI and snorkeling at the Caves on Cooper Island. Back to the Villa - there was total seclusion. Except for the brief Monday service by the local landscaping team, we were undisturbed. The villa's manager was very helpful and accommodating - she met us at the ferry, and helped us with the car rental (4-wheel drive is a must), and informing us of places to go and see. The pool offered wonderful morning and nighttime swims in the tropical air, and after a few nights with a full moon, the sky was dark enough to see tons of stars. The kitchen and outside grill gave us an opportunity to eat in, although we had wonderful meals at the Westin, Morgan's Mango, and even Skinny Legs in Coral Bay. From the deck, we could see St. Croix in the distance, and I spent hours just watching the waves come in to Rendezvous Bay 700 feet below the villa. The view was spectacular and peaceful, the villa decor was exactly as pictured, and we couldn't think of a better place to return to as soon as possible. We did NOT want to leave!!!

Recommended for: Age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 9/9

Wonderful!!

Guest Lippena
Date of stay 03/22/10
Review Submitted 04/06/10

Our family of 4 truly enjoyed our time at this villa and St. John's. The home is perfect for children, view is spectacular and pool was good.

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with young children.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/3

Guest Duncan B
Date of stay 12/01/09
Review Submitted 12/01/09

The two of us spent a very romantic nine days in this piece of paradise (Nov 27-Dec 6, 2008). Mar De Amores is an ideal location for your stay in St. John. The house is private and quiet. The view is world class, and one of the best vantage points on St. John. The living room, kitchen, inside dining area, outside dining area, deck and pool all look out on this view. The location above Chocolate Hole is convenient, being not far from town (Cruz Bay) and beaches. The 3 bedrooms could easily accommodate six people. The owners were very helpful, and every aspect of our stay was just great. We were sad to leave and hope to return soon.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

Guest Gary & Kathy1
Date of stay 01/05/09
Review Submitted 01/05/09

As for St John Island, we experienced many facets of the island life. Cruz Bay is surrounded in quality dining, shops and lifestyle/bars which kept us busy for a week. I could easily recommend many restaurants but I'll leave it up to you to pick one. Diane, bartender at The Balcony made Kathy a lime in the coconut which was the most unusual drink along with the best burger, everyone brags about their burgers around here. These were for sure the best Coral Bay is way different. A much quieter setting. Many locals to mingle with. All my new bud's live there. It didn't take me long to hook up with some of the most quality people, coming from every aspect of life, each living the live's we dream about. In between the 2 bays are the most steep and winding roads. Drive left, drink right is a phrase used on the island which, if read well, represents the respect needed for traveling on this island. It is actually legal to drink and drive but don't let this fool you. If you are stopped, it gives the police all the more reason to detain you. Be smart. Respect the island. No one is rude, but if you have the same bad habit I did, driving on the right side a couple times by accident you will probably get a ear full from a local or taxi driver. Highlights of our trip Peace and privacy of the house, no tan lines.... enjoying the incredible view. Beaches and snorkeling together. All day boat excursion to BVI Jost Van Dyke and other cool stops. A Never to forget bug dive with some really quality locals off of Norman Island. Celebrating Kathy's birthday at Asolare's Restaurant. Recommendations Don't come here expecting to do a lot. This is a quiet vacation spot Boat / Snorkel / Dive / Fish at least once while you are here. The story will last. Bring lot's of money. Everything but rum is expensive. Initiate greetings, Good Morning Afternoon Evening to everyone. You will get a reply. DRIVE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD Rent a 4 wheel drive vehicle at the St Thomas airport. It's just easier than doing it in St. John. Gary

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 5/5

Guestbook Comment

Guest Anonymous
Date of stay 01/01/09
Review Submitted 01/04/09

Spending significant time in MX over the last 15 years, Kath and I decided to spend her birthday somewhere else, choosing St. John Island to be our next adventure. Resourcing VRBO, we found Claudia's home on the North end of Chocolate Hole perched as far up the mountain face, providing the MOST SPECUTACULAR VIEW you could ever imagine. To the South you view St. Croix. To the Southwest you overlook 3 beautiful bays, each having distinct qualities. Past the bays you see 6 scattered islands and then as the sun sets directly over them, picture's of my wife were never better. The deck area easily accommodates 2 to 3 couples. Outdoor Pergola dining area next to 4 very nice lounge chairs for all day sunning and then a cool pool for refreshing during the day's sun bath. The entire south face of the main house is accessible through large sliders. We had the sliders open the whole time we were there, enjoying the constant breezes. The kitchen, dining and living areas were suitable for 6. Master bedroom was great. 2nd and 3rd bedrooms are smaller as normal. Master bedroom has a nice flat screen and private bath. The main theme of this house is absolutely the view, deck and pool. We toured the many beaches, enjoying them all but nothing compared to the privacy, peace and pleasure of the deck. VRBO has come through every time for us and this is no exception. Excellent choice for the price. GO TO NEXT COMMENT TO CONTINUE

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 5/5

Magnificent views and a great place to stay

Guest Duncan B
Date of stay 11/27/08
Review Submitted 12/01/09

The two of us spent a very romantic nine days in this piece of paradise (Nov 27-Dec 6, 2008). Mar De Amores is an ideal location for your stay in St. John. The house is private and quiet. The view is world class, and one of the best vantage points on St. John. The living room, kitchen, inside dining area, outside dining area, deck and pool all look out on this view. The location above Chocolate Hole is convenient, being not far from town (Cruz Bay) and beaches. The 3 bedrooms could easily accommodate six people. The owners were very helpful, and every aspect of our stay was just great. We were sad to leave and hope to return soon.

Recommended for: People with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

Mar de Amores

Guest bap524
Date of stay 08/09/08
Review Submitted 08/25/08

St. John is absolutely beautiful. This house is atop of a mountain with great views. It is close to Cruz Bay so shopping is not a hassle. The drive up the mountain is interesting but you get used to it. We liked eating out on the deck and using the gas grill. The house is very comfortable and we would recommend it to anyone.

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/3

A perfect vacation in St. John

Guest norton
Date of stay 04/26/08
Review Submitted 05/06/08

We just returned from a wonderful 7 days on St. John at Mar De Amores. Perched 600 feet high you have a wonderful view and catch all the breezes. We were met at our car rental and brought to the house which was exactly as decribed. The house was a delight. It provided everything you could want. We really enjoyed just spending time on the deck or in the pool. Of course the island has wonderful beaches and resturants. We did spend one day touring around St. John on "Bread on the Water" a 46 foot Sailboat. We also rented a power boat from Nauti Nymph and went to Tortola, Norman Island and Peter Island. I can't wait to go back.

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 4/4

We will be back!!!

Guest Jill and Dave
Date of stay 03/22/08
Review Submitted 04/29/08

We found that Mar de Amores was a fabulous place to stay! It was spacious, with a well layed-out floorplan and it had all of the comforts of home. The water supply was plentiful, but we were still in our conservation mode, which you should be whenever you visit an island! The breezes were plentiful so we never even needed to turn on the air conditioning. The pool is small, but we found it to be perfect for our family of four after a long day at the beach. We loved the private location at the very end of a mountainside road. Yet, it was suprisingly close to Cruz Bay, the grocery store and all of the best beaches. It had the most incredible view of the ocean and lots of lush vegetation. The owners, managers, housekeepers, etc were all a pleasure to communicate with... everything went smoothly. We loved it and are planning on going back next year. Thank you!!

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 4/4

True Bliss

Guest Chuckie
Date of stay 11/01/07
Review Submitted 01/17/08

Thank you very much for a wonderful time. We loved the peace and quite. The view from the deck is spectacular and watching the sunset from the deck in the evenings and having our coffee on the deck with a warm breeze in the morning was a dream come true. It's close enough to town to feel the privacy of the island and very comfortable, everything at the villa was wonderful and in perfect order. The biggest problem we had is not wanting to leave. We did plenty of shopping in town on our way to the beach and sight seeing along the way. We went every where on the Island, from Cinnamon Bay to Coral Bay and back again. We had the best time of our life and can not wait to go back again. It was great dealing directly with the owners, so we knew exactly what we were getting. They provided everything that we asked for and were all too happy to do so. We hope that they feel as we do in that we have made new friends and that's a very special thing. We hope you will enjoy your vacation as much as we did. Thanks again.

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

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

Fabulous, except.....

Guest earlfam
Date of stay 11/01/07
Review Submitted 01/06/08

Everything good that the agencies say about Mar de Amores is true. It is very private and secluded and yet conveniently located to town. If I'd known in advance that it was 15 minutes to the beach, I might have balked. But, you know, vacation time isn't like real life time, and to be honest, it just didn't matter. Fifteen minutes to the closest beach or 30 to the furthest just doesn't make any difference when you have a week to do nothing but snorkel and swim. The view, is truly amazing, I felt like I was in a dream as a sat at the kitchen table and watched the sun come up each morning. There are sliding glass doors across the entire south side of the house and one on the opposite side for a wonderful cross breeze. The property was equipped with everything we needed for cooking and grilling (it does need a pitcher for juice, though). All in all it was a very nice place to stay, except...... there is a real plumbing problem at the house. I realize that they do not advertise the Jacuzzi tub, but it is in the pictures. And if the only problem were that the tub didn't work, it might have been okay. However, the shower attached to the tub also doesn't really work, unless you count the sprinkle that you get out of it for 2-3 minutes at a time until the water pressure drops and you sit there freezing waiting to be able to turn it back on. The other shower isn't much better. It doesn't go off entirely when the water pressure drops but it goes down to a literal trickle. And, I hate to say it, but there is a definite sewer smell in the front hall bath as well. And now I'm done being negative. We really had a fabulous time on St. John and look forward to doing it again some day. We might even want to stay at Mar de Amores if we can be assured a decent shower.

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Owner response: We are very sorry to hear about your experience at the villa and we wish we would had known at the time you were staying at the villa. The villa does NOT have a plumbing problem. Let us explain what happened. Since there is no public water system on the island of St John, we storage water on cisterns under the houses and we use electric water pumps to run the water through the houses. When the level of water in the cisterns is low, the pump takes air and runs water and air through the pipes and this situation makes the water run really slow. If this would have been brought to our attention at the time it happened we could have taken immediate action and solved it very easy in just 5 minutes. It is actually a very common situation and it happens from time to time to all the villas. Please, make sure that we take much pride in how we run our houses and care a lot about our guests concerns. We really hope to have you and your party staying at our villa again in the near future.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 6/8

The Best Vacation Ever!!!

Guest Bamo21
Date of stay 09/01/07
Review Submitted 01/16/08

My experience at Mar the Amores was simply GREAT it felt really good to go to a place for vacations and feel like if you were at home living a dream come true. Everything we needed was there because the house is equiped with everything and very importantly the house was impecably clean. The house is very breezee wich it was great for me because we didn't even found the need to turn on the AC Mar de Amores has an amazing view to the ocean from the deck from where you can see the most amazing sunset besides that every single room has the same view to the ocean. I found the location of the house very convenient since is very close to town and most importantly in a very secure neighborhood. My experience in St. John was very delightfull, I would defenitly come back again for vacations and I would defenitly would like to stay at Mar de Amores again since my experience at the house was one of the best I ever had while staying in a Villa.

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

Vacation Rentals by Owner

Unbelievable Ocean View.Villa Mar De Amores in St John USVI [#120366] | View Property

Traveler Reviews (14)

MAGNIFICENT!!!!

MAGNIFICENT!!!!

Very nice and big house with the best view of the island!

Very nice and big house with the best view of the island!

A Week in Heaven!!!

A Week in Heaven!!!

Wonderful!!

Wonderful!!

Guestbook Comment

Guestbook Comment

Magnificent views and a great place to stay

Magnificent views and a great place to stay

Mar de Amores

Mar de Amores

A perfect vacation in St. John

A perfect vacation in St. John

We will be back!!!

We will be back!!!

True Bliss

True Bliss

Fabulous, except.....

Fabulous, except.....

The Best Vacation Ever!!!

The Best Vacation Ever!!!