St John Villas/St John Vacation Rental
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ST. JOHN --The Island
world
famous Trunk Bay in
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Great Expectations -- The Villa, Guest House, and Tennis Court
An aerial picture taken from our plane at 1,000 feet (Great Expectations is the four buildings on the left with the tennis court overlooking Hart Bay)
Here are excerpts from what the critics [aka, our guests] have had to say about our St John villa, Great Expectations:"Great Expectations met
all of mine!..." "...fabulous home with
every amenity...thoughtful layout & careful attention to
detail...unsurpassed privacy... the breathtaking views & exquisite
breezes...Our 5th trip to St. John has been our best ever...We are
already looking forward to coming back same time next year!" "...I couldn't believe how
well stocked the home was - even down to the beach towels & laundry
detergent. I've never seen such a well-stocked kitchen at any of the
homes we've rented...how often do you see games, puzzles & books for
your use?" "We have been coming to
St. John for 10 years...Great Expectations is undoubtedly our favorite
villa that we have stayed in. The location, seeing the sun rise and set
- have been exceptional. My special place is the Hart Bay side -
breezes, the way the sun hits [the water]. The Great Room is wonderful.
Kristin and Chuck have thought of everything...Beautiful! We enjoyed! We
will be back!" "We've been coming to St.
John for 16 years and have never been in lovelier surroundings" "Thanks so much for a
luxurious, pampered, relaxing vacation! We loved the feel of your Villa
- it was so beautiful and thoughtfully appointed...especially loved the
colored pool lights! We are so thrilled to be coming back next year!"
"...beautiful breeze on the
front porch...relaxing...clean & exclusively equipped. Really
charming...appreciate it after we saw some other villas to
compare..."
"...enjoyed the privacy of
our separate bedrooms with patio. We cook a lot so the wonderful
cookware & serving dishes was a plus...the pool, the showers, the
location, Hart Bay, Chocolate Hole...We plan to return."
"As my teenage daughters
would say [Great Expectations is] 'totally awesome'."
"Beautiful home with lots of
amenities. The view is spectacular! Loved the hot tub & pool...The
beds were almost as comfortable as our water bed & the breezes
wonderful!...The decorations were very tasteful. The fish & masks
[wall decorations] really neat!...This house certainly was named
well!"
"Great Expectations will hear
from us again. We are already planning our next trip. Why? This place
has everything you would want for a relaxing vacation: great
accommodations, close to town & the beaches"
"I was mesmerized by the
spectacular views...to be able to watch the sun rise AND set was
wonderful!"
"This house has everything
one would want and the views, the birds and the plant life were all
spectacular" "...through
the eyes of a 14 year old this place is incredible... The hot tub was
great on cooler nights. I also loved your tennis court...goodbye Great
Expectations till next year."
"Our choice for villas is
Great Expectations. Book early or we may get your dates...You can't beat
the views and breezes." "Another great
week at Great Expectations...best...on the island...we look forward to our
next (third) trip to Great Expectations." "...the most
beautiful experience that we ever had..." "...a fabulous
house with fantastic views...Great Expectations has been
perfect!...recommend this house to others and we hope to come back." "...the most
beautiful setting we have ever experienced...These last two years [staying
at Great
Expectations] have provided our family memories for our whole life...we hope
to be here (a third time)..." "Our first time
at this Villa...will be here again. We love the beaches, the sunrises,
sunsets & the quiet surroundings...the set-up of the rooms, with cross
breezes was ideal...Kristin & Chuck are great hosts -- we knew they were
available but we had absolute privacy. It's a fabulous vacation home &
met every need." "The villa is
fantastic...breezes in both directions and both sunrise & sunset views
--really incredible...2-yr old loved "her" wading pool & it
meant Mom & Dad didn't always have to be in [the pool] with her.
"This was our
second year here!...What a wonderful spot we hate to leave but hope to
return next year" "Great Expectations
surpassed our expectations!...to find binoculars when you left yours at home; to
find a lemon zester the week after you learned to use one; to wake up at night
because of the moonshine and in the AM because of the sunshine; to see the
mysterious islets...shrouded in early morning mist...and to finish up a perfect
day glancing at more stars than you have ever seen!!...We will be back because
one week is not enough!! "...the name of the
villa seems apropos...the architect and the builder did inspired work, taking
full advantage of the tradewinds and double-view...we simply migrated with the
shade --starting in the pool, moving inside at mid-day, and spending afternoons
looking over Hart Bay, waiting for the sky to fill with stars.." "Isn't Great
Expectations really cool?" "Great Expectations
will be seeing us again. It truly met all our expectations and more." "The kids all had a
blast...no one wants to leave...can't wait to come back...what a perfect name
--GREAT expectations!" Review
from USVI-On-Line.com St. John Hotel, Resort, & Villa Reviews "The J. Family -- 15
of us -- 67 yrs to 7 weeks-- we had everything we needed to keep us happy --all
the baby equipment-- just right-- we thank you for a wonderful family
vacation." "14 of us from
Circleville, Ohio (3 families) friends & neighbors. Had a great time...we've
been to St. John several times...the house is awesome!" "This house is really
nice!" "Kitchen and outdoor
gas grill are great. House has been perfect; love the dueling views." "I love swimming in the pool...the fiber optic [pool perimeter] lights are really cool...the view is gorgeous" (granddaughter of the L. Family)..."the senior members' 50th anniversary celebration...7 of us...from the Oregon coast...Philadelphia...Pennsylvania mountains. It's been a great vacation..." "We are a group of 4
couples...from California, New York and Texas...My hope is that those who follow
find the peace and beauty that is but a glance out over Hart and Chocolate Bays.
May your stay be as wonderful as ours." "We loved sitting
outside at night by the pool and talking with breezes blowing and the stars
shining. We loved the hot tub after a day at the beach. We loved the gorgeous
views on both sides. We loved the peacefulness...We loved being surrounded by
beautiful flowers and plants, seeing hummingbirds...many, many thanks for
providing us with such lovely digs in which to have our family Thanksgiving.
We've done this [on] St. Martin, Puerta Vallarta and now St. John and this was
the best...You guys were so wonderful and helpful. Thanks so much for your
genuine hospitality and warmth. It made the week markedly better than it already
was. Your home is beautiful and peaceful and we all had a blast. (especially
Jaime, the little one)" "This is our 6th (or
maybe 7th) visit; we have been coming to St. John for 13 years. We have stayed
at Tennis Villa and Villa St. John. Great Expectations is the nicest place we
have ever stayed!" "For Beth and me Great Expectations is
synonymous with serenity, natural beauty and
the opportunity to renew and recharge. Our "expectations" were
realized once again...look forward to returning once again [for their fourth
stay]." "Had great
expectations coming to St. John. Our first trip to this beautiful place. Thanks
for building a piece of "heaven"..." "This is our seventh
winter vacation on St. John [last year at Villa St. John] -- and it was the
best. Our group [8 adults] can be very critical but all of our 'great
expectations' were more than fulfilled. The views are soothing, the facilities
terrific, the tennis furious...[already booked for TWO more years!]." "We have been coming
to St. John for 15 years [up to now at Donald Schnell's Beach House]. This is
our first visit to Great Expectations and it truly lived up to our expectations.
The views are spectacular, the setting serene...we just love the house &
look forward to future visits." "They say that the
third time is a charm but we have always thought that this was the most charming
spot for our annual gathering. Thanks for yet another [3 years in a row] great
visit!" "Down for
grandmother's 90th birthday. What a great time and house!" "What a Villa; this
place is paradise. My daughter's wedding [at the Westin] was beautiful...did a
wonderful job." "We're not rich or
famous, but it sure felt like it! The villa is so beautiful and the views are
spectacular! We will be back next year." "Thank you for
sharing a little piece of paradise...that I could restore my soul with my 3-1/2
year old and 15 month yr old along says it all." "A wonderful place
for lots of people to have their own space. Beautiful sunrise/sunsets. The best
place we have ever stayed on St. John."
"An Oblation to
Great Expectations
A family of 12 on vacation
Spanning 72 years in
generation.
We snorkeled and swum,
The adults quaffed rum.
It exceeded all our
expectations!"
"We
have vacationed on this very special island for almost 25 years...the
past 8 years we have rented homes...Our stay at Great Expectations was the
best yet...The "double view" is second to none. Remarkable!...The extra
touches are reminders of the love Kristin and Chuck have for this wonderful
home...It has been a great week of rest, relaxation and fun with our sons,
wives, girlfriend and 2 grandsons!!" "I
liked tennis and basketball and jumping in the pool and stars and
lizards."
"This was our second stay at Great
Expectations...we will definitely be
back!"
"We had a wonderful
time...spent several lazy days just laying around the
"We came to St. John to celebrate my 50th...Just two of us with the
whole place to ourselves. Everything was lovely and Great Expectations
is the best equipped villa we've ever rented. Our gracious hosts have
anticipated every need...we'll be back - next time with the kids and
kids-in-law in tow!"
"The tennis court was a big hit [pun?]. Great Expectations has
wonderful views for watching the sun rise and set! We brought our
families down to St. John for our wedding. There were 16 of us. We
were married on Trunk Bay at sunset. Everything was perfect!...We re so
glad we picked St. John as the place to start our life together!"
"Back for the second year...we will be back for a 3rd time [next
year]. This place is perfect."
"I just went on to your web site to write you a little note since I
didn't get a chance to write much in your book, and I looked at your pictures.
I can't believe that we were swimming in your pool this morning and looking
out over Chocolate Hole.
"What a fabulous place! We had a great time at Great
Expectations and are
especially grateful to Kristin and Chuck for their extremely warm
hospitality. We've stayed on St. John the previous 2 years (at other places)
and the views from both sides of the Villa, the breezes, plus the proximity
of town...are great!" "Thank you so much
for a wonderful week. The house was perfect. It was spacious and open,
beautifully furnished, and had 4 almost identical bedrooms. In addition, the
clubroom made an ideal separate room for a teenager (with the all-important
personal TV with cable and VCR). There were so many intelligent and thoughtful
extras that simplified and enhanced our vacation: the large closets, the beach
chairs and coolers, all the hooks for wet clothes, the guide books, the fresh
flowers everywhere on arrival, the outdoor showers, the beautiful landscaping,
the almost immediate replacement of lightbulbs, the exercise equipment, the
complete video set of the Sopranos (Sam says thanks), the large airy
bathrooms, the tennis court, the pool toys, the wading pool (perfect for
adults as well), the breeze (I never turned on my a.c.), and the view."
"We know St. John and found you on your website and...arrived filled
with
great expectations. The house and the island never let us down. The
views,
breezes, tennis & relaxing layout made this our best stay on St. John.
Thank you for your recommendations and hospitality. We simply had a
wonderful visit." "...Last time we
were here was 9/2000...Many thanks to my husband who brought me here again!
Can’t wait to get back" "Great Expectations
was and is definitely GREAT!!! We re going to miss this place..Thank you
Kristin and Chuck for sharing your "little piece of heaven". We
absolutely love the place...You have done a phenomenal job accommodating your
guests with all the ‘toys’ one could want..we will be back!!" "What a great eight
days just living at Great Expectations...the tennis court. Basketball and the
pools...great place to celebrate my 50th...I do hope that we will
return again...Thanks for thinking about us when you built this wonderful
home." "I have never seen
a house so grand and well stocked. I’m proud to tell everyone and anyone
about this place. This house gave us ideas about our construction project...I
will be back...Thank you Kristin & Chuck. Your word is your bond; you told
me we would have a great time and we did! It was worth every e-mail...Can’t
wait to do it again & again & again." "I was very leery
on this trip (I don’t travel much), but this view & house is fabulous!
Our rooms are great...nice kitchen & family area." "I can hardly find
the words to say how fantastic Great Expectations is! Beautiful, fabulous,
relaxing, spectacular...I am so overjoyed my husband tried so hard to find
this wonderful home for our 14 member family...We ll have loved the views,
pools, tennis court, basketball courts, views, lizards, crabs, views,
shopping, sightseeing, views trips to St. Thomas, snorkeling, scuba diving,
views..." "Great Expectation
is a wonderful name for this villa! Everything you could expect is
here!" "After reading all
these comments, I can surely say I’m sorry we didn’t get to meet you. You
must be outstanding hosts [NB. We are off island during the summer, but I had
to include this comment for my mother to read]...Great Expectations is all we
expected & more – particularly the views!" "I had a great time
here! I swam in the pool. My family went to the ocean. I went snorkeling and
rode the waves. I went shoping [sic] in the 30 stores. I bought a little
stuffed animal dog." "Being an
ex-florist I really appreciated the vase of flowers in each room when we
arrived...Thanks to Kristin & Chuck for having the foresight to build such
a fantastic home and sharing it with us!"
"This island is
beautiful. The people are friendly and laid back. The view from the Villa is
unbelievably spectacular. The waters are turquoise; clear and refreshing like
the pictures in the magazines that I always would stare at in
disbelief...Thank you for helping to make our vacation our Great
Expectation." "I liked the house
I lived in and I don’t want to leave. I enjoyed snorkeling down at Chocolate
Hole harbor. Thank you for all you did. I hope I can come again" "The W. clan came
back again for our 3rd year. As always, we had a wonderful
time...See you next year!" "Our third stay for
the 3 generation J. family at this wonderful home...one cannot imagine many
places that have such a beautiful sunset, moonrise and magnificent sunrise all
at the same location!...We’ve looked at LOTS of places to stay and even
stayed at 2 others until we found ourselves here. There is no place better. We
want a kid friendly and safe house, good views, convenient access and
friendly, solid support from the hosts. All here...The pool here is safe too
– no steep cliffs with inadequate railings. And the tennis court - ball play
area is a unique gem....Its really nice to be in a comfortable home in
Paradise. We are all looking forward to being here again and again and
again."
"Our
5th [to Great Expectations] visit and it was sweeter than ever"
USVI Forum http://www.usvi-on-line.com/usviforum.html
"...Great
Expectations...the perfect place...spent weeks researching villas...can’t
imagine another that would have been more perfect for the 9 of us in 3
generations...looking forward to our return." "WOW! No place on the island
compares with the spectacular sunrise/sunset views of this gorgeous villa! All
the amenities, the ocean breeze blowing through our rooms in the night and the
Demong’s wonderful hospitality have made our trip absolutely
fabulous....Watch the sunset from the hot tub hammock and be sure to turn all
the lights off to watch the stars at night...This place is a little slice of
heaven. Thank you for allowing us to share it." "...This
was the best provisioned place we have ever stayed at. The attention to
detail was amazing...although we enjoyed trips to the beaches and the East
End, the time we spent at the villa was the best: sunrises on the patio
surrounded by blooming flowers which the hummingbirds often visited, sunsets
by the pool with a frozen drink made in the excellent blender (just one of
many top of the line appliances provided)..." "Wow! Great
Expectations exceeded ours! Our previous trips to St. John were at Caneel
Bay...loved this wonderful house much, much better than Caneel. Totally
relaxing, luxurious surroundings, warm welcome...this house is perfect for a
family - just the right mix of togetherness and privacy via the spread out
bedrooms with their own private patios, hammocks and sensual outdoor showers
while stars twinkled overhead. Thank you Kristin & Chuck for sharing
your ‘Paradise Found’ at Great Expectations. We hope to see you again as
soon as we can!" "Our third trip back to St.
John and Great Expectations...we love the new [chair hammock] swings and
hammocks - they were wonderful additions! Already counting the days till we
can return!!" "Your villa
is spectacular...The hammocks were well utilized, the pools even
more so, and we even played tennis on several occasions, which we
never normally do....We meant to be hardy, get up and explore the
island travelers, but many days we found it too difficult to leave
the pool, outdoor speaker system, and homemade pina coladas. I "Cathy and Christie:Thanks so much for everything you did to arrange our wonderful week at Great Expectations! We had a tremendous time in the house, and on St. John -- in fact, my husband and I are working on plans to become independently wealthy so that we can simply retire to our own villa on St. John! (Any ideas?) The house was perfect for our group -- we each had our own space, yet there was very nice common space. The pools were the perfect set up for our kids, given their ages. It was difficult to get them out of the pool whenever we were back at the house. Christie,
thanks for all your help upon our arrival -- you made it effortless
for us to settle in for the week. If
you all have a mailing list, please put me on it -- Kate and Eliza
have already made us promise to take them back to St. John -- but
only if we can stay at Great Expectations again!" "Our
2nd trip to St. John [and first to Great Expectations], but this
time with...our 5-1/2 month daughter. The beach cabana in the red
bag worked great for her...she loved splashing in the [wading] pool...Great
Expectations is a safe, infant-friendly place! We can’t wait
to return again!" "We
are returning to St. John & Great Expectations for the 2nd time
with additional friends. This is the perfect place for a large group
[of 11]...The beach chairs were a great addition...Beverage Center
made a huge difference!" "...a
word on the villa...a perfect retreat for both our families. There
will be a wedding tonight on Trunk Bay beach and a reception at
the Stone Terrace [Restaurant]...the villa is well-planned out for
guests, right down to the pots & pans. You feel right at home
the first day; a first-class operation! You get the Tradewinds from
the east and sunsets to the west...There are may fine restaurants...but
the main star is right here in the evening by the pool...We will
take with us many happy memories of St. John and Great Expectations!
What a beautiful place!" "Great
Expectations...was the best medicine our family had and needed.
The stress melted away quickly. Everywhere one looks soothes the
eyes and the soul. The bejeweled water with the sound of the wind
and the waves...my nature-loving 10 year old boy never had a dull
moment. Our 13 year old energetic boy had all his whims satisfied
(tennis, wind surfing...)...We all got closer together!...It was
a wonderful stretch of peacefulness." "There
couldn’t have been a more wonderful place to spend one week."
"We
had a great week on St. John. Great Expectations has been the perfect
base of operations for our 3 families. The pool was perfect for
the kids (who range in age from 2 to 9). The breezes are beautiful
and the views spectacular!" and "Great Expectations has
proven to be the perfect Villa for such a large group. The spacious
area enabled us to have privacy yet enjoy one another in such a
fun and beautiful setting. We thoroughly enjoyed the pools, the
great kitchen, outdoor grill and dining under the stars. The view
is spectacular!!...St. John and Great Expectations made for a memorable
vacation we will all cherish" "Great
Expectations was a great villa. The views were beautiful!! I would
definitely recommend this property....We hope to come back!" "As
the Governor of California once said, ‘I’ll be back!’"
"A memorable week for the T. family from North Carolina...Best dinners right here at Great Expectations. A perfect house for a large family." "Great
Expectations is the best vacation site we have had. We had everything
we needed and then some. Chuck & Kristin were the perfect hosts.
If you need something, just ask. Snorkeling was fantastic right
down [below the villa] in Chocolate Hole." "You've
heard from Lindsay and Compy since we returned to the real world,
but not from me, tho I've meant to write each day to tell you how
much every one of us loved being at Great Expectations for our Christmas
week. I kept telling you, before we came, how excited we all were
at the prospect of being "on island". And now I can tell
you in retrospect how thrilled we were with everything we found,
discovered, experienced, saw, heard, devoured.........what verbs
have I forgotten??? You created a getaway/destination/slice of paradise,
and then you added on to it the hospitality and warmth of the two
of you, who saw to our every need, and you made our whole experience
unbelievable. From reading some of the journal entries I know many
of your other guests have felt the same way, so I'm probably not
telling you anything you haven't heard before. But it's all true! "Our
fourth year at Great Expectations...a terrific vacation for all
8 of us and we are looking forward to next year [booked the Villa
again before they left]!" "I’m having the
time of my life!" "This was our first
visit to St. John – and a wonderful one for an extended family
of 14! Some of our favorite memories are arriving at Great Expectations
after leaving a cold (-3 degrees) Massachusetts and a long day of
traveling – what a beautiful surprise!" "What
a beautiful location!" "Great Expectations
meets every accolade. Perfect setting - sunrises & sunsets.
The accommodations comprehensive and wonderful. Great beds, great
rooms, great tennis court, great weather, great beaches, great restaurants,
etc., etc." "So many thoughtful
touches - beach chairs, umbrellas, hats - more than we expected!
We’ve rented houses in many places and this was the best!"
"This is the 1st time
we’ve rented a villa and we’re now converts!" "Our 33rd St. John visit
and we still love it...Kristin & Chuck have made a lovely vacation
home...see you in 2005!" "The S.'s came from
parts up north Three generations rested
here A gang of nine, we hit
the town We loved the house, with
all her views The flora and the fauna,
too The tennis courts saw lots
of play We went to beaches, near
and far While here, we supped both
in and out A week is over in a trice And so, mine hosts, we
thank you very much "...the best damn villa
on St. John! We can’t wait to come back to enjoy this again
next year...Our expectations were exceedingly exceeded!" "...our 3rd time at
Great Expectations and hopefully not our last!" "...we were able to
return to Great Expectations for the 2nd time in less than a year!
St. John and Great Expectations are our little heaven on earth!" "We haven’t been
here for 3 years and it stills feels like home!" "This was our second
fabulous year at Great Expectations....look forward to Tropical Treats Thrown into Paradise my eyes were at awe, Night turns to day and black turns to
blue, Sitting on this mountain staring across
the bay, -By Daniel McM. for Robert,
Katherine, Stephen, Linda, Nick, Ella and Susan & "This villa had everything
you need. Take advantage of all the guide "This was the best vacation
we ever had! The house was fantastic! The views spectacular! The
atmosphere warm & friendly! The beaches were beautiful! The
snorkeling & swimming were great! Can’t complain about
a thing! We really enjoyed your hospitality & the beauty and
wonderful scents of all the gorgeous flowers. Thank you so much
for building this place & allowing us and all your other guests
to experience this fantastic island! Great Expectations not only
met - but exceeded all our great expectations! Hopefully, we can
come back one day!" "We have all enjoyed
staying in St. John so much that we are really sad to be leaving.
We are already planning our next vacation so that we can come back
to Great Expectations. The house was perfect with everything we
could have possibly needed. None of us have ever seen such beautiful
sights. And thanks to the tips from Kristin and Chuck, we have had
a great time exploring the island and the beaches. We saw amazing
coral and fish while snorkeling and enjoyed the beautiful beaches
and powerboating. The hot tub was so relaxing. Thanks again for
everything and hopefully we'll be back soon!"
"We had a great family
reunion here in St. John . We come from New York, Tennessee, Colorado,
Texas and Florida. Our first impression was "we have to stay
here or take it with us when we leave" We shall take many happy
memories with us. Great Expectations was really rockin' with this
group." "Great time! We are
three families of four - each with 2 teenagers...Happened to loose
power on 2 nights we cooked dinner - made due with the wonderful
grill. We come on vacation with two other families, I must say we
had lots of privacy in this villa. When we were home we used the
hot tub, tennis courts and pool...Vacationing with two of our best
friends families (12 in total) here at Great Expectations was a
wonderful "Great place, plenty
of room for everyone! Of course there were only four of us! Next
time we'll bring a boat load of people. Watched the Olympics, grilled
out, ate out, enjoyed the views, sea glass hunting at Hart Bay,
snorkeling all over the island and relaxing in the hammocks! Thanks
for sharing your place." "Great Expectations
were satisfied for our vacation. Fully functional air conditioning
was refuge from the heat, as was the spectacular snorkeling had
from Trunk Bay. As we leave, [Hurricane] Frances is on the horizon.
What a great way to celebrating a 40th birthday with my family.
A true island experience - I loved the water the most." BY E-MAIL..."We've just
gotten home from our stay at Great Expectations and wanted to say
a sincere thank you for making it all happen so quickly and so easily.What
a wonderful home you've created in St. John, so elegant in its simplicity.
We've stayed at some of the finest villas in Bermuda, Provo, Abaco,
etc. but have never felt so immediately comfortable in new surroundings
as we did within minutes of our stay at Great Expectations. We all
marveled at the variety and beauty of the views from all points
of the property...Thanks again for providing us such a wonderful
base of operations for our first land based trip to St. John...We
look forward to doing it all again and will definitely be in touch. By e-mail...i am proud to say that, after being an email addict for 9 months, this is the first time i've checked my email on the island!!! MUCH more to come, but i
just wanted to say that i am having simply the most amazing time
right now - the island is great, the house is great, everything
is great. and i can slowly feel myself letting go and all the stress
of the last year is oozing out of my body. THANKS so much to you
and chuck for this fabolous opportunity! warm
regards, ps. i know aaron...feels the exact same and we all give you and chuck a cheers every time we have dinner :) " "We had a wonderful
vacation on St. John – thank you very much for your enormous
generosity and kindness. Your house is gorgeous and the views were
breathtaking each evening at sunset. What a great place..." "Great Expectations fit our family to a tee...as Daniel, age 10, said upon our arrival 'look we live in a mansion'!" "Our first visit tot he island of St. john was amazing. We enjoyed Great Expectations immensely!" "This is our 5th visit to St. John and the nicest villa in which we have stayed. The Danish Country antiques and the Bali furniture and artifacts are a joy to live with...The internet wireless access was appreciated." "...all the amenities a family with age range of 18 months to 72 years could want. The views from the Villa are awe inspiring...We love st. John and highly recommend the villa" "We are sending our fourth year at great Expectations and think it might be our best...We thank you for the movies, CDs, tennis balls, beach buggy and every little touch that make staying at Great Expectations so special." "Our 1st visit to GE...the house was so well stocked and comfy...the kids loved the pool; the wading pool is such a good idea" "...is this place awesome or what!" "...5th stay at Great Expectations (in a row) and each time we stay longer and find it harder to leave...even got my husband to relax - have to say the high speed internet helped...can't wait to come back!" "This was our first stay at great expectations B 15 of us B and it was nothing short of paradise. We enjoyed the space of GE, or as we like to call it 'the compound'. We never heard each other at night when we were in our separate quarters. The DVDs, games, music, and available reading providing some nice entertainment when retreating form the sun. The pools, tennis court and jacuzzis got their share of use as well..There is no question we will be back" "The F-Z wedding at GE was fabulous! We were married on Trunk [Bay] & then celebrated with our friends & family here at Great Expectations. We had 11 people in total. Everyone loved the villa!" "Beautiful, well-stocked villa!...We especially appreciated all the thoughtful touches in the house from the flashlights by the beds tot he high chair and the Scrabble game and dictionary. The guide books and field guides were all great to have and the big binder was full of useful information from FAQs to restaurant reviews....The five grandsons were in and out of the courtyard pools whenever we were home. Great idea to build a wading pool for the little ones. We found the house very comfortable and quiet, and thought he landscaping was beautiful and well thought out. Happy to see two native species of hummingbirds nectaring on your flowers. We enjoyed harvesting lemons and limes and put them on everything we ate!" via e-mail from Great Expectations just prior to their departure: via mail: "Our sixth return visit to Great Expectations...we'll be back same time next year (oops, really do want to be back next week!)." "This is our first visit to GE and St. John -- 6 adults and 4 children...from Philadelphia, Vermont and San Francisco and all of us are positive that it was worth the trip. We were especially grateful for the high chairs, pack n'plays, crayons, pool toys, sand toys, beach chairs + umbrellas...everything that we could possibly need was here...construction started this morning on the lot next door [this was our first notice of it!]...the boys were thrilled by the bulldozers[!]. We hope to come back again and are so grateful of your kindness in all aspects of planning this trip." "It has been a wonderful two weeks passing all too quickly! The house was perfect for our needs - comfortable, private, fantastic views & breezes + so many well though touches + details...We totaled 11 ranging from 63 to 10 months. The pack-n-plays, highchairs, bed rails were well used....It was perfect sitting in the Great Room enjoying ideal weather, will miss the outdoor showers, hot tubs & pools. Actually, we'll miss everything about GE...construction begins early & continues til mid-afternoon. Our advice pack a picnic & head to the beaches. If children need to nap, turn on the air-conditioning." via e-mail: "Kristin - I have consulted Eliza in California [note: we had asked D. for her suggestions] who said that she wrote her suggestions on the sheet left by your managers and only remembers having mentioned the cushions on the futons in the great room which kept slipping. Basically her thoughts are that the house is so well equipped that it is hard to think of anything needed. Bob and I simply enjoyed it all and given the ages of the grandchildren, delighted seeing them enjoying the pools ... In sum, you have a splendid house!" via e-mail: "Kristin -
I just wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know what a great time we had! The house is wonderful and we were so relaxed. What we loved the most was that we could watch the sun rise and the sun set! Amazing! The tennis courts were great for us to stay active and fun for the little guy who was 1 ½ to run around in. A great addition would be to put lights for night time play! We had everything we needed in the house. We used the big book everyday for information. We hired Laura from Passion Fruit Chefs and some of the best food! I can’t imagine the restaurants being any better than the meals she made for us. Travel on the island was easy and the beaches were beautiful. We hope to come back in the future and we would love to stay at Great Expectations! Many Thanks" via e-mail: "We had a fabulous time and thoroughly enjoyed staying at your lovely guest house. The highlight of our trip was definitely the snokeling boat trip on Sadie Sea. Captain Ben and Skye were fabulous and they took us to some wonderful snorkeling/historic spots. My children felt the same way. Thank you so much! "The holiday was very good and the family had a very memorable vacation with all 4 children and their children in tow. The island beaches are excellent and most enjoyable as is the whole of the National Park - we did the reef bay walk which was good. St John is one place we would return to - something that only about 20% of our vacation spots achieves, so it was well regarded. We particularly liked the two way views with both sunrise and sunset as well as the wonderful flowers...Many thanks for the use of your wonderful villa." "It was a heavenly week! Your villa is everything you promised, and St. John is a perfect spot for a winter getaway. Cimmaron was very responsive to our requests--another reason for our enjoyment. I was about to say you have thought of everything we could possibly need, but then came up with one tiny suggestion: You and Cimmaron could include in your notes (pre-travel, and on site) the following information for departing guests: you can store luggage with the taxi drivers in Charlotte Amalie upon landing and then wander around town, have lunch, sightsee. It's $15 per person, including transportation to the airport. No need for advance reservations; they meet every ferry and one man organizes it for several drivers. via e-mail: "We're back in the cold North and already thinking about a return to Great Expectations. It was a wonderful trip for our family and the villa is set up beautifully for our family with with adult children and young grandchildren. Cimmaron Management was very responsive when we had a few problems ( no water one day after we got back from the beach, our granddaughter's horrible (unknown until then) allergic reaction to mosquito bites (age 5)) and resolved things very quickly. We were extremely impressed with this level of responsiveness. Our water came back after a short time and the villa gounds were sprayed while we were at the beach so with that and lots of extra insect repellant she was in good shape.
"..our seventh year at Great Expectations...We will be back...next year. GE is like home for us." -The W. Family (New York and London - -and they are not even related, just good friends after all these years!) "Thank you so much for allowing us to use your wonderfully situated villa. The view alone is worth he effort of getting here." " A beautiful spot, well-hidden, with gorgeous views wherever the eye falls. We found so many thoughtful features -- nice plastic hangars [no rust from the slat air on one's clothes], books, games, every supply we could think of." "This is our third trip to Great Expectations and as always we had a glorious week...we brought the family, 9 adults and 2 granddaughters (ages 2-1/2 and 5). They enjoyed every minute. The house is set up perfectly for families." via e-mail: "We all enjoyed being at Great Expectations and Beau Geste and had a wonderful time hiking, snorkeling and beaching. Your place is just perfect - with views to both the each and west. A special thrill was watching the full moon rise out of the water on the last night of our visit - March 21st. It also happened to be just one day after Spring Equinox. We will remember our time in your beautiful houses with great pleasure and maybe - you never know - we might be back again."
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"
I sat on a weathered wood bench and gazed out at a sea of blue--peacock,
sapphire, teal and every other shade in a Crayola 64 [crayons] box. From
my vantage point high on a hill, I saw nothing remotely connected with
civilization. No people. No houses. No electrical wires. No cola cans.
Just rugged green volcanic hills to punctuate all those blues. Behind
me, the overgrown dirt trail I had walked poked bravely through dense
tropical foliage. the air, which had felt heavy and humid on the trail,
was now a sweet breeze that caressed my bare legs. The sensation was doubly
pleasing because it was December. This, I thought, is why people come
to the Caribbean... I was on the island of St. John, the prettiest and
least spoiled of the United Stated Virgin Islands." 
Excellent
George (Fri Feb 21, 2003)