Beautiful Cottage for a Second Honeymoon

Guest: Toga Travellers (Saratoga Springs, New York, United States)
Date of Stay: 01/19/12 Review Submitted: 02/09/12

My husband and I just returned from an amazing trip to St. John. It was the first time we had been away alone for more than a few nights since our children were born and we were really looking forward to a relaxing and mellow vacation in the warm sun. Since it was just the two of us, we were looking for something on the quieter side of the island that wasn't too expensive and found Liz and Russ' listing for the studio cottage. The pictures looked wonderful, the location perfect, it had outstanding reviews and the price was right. So we went for it and, if possible, the cottage exceeded our expectations. It was just as it was pictured. It was beautifully decorated, clean, quaint and the bed was extremely comfortable. The kitchen was fully stocked and there was a small grill on the porch. We brought our own snorkeling equipment, but there is equipment available as well as beach chairs which we used every day. After picking up our jeep in Cruz Bay, it took us about 20 to 30 minutes to get to the cottage. We spent each day snorkeling at beaches near the cottage (Salt Pond Bay is within walking distance) and on the North Shore and ate most nights at one of the little restaurants in Coral Bay. We never spent (nor did we plan to) any time in Cruz Bay, so the location across the island was just perfect. There was no WiFi, which we didn't care about since we really wanted to get away, and every other day or so we would just drive over to the Aqua Bistro parking lot and tap into the free WiFi to check our email. We were able to use our cell phone (we have AT&T) to call home when needed - just be careful calling from the north side of the island where you can accidentally get linked to the cell tower in Tortola and then get hit with roaming charges. We will definitely be staying here the next time we return to the island.Thank you Liz and Russ for providing such a wonderful cottage and making our stay unforgettable.

Owner response:THANK YOU .We work hard to keep our rates down while still improving the cottages.

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

The Perfect Getaway!!!

Guest: Valika (New Jersey)
Date of Stay: 01/05/12 Review Submitted: 01/21/12

We stayed at the studio part of the cottage with my husband for 12 days, and we had the best time!! It really was the perfect getaway from a stressful job! Our host Liz was most helpful and tried her best to make us feel at home and relaxed. The cottage itself is the perfect size for a couple, with a fully equipped kitchen, a great little bathroom and an awesome terrace, where we spent most of our time when at home. The view from there is just lovely! We started our day with a cup of coffee enjoying the mountain view and bird watch, it was worth waking up to!! The location of the place couldn't be better! Its surrounded with quiet, relaxing and beautiful nature- forests, beaches, ponds. The first few days we stayed there we didn't have a car so we walked to one of the best beaches, which was only about a 7 minute walk. Our host provided us with beach chairs, towels, snorkeling gear and even a floaty! The snorkeling there was great, I could hardly pull my husband out of the water!! We didn't need to bring much for our trip, except for our clothes, sunscreen and bug spray. There are a few mosquitoes and ants around, but that's normal for a cottage that's surrounded by nature. Our host Liz was kind enough to drive us around when we didn't have a car and helped us get the things we needed, we could always count on her!! After a few days we rented a car and we visited all the beaches on the island. Our two favorites were Solomon and Honeymoon beach, but the others are just as great, and they are all so different, one better than the other!! We took about a thousand pictures! There's another beach close to the cottage that could be done by walking but better driving, Kiddle beach. It's rocky, but the snorkeling was one of the best we've ever experienced!! The food on the island is just what we were hoping for: different from anything you've ever tried! We visited many restaurants and just as with the beaches, one was better than the other. Our favorite was Shipwreck Landing, a 5 minute drive, and if you're looking for the best breakfast you ever had, you've got to go to Donkey Diner, which is only a 10 minute drive from the cottage. We really did have the best time, and still talk about our experiences there, the food, the beaches and our cute little - and so perfect - cottage!! Thank you Liz sooo much for everything!!

Owner response:Fabulous .Glad you discovered Kiddle and great snorkeling there .Many guests just go to sandy beaches and steer clear of smooth stone beaches .Fish are more prevalant there because there are less swimmers .You will also find a greater variety of fish and wildife .Finally just a word of advise .RENT A CAR . St. John is a large island with alot to see .You will triple your enjoyment if you rent a car .

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, pet owners, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children.

Perfect Honeymoon!

Guest: lutmato57 (St. Louis)
Date of Stay: 05/09/11 Review Submitted: 11/08/11

We've been meaning to write a review for this wonderful getaway. We stayed here for our honeymoon back in May. It's been about 6 months and we still talk about how perfect it was. St. Johns is beautiful and a great balance of adventure and tranquility. The cottage was exactly what we needed. We loved the breeze that came through the windows and the beautiful landscaping. Thanks for providing the snorkel gear, too!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers.

Back Again and Glad for It

Guest: Steve from Virginia (Virginia)
Date of Stay: 06/29/11 Review Submitted: 08/31/11

This was our second visit to Russ' cottage on St. John. We stayed here in December 2009 also. If we didn't think it was great, we wouldn't have returned. The other reviews give a good descriptions of the property. Like others we love the solitude. It is about a 40 minute drive from Cruz Bay to the cottage. The first time we didn't rent a jeep. We did rent one this time but for only three days from O' Connor with good results. For the rest of the time, we used the bus. The bus is certainly an adventure. If you don't mind a little roughing it; try the bus. Though I have to say, the jeep was certainly less stressful and easier on the body. There are supposedly well over 100 turns from Cruz Bay to Coral Bay and you feel everyone of them on the bus. It leaves about 10 minutes after the hour from the Salt Pond bus stop and about 25 minutes after the hour from the St. John dock. The last day we took the bus to the harbour. That day one of the buses was in the shop so we had to wait for an hour but since our flight wasn't until 4:40 p.m. we were still in good shape. I took the bus to the Reef Bay trail and walked back to the cottage via the Lamashur Bay trail. Make sure you have enough water. The climb over the hill is pretty steep. They have made improvements to Salt Pond Bay Beach which make the beach much more attractive to sun worshipers. This is big plus for Lamashur Cottages. The corral is great for parking the jeep. Ditto on leaving food out. Try putting as much of your food in the refrigerator. Other food should be in plastic bags. Those little ants will find any way of getting into your food. You also want to be careful not to open the screens at night with the lights on. You will get tons of little bugs. Not an issue with Russ' cottage just a fact of life on St. John. Make your reservations and you won't regret it. Once you go to St. John, it is hard to go back to the rough surf, cold water and murkiness of East Coast beaches.

Owner response:It is very gratifying to Liz and I to hear your comments .We love St. john since the day we found it in 1988 on "day trip" from St. Thomas . There is a wonderful "peace" in our mountain valley . Come and take a week or two to find it .

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, adventure seekers, age 55+.

an oasis of peace

Guest: cw (Arlington, Virginia)
Date of Stay: 07/17/11 Review Submitted: 07/25/11

I wasn't sure what to expect when my girlfriend and I trekked off to St. John's Coral Bay to live in Lameshur Cottage for a week...but I needn't have worried. Our goals for the week were to get AWAY from the hustle and bustle of D.C., mingle with some locals on a private island, watch stars at night in total silence, and have some adventurous sightseeing by day. Rusty and the Lameshur Cottage helped facilitate all that. From the moment my girlfriend first emailed Rusty, he was highly communicative and 100% helpful. He answered every question about the cottage, provided homemade documents on his "5 Top Day Trips" and also on how to prepare for cottage life at St. John. He mailed me a brochure for an excellent boat tour that was the highlight of our trip, as well as a map of the island. When we got to Lameshur Cottage, which IS a little tricky to find (just read and re-read his directions before trying to drive there...), we couldn't get over the beautiful mountain view, the absolute silence day & night, and how lovingly the place was prepared. There was a shed full of 'toys' (snorkel stuff, kayak, beach chairs, etc.), adequate dishes to prepare all the meals we wanted to at home, plenty of maps and adventure books to get ideas going, some basic spices for food preparation, and it was as clean as one can be on St. John :-) The pictures say it all. Lameshur has an enormous "corral" of sorts where you park your car after driving up a steep cement incline. Then there is a carport where Rusty keeps his vehicle, and next to that is the shed with the 'toys.' Next to the shed is a staircase that leads up to a walkway that forks left and right. To the left is a slightly bigger property. Our cottage was on the right. Once inside, there is the main room that has the kitchen, daybed that you sleep on, and TV/stereo setup (which has cable with a few channels, a ton of music CDs, and some fun DVD movies). Branching off of this main room is the bathroom with shower/toilet, and in the other direction is the small breakfast room (screened in) and that leads to the back porch with chairs. I guess I'm running out of characters, so I'll say this: this was the best vacation of our lives. We had fun listening to birds chirp at night, cook fresh meals together, dine in the sun on the back porch, and then adventure all day. DO not leave food scraps out, bugs are a terror! Rent a Jeep Wrangler. Have a blast and relax, watch your blood pressure drop... I did!

Owner response:It is very gratifying to Liz and I to hear your comments .We love St. john since the day we found it in 1988 on "day trip" from St. Thomas . There is a wonderful "peace" in our mountain valley . Come and take a week or two to find it .

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

Wonderful Romantic Escape!!

Guest: Hillary (Oxford, PA)
Date of Stay: 04/18/11 Review Submitted: 06/11/11

My husband and I cannot say enough wonderful things about this cottage and its owners, Russ and Liz. It is located near several beaches with Salt Pond being the closest. While the cottage is very private, it is also close enough to Coral Bay. The cottage itself is beautiful - Russ and Liz have done a fantastic job providing everything we could possibly need during our stay. The deck is just gorgeous and is a great place to begin your day and a great place to end your evening. The photos reflect the setting well. It truly is the romantic escape that it promises to be. We cannot believe how lucky we were to have found this place!!! We will be back......

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

St. John Paradise at its best

Guest: John (LA, California)
Date of Stay: 05/20/11 Review Submitted: 06/01/11

We arrived at the cottage on a rainy night and woke up to an amazing view and a beautiful garden that surrounded us. The cottage was perfect. It had everything we needed to make our vacation great. We made breakfast every morning and ate on the deck with the view. It is very charming and well kept. Salt pond bay is in walking distance and is a beautiful beach, one of my favorites on the whole island. Also don't miss the Ram's head trail especially to catch the sunset. We rented a jeep which I recomend as you will need it and explored the whole island. There are great places to dine just minutes away from the cottage. Miss Lucy's, Shipwreck Landing, and Skinny Legs just to name a few. We had an amazing time and plan to visit again. Thanks for everything Russ!

Owner response:Great idea about hike out to RAMS HEAD for fabulous sunset . Don't forget to take flashlight for hike back in dark. Russ and Liz

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

Our Private Hide Away

Guest: Wayne (Zionsville, Indiana)
Date of Stay: 04/01/11 Review Submitted: 04/13/11

A perfect cottage for two... Clean with a complete kitchen, screened in porch and covered deck. Actual cottage better than the photos. The cottage is on the south east side of St. John so you need a vehicle to get to the major beaches. We loved nearby little Lameshur Bay... very few people, great beach and snorkling. Hit the Sunday Brunch at Concordia and have fun at the Skinny Legs Bar in Coral bay... Hidden treasure... meet Ester at the "Pink Corner" in Coral Bay for Barbeque. We will be back.

Owner response:Great to hear you had good time .I will pass along your praise to "cleaning " lady. Liz and I were back in Delaware during your visit celebrating our anniversary in Williamsburg. Thank you for taking time to stop at "pink corner" and trying ester's BBQ . Don't forget that returning guests get 10% off .See you soon. Russ and Liz

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

Cute cabin, ideal location, lots of bugs inside due to maintainance required - Sadly we had to leave

Guest: Ms_Dragon (Gorham, Maine)
Date of Stay: 01/22/11 Review Submitted: 04/11/11

We understand that when traveling in the tropics there will be bugs, but I have an expectation that I can sleep relatively bug free in a rented cottage. We spent much time researching our lodging on St John. We settled here based on the photos, price & location and friendly correspondece with Russ. We liked being outside Coral Bay & near Lameshur beach. Russ explained the photos were taken by the prior owner in 2009, but they do represent the unit; which I would describe as a simple camp with lovely furnishings, but a rough structure. What the pictures don’t show is the wear & tear on the screens & the warped doors. The problem is that one screen had a large hole in it and all the doors have gaps around the edges which allowed an infestation of bugs and other critters to enter the camp while we tried to sleep. Our first night, we tossed, turned and swatted biting bugs all night long. When we complained in the morning Russ put a mosquito net over the couch/bed and sprayed. This was a nice gesture, but they still got to us. The netting didn’t go all the way to the floor so was no protection plus laid across our faces while we tried to sleep. The couch/bed is the only place to sit in the living room and it was impossible to sit under the net comfortably. The 2nd night there was a larger rodent that gnawed away at a plastic pepper shaker all night and knocked items off shelves. I am perplexed as to why we seem to be the only people that have had this problem, perhaps it had been particularly rainy prior to our arrival. Regardless, it is reasonable to expect accommodations to be built to keep out bugs and vermin. After 2 nights of barely sleeping and waking up itchy with bites all over, we sadly made the decision to salvage the remaining 5 nights of our stay on St John and spent the morning securing alternate accommodations. We expected Russ would gladly refund the unused portion of our stay, but he said he felt no obligation to do so. Since we didn’t purchase the VRBO insurance and paid by check we have no recourse but to go through small claims court. Our suggestion is to pay for your accommodations through PayPal (giving you credit card protection) and take out the VRBO insurance. Also ensure that Russ has repaired all the screens and replaced the doors to ensure a proper seal to keep out the bugs and vermin. If those problems could be fixed I’m sure it would be a fine place to stay. Saturday, January 22, 2011, stayed for 2 nights, many restaurants nearby.

Owner response:Three points in response : 1) I was on property in "caretaker" cottage during this guest's stay (Jan 22nd and 23rd) . All screens and doors were adjusted within hours of my being made aware of problem. In the tropics, if you leave food out, it will attract mice at night . We advise all our guests to store food in the microwave and refrigerator, and to close all doors, not just screen doors . 2.) We have 27 favorable reviews before and after this guest's visit . These reviews speak for themselves . We also had another guest 30 yards away in our other cottage(vrbo#256417) who posted a favorable review on their stay . You can read their review and others under this site . 3) The "bugs" that are referred to, are mosquitos, which are all over the island and at every cottage, hotel, and private home. In total we have 35 excellent reviews on our property. My wife and I are proud of what we have created . We value the health and safety of all our guests .

Recommended for:

Quiet Escape

Guest: WH (Little Compton, RI, USA)
Date of Stay: 03/14/11 Review Submitted: 03/24/11

Charming, clean, well-outfitted cottage on a hillside, with views to mountainous landscape. Considering how busy other areas of the island can be, this is a peaceful, out-of-the-way location, but privacy and quiet are contingent on whoever might be occupying the cottage next door. Good restaurants within a few minutes drive. Lovely beach a 10 minute walk in one direction, a second beach a 10 minute drive (via a 4 wheeler) in another. Good access to hiking trails.

Owner response:So sorry if guests in our other cottage (vrbo#256417) disturbed the "peace and quiet". Cottage decks are about 50 yards apart but sometimes guests talk louder to be heard over jets in hot tub .I will post a written warning and also speak orally with each guest to prevent this from happening.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers.