(Excellent)
We stayed at Vistaero from 11/26/09 - 12/4/09. We really loved this villa. The views are amazing. You can watch the sun rise and set. St. Croix is in the distance, St. Thomas is right there and Puerto Rico was visible on a clear day. We spent hours just gazing out to sea.
Bedrooms - There were 8 of us - three couples and two singles - so the 5 bedrooms were all full. There is one king sized bedroom and the rest are queens. All have a/c and private bathrooms. We were in the king room which is a corner room so we had nice ventilation, allowing us to enjoy the breeze and not use our a/c. Most of the bedrooms had TVs and there was one in the great room also. All bedrooms open out to balconies. The main level has the king room and one queen. The lower level has 3 queen rooms.
Living area - the great room is not air conditioned but the ceiling fans and the breeze from the balcony kept things quite comfortable. There is a fireplace that we were told works but we never investigated that. There was a CD player there but we brought our iPods and speakers so never tried to use that. The dining room table was plenty big for the 8 of us. The kitchen is a few steps up from the dining/living room and was well appointed. Plenty of pots, pans, dishes, flatware, etc. The gas grill worked well and there was plenty of fuel. It was really easy to prepare meals and there's plenty of room for multiple cooks. There's a bar in the kitchen with a couple of chairs. There's also a wine refrigerator which is handy. A half bath by the back door was handy to the pool.
Outside there is plenty of space - covered and uncovered. On the first level, there are lots of comfy, cushioned chairs and hassocks to relax in. There is a gazebo with a high table and chairs under it. There is a wet bar by the pool with a few high chairs. There is also a handy beer fridge there. There are several table and chair sets scattered around - on both levels.
The pool is big and there were a few pool toys to float on. The hot tub was broken when we got there but was fixed half way through our visit. Not a big deal to us but the hot tub had apparently been broken for some time and I think we should have been told. Instead we spent time the first day trying to figure out how to get it running before calling it in to Destination St. John to find out they were aware of it and waiting for a part. We called DSJ on two other occasions - one to have someone come clean the pool because it was really in need and another call about a smoke detector that wouldn't stop beeping and that we couldn't reach. Both times they responded quickly. Although the battery was never replaced in the smoke detector, it didn't upset the person staying in that bedroom.
The place is huge. There is plenty of space for everyone to stretch out. It really worked out perfectly for our group.
The driveway is steep and there are a couple of sharp turns. It took some practice to get the right approach. A jeep is a must. The villa is at the top of the hill with no one in sight above. There is a villa below that was only rented for the first few nights we were there. Which was good because they were very noisy (think college kids screaming). Otherwise it was serene.
The place is for sale and starting to show some wear. That said - we loved Vistaero and would definitely stay there again if we had a large group.
This review was originally submitted by pegoode.