Excellent island hideaway

Guest: snorkler dave (California)
Date of Stay: 02/14/09 Review Submitted: 02/28/09

We really enjoyed a week on St. Thomas in this excellent house. There is beautiful snorkeling right off the beach in front of the house when the water is calm, and kayaks to go paddling with as well. The location is very private and beautifully situated above the beach, surrounded by trees. Still, it's easy to drive over for shopping in the town once you get used to the hilly St. Thomas roads. Highly recommended.

Owner response:Dave's discovery of the underwater world in front of the house was wonderful. His underwater photographs show the beauty that is the reef in front of the house and its secret charm. As we've been told by many rentors the snorkeling in front of the house is some of the best they've ever seen and Dave proved their case.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers.

beach house

Guest: tahoecheese (Wisconsin)
Date of Stay: 11/30/11 Review Submitted: 12/14/11

This property is beautiful. The owner and his property manager Gina are very helpful. I found the property to be better than what was advertised and would happily return.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

It is better than it sounds and looks. WOW!

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 06/10/11 Review Submitted: 06/18/11

total seclusion and fun times. Truly your own private beach and reef that really is better than most of the snorkeling tours. The reef on left side of the beach goes for hundreds of yards to the west and only fifty feet from shore and up to fifty feet deep with tons of coral and fish. Swam with a sea turtle and fed the fishes. Really is a different world. The other reviews are correct, you really do not need to leave the beach house. The beach house has its own generator which is a major plus when power is out We had Gena provision the home to eliminate the need to go shopping and Donald was most helpful with Everything. We literally snorkeled every day. Sometimes 3 or 4 times except when we took a Breakaway cruise to baths with stop in josh van dyke and the soggy dollar bar. Really fun. If you want to do some touristy shopping you have to try MountainTop on st peters mountain that provides great views of most virgin islands and shopping under one roof. Clothes, hats, shoes, shorts, dresses, jewelry, trinkets, etc. Make sure you get good directions as it is hard to locate. Also try Amelia car rental, had great rates, met me at airport w car, brand new nissan 7 pass pathfinder, 4wd and met me again at airport for drop off. Also remember everything costs more on the island. One of our best vacations ever with our 5 kids and would highly recommend Donalds Beach House to anyone who really wants to experience your own private paradise. Really.

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

Best Vacation Ever!

Guest: Jen (Ohio / United States)
Date of Stay: 03/26/11 Review Submitted: 04/08/11

This home is the absolute ideal vacation spot! The pictures only begin to capture how exquisite it is. The stunning views, beautiful home and secluded beach made us wish we never had to leave. We felt welcome and at ease from the moment we set foot on the island with the help of Donald (the owner). His extreme helpfulness with everything from car rentals to directions to recommendations for dining, shopping, etc. removed any worry about being in unknown territory. It was truly our pleasure to meet him, and we greatly appreciated his availability and his warm, friendly manner. The Beach House is truly paradise. We found that we had no desire to go anywhere else because it couldn't top what we had right out the front door. The reef was tremendous. It provides amazing snorkeling and is so close that our young children could view this underwater adventure with ease. And yet, it is also extensive. With further exploration we saw more varieties of sea life than my husband has on many scuba dives. We also loved the fact that there were plenty of beach accessories for our use...sand toys, chairs, kayaks, snorkel gear, towels, etc. And if the beach isn't enough, the villa completes the picture. It was lovely. All the comforts of home, but with a view of the Caribbean! After a day on the beach we could continue to enjoy the setting relaxing in the hot tub or making use of the terrific grill and fantastic al fresco dining overlooking the ocean. Unlike many vacations which seem like work and leave you exhausted, begging for home at the end of your trip; The Beach House is appointed in such a way that nothing but relaxation and enjoyment is required of you. We loved every second of this vacation!

Owner response:Meeting Joel and Jen and the kids was also a treat for me. Made me wish I still lived at the house with my three daughters when they were little. It is truly a family home and I'm always delighted when people appreciate our home as much as we do ourselves. As I always tell guests, it's more fun to stay at the Beach House then go crazy being tourists all over the island. Thank you for being such wonderful guests!! Donald

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

The Most Amazing Hidden Treasure on the Island

Guest: Danny G (Atlanta)
Date of Stay: 07/20/09 Review Submitted: 02/23/11

It has has been a year and half since my wife and I spent our honeymoon at The Beach House. We still talk about our vacation there like it was yesterday. We are terrible at writing reviews but figured since we are thinking of going back and that it was such an amazing place, we should probably write a review. I will say that no words, pictures or even video can really do the beach house and all it has to offer proper justice. The house is nestled in the tree tops of giant palms that has a spectacular view over the cove and ocean. It really feels like it is the tree house of the Swiss Family Robinson. The decor gives a great homey and beach feel. There are a lot of simple additions to the house that add so much to the experience like the yellow lights that line the drive way and lights all around the deck, the several outside showers to wash off sand, the built in grill and countertops, etc. The deck was one of our favorite parts, just sitting out there having an afternoon lunch with a few drinks with a breathtaking view. The beach is completely secluded, private, very large with lots of sand. There is even a spot to make a big bon fire. There is a huge rock that you can swim or kayak to and climb and explore. It is a great fishing spot or place to watch the sunset or read a book. Snorkeling is unreal with a large reef just steps into the water. We went snorkeling all over St. Thomas and St. John, including on a sailboat adventure and never found the snorkeling as good as right there in front of the house. Amazing! It reminds me of Nemo and Marlin's home in the movie "Finding Nemo". The house and beach are truly magical. Even driving to the house is a jungle-laden adventure. Donald was so gracious as well. He couldn't meet us at the airport so his daughter met us and took us to the house. Donald dropped by later to give the grand tour and even brought us a pizza. Our honeymoon was truly an amazing experience and loved every minute of it. I wish we could go back more often. If you are weighing Donald's beach house as an option...go for it! You can't go wrong. It's a perfect place for a honeymoon, family vacation (even with little ones), a getaway with friends, a laid back or high energy vacation. Highly Recommend it!

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

'The Beach House' is a WONDERFUL vacation destination!

Guest: mlev11 (Bow, NH)
Date of Stay: 12/18/10 Review Submitted: 01/12/11

Our family group of 7 stayed at The Beach House for the 2010 Christmas holiday and we had an absolutely tremendous experience. The Beach House was clean, well-furnished and has all the amenities - just bring your swimsuit and get ready to relax! Donald was a gracious and helpful host and provided some great insight on where to dine and what to do on St. Thomas. Donald was also able to locate a personal chef to cater our Christmas dinner - it just worked out beautifully. The snorkeling right off the beach is excellent when the water is calm - there really is no need to travel to another beach destination when your own personal beach is a short walk right down the stairs! So if you want a beautiful, private beach location with a beautiful well-equipped home on St. Thomas, you can't do better than 'The Beach House!' Highly recommended.

Recommended for:

Perfect Honeymoon/Vacation

Guest: julie (atlanta)
Date of Stay: 07/20/09 Review Submitted: 11/11/10

My husband and I were blessed to spend our honeymoon at "The Beach House" and had an absolute relaxing and fun filled adventure on the Island. We enjoyed the water front the Beach house offered as well as the spectacular snorkeling around the reef right there on the private beach... the BEST snorkeling on the island by far! We realized that we could have spent our entire time right there at the house and gotten the best of ALL the Virgin Islands! We plan on returning for another vacation with more family and friends to share the positive experience we had. Donald Pomeranz (owner) is extremely reliable, ethical and will take care of you. He even brought us a pizza our first night at the house since we didn't have time to go to the grocery store. You will not be disappointed if booking a vacation at "The Beach House!"

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

Absolute paradise!!

Guest: SC traveler (South Carolina)
Date of Stay: 06/12/10 Review Submitted: 06/23/10

Our family of 10 just returned from a week long stay at The Beach House and we all just loved it! There was plenty of room for everyone and having the private beach at the bottom of the stairway was the main attraction! The back porch is huge and is the perfect spot to see the sun rise and set along the ocean. The house was exceptional clean and had beautiful furniture in every room. The house has everything, so the only time we left was for shopping. Since we were able to snorkel and kayak in the "back yard", we saved money by not having to pay for these water activities elsewhere. Very few houses have AC, so it was definately a plus during the hot weather in June. The owner greeted us at the airport and escorted us to the house and even called to check on us during the week. I would highly recommend this property and we're going to rent it again when we return to St. Thomas.

Owner response:It was great having Kayoko, brother KK and family visit us. With the difficult times everyone had traveling I'm sure that relaxing at the house was what they wanted to do most. I am always thrilled when folks enjoy our natural beauty and especially take advantage of the incredible "backyard" the Beach House has to offer. I will look forward to the return visit. Thank you, Donald

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

Perfect getaway

Guest: New Mexico Fan (Flora Vista, NM USA)
Date of Stay: 02/07/09 Review Submitted: 03/18/09

My family stayed at this house in February 2009 & had the best vacation ever! The pictures do not do justice to the house or the land. It is such a beautiful place, very comfortable & has breath taking views! The snorkeling is awesome, the water is superb & I just can't say enough about what an incredible place it is for a vacation. It's just paradise. ! You can't go wrong with this place if you want your own private paradise. The beach is so secluded you could actually go skinny dipping if you wanted! We all had a separate area to sleep that gave the 3 groups of us total privacy which was great! The house is equipped with just anything you could possibly need including a stocked bar. This was actually the cheapest vacation we ever had as far as spending money seeing & doing things because no one wanted to go anywhere - we all only wanted to stay at the house. We bought groceries & stayed home for the most part. And to top it off Donald, the owner is such a nice person you can’t help but like him right from the start. I would recommend this to anyone who likes privacy & seclusion in a beautiful setting.

Owner response:I have to blush when I get such a nice review, both the house and me. Rose and her family were a delight to be around and I was thrilled that they all enjoyed themselves. It's wonderful when guests can relax and forget about their Stateside cares and woes and chill out at The Beach House. It truly makes the short term rental business here a pleasure. I have known this house and property for over 25 years and if you cannot relax here you don't know how to relax!

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