When we entered our honeymoon villa, Moonswept, we were blown away by the beauty…read more This two bedroom, two bath luxurious home is situated on the top of a hill in the Calabash Boom area of St. John. Moonswept is on a single level, with each bedroom on either end, and the most amazing wall of windows running the length of the opposite wall. The view overlooks the bay below, over the East End and across to the island of Tortola and Drake's Passage. It was truly an amazing view and it was hard to tear ourselves away. Moonswept is located on the Coral Bay side of the island. It's in a peaceful secluded part of St John but it is a small island so everything is accessible. The rental agency requires that you rent a 4-wheel drive if you book this home as you will never get there in a standard vehicle. We woke early as the glorious sunrise at 5:30 am was hard to ignore. The panoramic view provided a great way to spend time together- watching the sun rise and seeing the (almost daily) small squalls build and move in our direction, then parting as the sun washed over us once more. The wind was fierce at times, and gentle at others, but always a part of the experience, keeping it cooler and free from most bugs. The beds were large and well appointed- the rooms had high ceilings and exposed rafters and the kitchen was well stocked with all that we needed for our 5 day stay. We purchased our groceries in St Thomas and stopped by the local market for a few additional items allowing us to make most meals "at home" and save quite a lot of money. The patio and pool area were well used at all times of the day. The patio has a grill as well as a covered dining area. With all of this to come home to each night, it was preferable to dine here rather than drive down the mountain and in to town. We were on our honeymoon after all! All of this does not come cheap, but the rate at Moonswept was comparable to other villas with these amenties. Overall a great value for our stay. We were within an easy and enjoyable drive to all of the beaches and did not miss the crowds of Cruz Bay. Many travelers love to cross places off their list and move on to the next experience. My husband and I, however, are looking forward to returning to Moonswept again as there is no need to look further for our little haven in paradise!

Where to begin? I loved staying at this place whilst I was on St. Thomas. Be forewarned that it is…read morea hostel type environment, there is a bar/restaurant in the courtyard so it may be a bit noisy if they have a band playing (often), and there are a couple of private rooms but most beds are in dorms. Ok, lets go. The staff here is very laid back but very helpful. The long term guests often pitch in to help (shout out to Marsha!) with the check in/out procedures when the two owners (Abigail and Eric) have to be offsite. That said, the owners leave their cell phone numbers posted along with other useful numbers (taxis, airport transport, Wi-Fi passwords) on a board in the common kitchen area. They do ask that you provide an approximate arrival time so that they are around to check you in. I stayed in the male dorm with 7 other people. We did have our own bathroom for our dorm so that helped with keeping wait times down for showers. All exterior doors have computer pass code locks which is a plus in my mind. There is a full size kitchen for all to use with some freebies such as coffee and tea. The dorms have air conditioning which is a blessing in the tropics. They have a computer for use in the common area (did you know the Virgin Islands have some of the highest internet speeds in the United States?) and a book of tips and info about the island. The safari taxis stop across the street if going to the east side of the island/Red Hook, or a little down the street if going to to the west side of the island/Charlotte Amalie. The guesthouse is located in Tillet Gardens which is a little collection of shops and eateries surrounding a courtyard. Worth browsing around. They are also down the street from a modern strip mall with a supermarket, K Mart, and a full service post office. The only Walgreens Pharmacy on the Virgin Islands is located a few hundred feet down the road. Good place to stock up essentials and they have really cheap liquor also. The downsides if you can call them that are that you are a bit away from Charlotte Amalie and Red Hook so plan on a little transit time. There is a small parking lot if you have your own car but it is shared with the other businesses so parking might be tight. As I mentioned there is a restaurant in the courtyard that often has music so if your windows are open then you may have some noise into the night. They do have a supply of earplugs if you need them. Finally they are slowly changing their name to Tillet Hostel but things are taking a while due to the paperwork. So you may see them going by both names if you are attempting to find them online etc. If you like the hostel style of traveling then you will love this place.

After inquiring about hostels in the St. Thomas forum, or "spontaneous, budget accommodation" as I…read morereferred to it, someone responded by telling me that the only place that sounded even close to what I was looking for was called Rhoda's Guest House in Tillett Gardens. That wasn't exactly the answer I was looking for, but I decided to look it up anyways. I came across their Facebook page and started reading about their story and checking out the pictures. I could immediately tell that this place was uniquely awesome, so I e-mailed them for more information. I got a response right away from the property manager, Abigail, with all of the rates and availability and such. Everything sounded fantastic, so it was a go. Now, fast forward to present time as I sit on the plane back to the mainland... The name of this charming little place may be Rhoda's Guest House, but you are treated more like family than a guest. The hospitality that my friend and I received from Eric (owner) and Abigail (manager) was second to none. We've never felt more welcome at a hotel, hostel, guesthouse, or any other type of accommodation than we did at Rhoda's. As Abigail will explain during your tour of the property, nearly every square foot of the guest house has been completely renovated. All of the guest rooms and bathrooms are super clean and spacious, and there is A/C throughout the entire house. The kitchen is huge and fully equipped with refrigerator, freezer, stove, oven, microwave, and dishwasher. There is also a little outdoor patio with chairs and a grill. Perhaps the most fascinating thing about Rhoda's is its place in the rich, artistic history of Tillett Gardens and St. Thomian culture. I would love to be able to explain exactly what I mean by that, but unfortunately that part of our stay is not something that I could possibly put into words. The only way to truly experience something that unique and enchanting is to see it for yourself. That being said, I strongly encourage ALL travelers, whether you're on a budget or not, to check this place out. Aside from the fact that you're likely to pay more per day for valet parking at a resort than you will per night at Rhoda's, you're guaranteed two things: an unforgettable island experience and the friendship of anyone and everyone you meet inside the realm of Tillett Gardens and Rhoda's Guest House. Cheers!

My husband and I had our honeymoon here and can't wait to visit again! This was our first time on…read moreSaint John, although we've visited several other Virgin Islands and Caribbean islands, and we can't imagine going anywhere else. We felt like family from the moment we arrived and met Savannah. The location is close/walkable to town but very quiet. Breakfast every morning was fresh, everything was clean, and Tim was always a text away for any questions or suggestions. There was an "island issue" hiccup where we didn't have water for half a day, but a case of water (and a bottle of wine) delivered to our room made us forget about any inconvenience. HIGHLY recommend!

I'm so glad we chose to stay here while celebrating our 30th anniversary for a week. We stayed in…read moreroom Jumbie and it was perfect! The view was amazing from this room! The view from the pool/breakfast area was amazing also. The location is just outside of town, there was a relaxing feel about the whole place. Being on the deck for sunset, glass of wine and music from the bay were perfect. We did walk up from the Bay Area and it was a hike, be ready. Going down was much easier of course. There is a trial you can hike to Honeymoon Beach. This beach was probably our top for just chilling out and enjoying the ocean. There were lounge chairs here, a bar to buy drinks, large area for shade, (if you need that) ;). We ended up renting a Jeep so we could go explore all the different beaches/areas of the island. Maho beach, great snorkeling, you will see a turtle. Even if not snorkeling you will see a turtle. Fun area here for food/drink, and lots of different rentals. The resort provides beach chairs for you to use, a cooler and you can rent the snorkel gear. I encourage you to take advantage of all that. They also provide ice. We didn't discover that until we had been there for a couple of days. Everyone working on the resort was so friendly, including the owner. When we go back to Saint John we will be staying here again! Thank you!

Absolutely wonderful bed and breakfast - one of the best we've ever stayed in! Located in Red Hook,…read moreit's on a little hill overlooking the water. We stayed in the Malibu Suite - the room was incredibly comfortable, had great air conditioning, and wasn't noisy at all when time to sleep. We loved the balcony outside - it had both a table and chairs as well as a "bed" swing - I'd call it a bench swing, but it was much larger than that and more than comfortable for two. We loved our daily breakfasts with them. They let you pick a breakfast time, and then set you up outside on the balcony so you can view the water while you eat. It is so relaxing and the food is both delicious and plenty to get your day started. It's also super conveniently located. We picked Red Hook and Two Sandals because it was right by the ferry dock to St John as well as centrally located to all the places we wanted to go while on the island. Very easy to call a taxi for pick up from here, but just check with them when calling to see if they'll drive up the hill or not - some taxis will expect you to meet them at the bottom of the hill. Highly recommend staying here while enjoying your time on St Thomas!

After a last minute AirBnB host cancelled our reservation, we happened to come across this spot…read more And we're so glad we did! For an extra fee, they picked us up from the airport, which was awesome and made the start of our vacation stress free. The spot is close enough to walk to Red Hook (if you're adventurers like us) or a cheap taxi. Either way, you make it down within minutes, and they have EVERYTHING here - food, shops, and a ferry to St. John. It was the perfect spot. If you went the other way, it's a quick walk to Secret Harbor Beach, which, WOW. It's not crowded, white sand beaches, and beautiful sunsets. Highly recommend. The room was initially smaller than we anticipated, but it wasn't bad, especially since we were barely there. Very clean, quiet, and accommodating. The owners were always around, and always available by text for the best experience. I've seen a few reviews about no hot water, this isn't true, it just takes a few minutes to warm up. So don't listen to those. I saved the best for last. THE BREAKFAST. HOLY COW. It's home made, fresh, and SO delicious. It was SO worth it for this every morning on their balcony over looking Red Hook Bay. We loved our experience here. Highly recommend.

Private area, waaaaaaaaay up on the hill top. It can be walked, but down is much easier than up…read more We walked up 2 of 3 nights. You'll need to get a car taxi to drive you up, a van will not. The road is right by Banco Popular, 1/2 mile up with an arched gate. They have a one bedroom cottage, as well as the studio. There's just about everything you need to be comfortable, spices, plates, pots, pans, a charcoal grill, shampoos, beach chairs, beach towels, iron, suntan lotion, aloe gel, and whatever anyone else leaves behind, but the internet is spotty. We were lucky enough to be left with some coffee, rum and beer. We left a potato, eggs, pita bread, waters, beer, shampoo. The room is a little outdated, with a unique flair. Max and Chris are nice, but not intrusive. The night we went to use the grill, the cottage had taken it to use. I contacted Max and she left to get another at the Home Depot. She said they'd been thinking of doing it anyhow. So we got a new grill. :). Very kind. The view is spectacular and being at this elevation, the breeze is so wonderful. You can hear music from Duffys, roosters and the ferry horns.

From the owner: Lions Gate Getaway is a private studio apartment in a lush, tropical setting, humming birds share…read moreyour 270 degree view of St. John, Tortola and Red Hook Harbor. In just a few minutes you can walk into Red Hook for shopping, dinner, drinks and night life or catch the ferries to St. John and the BVI. The spacious porch is a perfect way to enjoy your first cup of coffee or to sit back in the evening and watch the colors change over the islands with a cool beverage in your hand as the breeze passes by. My husband Chris and I have lived on St. Thomas for over 25 years. He came to dive, I came to sail. We discovered we both had a love of the water and the Caribbean life style. Chris built this house on the top of the hill, and now we have expanded it to accommodate guests who want to enjoy the Caribbean life style.

We were in St. John for a few days for a wedding at Caneel Bay. Hillcrest Guest House was a perfect…read moreplace to stay for this wedding. Hillcrest is located near the ferry stop in Cruz Harbor, making it a very convenient location. From the guesthouse you've got to walk about 5 minutes down the hill to catch a taxi to any of the beaches. The walk up to the guesthouse is steep, but we found it to be just fine and quite quick. The views from the rooms are pretty, the apartments clean and comfortable. Extra perks included being picked up and dropped off at the ferry station by Phyllis, wi-fi access, kitchen with snacks, fruit, coffee, tea, guidebooks. There is not a single thing we could complain about. Thank you Phyllis!

This place is looks like one large building with separate apartments. It's a nice relief from the…read moreaverage hotel, plus the extra privacy and amenities were awesome. We stayed in the Tropical Garden suite- we chose this suite partly because of the beverages and food that are provided in it. (Some food items were expired, but that may be an unfair complaint b/c I never brought it to the owner's attention.) It was nice already having the wine, rum, muffins, cheese, and other "extras" there when we arrived. We also enjoyed using our suite's blender, snorkeling equipment, and bbq grill. The view from the large wrap-around balcony was amazing. Three tips: 1. Rent a car! It's possible to get around the island without one, but having a mini-suv was such a huge convenience. 2. Check out the programs offered by the park rangers. We really enjoyed the free snorkeling tour at Trunk Bay. The ranger/guide, Pat, was very knowledgeable and I was so happy that we woke up early to do this. It was free, but I would have gladly paid a hefty amount for this guided snorkel tour. 3. Eat at the Windy Level Restaurant. The prices were unbeatable and the food was fabulous. I wish we had found this place on our first day!

So I went to St John in November and just wanted to give some updates. The island is up and running…read moreso the fun is on! I stayed at Garden by the Sea for my stay and will never stay anywhere else. Everything about it is amazing. From the service Eileen and John give to the comfort and ease of being at a B&B. Friendly, clean, affordable, and beautiful views!!! GO GO GO!!!! Barbara B.

We prefer B&Bs that have absorbed some local color and character. In selecting the "Garden by the…read moreSea," we hit the nail right on the head. This lovely little inn has true island charm--from the private, screened-in outside shower replete with tropical plants, sea glass mobiles, and walls bedecked with sea shells and corral, to the open-air common room with beautifully tiled mosaic floors of local sea life, and birds chirping all around. The location was perfect for us. It was a reasonable stroll to the beach bars and ferry (by way of the path along the pond). But the distance from those "lively" spots means that an evening spent on the veranda at the inn is restful, not like your third-story balcony over M Street in Georgetown. When we booked our trip in March, it was with Kathleen, but when we arrived it was the new owners, Eileen and John, who greeted us. Every thing had been handled so seamlessly that, if they had not told us of their new occupation as inn owners, we would not have known there had been a hand-off. From the helpful hospitality and excellent breakfasts, to the morning greeting of Fiona and Cooper (their dogs), we found this garden by the sea a genuine West Indies experience.

We have been staying at Bella Vista Bed and Breakfast each year for the past eight years-we…read morewouldn't miss a chance to relax and enjoy all that Bella Vista offers their guests. Wendy and Doug provide all the amenities found in a five star resort: delicious breakfasts, beautiful rooms, a pool overlooking Charlotte Amalie, concierge services, and wonderful conversation. You will not be disappointed when you stay at Bella Vista!

If you're going to be staying on Saint Thomas I'm assuming you want to have a great time while…read moreyou're there. Well look. No. Further. Bellavista Bed and Breakfast is the best place to stay on Saint Thomas and let me tell you why. Location: The bed and breakfast is halfway up a sizable hill, so you get a clear view of the cruise ship harbor, the ocean, and all of Charlotte Amelie, the second biggest town on the island. It's far enough away from downtown that you can't really hear it, but close enough that a quick 5 minute walk will get you where you want to go. Facilities: An amazing house with surprisingly strong security; if she didn't point it out to you, you wouldn't notice it at all. The house is very open during the day and locked up tight at night time. The house itself is gorgeous with a lovely open living room and a balcony off the kitchen where Wendy, the owner, serves her amazing breakfasts (more on that later). There is a private deck side pool for when you want to skip coki beach and just be somewhere quiet. The rooms are just what you need, and she keeps them immaculate. Breakfast: Prepared to be blown away. My wife and I are pretty used to hotel continental breakfasts: contrasted with Wendy's food the hotels are serving you rubbish. Wendy prepares beautiful meals with fresh fruit, everything made from scratch, and frequently with self made smoothies. Breakfast isn't something you'd ever expect to be this good; for us it was the best part of everyday, and we had some really good days. Wendy: Yeah she's an amenity all by herself. She's incredibly friendly, very funny, and gives you the most personal service you've ever had. She knows practically everything about the island and what to do, she knows exactly who and when to call for cabs, and on top of this runs the whole B&B almost single handedly. She's one of the nicest people you will ever meet. All in all you're going to be getting an experience better than some of the activities on the island you'll be booking. Wouldn't you rather have an amazing experience you can rely on everyday than just the regular old hotel trip? I would, and I am so glad I stayed here.