Stupendous Down Island Experience!

Guest: DS (Columbus, OH,US)
Date of Stay: 08/22/11 Review Submitted: 10/01/11

We stayed at Casa Azure in August and will be back every year! We go to St. Thomas every year and this is the best 3 bedroom villa we have every stayed at! The views are STUPENDOUS! I counted 16 islands from the Great Room alone. The Mega yachts and ferries cruise by all day long! It is very quiet at night and the laser lit multi color pool is magnficent! All 3 bedrooms have down island views and are air conditioned. The carved Teak poster beds are beautiful! Can't wait to get back!!!

Recommended for:

We loved Casa Azure

Guest: Peggy (Dent, Minnesota)
Date of Stay: 04/17/11 Review Submitted: 05/05/11

I and my family stayed at Casa Azure in April. The house was everything we were hoping it would be. I was a little concerned about it being a duplex but that was never an issue. If anyone lives on the other side, we never heard or saw them. We liked the arrangement of the house. It worked well for us. We traveled with our children and grandchildren who are 1 1/2 and 5. We could easily keep track of the grand kids on the lower and upper decks. Both the hot tub and pool were wonderful. My grandson looked for the iguana which was in the trees every morning. Even saw a deer right off the patio. The view from the decks was incredible. I loved watching the ferries go by. My granddaughter still runs to the window now that she is back home and waits for the boats. The weather was incredible. It was between 84 and 87 and not humid. Loved it as it was still snowing back home when we left for the trip. We did manage to lock ourselves out once but Irene came to our rescue. The door locks when you shut it so you need to carry the keys. I want to thank Doug and Bonnie for all their suggestions and help with this trip. We got in late at night and it was wonderful to have Curlson waiting for us at the airport. We probably would not have found the place in the dark without an escort. We rented 2 cars and we had no difficulty with the roads. We brought are Garmin along and it navigated us everywhere which was wonderful because there are some roads there that I would never consider driving on. The beaches were gorgeous. The water was crystal clear. Snorkeling was great!. We tried the grill and couldn't get it to light. I emailed Doug and someone was out to look at it in the morning and it was replaced before supper that night. I can't even get my husband to fix things that fast. We loved the island. Traveled to St. Johns and that was beautiful also but in a different way. We ate at the Big Bambooze and Molly Malones. Both were great. I was surprised by the high prices of the food in the grocery stores. We spent most of our time at the house but visited a different beach every day. When we needed anything, we ran into Red Hook. Everyone was helpful and friendly. We did spend one day at Charlotte and went to Easter service at the Frederick Lutheran Church which was another delight. This trip will be remembered as one of my best. I hope I can get back soon. Thanks Curlson, Irene, and especially Doug and Bonnie for allowing us to have such a wonderful vacation.

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

Great Location, Great Views and Great Memories

Guest: Dan (Watertown, MN)
Date of Stay: 03/19/11 Review Submitted: 04/12/11

We stayed at Casa Azure for a week. 3 couples all celebrating 10 years of marriage. We were very happy that we selected Casa Azure for our stay. The views of Red Hook, St. John’s and the BVIs were amazing. It was fun to see all the sail boats and ferries go back and forth from Red Hook to St. Johns (although some of them were loud…) As mentioned in other reviews, the home is a duplex with 2 bedrooms on the main level (and deck w/ Hot tub) and one down stairs bedroom with kitchenette (with patio and pool). The layout couldn’t have worked better for our 3 couples and 2 were early risers (who shared the main level) and one that like to spend a little more R&R time in their room (they had the downstairs.) My only complaint with the lower level is you have to go out the front door to walk down the steps (and the door requires a key for entry.) It would be wonderful if there were stairs from the upper deck to the lower patio… Beyond that, Casa Azure was very welcoming, comfortable and up-to-date. It fit our need perfectly, and trying to plan our next trip back. The location of Casa Azure was great. Away from Charlotte Amalie where all the cruise ships port and all the crowds. It is a 2 minute drive (or 8 min walk) to the Ritz, if you want a beach. 5 minute drive to Red Hook, which was our hub for everything we did, Fishing, Boat trip to BVIs, and day trips to St. Johns. Couple other recommendations: If you like to Fish, go through SeeSki, and ask for Raymond. He has a nice boat (not real good for Marlin, but they weren’t biting when we were there.) and think he is one of the top, if not the top guide in Red Hook. Other boats went out and came back with just a couple fish, and we had good luck (other than the shark fishing…) If you haven’t been to the BVIs, definitely take a full day, with captain, to the BVIs. When we go back, we will do 2 days, cutting our stops in half allowing for more time at each. I recommend you strongly consider Casa Azure, assuming Bonnie and Doug still own it. From the moment we booked our stay, to even now 3 weeks later, Bonnie and Doug have been extremely responsive to any questions, concerns or recommendations to help us have a wonderful & memorable Anniversary vacation. Thank you Bonnie & Doug!

Owner response:Dan, thanks for the great review. We do our best to keep Casa Azure in great shape. Don't worry we have no plans to sell, so come back any time. We give great discounts to returning guests and remember the water temp is always over 79 F! Doug & Bonnie

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

Very Nice Accommodations on St. Thomas

Guest: not2worry (Naples, FL)
Date of Stay: 01/14/10 Review Submitted: 02/22/11

We stayed at Casa Azure and enjoyed our stay. The Villa is very clean and with the exception of a few glitches which were promptly attended to by the Owner. The views are spectacular and the hot tub and pool very nice to have on premises. The a/c units worked, were individually controlled in each room and were extremely quiet. The beds were very comfortable and the rooms furnished in nice Island decor. The only cons we found were that it is a duplex and while the owners have no control over the adjacent tenants we found that they were chain smokers and we could smell cigarette smoke early in the AM and after 5. The neighbors let their trash and garbage pile up at their front door and I suspect this led to the roach condition. The sofas and pillows in the living area could us a good soap and water cleaning or replacement. Lots of dust on the nicknacks and beautful teak carvings. There are lots of steps down to the unit that we had not anticipated. Lighting is inadquate as well as handrails. Luggage was a problem toting up and down for us as well as coming home in the dark. If you have any kind of handicap, hip or leg issues you might want to keep this in mind. The bedroom configuration is not necessarily ideal for couples. One bedroom is located on the lower level at the pool. The other two bedrooms are what I would call walk-throughs. You have to walk through on to get to the other and then back from the other to get to the living/dining areas. I guess you could go outside to the deck and in through those doors, but that means it is difficult to lock up the house at night. Also the door separating the upstairs bedroom does not close or lock so privacy would be impossible. If you are a family then these issues may not be important, but if you are 3 couples I could see it being disappointing. No complaints about the road. That is just how it is in the Islands. You need a four wheel drive anywhere you go. House is close to Red Hook, grocery store, good restaurants.

Owner response:The owners appreciate all comments so that they can continue to make Casa Azure pristene and a wonderful home to enjoy St. Thomas. Without comments to them or the housekeeper,improvements could not be done. That being said, the neighbors were contacted about their garbage being left outdoors. This was urgent as garbage left outside of cans invites all sorts of critters in the tropics. The space under the kitchen sink was resealed as that seems to be the spot where ordors come into the house. All pillows have been dry cleaned. The automatic light, lighting the stairs to the downstairs bedroom has been fixed. Yes, guests that are older or who have walking problems should not stay downstairs because of the steps. We try to screen all guests and suggest that older guests not stay in the downstairs room. As the owners with grown children we prefer downstairs because of the privacy and the children can stay up late and party without bothering us. It is also great to next to the pool. We usually go to bed early and get up early and watch the sun rise which is spectacular. The two bedrooms upstairs are built in a European style with an outside covered hallway to pass through to the rest of the house without bothering each other. This arrangement also allows for an ocean view for each bedroom. Locks have been added to the common door on each side for privacy.

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

Nov. 27, 2010 - Dec. 7, 2010 Total Relaxation

Guest: Joy (Oklahoma)
Date of Stay: 11/27/10 Review Submitted: 12/13/10

A 10 day vacation in St Thomas, very good. Staying in a private villa, excellent. Staying at Casa Azure, PRICELESS! We had the most relaxing vacation of our lives. Can't say enough about how great the experience was and I highly recommend this property to any and all who wish to vacation in ST Thomas. It's location is very handy to Red Hook and the ferry to ST John as well as the services of the Ritz Carlton. The house is low maintenance and ideally set up for up to 3 couples. The views are mesmerizing. Can't wait to return.

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

Sept stay

Guest: st (MA)
Date of Stay: 09/18/10 Review Submitted: 10/05/10

Pros: pool and jacuzzi were great, views were great, loved having a grill! Home was very well taken care of, and had everything we needed! Cons: weak water pressure, occ. roaches, road getting to house was not paved, closest beach is not the safest walk

Owner response:Thank you for your comments. The road was recently paved. We do recommend a small SUV as the roads are just not great in all of St. Thomas. There are not a lot of street lights so walking at night is not advised because one can not see the road well and we have no side walks so one must walk on the road. We walk the road every morning with all the other walkers and joggers to the Ritz, through their wonderful grounds and back again. If we go early enough, around 6 am, we always see our local deer. The lack of pressure was due to the filters and they have been changed out. We do collect rain water and the filters need to be changed out often. The best thing for us to do is change out the filters more frequently which we are doing. We also regularly spray for critters which are so common in the tropics. There are no cold winters to kill off the bugs so they can breed all year around. We need our guests to let us know about all issues so we can address them and continue to make every body's vacation wonderful!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, families with teenagers.

Top Notch!

Guest: Dave, Maryann and Trevor (Monroe Center, Il)
Date of Stay: 07/22/10 Review Submitted: 09/23/10

We went to Casa Azure in July. Be prepared when you open the front door of the Villa and be stunned by the breathtaking veiw's through out the entire house. The photos don't do it justice! The Deck is huge. Spent most of our time out there and watched the Boats go by. Just a wonderful place for our trip. Stayed 10 days, went by to quickly! It was great and so were the owners,(Doug & Bonnie) they were so helpful. D

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

Wonderful House in a Wonderful Place

Guest: Colorado Clan (Littleton, CO)
Date of Stay: 07/10/10 Review Submitted: 07/25/10

House lived up to and exceeded expectations. Although pictures do sell the place - you have to see it to believe it. Loved the multi-deck, fabulous views and hot tub / pool. Our kids (teens) were in the pool everyday. After full day at the beaches and/or scuba - house was a great place to come back to - cook our meals, relax and enjoy an island drink on the deck. Plenty of room for us (4 adults and 4 teens). Close proximity to Red Hook (although recommend a car) - but plenty of privacy. Walked to the Ritz beaches a couple of times - although our favorite was Secret Harbor just a bit further and more easily accessible via car. Owner was accessible for questions once we were on the premises. Stunning views from each bedroom - would love to come back and hope to again some day. We did go into the small Harbor town of Red Hook each day for scuba, quick bites, quick shopping, happy hour at Fat Boys or the Caribbean Cafe. Latitude 18 for some fun live music ala island beer garden on the water. Nearby Eco-Tours for sea kayaking and we snorkeled each day at a different nearby beach. 30 minutes to Charlotte Amalie for some shopping and Blackbeards Castle. Ferry from Red Hook makes St. John easily accessible. Things we didn't get to do - but will target for next round: Golf at Mahogany Run, Dinner at Roberts, British VI. Overall - a wonderful house in a wonderful place

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

amazing vacation!!

Guest: St Thomas bound (Va)
Date of Stay: 05/26/10 Review Submitted: 06/15/10

This villa is everything it looks like on the web site and more! The view is spectacular, the house is extremely clean and well-stocked, and the amenities are perfect. The air conditioning works very well, and we loved having separate controls for each bedroom. We really never needed the ac during the day and used it little at night. We traveled with 4 teenagers, and they never got bored. The owners helped us to plan everything before we left, so we could start vacationing immediately when we arrived! We traveled the entire island and found this the absolute best spot to be. Highly recommend for all ages.

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

amazing vacation!!

Guest: St Thomas bound (Va)
Date of Stay: 05/26/10 Review Submitted: 06/12/10

This villa is everything it looks like on the web site and more! The view is spectacular, the house is extremely clean and well-stocked, and the amenities are perfect. The air conditioning works very well, and we loved having separate controls for each bedroom. We really never needed the ac during the day and used it little at night. We traveled with 4 teenagers, and they never got bored. The owners helped us to plan everything before we left, so we could start vacationing immediately when we arrived! We traveled the entire island and found this the absolute best spot to be. Highly recommend for all ages.

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