Fantastic Bargain for Travelling Groups

Guest: David (Maryland)
Date of Stay: 09/10/11 Review Submitted: 10/17/11

We brought 6 couples to St Thomas in Sept 2011. The weather was unpredictable this time of year. The airlines delayed us by 2 days due to storms. We kept in touch with Kirk and he met us at the property to walk us through all of the particulars and give helpful tourist information. The house was well-stocked with all of the stuff that you don't want to purchase while on a vacation: beach towels, pool toys, dvd's, pots and pans, salt, ketchup, etc. The property itself is lovely. You will need to rent a vehicle, as the property is not near public transportation. The entrance road is quite "rugged", but the owner has done everything they can to make anyone's visit a fantastic experience.

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

BEAUTIFUL!!!! It Exceeded My Expectations.

Guest: Phynally (Clinton, MD)
Date of Stay: 05/12/11 Review Submitted: 08/18/11

This villa is fabulous! I celebrated my 50th bday with 13 other ladies at this villa on St. Thomas in May. First the positives: The views are breathtaking! We enjoyed going out to have breakfast on the huge veranda that also has a gas grill which we took advantage of. Every room is exactly as pictured and the beds are all very comfortable. The villa was very clean and comfortable. The cabinets are stocked with plenty of left-behind items from other guest so be sure to check them before going to the grocery store. We packed most of the food items we would need except bread, eggs, and milk and shipped it over. No problem taking meats thru customs. This place is very spacious so even tho there were 14 of us, we were never crammed on top of each other. The kitchen upstairs has every small appliance imaginable and more than you will ever need or use on vacation. There are two full separate living areas at this villa, 3 bdrms upstairs and 4 downstairs. It is only 10 mins. from beautiful Magens Bay. Now the negatives: The pool is very small and deep, the road to this villa is a jeep lovers dream, but otherwise a nightmare and there were dogs roaming in a pack that we were afraid of and we could not access the beach because of them. The gate to the villa was broken but they were attempting to repair it while we were there. The doors do not lock from both sides, it uses a very heavy padlock and although it is very secure, it does not allow for anyone inside to leave or anyone outside to enter when in use. There is no ice maker in the freezer and no air conditioning on the lower level which was a problem for several of the ladies, but because of the trade winds the others slept very comfortably, but the heat in the daytime was brutal and we had to retreat to the upper level for comfort. Because of its location in the hillside, we had a problem with a tree rat(s). Kirk was attempting to trap it when we left, but it terrorized us during our stay (remember we were a bunch of women-LOL). Overall, I absolutely love this villa and plan to return to St. Thomas and will definitely stay here again.

Owner response:As a reply to the review: I am the manager, Kirk Boeger. First off, the guests were wonderful and thank you for posting. We would of course be happy to have you again anytime. The pool is not huge compared to many in the States, but is quite large with respect to the islands (four times the size of the one I have at home). There is also a shallow "shelf" upon which you can sit, or even put a lounge chair for relaxing. When compared to other pools at rental villas, this would be considered quite large, since most others are the small "dipping pools." The road at that time was horrible, they are absolutely correct. Massive rains had washed out the road. The neighborhood all chipped in and completely repaved the road to the villa, so it is now one of the best roads on the island (concrete, so it won't be washed away in the future). The gate was also broken at that time, due to a large boulder that rolled down the hill and smashed it during those heavy rains. But it was fixed. Unfortunately, it was broken during this rental, and the part took a couple of weeks to get in. But the gate now works, and it is really nice to have a gated home like this. For clarification on the doors, they absolutely do lock from both sides. But the poster is accurate in that if it is bolt locked from the inside, you can't open from the outside. But this was done because it is extremely secure, and we feel that is most desirable in this fashion. The poster is correct in that there is no AC downstairs. And it can sometimes get hot. But there are large sliders in every room, and the breezes are quite constant. There are also ceiling fans and floor fans for use if needed. What wasn't said is that the ENTIRE upstairs has AC- including the living room/kitchen/dining area. This is quite UNCOMMON down here. Most homes only have AC for the bedrooms (if any at all). And this living area is very large and able to handle the typical number of guests in the house. Electricity is outrageously expensive here in the islands, and installing AC downstairs would dictate a large rate increase for the home. We have considered doing such, but feel we would no longer be affordable if we chose to do such. Lastly, we occasionally get creatures in the house. I have seen iguanas, other small lizards, birds, hermit crabs, and the occasional tree rat. If food is left out, they will want it. But we do exterminate, trap, and eliminate to cure such issues. We are in the tropics.

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

Beautiful Excellent Magnificent Gorgeous Two Storey Villa!

Guest: Kim (Atlanta, Georgia)
Date of Stay: 07/22/11 Review Submitted: 07/31/11

I did a girls trip for my birthday and everyone loved loved loved it! I had a party of 12 but the house could have easily slept more. We all enjoyed the home and want to return very soon! This house has no hidden surprises other than its even more than what the advertisement states or shows. The house is very private if your looking for privacy like we were. Each room has an excellent view of the ocean. Flat screen t.v.'s located in various area's all around the villa. Upstairs 3 bedrooms, living room, two full baths and main kitchen is airconditioned and gets very cold.. Downstairs 4 bedrooms, living room, mini kitchen, two full baths does not have air and it is much warmer but, you can open the sliding doors for an ocean breeze. Kitchens were very clean, fully equipped, granite countertops, w/stainless steel appliances. The pool area and the rum shack was a very nice perk for our pool party/cook out. We layed out for tannings every morning and hung out there every night for night swims and gatherings. The villa has a large supply of beach towels and wash towels for your group as well as a washer and dryer. Kirk, was very professional and I will definitely use him again for a smaller group on my next trip to St.Thomas. You will definitely need a rental car and its very easy to get around the island and remember where the house is. I suggest a jeep or an suv because the roads leading to the house are very rocky.

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

Corning Travel Club

Guest: Corning Travel Club (Corning, Kansas)
Date of Stay: 02/05/11 Review Submitted: 05/08/11

No surprises from what was pictured & stated on the internet about this mountainside villa except for maybe how fabulous the actual views really were. We had a group of 16 & were very comfortable for our week stay the second week of February 2011. This mountainside villa & pool was wonderful for our large group. i.e. Morning walks, liesurely hours on the covered verendas/decks or by the pool or in the pool, meals on the verenda or at the dining room table. The kitchen is stocked with cooking utensils & tableware & there’s an outside BBQ grill that makes preparing meals together fairly easy. There are even beach towels, chairs & coolers to take to the beaches with you. We found shampoo & rinse in the showers which is nice if you are not checking luggage. Villa was clean & ready for us upon arrival. Kirk is a plus for this villa as he responded rather promptly to our emails before, during & after our stay & was there to meet with all of us & answer any questions. If we were to return to St. Thomas in the future with a large group again we'd consider staying at this villa again.

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

Have your vacation here

Guest: Hayden (San Jose, CA)
Date of Stay: 04/05/11 Review Submitted: 04/20/11

Villa Isla Vista is just a beautiful place to spend your vacation. The house is spacious and well appointed, and the views are stunning. There were 15 people in our party (10 adults and 5 kids), and we really appreciated having 2 large living rooms and 2 large verandas to spread out in. Kirk (the owner) met us at the house to show us around and was extremely easy to communicate with before, during, and after our stay. I'd recommend Villa Isla Vista in a second to anyone I know who was planning a vacation to St. Thomas!

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

Amazing villa

Guest: Liz (Chapel Hill, NC)
Date of Stay: 03/05/11 Review Submitted: 03/29/11

We had an awesome time at this gorgeous villa!! The pictures don't do it justice. The inside is new and spotless...very open with lots of room. The pool and rumshack area was our favorite - the view is phenomenal. Loved all the outside spaces and the porches, and there is plenty of room to be together and plenty of room for privacy as well - ideal for a big group. Wish we could go back today!!

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

Aamazing Place to Stay

Guest: Dawn (Biddeford, ME)
Date of Stay: 01/25/11 Review Submitted: 03/08/11

I stayed at this Villa with my family and my husband's family before our wedding in St. Thomas in January and everyone was so impressed. Kirk was so helpful and friendly and helped to show us the ropes. The Villa itself was very nicely appointed, was extremely comfortably and has such an amazing view. There is nothing not to like about the Villa. The pool was so relaxing, the sunsets were breath taking. I would love to stay at the Villa again.

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

When can we go back?

Guest: Corin (North of Boston, MA)
Date of Stay: 01/14/11 Review Submitted: 02/16/11

Ahhh… Paradise… We have stayed at this villa twice, and I am just getting around to writing a review. Both time we travelled in January and stayed for 10 days- once with a party of 8 ( 4 adults, 4 kids) and once with just a party of 4 ( 2 adults, 2 kids). The villa is beautiful. The pictures do not do it justice. We love the location of Tabor and Harmony for a few reasons- It is on the beautiful Northside, the view is of undeveloped land and the ocean, and it is close proximity to Magens Bay, Lindquist beach, Red Hook with easy access to groceries, etc. The Villa itself is spacious, well appointed and comfortable. There is no interior access if renting the entire villa, which ensures privacy when travelling with 2 families. The Rum Shak and Pool area is by far the favorite part of the house! Unlike many villa pools, this one is deep ( 7-8ft) and enjoyed by the adults as much as the kids. The beds are all comfortable, the kitchen has more supplies than my kitchen at home, and the villa is immaculate upon arrival. Morning coffee/breakfast on the veranda and a late afternoon quick snooze on the hanging bed were 2 of my most favorite routines at the house! The property is gated and well lit at night. Kirk and Cara from Real Solutions have always been a pleasure to work with- we hope to return soon!

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

Christmas 2009

Guest: The Gang (Rice Lake, WI USA)
Date of Stay: 12/19/09 Review Submitted: 08/11/10

We had a group of 12 adults and a baby. What a place! It is simply beautiful here. Every bedroom has a view of the ocean. The upstairs kitchen is fully stocked and convenient. We cooked in the kitchen and on the grill on the deck. We loved the infinity pool and the rum shack. There was plenty of room for the whole group to be together and room enough for you to have some privacy as well. The view is fabulous. I don’t know how you could ever find a better place to stay than this!

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