Vacation Rentals by Owner

Lovely Honeymoon

Guest: Heidi (Chicago, IL)
Date of Stay: 05/15/12 Review Submitted: 05/23/12

This place is perfect for a relaxing, quiet vacation. I would def. recommend renting a car which we did, it was amazing because we then had free range of the island but got to experience the benefit of staying on the quiet side of an already quiet island! This cottage is a great size, welcoming with great outdoor area. The main benefit of staying here is the value you get, even the "nice hotels" are just OK and triple the price of staying here. I would recommend it!!

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

Rachel

Guest: Rachel (Tennessee)
Date of Stay: 04/20/12 Review Submitted: 05/02/12

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Lameshur Cottage. The location was great! It was nice and very clean. And Although it does not have AC there is such a wonderful breeze that comes in and helps you sleep like a baby. The sleeping arrangements were very comfortable, but one should know that the bedrooms do NOT have doors on them. The only other thing I think one would also need to know is that there is a very steep flight of stairs that you must climb to get into the house. We absolutely LOVE St. John! The beaches are GORGEOUS! You definitely need to rent a jeep and be sure to check out Maho Beach & Turtle Bay if you are staying here :) Also, Copeland Tours for a boat ride and a sweet snorkel at Water Lemon Key :) Thanks for sharing your place with us! We had a blast!

Owner response:STEPS . Yes there are steps to climb to get up to cottage. This couple had one year old to carry up and down .Cottage works best for older children .

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Incredible Getaway spot!

Guest: Cameron (Denver, CO)
Date of Stay: 03/05/12 Review Submitted: 05/21/12

We went to Lameshur cottage for our honeymoon and it was truly wonderful. Russ was exceptionally helpful in the booking and trip planning process and Liz was great while we were there. The pictures and descriptions are very accurate. In fact, I would say they don't do it quite enough justice, especially in regard to the deck and private hot tub, which was fantastic. The hot tub is surrounded by trees but leaves a nice opening above to watch the night sky. We had the moon right overhead! The cottage was very well maintained and felt very secluded, but still very safe. With all the shutters open there was always a wonderful breeze coming though, which kept things a very comfortable temperature (we were there in March and it was about 80 degrees during the day). Plenty of masks and snorkels are available and of all the beaches we went to during our trip, Salt Pond, which was a 5 minute walk from the cottage, was our favorite. One word of warning for almost any cottage you stay at, don't leave any food or crumbs out. The ants will show up faster than you can believe! But this is no fault of the cottage, just a fact of life on the island. Luckily, once the crumbs are disposed of, the ants don't come back. We didn't eat in too much though, as there are several great restaurants nearby (Miss Lucy's being the best we went to). Another helpful piece of information is that, while you do need a car on St. John, you definitely do NOT need a four wheel drive car, despite all the blogs and articles we read that said you did. The only reason you would need 4WD is if you planned on doing some off-roading, but you can access the vast majority of beaches with a regular car. So, in closing, we had an absolutely incredible stay and would love to come back! Thank you Russ and Liz!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, romantic getaway.

Peace and Quiet in abundance! I went to St. John to chill out and relax, Lameshur does just that.

Guest: tim (NY)
Date of Stay: 02/19/12 Review Submitted: 02/27/12

The house is clean and well maintained. The view from the deck looks out over the hills of the National Park and the driveway is less than a half mile from the 4x4 road into the park. Lameshur beaches are off the beaten path and not overrun by tourists from the cruise ships from St. Thomas. If you want to get away from the hustle and relax at the beach, you can't go wrong with Lameshur cottages.

Owner response: Great job on your finishes in our 8 TUFF MILES race from Cruz Bay to Coral Bay. Congratulations on your daughters 3 rd place finishes in their age groups .Bet our hot tub felt good after race. See you next time. Discount for return visits . Russ

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

Absolutely Beautiful

Guest: Jason (Wilmington, DE)
Date of Stay: 07/09/11 Review Submitted: 08/16/11

When staying at Lameshur Cottages, you get the felling of living alone on your own island mountainside, basically because you are. The cottage is located on the southeastern part of St. John's, which is not as crowded as Cruz Bay or Coral Bay. You literally see one other house in the mountain vista view. That's it. While the cottage does not have air conditioning, you don't need it. The windows, while screened to keep out mosquitoes, are all open air, The time of year we visited, mid-July, the temperature never got above 82 degrees. There were nice cool breezes going through the house, and when it was still, you have the ceiling fans. The wonderful thing about St. John's is that there are more beaches to visit on the island than there are days in the week, and two of those beaches are located within walking distance of the cottage (Lameshur Bay and Saltpond Bay). We spend our time going from beach to beach. In the evenings, we drove out to Coral Bay to enjoy the seaside bar and restaurants there. The cottage itself was clean and full of amenities, like your own washer and dryer, your own full kitchen, towels, snorkeling gear, beach chairs, beach bags, etc. I can think of no better place to vacation if you really want to disconnect from the world.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Great Adventure in St, John and at Lameshur Cottage

Guest: 1st time travelers to St. John (NC)
Date of Stay: 05/29/11 Review Submitted: 06/06/11

My husband, daughter, and I enjoyed our recent visit to St. John and the Lameshur Cottage very much. We loved the peace and quiet of Coral Bay and the cottage itself. Although it was very hot and the mosquitoes were fierced at times due to much rain over the past month, we had a wonderful time exploring the island.. . every day was a new adventure! We enjoyed hiking, snorkeling, sailing, swimming, dining out, cooking in, relaxing in the hot tub, and seeing all the many species of animals that roam the island. The main Lameshur Cottage was very cute and had everything we needed including a cat to make us feel right at home. The ceiling fans and screened windows created enough breeze to sleep comfortable at night. But it was very warm inside the cottage in the mornings and late afternoons. However, we were not at the cottage long enough to be too miserable because of the heat. Russ was wonderful to work with and very accomodating. The beds were comfortable and the cottage was clean when we arrived. The washer and dryer was nice to have. However, I do recommend more comfortable furniture in the sitting area!

Owner response:Glad you got to meet some of our valley's pets . Our most famous one is a little goat we call "Lil Bit" .You can see pictures of him on my FACEBOOK site . Sitting in our kayak and waiting for me just outside my door .Russ Melrath

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Great Little Hideaway

Guest: Karen and Bob (Brockton MA)
Date of Stay: 04/14/11 Review Submitted: 04/27/11

We were only at Lamshur 2 nights but thought it was terrific. The colors are so vibrant and just put you i the mood to relax and "be on vacation". The only thing different I would to see is more comfortable furniture in the living room/kitchen area. We have been to St, John's 6 times before this and never stayed at this end of the island. Would do it again.

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Delightful experience,In every way

Guest: Lin (Gloucester)
Date of Stay: 02/19/11 Review Submitted: 03/01/11

We returned last week from a truly wonderful vacation at lameshur cottage.Our only regret is that we were not there for more than a week.lameshur cottage was in a perfect location.A short walk to what was our favourite beach especially for my 7 year old who loved snorkling there and got to see turtles and squid ,star fish but to name a few.The property was just perfect,every thing and more that made our time there special,and my children loved the hot tub as did my husband and I at the end of a beach filled day.We loved all the local restaurants and it was great having a great kitchen at Lameshur and we made several meals during our stay.We fell in love with St Johns and Lameshur.Russ is just wonderful and a tower of great information-He made our trip so easy and really puts so much work into making lameshur such a lovely place to stay-I loved the beach chairs and toys cooler etc etc.... it made our beach days even nicer.There is so much to tell about the great time we had and we feel so fortunate that our first experience to St John was staying at Lameshur .We can't wait to return!

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

lovely quiet little cottage escape

Guest: janet (bainbridge island, wa)
Date of Stay: 02/05/11 Review Submitted: 02/14/11

My husband and I recently rented the larger Lameshur cottage. It was a wonderful week. The cottage was very clean and well located for south end beaches. I loved having a hot tub, a full sized fridge and washer/dryer. There were all the beach accouterments you could ever want, which was wonderful. We hiked and snorkeled everyday all over the island. Russ was so nice. Since he was staying on St. Thomas during our week he picked us up from the airport and drove us to the ferry. I highly recommend Lameshur cottage. Don't forget to check out the night sky!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Adventure Week!

Guest: Deb (S.E. Michigan)
Date of Stay: 01/22/11 Review Submitted: 02/28/11

Had a great time in our little tree house. The kids have great stories to tell of the visiting goat. Coral Bay has become our favorite part part of the island. Great to have a kitchen and washer/dryer available to use. Russ was a great host and very knowledgeable. Hope to come back next year. Make sure you take the walk out to Rams Head worth the workout! D.S.

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

Perfect Escape

Guest: Megan (Newport, RI)
Date of Stay: 01/02/11 Review Submitted: 01/16/11

Our week at Lameshur Cottages provided peace and quiet as well as adventure. The cottage is well equipped and even better than pictured. We especially enjoyed the hot tub and great selection of books. During our stay, we went to several beaches on the island, but our favorites were the two beaches right down the road (Salt Pond and Lameshur). The snorkeling was fantastic at both spots, and our kids were thrilled to swim with turtles, rays, many colorful fish, and even an octopus! There are also great hiking trails nearby that lead to the Petroglyphs and ruins. Russ was a fantastic host, answering numerous questions before our arrival, providing lots of local information and even helping us to get the kayak loaded onto the jeep. We are already counting the days until we return to Lameshur Cottages!

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

Peace and Quiet Indeed!

Guest: Jane J. (Washington DC)
Date of Stay: 12/25/10 Review Submitted: 01/07/11

We loved staying at Lameshur. Everything was great, and Russ was very easy to contact, with many suggestions and quick fixes for any problems we encountered. The cottage was very well-fitted-out, with many books, and a blender for those frozen drinks. It was wonderful to sit out on the porch and watch the animals... we especially loved the goat "Little Guy" that likes to hang around- give him a scratch on the head! :) Thanks for a great stay, we couldn't have asked for more.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

perfect honeymoon local

Guest: the honeymooners (shelby township, mi)
Date of Stay: 10/17/10 Review Submitted: 10/26/10

Russ' cottage was so perfect for us! St. John is such a beautiful location and to add the adorable, comfortable, secluded cottage, made it absolutely perfect. We were a bit intimidated by the roads at first, but once you get used to it, they are actually fun. Salt Pond Bay was the best for snorkeling, but stay clear at sundown...the bugs are fierce. Skinny Legs is a must for delicious burgers and fun atmosphere. Everyone we encountered was so friendly and helpful...especially Russ.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Adorable Private Villa, Great for 2 and Honeymoons!

Guest: skylark_11 (Sleepy Hollow, NY)
Date of Stay: 10/06/10 Review Submitted: 10/28/10

This villa was so adorable. The care in designing and decorating the place is apparent. We loved the open design, incredible views. Right outside the bathroom and French doors of the bedroom are stunning mountain views. The place was immaculately clean (always a concern in going the rental route) and quiet. Coming from the hustle and bustle of NY, this was a huge plus. We also enjoyed the private patio where we took advantage of the hot-tub and barbecue. Russ, too, was a fantastic owner and host. He probably answered every phone call, from the one I made to him to get info. about the place to the ones I made to confirm our plans and get advice for the trip. There are also nice extras staying here, such as use of a kayak and beach gear, and a washer & dryer, which allowed us to pack more lightly. My only suggestions for the place would be a full-length mirror (fiance and I got married on St. John & spent honeymoon here- would have been nice to see all of myself while getting ready). Also, even though we ate out a lot, we would have preferred better cookware, as we do like to prepare some of our own meals, even on vacation. Other than those suggestions, we loved the place and would stay here again, and would highly recommend this place to friends.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Really getting away from it all

Guest: Anonymous (Austin, Texas)
Date of Stay: 07/20/10 Review Submitted: 08/02/10

My husband, 4-year-old daughter, and I stayed at the cottage on our recent vacation. The cottage was very tidy and decorated so sweetly, and the mountain surroundings were beautiful. We found that the access to North Shore beaches was easy and enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere of Coral Bay. Russ was quick to answer any questions, and we were able to completely relax.

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

A Perfect Getaway!

Guest: milker (Lambertville, NJ)
Date of Stay: 06/05/10 Review Submitted: 06/13/10

The house was exactly what we were looking for. A quiet location where all the noise we heard was from nature, The birds were remarkable surrounding the cottage. The walk to salt pond in the morning for a swim was one of my favorite parts of the vacation. The beautiful view from the deck was a real treat. The bed was so comfortable and we slept great every night. Having the snorkel equipment and all the amenities at the house made it so easy to just enjoy our vacation. St. John's is a beautiful island and Lameshur house was a great choice. Everything was perfect. Thank you Russ! We will be back.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Honeymoon in Paradise

Guest: Sue n Jared (Oxford, PA)
Date of Stay: 03/27/10 Review Submitted: 04/07/10

People can't explain how beautiful St. Johns is unless you have been there! Its majestic! My husband and I celebrated our 7 day honeymoon at the house! Was an incredible time. The place is cozy and has the right ammenities to make you feel like you are living in your own home. The space is just right- we took many naps and spent many hours in the hot tub. DVD player made watching movies- just like a date night! The house offered all the things we needed for staying in and for all of our daily excursions- towels, snorkel equipment, etc... We stopped at the Pueblo grocery store in St. Thomas on the way and loaded up with some food, drinks and snacks for the week. The kitchen in the house, made it extra nice for us so we were able to cook some breakfasts and dinners at our own leisure and not have to eat out each day. Recommend buying a case of water and freezing some bottles to take to any of the MANY beautiful bays around the island to take in the sun and snorkel! The restaurants on the island are all casual and have good bar food. Recommned the Aqua Bistro for a more upscale dinner- it was fantastic! Great service. The scenery around the house is breathtaking- you are away from the busy streets and shopping areas of Cruz Bay, but is only a fun 25min drive over. Plenty of things to do around the house, Salt Pond, Lameshur Bay, seeing the goats cross the road : - ), hiking and just laying out on the lanai and reading a good book! Highly recommend this propery to anyone interested in getting a taste of paradise!

Owner response:You can rent out a car in St. Thomas as this couple did and take "car ferry" over to St. John. Groceries are cheaper on St. Thomas but car ferry cost $42 to $50 for round trip. Car rentals are also available on St. John . peace russ

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

Cozy, charming and secluded....

Guest: Echo26 (New England)
Date of Stay: 03/23/10 Review Submitted: 04/04/10

Tucked into a green hillside, Lameshur Cottage is a lovely little retreat for two (maybe three? if you are family). Although it is located on the quiet side of St John, this adorable place is just a quick drive from at least two gorgeous beaches, Salt Pond Bay and Lameshur Bay, and not far from the fun restaurants and bars of Coral Bay. You will wake up to the buzz of hummingbirds, the chirping of finches and perhaps the occasional bleat of neighbor's goat. Peaceful, clean, private and romantic, this little cottage is a gem.

Owner response:Lameshur Cottages are at end of paved road . They are perfect for someone who wants to go to secluded beaches and coves you can only get to by boat or by walking in from our cottages . We provide everything from beach chairs and towels to flippers and coolers . All you provide is you and bathing suit . Also fabulous for those who want PEACE and QUIET . Extensive book library on site . Your hot tub awaits. peace Russ

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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Guest: Princess Di (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Date of Stay: 10/28/09 Review Submitted: 10/28/09

If you're looking for a perfect getaway, look no further! I spent a week at this wonderful cottage in September and loved every minute of my visit.The cottage has a very remote feel,yet is minutes from the beaches, some more secluded than others,all beautiful.Snorkeling was awesome!I spent my mornings and late afternoons sitting either on the lanui or the upper level deck enjoying the gorgeous view and watching the many hummingbirds that hovered over all the flowers and shrubs that surround the property - gorgeous! The cottage itself is something out of a magazine -decorated in island "chic", it offers all the amenities of home. A fully equipped kitchen allowed us to choose between going into Cruz Bay for dinner or eating in. A gas grill is also available for outdoor cooking. Late afternoons, early evenings we took advantage of the hot tub which is a step away from the master bedroom. There is a feel of being very remote and peaceful, yet you are minutes from many of the local hang outs and about a 15 minute drive to Cruz Bay which offers fun shops and great restaurants. This is the first vacation I've taken where I really felt like I "got away from it all". I plan on vacationing here again next year and highly recommend it to anyone, especially those looking for a quiet, romantic place!

Owner response:UPDATE : Minor correction .It is 10 min. drive to Coral Bay and 35 min. drive to Cruz Bay where ferry comes in .peace russ .

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