Loved Windwarside Cottage

Guest: Allen K. (Brooklyn, New York USA )
Date of Stay: 01/15/12 Review Submitted: 02/03/12

My wife and I stayed at the Windwardside Cottage for two weeks. We had a fabulous time. The cottage was almost exactly as depicted in the pictures. Everything was spotless and freshly made up for us. The cottage was very spacious which we greatly appreciated. The separate bedroom/bathroom was a bit odd at first, but we easily got used to it and actually liked it. The main house has everything you could possibly want and was so relaxing. We enjoyed the hot tub on a daily basis just after we came back from the beach for the day. Having not one but two outdoor showers available was luxurious. We made our breakfast each morning and ate it in the roomy and airy dining room and sat on the outside patio each night talking and star gazing. The views from almost anywhere on the property were gorgeous. Susan and Diane were wonderful to deal with before we arrived and were in contact with us during our stay to see if we needed anything. They had someone waiting for us when we got off the ferry in Cruz Bay who escorted us to pick up our rental car, go to the supermarket for a quick shopping, and then take us to the cottage. Simply great service. BTW, the folks at Courtesy Car Rental are wonderful to deal with and the discount that Susan arranges with them is not trivial. The road up to the cottage was a bit challenging at first - perhaps because we arrived at night. But by the light of day it became just part of the fun of staying at the cottage. Staying in Coral Bay was divine. There are more than enough very good restaurants to keep you happy for several days. The cottage is just a short drive to all of them, as well as to Salt Pond Bay which is a wonderful beach to visit and has some good snorkeling. The cottage is also a 10-15 minute drive to several other East End beaches, Hanover, Haulover, Vies that are wonderful, not crowded and also have good snorkeling. Staying close to Coral Bay is absolutely the best decision we made. Driving to the famous North Shore beaches, such as Maho and Trunk was easy and not too far away. Susan also helped arrange our pick-up at and return to the St. Thomas airport by Dynamic Tours. It went very smoothly. All in all I cannot recommend the Windwardside Cottage highly enough. We have a place to return to on St. John.

Owner response:Dear Allen and Helen, I am so glad that you enjoyed your stay at Windwardside Main House. We appreciate the detail in the review. It means a lot for guests to hear about the experiences of past visitors. Enjoy your safai next year and we know we will see you in the future. Warm regards, Susan PS: For those reading this review the guests refer to Windwardside Cottage. The actually stayed at Windwardside Main House which is the neighboring home to Windwardside guest Cottage.

Recommended for:

Wonderful last-minute getaway

Guest: heather y. (Washington DC)
Date of Stay: 01/23/11 Review Submitted: 02/13/11

We rented Windwardside cottage with five days notice after finding their discounted rate on Home Away. Diane did everything possible to help us get to the house. We were met by Bruce who gave us a thorough introduction to the island and escorted us to this great house atop a rough but fun dirt road. If you're confused about the "two house" thing, don't be. This is just like renting a two-story house -- with bedroom/bath upstairs and livingroom/bath/kitchen/dining room downstairs. It's just that the stairs are open and the floors aren't directly on top of each other. The house has everything one could think of - we cooked in breakfast and dinner and packed lunch to take as we explored the island in our 4x4. The kitchen lacked for nothing and the dining room was stacked with a great library of books and DVDs. Reading years of guest comments and perusing the St. John books helped us decide what to do each day. The views from the porch and hot-tub are as described. The place is extremely private - we could occasionally hear but not see the couple staying at the guest house next door. I would recommend following the owner's recommendations regarding transportation to the island and auto-rental on-island. We were picked up by a Warren of the transport company (holding our name when we got off the plane) and within 45 minutes of landing we were on the Red Hook Ferry. 20 minutes later, we were met in St. John by Bruce, who took us the car rental place, explained the three-road town, took us to the grocery store, and led us across island to the house. He gave detailed 4x4 instructions and made sure we knew the "must see" places on the island map. Really amazing service! The couple staying that the guest cottage next door went their own way, using taxis, renting on St. Thomas and taking the car ferry -- all were mistakes and, though they landed on St. Thomas at the same time as us, they arrived at the house seven hours later. We didn't eat much food on the restaurant, but do recommend Coral Bay standby's The Tourist Trap (lobster rolls) and Vie's (conch fritters). For beaches, we recommend Little Lameshur (gorgeous and private), Salt Pond (hike the Ram's Head trail and snorkel) and Maho - shallow, and easy for learning to snorkel. We swam with sea turtles there.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers.

We had a wonderful Honeymoon!

Guest: Steve (Boston, MA.)
Date of Stay: 01/02/11 Review Submitted: 01/11/11

We LOVED our stay at the Windwardside main house. The pictures are very accurate and it is a wonderful place to get away from it all. The location on the east side of the island by Coral Bay is great for those who want to get away from the more "tourist" focused scene in Cruz Bay. We found the people in Coral Bay to be extremely friendly and the restaurants were the best on the island. Plus, the proximity to Salt Pond and Little Lameshur beaches was great since we like less of a crowd. I highly recommend this villa and hope to stay there again in the future. We're hoping to rent both the main house and guest cottage sometime in the future with friends. It's a perfect set up for two couples to share.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers.

Great House!

Guest: Amy (Lockhart, Texas)
Date of Stay: 09/18/10 Review Submitted: 10/13/10

We have rented this house in St John 3 times and have had a great time every single time. The house is well appointed with everything one would need and more! The birds are amazing and so are the plants. Nice and private but close to beaches and restaurants. The owners are nice, have good info. and will help you make reservations for your rent-a-car.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, age 55+.

PARADISE!!!

Guest: Sarah (Denver, Colorado)
Date of Stay: 08/01/10 Review Submitted: 08/11/10

Windwardside was BEYOND amazing!! My husband and I couldn't have enjoyed out stay any more than we did. The staff was more than accommodating and quick to answer any questions we had, and even brought some groceries for us so we would have something to eat after a long day of traveling. The pictures are very accurate, and the house and view of coral bay are absolutely beautiful!!! We could not have asked for a better place to spend our honeymoon and hope to return someday soon!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers.

Windwardside Paradise

Guest: Joey (Columbia, SC, USA)
Date of Stay: 07/26/10 Review Submitted: 08/03/10

Thanks to Diane, Susan, and Matt for such an amazing stay at Windwardside! We have never experienced such a high rate of hospitality on any vacation . So much we are already planning another trip back to St. John! I would highly recommend this house, as well as any of the other properties that they offer. Calabash is a first-rate company that keeps their clients interest their top priority. Joey & Katie Pfrommer

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, girls getaway, age 55+.

Just perfect.......

Guest: Coral Bay lover (High Falls, NY)
Date of Stay: 01/03/10 Review Submitted: 01/15/10

Amazing view and location......well appointed and extremely comfortable. Driveway was an interesting experience at first, but quickly got used to that and used this lovely villa as a base from which to hike and snorkel much of this lovely island. Particularly enjoyed the porches and their views, and appreciated the kitchen and comfy living and dining areas. Highly recommended.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers.

Awesome!

Guest: Mary from Ohio (Ohio)
Date of Stay: 07/01/09 Review Submitted: 07/14/09

We have spent a total of 3 weeks at Windwardside....absolutely beautiful! Property well taken cared of...management very helpful. Definitely worth the price.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, age 55+.

Windwardside = AMAZING

Guest: Katg (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 05/10/09 Review Submitted: 07/06/09

Stay at Windwardside!!! My husband and I stayed there for our honeymoon and we could not have picked a better spot! The views are breath-taking and the cottage/house is just perfect - comfortable, clean, very nicely decorated. Our rental car was set up for us and we were even taken to the grocery store to get some basic necessities. I would recommend this place 100% - my husband and I are already planning a trip back!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers.

Windwardside Main House

Guest: Ann&Larry (Chattanooga, TN)
Date of Stay: 02/15/09 Review Submitted: 06/10/09

There can't be a more lovely location than Coral Bay, or a prettier property than Windwardside. If anything, the pictures don't come close to capturing the serenity and comfort we felt staying there (but go ahead and enjoy the photos too!) Our vacation time in this well-furnished villa allowed us to re-charge our batteries and escape the pressures of everyday life. Think open-air showers, never-ending flowers, and gentle tradewinds... If necessary for extra visitors, there is a guest house also available. The best part about this get away is turning over all the arrangements to the owners.From transport from the airport to the ferry, to car rental (4 WD is essential), to helpful local greeters who answer every question, make restaurant, shopping, and beach recommendations, all we had to do was relax. Just remember to set your watches for "island time" as you pause to take in all the breath-taking views!

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