Excellent Experience

Guest: Jason (Charlotte, NC)
Date of Stay: 12/03/11 Review Submitted: 01/07/12

We stayed at the Areca Villa the first week of December of 2011. It was a wonderful experience. There was not a bad view from any room of the villa. We spent a lot of time taking in the majestic views from the infinity pool and from the outside living areas. It was a peaceful experience due to the views, comfort, and privacy after spend the day exploring the different beaches. Diana was a great host. She helped a great deal before the trip and during the trip. She proved to be a great resource in making suggestions in planning the trip. She also sent a few e-mails to check in during our stay. She was accessible while we were at the villa incase there was anything she could do to make the stay more enjoyable. Overall this was a great vacation due to Diana's hospitality and the magnificent villa.

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

Wow, Wow, and Wow

Guest: Bob Oldfield (Glen Allen, Va)
Date of Stay: 07/15/11 Review Submitted: 08/04/11

This is an outstanding property and it is abundantly clear from our two week stay that Diana personally insures that everything you could need is right at hand. The villa details are beyond compare and the 180 degree view that stretches from St. Thomas, across Jost Van Dyke, and across Cinnamon Bay through to Sopers Hole on Tortola's West End is the best villa view I have seen in my 16 years of visiting St. John. Looking down on Lower Peter Bay from 500 feet above the Caribbean from the table for ten on the wrap around porch makes for some special dinners. As I left I told Diana and Sam that it would be a struggle to come up with anything she might add to the experience. It's that good. The driveway itself it something to behold and enjoy, much like entering your own private secret paradise. This is perfect for families and the Master Suite will disapoint no one with its private deck and huge sitting room with flat screen and DISH TV. The pool is a huge treat and almost avery day we hung on the infinity edge, checking out the view, favorite music playing on the Bose Sound Dock, cocktail in hand. The North Side of St. John has the best views and the best beaches, and this is the best of the North Side! In my opinion, it would be impossible not to be pleased, impressed, and captivated by this lovely Villa. Full of stone, tile, and mahogany, everything about this villa exudes quality. My only probelm with recommending is that I would love to keep it my secret! We can't wait to go back.

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

Wonderful stay

Guest: rbeoj (Greenwich, CT)
Date of Stay: 02/16/11 Review Submitted: 04/19/11

The property was even better than the pictures! We could not get over the views and the setting. We have been to st. john many times before but this was our first time staying in a villa. It had everything we needed for our family (2 adults, 3 children). While the trip up the hill to the villa took some getting used to, it was worth it for the view! The only problem was we were not as adventurous as usual on this trip, because we always just wanted to stay at the villa and enjoy the pool and the view. Diana was great and always available for anything we needed. We will be back!

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

We'll be back!

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 03/12/11 Review Submitted: 04/04/11

My husband, three grown children, and my son's girlfriend recently stayed at this beautiful property for two weeks. What a pleasant surprise! The house is very private, perched high on the hillside, with unbelievable views in all directions. It is tastefully furnished and equipped with everything needed for a fun, relaxing vacation. Days were spent at the private beach, sailing at Cinnamon Bay, exploring the island, lunch at Skinny Legs, or simply at the villa, enjoying what we considered the best spot on the island! By late afternoon we were always back at the house for cocktails by the pool, and nice, relaxing dinners out on the veranda. I love to cook, and the kitchen is well-furnished with everything one would need to prepare a delicious meal. I highly recommend stopping at the Fish Trap when in town - they have a fantastic fish market and we would load up on seafood to throw on the grill - Yum! Diana was a wealth of information and the perfect hostess. She had wonderful recommendations for meals out and activities, and was always available for any questions we had. We are so grateful for the opportunity to stay at this unique and lovely property - it was perfect!

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

Wonderful

Guest: Stephanie L. (New Albany, Ohio US)
Date of Stay: 03/26/11 Review Submitted: 04/03/11

Tastefully decorated home in a spectacular setting. The home is ideally situated on the island for trips to town and the best beaches on the north shore. After a nightmare travel experience en route to the island, Diana picked us up at the ferry late at night and had picked up some basic toiletries (our luggage was missing) and breakfast for the next morning for us. She was so helpful that evening and then stopped by the next morning to make sure we were settled in. We loved sitting out by the pool and on the veranda. And the private beach in Pete Bay was absolutely fabulous. We'll definitely be visiting the island again, and would be a repeat visitor to this beautiful home!

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

Exceptional Villa - Best Location in St. John

Guest: GoState - EL (East Lansing, MI)
Date of Stay: 03/03/11 Review Submitted: 03/14/11

We just returned from an 8 night stay at the Areca Villa and it was by far the most relaxing and enjoyable vacation we have ever taken. We traveled with two other couples and as soon as we arrived at the Villa we were all grinning ear to ear as we soaked up the beautiful view. The Villa is located in the best neighborhood/spot on the Island with close proximity to Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay, and Little Cinnamon beach and it is an easy drive into Cruz Bay for dinner and groceries. In addition to the location, the Villa is immaculate. All the bedrooms are wonderful and perfect for even the pickiest tastes (in our case this was very important as we had three couples staying in the main house and we did not want a converted kids room). More importantly the common areas are incredible. In fact, on the last day of our vacation we spent the morning staring out at the Sea and debating what beach to visit...after a short discussion we all agreed that the best bet was to simply lay around the infinity-edge pool and soak up the best views on the island for one more day. If you want to quick back and relax, there is no better place on St. John than this villa. Alternatively, if you want to run around exploring the Island, the Villa is perfectly located for that too. In addition to the physical amenities our interactions with the Villa owners and their service workers were exceptional. The owners picked us up at the dock in Cruz Bay, escorted us to the Villa, gave us a complete tour of the facilities, and shared some great advice on restaurants and activities to check out during the week. Also, they were very helpful in answering questions prior to our arrival. During the week, we were amazed at the quality of service provided by the cleaning crew. We returned from a Daysail (check out www.blacksailsvi.com) on our fourth day and found the Villa looking like a model home. The crew even removed our laundry from the Dryer and left it for us folded in the bedroom. Overall, this villa is truly amazing and will not disappoint. We are already looking at the calendar to figure out when we can return.

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

Paradise Found!

Guest: Becky (Monroe, Louisiana)
Date of Stay: 11/27/10 Review Submitted: 12/07/10

What a wonderful, fabulous, incredible week….Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay, Maho Bay, Francis Bay, snorkeling, day trip to Virgin Gorda and Jost Van Dyke, shopping in town (Mongoose Junction) with the twins, Skinny Legs and so much more. One of the family’s favorite daily outings was walking from the villa to lower Peter Bay and back. What a workout! Your villa is beautiful and works so well with family. We loved the mornings and evenings eating on the veranda. The pool was great. We swam each day. I can think of nothing that could be different for our family. You have the finest of everything. The pots, pans, appliances, etc were great as we cooked every meal at home. Also we grilled several times. We appreciated the mid week cleaning by polite and efficient ladies. Looking forward to returning to enjoy the sheer beauty of your villa and the fantastic views.

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

Fantastic House!!

Guest: John (Tulsa, OK)
Date of Stay: 07/17/10 Review Submitted: 08/11/10

This was our first rental on the north shore after several visits that included stays at the Westin, Caneel Bay and other rentals around Great Cruz Bay. The house is even better than the pictures. With amazing views from so many different locations around the property it is a very relaxing and beautiful setting. There are views of Peter Bay, Cinnamon Bay, Jost Van Dyke and Tortola. We rented the main house which is a large three bedroom. The master suite has a fantastic bathroom with large shower area and a large jet tub. It also has a very large balcony with a couch and two chaise lounges that are great for reading, watching the boats in Peter Bay and Cinnamon Bay, or an afternoon nap! There are two indoor living areas and an amazing main level wrap around deck that had a dining table, ice maker, mini fridge and lots of seating areas along with more great views. The two indoor areas have large flat screen tv's but given the outside activities and views we did not use these much during our visit. The kitchen is a great entertaining area and is very well equipped with dishes, glassware, cookware..... everything you need to cook all of your meals if desired. The pool deck separates the man house and the guest house and is very large, again with incredible views! The infinity pool has views of Peter Bay and is great for a relaxing swim or float any time of the day. This area also includes a covered area with chaise lounges and ceiling fan, and arbor with a large hammock. The guest house and main house are separated by the pool deck. While we did not rent the guest house, we did look in the windows and both floors have a large bedroom. We also noticed that each floor of the guest house has a large outdoor shower with privacy provided by the foliage. The owners live in the VI are very easy to work with and helpful with information on transportation, activities and restaurants. I also want to comment on the furnishings which are all high quality. Everything from couches to patio furniture to bedding was top of the line. You will definitely need a rental car (I would think 4WD a must) to get to and from town and the beaches. the house location is about midway along north shore road so it is easy to get back to Cruz Bay or to Coral Bay on the east end of the island. We also did a day excursion on Blue Tang to the BVI that we very much enjoyed. Areca is an amazing property and we will return and stay here again!!

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

We will be back for sure!!!!

Guest: james,rhonda,chad,jill, and meme (Louisiana)
Date of Stay: 06/29/10 Review Submitted: 07/28/10

The Villa at Areca Peter Bay is the perfect setting for relaxation. The elegance of the villa and the many extras make it the perfect get away. Diana thought of everything a guest could possibly need to make their stay perfect. She was the perfect hostess answering our many questions and helping us find the best shopping and dining of the area. If you want to witness the real flora and fauna of the island you MUST stay at this villa. It is excellent!!!

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

Guest: Marilyn and David
Date of Stay: 05/14/10 Review Submitted: 06/13/10

"This is the most lovely home and the most spectacular views my family has ever experienced"

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