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Trip Report & Villa Belvedere
Trip Report & Villa Belvedere
Trip Report and Villa Report-
The flight from Atlanta was smooth and we always enjoy the low approach over the water into STT. Even though this was our 12th trip to St. John, I still get goose bumps walking down the stairs from the plane, squinting my eyes from the sun, as I say hello to the familiar houses scattered along the hillside surrounding the airport. It’s a living postcard every time I see it. Being so familiar with traveling to St. John, we feel like locals...but we know the truth.
We joined 2 groups in a van taxi and BLASTED off for Red Hook. That van ride is never boring! As usual it includes many stops to chat with friends of the driver, but we finally make it to the boat. At the dock we were glad to see the little shack bar was still in operation and grabbed a cold one while we waited for the ferry.
The ferry over to St. John was a pleasure as usual, checking out all the houses Cliffside along St. Thomas just across from our favorite "Island For Sale" sign. We arrived at the Cruz Bay dock around 4pm and were met by the manager of our villa.
VILLA BELVEDERE: Grade "C"
We have stayed at many villas in St. John over the years and were excited to experience Villa Belvedere. We've rented Colibre, Orchid Hill, Gull Cottage and Tennis Villa so we were familiar with the location. When we arrived at Villa Belvedere it was completely closed up. We understand the owners/mgmt not wanting to turn on the A/C before we arrive, but to not even have any of the windows or vents open for us was disappointing...and extremely hot.
The views from this house are breathtaking! The Cliffside location of the house provides unforgettable sunsets, with a great pool and "ok" hot tub. The interior is well appointed and the kitchen has everything you need.
The bad news...the house looks and feels like a rental property. The A/C units are old and one barely worked, some bathroom lights were burned out, the TV is from the 1980’s and the cable box broke during the World Series. I know what you’re thinking... St. John is not for TV and A/C... but if you're paying for a villa with those amenities you expect them to be in top shape. There was no DVD player either, just VHS.
Our biggest concern was the bedroom with the twin beds. Water flowed from an electrical socket onto the floor next to one bed and flooded the room every time it rained or when the A/C was on. When it didn’t rain we used a couple of towels to soak up the water coming from the electrical socket, but when it rained...the entire room had 1 inch of water on it! We of course complained about this and were told "They had fixed the leak earlier...but would come check it out again." The repairman came, and was very friendly, but said nothing could be done. The wall needed to be cut open and completely redone.
The hot tub did work, but the control unit was broken which made it difficult to operate. We were also told that the hot tub should have been fixed before we arrived...but...well...sorry.
Also, the house next door was undergoing major construction during our stay, which was loud, and the workers parked their cars up and down both sides of the street. We understand it's not the owners/Mgmt fault about that, but be sure to ask if there is construction going on near ANY villa you plan to rent.
We all felt that Villa Belvedere has incredible potential to be one of the best Villas on St. John due to it’s location, views, and pool, but it needs a lot of TLC and some upgrades to get there.
Now the good news...we are on St. John!!!
Day 1
Thank goodness for the views at Villa Belvedere...The first morning up at 7am, breakfast on the deck watching the sea turtles pop their heads up and look around. We always enjoy a morning walk in the neighborhood so we decided to head up the hill of Maria Bluff to Villa Kismet (unbelievable PALACE!) This Villa is out of this world, and so is the weekly cost. If you have the means...go for it... http://www.kismetsj.com/ As we were walking by the villa we noticed a grounds worker struggling with a dead tree branch over a wall. I walked over to help him pull it down; he thanked me, and then asked if we would like to tour Villa Kismet...uhhhhh...YES! It was vacant that week and I won’t go into detail here but it is a fantasy villa surrounded by the Garden of Eden. Funny thing was as we were touring the house with the grounds worker, a young well-dressed woman showed up and demanded to know who we were and WHY we were there! She was the property liaison, and obviously did not want us there. I hope she is not in sales...for her sake. I thought we were going to get sent to the principal’s office, but we just left and headed to Courtesy Car rental to pick up our Jeep. We have used Courtesy since 1994 and have never had any problem. Plus they let you park in their lot when you got to town which is very convenient.
By 10:00am we were off to Cinnamon Bay beach (our favorite)
Park the car, unload out snorkel gear and walk to the beach. It’s a beautiful blue-sky day…and big surf for what we’re use to, waves were 3-4 ft high. When we get to the beach we turn right and walk all the way down almost to the end. There you will find a perfect setting for "camp". It’s a natural rock/wall formation laid out in sort of a semi circle with plenty of nooks and crannies in the rock to keep anything off the sand.
We strap on our snorkel gear and head out to circumnavigate the island-cay at Cinnamon Bay. It’s a workout, but it’s always an adventure. Coming back was much easier than going out against the waves! Cinnamon Bay is our personal heaven. I, as well as many of you, have traveled to many places on this blue orbiting space rock, but Cinnamon Bay is just..."No words…no words…they should have sent a poet!" –Contact
For dinner we choose Morgan’s Mango. Very good, love those daiquiris, and the food was delicious. Back to the house and in the hot tub to watch all the glittering stars as well as the twinkling lights sprinkled all over St. Thomas. The tree frogs said hello and serenaded us to sleep. It was a good day!
Day 2
We awoke early to check in at Low Key Divers for some scuba. No big breakfast just a granola bar and O.J. The water was calm today and even though I have dove over a 100 times with Low Key, I never get tired of any of their dive sites. Especially Carvel Rock, Mingo Cay, Eagle Shoals, and Cow & Calf. We didn’t do the Wreck of the General Rogers this year, I wanted to, but it just didn’t work out this time. After the dives the boat ties up right back in front of The Beach Bar. We wade ashore and sit down in two seats facing the water right next to the cash register. I love the Beach Bar. I could sit there with a cold beer and take in the water, sun, people, and just observe the “flow” that is Cruz Bay for the entire day.
We had a good lunch at the Beach Bar, a few cold ones and then went for a walk around Cruz Bay. We saw “Lindy” walking in Cruz Bay again this year...he looks the same and he’ll probably live to be 105...but we don’t know how. Back to the Villa pool to relax, play some tunes, and enjoy the Cliffside ocean view. Made dinner at the house tonight, and set the table on the deck just off the family room. The sun was setting just as we sat down at the table. It was picture perfect.
Day 3
Headed out to Cruz Bay for breakfast. Chilly Billy’s was closed…L as was the Fish Trap and Skinny Legs during our visit. But we found our way to J.J.’s Texas Café and had the best pancakes with bacon and fresh O.J. There are no diets on vacation...don’t even think about it!
Sitting at one of the tables outside we were unable to move after the pancakes. We just did some people watching, and viewed Cruz Bay as it comes alive every morning; while the random chickens pecked our feet...we were still comatose from the pancakes to care. Every year there seems to be more and more workers arriving at the dock each morning...in 10 years it will probably be as busy as the subways in New York City on a Monday morning. We decided to take some in our party to see the Annaburg Ruins, and I was reminded how much I love going there. We’ve been 6-7 times, but I had forgotten how quiet and peaceful it is walking around the grounds. It felt like a different time in history...I don’t know what time…but it didn’t feel like 2006.
We did lunch at Island Blues, because Skinny Legs was closed, and I’m glad it was closed. Nothing against Skinny Legs we try to make it there every year, but we had never been to Islands Blues and we were glad to discover it.
After lunch we toured Peter Bay Estate and took some pics like the paparazzi would of the amazing villas that surround the bay.
Once back at Villa Belvedere it was pool and hot tub time! We watched the sun set from the hot tub...just perfect weather. Since the hot tub is right next to the pool, we discovered how fun it is to get all nice & hot in the hot tub, then jump into the cool pool WHOAAAAA!, then back to the hot tub! Ahhhhhhhh!
If someone can tell me how to post pics directly in a post, I’ll be happy to post some of our trip. That’s all for now...more to come.
So happy that we have found St. John...even happier after all these years it still feels magical.
Oxford
The flight from Atlanta was smooth and we always enjoy the low approach over the water into STT. Even though this was our 12th trip to St. John, I still get goose bumps walking down the stairs from the plane, squinting my eyes from the sun, as I say hello to the familiar houses scattered along the hillside surrounding the airport. It’s a living postcard every time I see it. Being so familiar with traveling to St. John, we feel like locals...but we know the truth.
We joined 2 groups in a van taxi and BLASTED off for Red Hook. That van ride is never boring! As usual it includes many stops to chat with friends of the driver, but we finally make it to the boat. At the dock we were glad to see the little shack bar was still in operation and grabbed a cold one while we waited for the ferry.
The ferry over to St. John was a pleasure as usual, checking out all the houses Cliffside along St. Thomas just across from our favorite "Island For Sale" sign. We arrived at the Cruz Bay dock around 4pm and were met by the manager of our villa.
VILLA BELVEDERE: Grade "C"
We have stayed at many villas in St. John over the years and were excited to experience Villa Belvedere. We've rented Colibre, Orchid Hill, Gull Cottage and Tennis Villa so we were familiar with the location. When we arrived at Villa Belvedere it was completely closed up. We understand the owners/mgmt not wanting to turn on the A/C before we arrive, but to not even have any of the windows or vents open for us was disappointing...and extremely hot.
The views from this house are breathtaking! The Cliffside location of the house provides unforgettable sunsets, with a great pool and "ok" hot tub. The interior is well appointed and the kitchen has everything you need.
The bad news...the house looks and feels like a rental property. The A/C units are old and one barely worked, some bathroom lights were burned out, the TV is from the 1980’s and the cable box broke during the World Series. I know what you’re thinking... St. John is not for TV and A/C... but if you're paying for a villa with those amenities you expect them to be in top shape. There was no DVD player either, just VHS.
Our biggest concern was the bedroom with the twin beds. Water flowed from an electrical socket onto the floor next to one bed and flooded the room every time it rained or when the A/C was on. When it didn’t rain we used a couple of towels to soak up the water coming from the electrical socket, but when it rained...the entire room had 1 inch of water on it! We of course complained about this and were told "They had fixed the leak earlier...but would come check it out again." The repairman came, and was very friendly, but said nothing could be done. The wall needed to be cut open and completely redone.
The hot tub did work, but the control unit was broken which made it difficult to operate. We were also told that the hot tub should have been fixed before we arrived...but...well...sorry.
Also, the house next door was undergoing major construction during our stay, which was loud, and the workers parked their cars up and down both sides of the street. We understand it's not the owners/Mgmt fault about that, but be sure to ask if there is construction going on near ANY villa you plan to rent.
We all felt that Villa Belvedere has incredible potential to be one of the best Villas on St. John due to it’s location, views, and pool, but it needs a lot of TLC and some upgrades to get there.
Now the good news...we are on St. John!!!
Day 1
Thank goodness for the views at Villa Belvedere...The first morning up at 7am, breakfast on the deck watching the sea turtles pop their heads up and look around. We always enjoy a morning walk in the neighborhood so we decided to head up the hill of Maria Bluff to Villa Kismet (unbelievable PALACE!) This Villa is out of this world, and so is the weekly cost. If you have the means...go for it... http://www.kismetsj.com/ As we were walking by the villa we noticed a grounds worker struggling with a dead tree branch over a wall. I walked over to help him pull it down; he thanked me, and then asked if we would like to tour Villa Kismet...uhhhhh...YES! It was vacant that week and I won’t go into detail here but it is a fantasy villa surrounded by the Garden of Eden. Funny thing was as we were touring the house with the grounds worker, a young well-dressed woman showed up and demanded to know who we were and WHY we were there! She was the property liaison, and obviously did not want us there. I hope she is not in sales...for her sake. I thought we were going to get sent to the principal’s office, but we just left and headed to Courtesy Car rental to pick up our Jeep. We have used Courtesy since 1994 and have never had any problem. Plus they let you park in their lot when you got to town which is very convenient.
By 10:00am we were off to Cinnamon Bay beach (our favorite)
Park the car, unload out snorkel gear and walk to the beach. It’s a beautiful blue-sky day…and big surf for what we’re use to, waves were 3-4 ft high. When we get to the beach we turn right and walk all the way down almost to the end. There you will find a perfect setting for "camp". It’s a natural rock/wall formation laid out in sort of a semi circle with plenty of nooks and crannies in the rock to keep anything off the sand.
We strap on our snorkel gear and head out to circumnavigate the island-cay at Cinnamon Bay. It’s a workout, but it’s always an adventure. Coming back was much easier than going out against the waves! Cinnamon Bay is our personal heaven. I, as well as many of you, have traveled to many places on this blue orbiting space rock, but Cinnamon Bay is just..."No words…no words…they should have sent a poet!" –Contact
For dinner we choose Morgan’s Mango. Very good, love those daiquiris, and the food was delicious. Back to the house and in the hot tub to watch all the glittering stars as well as the twinkling lights sprinkled all over St. Thomas. The tree frogs said hello and serenaded us to sleep. It was a good day!
Day 2
We awoke early to check in at Low Key Divers for some scuba. No big breakfast just a granola bar and O.J. The water was calm today and even though I have dove over a 100 times with Low Key, I never get tired of any of their dive sites. Especially Carvel Rock, Mingo Cay, Eagle Shoals, and Cow & Calf. We didn’t do the Wreck of the General Rogers this year, I wanted to, but it just didn’t work out this time. After the dives the boat ties up right back in front of The Beach Bar. We wade ashore and sit down in two seats facing the water right next to the cash register. I love the Beach Bar. I could sit there with a cold beer and take in the water, sun, people, and just observe the “flow” that is Cruz Bay for the entire day.
We had a good lunch at the Beach Bar, a few cold ones and then went for a walk around Cruz Bay. We saw “Lindy” walking in Cruz Bay again this year...he looks the same and he’ll probably live to be 105...but we don’t know how. Back to the Villa pool to relax, play some tunes, and enjoy the Cliffside ocean view. Made dinner at the house tonight, and set the table on the deck just off the family room. The sun was setting just as we sat down at the table. It was picture perfect.
Day 3
Headed out to Cruz Bay for breakfast. Chilly Billy’s was closed…L as was the Fish Trap and Skinny Legs during our visit. But we found our way to J.J.’s Texas Café and had the best pancakes with bacon and fresh O.J. There are no diets on vacation...don’t even think about it!
Sitting at one of the tables outside we were unable to move after the pancakes. We just did some people watching, and viewed Cruz Bay as it comes alive every morning; while the random chickens pecked our feet...we were still comatose from the pancakes to care. Every year there seems to be more and more workers arriving at the dock each morning...in 10 years it will probably be as busy as the subways in New York City on a Monday morning. We decided to take some in our party to see the Annaburg Ruins, and I was reminded how much I love going there. We’ve been 6-7 times, but I had forgotten how quiet and peaceful it is walking around the grounds. It felt like a different time in history...I don’t know what time…but it didn’t feel like 2006.
We did lunch at Island Blues, because Skinny Legs was closed, and I’m glad it was closed. Nothing against Skinny Legs we try to make it there every year, but we had never been to Islands Blues and we were glad to discover it.
After lunch we toured Peter Bay Estate and took some pics like the paparazzi would of the amazing villas that surround the bay.
Once back at Villa Belvedere it was pool and hot tub time! We watched the sun set from the hot tub...just perfect weather. Since the hot tub is right next to the pool, we discovered how fun it is to get all nice & hot in the hot tub, then jump into the cool pool WHOAAAAA!, then back to the hot tub! Ahhhhhhhh!
If someone can tell me how to post pics directly in a post, I’ll be happy to post some of our trip. That’s all for now...more to come.
So happy that we have found St. John...even happier after all these years it still feels magical.
Oxford
Thank you for your trip review and looking forward to the next installment. Shame about Belvedere, do you think it was poor management or the owners fault? Vacation Vistas description and pictures of VB look beautiful, we had it under consideration for our trip, glad my hubby chose Ebb Tide at the last minute.
Glad to see your report but sad that you had so many problems with Belvedere! We stayed there for part of our 2004 trip and loved it. I agree that the TV was small. We never used it, but we were on St. John in a different villa for baseball playoffs in 2003 and if the TV had died I think I would have thrown it into the bay!! We also never used the hot tub because John can't go in--he has sensitive skin that reacts badly to the chemicals you have to put into hot tubs and pools.
Anyway, we caught the tail end of a tropical wave while we were at Belvedere and the twin room did leak--we were not using it, but we checked it out in case it needed cleaning up after the storm, and there was a lot of water on the floor--we thought it came in under the sliders. Maybe not!! Yikes.
We've never been to Texas Coast...sounds yummy. Next trip!
Anyway, we caught the tail end of a tropical wave while we were at Belvedere and the twin room did leak--we were not using it, but we checked it out in case it needed cleaning up after the storm, and there was a lot of water on the floor--we thought it came in under the sliders. Maybe not!! Yikes.
We've never been to Texas Coast...sounds yummy. Next trip!
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
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Jan&MikeVa
- Posts: 1084
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 5:32 pm
- Location: The Chesapeake Bay
So glad you found Island Blues, we like their burgers better than Skinny's. But Mike likes Skinny's fish sandwich.
Thanks for the scoop on Cinnamon, we always go to the left.......... never even tried the right side.
Very sorry to hear about the problems with your villa, thanks for posting and being honest. Sounds like you guys are such veterans that you keep having fun, no matter what!
Jan(akaCharlie)
Thanks for the scoop on Cinnamon, we always go to the left.......... never even tried the right side.
Very sorry to hear about the problems with your villa, thanks for posting and being honest. Sounds like you guys are such veterans that you keep having fun, no matter what!
Jan(akaCharlie)