We had a wonderful new years at Ed and Nikki's place

Guest: Ash (New haven,CT)
Date of Stay: 12/31/11 Review Submitted: 01/31/12

My wife and I, along another couple stayed over at this place for the new years and first week of January. We had a great time. The property was in great shape and was exactly how the owners described it in their website More than that , I liked the oweners personally. I had a wonderful experience any time we spoke to them while the booking process and even later. In fact, we forgot to carry our keys, which we realised once, we reached the property. One phone call to Nikki and she was great in handling the situation. She arranged for a spare set in no time. The views were great. We had access to all the Bolongo Bay resort facilities ,while staying in our own house. ...Best of both worlds. I am sure we will go their again and Thanks again Nikki and Ed for letting us use ur condo.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, age 55+, families with young children.

We had a wonderful new years at Ed and Nikki's place

Guest: Ash (New haven,CT)
Date of Stay: 12/31/11 Review Submitted: 01/31/12

My wife and I, along another couple stayed over at this place for the new years and first week of January. We had a great time. The property was in great shape and was exactly how the owners described it in their website More than that , I liked the oweners personally. I had a wonderful experience any time we spoke to them while the booking process and even later. In fact, we forgot to carry our keys, which we realised once, we reached the property. One phone call to Nikki and she was great in handling the situation. She arranged for a spare set in no time. The views were great. We had access to all the Bolongo Bay resort facilities ,while staying in our own house. ...Best of both worlds. I am sure we will go their again and Thanks again Nikki and Ed for letting us use ur condo.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, age 55+, families with young children.

Christmas in Paradise

Guest: jill v.
Date of Stay: 12/21/11 Review Submitted: 01/09/12

Ed & Nikki, Thank you so much for sharing your home with us while we spent Christmas in St. Thomas. It was our best vacation ever. We couldn't have asked for more. The welcome letter was great, very helpfull explaining all the wonderfull places to visit. Thank you for supplying the snorkling gear for all 3 of our kids. They really got used alot! Also, the sand toys were great for our 8 year old. We already want to return! Almost everyday we went to a different beach! I never got so much R&R on vacation with our kids! And they were completely occupied with all the different snorkling adventures at all the different beaches! We can't wait to return! Thanks again, Jill Vermaas

Recommended for:

Great time, great condo

Guest: Mike (Shrewsbury, MA. USA)
Date of Stay: 07/27/11 Review Submitted: 08/04/11

This condo is part of Watergate Villas East. There are 4 buildings #17, 16, 15 and 14. 17 and 16 have the pool in front and are closest to the resort and major party place Iggies. All of the units in this condo have a balcony facing the ocean. I really like the location of this unit up on the 3rd level (only a 1/2 level up from the parking lot which runs behind all the units) for it's view with the rocks in front and the Iguanas crawling on them along the privacy of not having a pool crowd in front of you and less noise from the band and folks at the resort. Along with the pool mentioned above there are other condo's up on top of the hill that have an agreement to share pools. We spent one evening up in their pool watching the sunset. This pool is smaller but has two sides that appear to hang over a cliff. Really really cool. The unit itself was very up to date with all the appliances you could ask for. TV's and cable were better than we have at our own home. Knowing it had a washer/dryer we were able to pack lighter and that worked out great. Everything we could possibly need was there. Unit was very clean and nicely decorated. Air conditioners were fairly new and worked great. Ceiling fans in every room which I favored since I love to hear the ocean. Ed and Nikki were always available by phone for our questions and answered email promptly. Bolongo Bay itself is a great place to vacation. Food at both the restaurants was first rate. We also spent a lot of time at Iggies. We rented a car and learned to drive on the left and deal with some very steep and windy roads. We visited Megan's bay which was a fantastic beach. Also I loved the way the local's take care of you. For example, you can be out in the water on a float and have a drink brought out to you. Very cool. Not a good snorkel beach though. Coki beach was awesome for snorkeling and is right next to the coral world ocean park (which was being renovated while we were there and thus closed). Here the locals come by to offer you food, chairs, drinks whatever you need (they work on commission from the restaurant) at what I thought was a reasonable price. We had a wedding at Bolongo Bay resort next door and the staff was incredible. Lori our wedding planner did a fantastic job and it could not have been more perfect. One last thing to note... the islanders are very friendly, very helpful but also very laid back. Be patient, no need to rush, enjoy your vacation.

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

Great location - easy access to all parts of the island

Guest: Yvonne (Mantua, OH)
Date of Stay: 06/14/11 Review Submitted: 07/02/11

Condo was in a great central location; it was easy to get to all spots on the island. The condo was well stocked with towels, linens, beach chairs, coolers to make it easy to pack up and head out for the day. There was plenty of room for the four of us and our two teenage sons had plenty of space to spread out in. One consideration would be the rolling blackouts; they came at various times and it was hard to gage when they would occur. Just make sure you have plenty on snacks on hand to hold you over until the power comes back on. Condo was in great shape and we had a wonderful time!

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

Don't rent this condo!!!

Guest: deb (glocester, ri)
Date of Stay: 05/21/11 Review Submitted: 06/09/11

I rented this condo from 5/21/2011-5/24/11 for my daughter's destination wedding. Nikki was very helpful and answered all my emails promptly until I received an email from her on 5/20/11 (the day before we were arriving) stating that the condo had been robbed. The TVs had been stolen and the robbers entered by breaking a window in the living room. I emailed her stating my concerns, no TVs and the safety of the condo-no response. When were arrived at the condo there was a piece of plywood propped up on the outside of the window & inside was a jagged hole of broken glass. No one came to repair the broken window until 5/23/11 @ 11am when we were dressing for my daughter's wedding. What an intrusion on my daughter's special day! I emailed Nikki again asking for some credit on the rental, again no response! They never gave us the courtesy of even responding to the emails, never mind a credit! Don't rent this condo!!

Owner response:On Friday, 5/20/11,our agent discovered 2 of 3 TVs were stoled and they broke and entered through a living room window which is 7 ft above the floor. Time was too short to have the repairs completed on Friday and weekend repair is impossible. The broken glass in window could only be removed by the repairman and presented no threat or danger to the renters. The condo was secured and posed no risk to our guests. Our condo was cleaned and in excellent condition upon the renters arrival. As you can see from the theme of this guests comments, her main objective was to get a reduction in the rental. Then she complained that the window was not repaired but then complained when the window was repaired at our earliets possible date. The repaired window is not near the bedrooms or baths. I too am sorry we had a robbery.

Recommended for:

Wonderful trip/Great condo

Guest: Stephen (New York)
Date of Stay: 04/12/11 Review Submitted: 05/16/11

Stayed here for a week in mid-April. I loved the location. The condo was great, roomy, and well kept. The pools were great. There is a really beautiful pool at the top of the condo complex that was a bit of a walk but well worth it. We loved the Lobster Grille. The food was tremendous. The restaurant (called something different during the day) was wonderful for breakfast. Two things: get a car. Although the roads can be crazy, it's worth having a car. You are centrally located to everything. Also, if you have a young one (we had a 1 year old) some of the table tops are glass. We needed to have 50 eyes with the little one. Also, the owners are great. Very responsive. We have family in St. Thomas and will definitely use this condo again.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Wonderful accomodations

Guest: Gaby (Norristown, PA)
Date of Stay: 04/05/11 Review Submitted: 04/13/11

Hi Ed and Nikki, Thank you so much for letting us stay at your beautiful condo. The location was splendid. We ate breakfast every morning on the balcony overlooking the morning sunrise. The layout of the condo was great, perfect bedroom for those who like the sun shining in during the morning and the other bedroom for those who like to stay out late at Iggies and sleep in a bit without the blasting sun! Everything was within walking distance, the beach, Iggies, Mims, and Lobster Grill. The condo was immaculate and well kept with a nice island decor. We had all the amenities needed (I especially loved the snazzy mixer/blender so I could make my own Pina Colada's). I cannot emphasize how magnificant the view was from the balcony. The iguanas were cute too looking down! Nikki was very prompt in all our correspondence and the welcome packet was very helpful. I would happily recommend this place to all my friends and would go back in a heartbeat. This was my first time renting a place vs. hotel or all inclusive and well worth it. Thank you again for letting us get a taste of paradise once again at an affordable price.

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

The beautiful sound of the sea

Guest: Haggis (London, Canada)
Date of Stay: 03/12/11 Review Submitted: 03/28/11

We rented Nikki and Ed's condo March 12 - 19 and loved every minute. We loved falling asleep to the sound of waves below our balcony and waking to the same sound. The condo was very clean, comfortable and well appointed with lots of TVs, internet, etc. The beach and facilities at Bolongo Bay Resort are available to condo residents and we enjoyed walking the beach every morning. We had a fabulous dinner at The Lobster Grille and another at Mims (both at the resort). Iggies was great for casual lunch and delicious "Painkillers". Jet skiing and snorkeling are also available. We took our rented car to St. John's for a wonderful day of touring and hiking. A highlight of the trip was the New Horizons cruise to the British Virgin Islands. This was a very memorable vacation with the right mix of relaxation and adventures. Thanks again Nikki and Ed.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, age 55+, families with young children.

2nd Visit - Just as Wonderful

Guest: Bill & Linda2 (Geneva, IL)
Date of Stay: 01/09/10 Review Submitted: 02/06/11

This 2 week stay was a return visit to this condo with only a year between our visits, but improvements had been made to the kitchen, which shows the owners are involved and hands on. Again, we found the comforts of home which was important with our long stay. Helpful tips from owners helped with grocery shopping, restaurants, activities. Treated ourselves to 2 very nice dinners at one of their recommendations (Banana Tree Grille) and one we found ourselves (Oceana). Make a visit to Iggie's right on the beach. Took the car ferry to St. John twice and found an off the beaten path beach accessible by 4-wheel only. Drive St. John and see what an unspoiled island is like. Met herds of goats, wild donkeys, and a huge tortoise walking the roads. Can't say enough about the beautiful beaches on both islands. Snorkeled with sea turtles at Buck Island on the Heavenly Days Katamaran at Bolongo Bay resort, snorkeled Coki Beach, Bolongo Bay, and at Lameshur Bay on St. John. The condo has everything you need to make your vacation all it can be. Thanks again Ed and Nikki. This has made St. Thomas one of our top places to return to.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.