Caneel Trailside Cottage: Great Views & Breeze on National Prk

• Caneel Trailside is much nicer than photos show.

  Caneel Trailside is much nicer than photos show.

  • Guest Charlestonian
  • Date of stay 04/01/07
  • Review Submitted 04/29/07
  This house was originally our 3rd choice when making a decision about where to rent, but the other villas were already rented by the time we made up our mind. This house is MUCH nicer than the photos portray. We also drove past our "first" and "second" choices (planning for next year) and were THRILLED that we ended up at Caneel Trailside Cottage. There are obviously some very good photographers on St John. We booked our week for next year at Caneel Trailside Cottage as soon as we got back home.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 23/26

• Caneel Trailside cottage a perfect getaway!!

  Caneel Trailside cottage a perfect getaway!!

  • Guest Jim
  • Date of stay 01/28/12
  • Review Submitted 02/06/12
  My girlfriend and I visited St John recently for the 2nd time. The Caneel Trailside Cottage was just as described. It had a great view of the southern side of the island and bays and on a clear day you could see St. Croix.The cottage had great privacy and quick access to the Caneel trail right out the back grounds. Although we were only 1 couple the cottage would be perfect for 2 couples with identical master suites. The great room was well laid out with spectacular views and the room decor was excellent. The cottage had airconditioning but was never needed with the constant cooling breezes from atop the hillside. The pool area was also well laid out and was perfect for cooling off after returning from the beaches. The grounds outside were nice with many plants and trees to help provide shade and privacy. The cottage was well situated to get to town and all it's restaurants. It also was easy to get to all of the great beaches that St John has. We did have an issue for 1 day when the cottage cisterns ran out of water. We contacted the property manager who quickly responded to our issue and had it resolved the next day. The only other issue was the television which on certain days we could get only 1 or 2 channels. It could be due to the island cable system??? Overall we had a great time and enjoyed the cottage very much. I would have given it 5 stars except for those 2 minor things. My girlfriend and I are looking forward to going back to St. John and will strongly consider booking the cottage again. It's a great place!!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, age 55+, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, families with young children.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Caneel Trailside Cottage - a real gem

  Caneel Trailside Cottage - a real gem

  • Guest Ron
  • Date of stay 01/21/11
  • Review Submitted 04/11/11
  This was our second stay at Caneel Trailside, the last in November 2009. Found it by luck just checking different sources and following up where I could. It all paid off. This house is perfect for two couples. Two identical, air conditioned mastersuites w/ baths on either side of the common area which incudes a nice sized kitchen, dining and living areas. The full porch on the southside has a view all the way to St. Croix, 40+ miles away. The house sits high on a hill, only 2 miles up Centerline Road from Cruz Bay. A great, and convenient location for getting to and from Cruz Bay, and everthing else at that end of the island. The house is relatively new, and the owner, Martha, seems to take great pride in keeping it up and providing every amentity possible to make your stay as perfect as it can be. Just check out her website (www.caneeltrailside.com) for very accurate pictures, interior and exterior, and a lisitng of all the house has to offer (Though not what we needed, the house also is set up well for a couple and children, a king bed breaking into two twins). And, if that were not enough, there is a beautiful pool right outside the door that was the perfect way to conclude a day having visited beaches around the island. Every morning we had our breakfast on the veranda, watching the sun come over the mountain top, and preparing our day's activities. It was truly an effort to get up and leave the house for the day. For the adventurous, the Caneel Trail (goes from Cruz Bay to Caneel Bay) is only 100 feet out the back door, and only 1/4 mile up the trail is a most spectacular viewing station which provides a 270 degree view of everything (St. Thomas, British Virgin islands, and west end of St. John), the perfect photo opt. There may be better rental houses on the island, but we have found what we wanted, are secure in knowing what efforts the owner will go to for us to have a perfect stay, and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone (as long as their stay does not interfere with my next visit). Enjoy.

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

  Owner response: Sharing our home with guests who love it as much as we do is really gratifying. We are happy to be building a cohort of guests who want to come back again and again. We have hosted a number of honeymooners and couples returning to celebrate anniversaries. We are close enough to town to be very convenient to restaurants and shops but we are nestled into the edge of the park which makes it delightfully private. To make out home more family friendly we set up one of the king suites to convert to twins, as Ron mentioned, and we have recently added a convertible queen couch so a family of 5 or 6 - like ours - can be accommodated. There is a portable crib too. Come on down and bring the kids - or create some!

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• GREAT VACATION HOME

  GREAT VACATION HOME

  • Guest MN
  • Date of stay 02/01/08
  • Review Submitted 03/18/08
  We recently spent 10 days on STJ at Caneel Trailside Cottage, our first visit to STJ. It was everything we had hoped for - a beautiful home, wonderful weather and gorgeous beaches. The house was perfect for 2 couples; it had identical spacious bedroom/baths on each side of the house for good privacy. Both bedrooms had windows/doors facing the large balcony. We spent a lot of time on the balcony enjoying the Natl Forest which wrapped around on one side and the ocean views. We enjoyed the many birds who came to the balcony for the plants and bird feeders; insects were not a problem because of the great breezes and fans on the balcony. We never had to use the air conditioning in the bedrooms because of the many windows giving great ventilation. The kitchen had everything we needed to prepare meals and the spacious living area was comfortable. We especially appreciated the washer/dryer facilities. The owner provided a generous welcome basket and bottle of island rum and the guest book gave us many good tips from other visitors for places to eat and see . The pool was a favorite place to relax and cool down after visiting STJ numerous beaches. Beach chairs and towels were provided. Working with the owner (Joe) was easy; we appreciated the personal contact vs a rental company. The on-island manager helped us immensely when our rental car fell through and answered our many questions cheerfully. We highly recommend Caneel Trailside Cottage for a stay on STJ.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, romantic getaway, girls getaway.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 10/10

Prices are for 2 people, 4 people respectively
Summer $2,100 $2,700
Winter $2,900 $3,600
Thanksgiving $3,200
Christmas/New Year's $4,300/week
20% Off Last Minute! (Available 30 days out)

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.