What is your villa calculus?

[steveo2916]

Okay Forumites! I'm in the midst of selecting a villa for an August trip with my 17yo daughter. There are a LOT of choices! I'm at a point in my life where I DO have a budget and that helps me narrow the choices down. That said, my current top 2 contenders (both broadly within budget) are a villa in Fish Bay Skytop and another on the North shore. Both up pretty high so very nice views. I've stayed in both north and south shore villas in the past.

Now, the two are roughly $1000 apart for a week. So my calculus is this:

A.) My emotional side shouts "Go for the North shore views and being 5 minutes from the beaches!

B.) My rational/logical side shouts "But $1000 will feed you both very well for a week, even on STJ!"

I've got time to work through the Sturm and Drang, but meanwhile, I am curious how y'all approach the "villa calculus"!

So, appreciate hearing your thoughts!!

SteveO.

[michigan girls]

My formula says go to Coral Bay area, where you can get amazing views at more affordable prices

But, that part aside, a view with minimal other houses is high in my formula. As well as quiet - that's huge. I can live without fancy meals, but my serenity is priceless.

[steveo2916]

Thanks! Your second criterion resonates with me for sure! It's one of the reasons that Chocolate Hole/Great Cruz Bay aren't usually all that high on my list.

[Jeff&Cindy]

We'll be staying (for the 3rd year in a row!) in a villa in Fish Bay, Skytop very soon. We love the views and the serenity.

[Bigcheeze]

We are kinda partial to the Gift Hill area....

Views of the sound and ST Thomas which changes with every passing hour...and the shimmering lights at night of STT.

We like being close to Cruz Bay and all it affords if we can afford it. Usually our trip will be clockwise around the North shore beaches...a dip into the east end and Coral for lunch and the amazing drive down the mountain on Centerline back to the Gift Hill villa(s).

But then we have done counterclockwise too....sometimes even taking the short cut through the island to end up by Cinnamon.

But for us ...VIEW is #1.

# 2 is ....having enough ice at the villa

[Pete (Mr. Marcia)]

Fish Bay, hands down. From Skytop, you can see most of the southern part of the National Park. It is stunning.

[DonnaM]

Maybe I am in the minority but I like "stuff" in my view rather than open water. I like to see STT and even other villas on the hills below me. That being said, my villa calculus would be in descending order of importance:
Outdoor shower, location, pool area, view, house decor, landscaping.
It sounds like both villas will have amazing views! How far is the Skytop villa from Cruz Bay and the North Shore beaches? I love driving around the island but 30+ minute drives every time you want to go somewhere would get old especially for dinner at night.

[54b]

Love this question, Steve O. Not only is it fun, but also a really useful exercise when villa searching.

Here's my Villa Calculous or what I like to call my Villa Decision Hierarchy:

50% - Price - It represents half of the overall decision because it usually represents half of our total vacation budget. Our threshold is about $250 up or down, so $1000 more than our villa budget, no matter how neat the villa, would be too much for us.

20% - Location/View - Over six trips, we've figured out that Bordeaux Mountain/Central island is the place for us (proximity to North Shore beaches, South shore hikes and snorkeling hot spots and both Cruz/Coral Bay restaurants is hard to beat) plus the views from that high up are just awesome.

NOTE: Like Big Cheeze, once we get the decision down to two or three comparable villas that fit our criteria, VIEW is almost always the deciding factor.

15% - A/C (at least in the bedrooms)/Pool/Hot Tub - We usually go in June and we play so hard during the day that we've just got to be able to get a great nights sleep every night and can't seem to do that without A/C. Pool and hot tub are also big keys to our enjoyment.

5% - W/D and WiFi - Not essential like the ones listed above, but being able to clean your clothes onsite makes a huge difference with how much you pack. Sadly WiFi is becoming more and more of a must. I'd love to be completely off the grid during vacation, but I'm never quite able.

[TraumaQueen]

I've only been on an extended stay one time, but am researching our trip with our teenage boys next year . Last time we stayed in Astral Villa and absolutely fell in love with that place, but wanted to try something different this time. I'm a rookie at this, but here's my breakdown:

50% Price. We have to feed two teen boys and that's going to be interesting. I don't mind cooking supper while we are there so that's going to help.

20% Pool. I like to lounge by the pool in the afternoons. It's my down time between laying on the beach and deciding what to do for supper. Such a hard life.

20% AC in the bedrooms. I don't mind the heat and humidity since I live in it year round, but like someone said above, I need good sleep after playing hard.

10% View. We want to give the boys the same "WOW" factor we had our first stay on island.

If it was just the adults going, things would be different, but that's my criteria for this trip.

[snorkeler525]

We're only on our second trip to St. John (in less than 3 weeks!!), but we do lots of island/beach trips. Our main criteria is location - we like to be on or very close to the beach and prefer there to be snorkeling off the beach if possible. Our first visit we stayed in a villa on Chocolate Hole and the snorkeling was way better than expected. This time, it is just hubby and I so we are staying at Gallows Point. Second most important thing is having a pool. After that, I need a/c at least in the bedroom; not too far from restaurants and shops (walking distance always a plus); a nice view; good kitchen; wi-fi; W/D. Budget matters but the 1st 2 items are the most important to us so we will pay extra to get them.

[mahojim]

Mine-
First and foremost,
100% close proximity to Aqua Bistro
However, if I broke it down,-
30% would be the cost, I'm far from wealthy
25% A.C.
15% privacy- I like gettin' nekkid !
10% view( from the villa, not of me bein' nekkid... )
10% washer/dryer
10% pool
That's the way it's been in recent trips. Have stayed all over, but have gravitated to Coral bay's mellow scene with the last 1/2 dozen stays.
Looking forward to staying near Francis or Higher over North shore.
Smiles-
MJ

[Mermaid13]

For an August visit, I'd want a dipping pool, AC or constant breezes, and protection from the sun - so a southern exposure might be challenging unless the windows are well shaded by a porch or overhang. If you only go once this year, do it right!

[RickG]

I taunt your %.

Sunset view, pool and room for play.

Cheers, RickG

[michigan girls]

I taunt your %.

Sunset view, pool and room for play.

Cheers, RickG

I counter your post

SunRISE view, quiet, minimal neighbors

[RickG]

I taunt your %.

Sunset view, pool and room for play.

Cheers, RickG

I counter your post

SunRISE view, quiet, minimal neighbors

Cold pool, early nights and a morning goat rodeo!