Our St John villa is renowned as 'super kid friendly'

Our basketball & tennis court and wading pool are just a couple of reasons parents and kids love Great Expectations

Our hammocks are perfect for the little ones
   (here is our youngest yet @ 8 weeks!) 

Whether you stay at our St John villa, Great Expectations, or elsewhere if you are traveling with your kids (no matter the age) you will find St John a fabulous destination for a family vacation with silky sand beaches of the Virgin Islands National Park, the pristine waters surrounding St John, and the family friendly island atmosphere of restaurant and shop owners all great reasons to choose St John as your vacation spot. As the owners of Great Expectations we realize that we cannot be totally objective about the St John villa that we designed and built; however, hopefully, the reviews by previous guests and the fact that we have an amazingly high repeat business, will convince you that Great Expectations can and will meet and exceed your expectations!  

Here are a few of the reasons why Great Expectations has become so popular with families traveling with children:

• Lots of safe, flat outdoor space to play with no steep cliffs prevalent at most St John villas
• tennis court (fenced in)
• basketball hoop
• soccer and footballs
• room to spread out - our St John villa consists of a Main Villa and Guest House, each with its own kitchen and dining area
• numerous hammocks perfect for both the little ones and parents
• 2 swimming pools (one at the Main Villa and one at the Guest House)
• 2 hot tubs (one at the Main Villa and one at the Guest House)
• wading pool perfect for the little ones
• lots of shaded areas
• lots of pretty flowers to delight children
• indoor and outdoor dining
• Complementary Netflix so you can watch an unlimited number of movies 
• lots of beach toys
• bedrooms that can be configured in many different ways (e.g. with one King bed or two twins or a King bed with a fold away bed or portacrib brought in for children)
• The Sun Room with a trundle bed  (and its own bathroom, TV, DVD player) - this room connects directly to the first floor bedroom in the Guest House and serves as a terrific choice for those parents who want a bedroom joining directly with their children's bedroom
• a 'Club Room' with a trundle bed (and its own bathroom, TV, DVD player) that often serves as a great 'teens get-away' room
• children's DVDs, games, puzzles, books, and lots of drawing paper and crayons
• 5 minute walk to 2 beaches, one with great snorkeling (some of the best anywhere around St John!) and one that provides for great shell collecting 

Frommer's, the well respected travel site, rates St John as one of the top 100 spots to take kids! And, no wonder, our waters and beaches are extremely 'kid' friendly.  Water crystal clear. Clear enough for little kids to stand at the water's edge see their toes and watch as fish swim by. We have virtually no undertow and the National Park beaches are 'easy entry' beaches, no big or dangerous drop offs to worry about for those just learning to swim.  

Many people ask if there a are 'child friendly' restaurants on St John and the answer is a loud 'yes'!  Just about every restaurant on St John will welcome kids; however, some are just more fun for kids (and therefore you as parents might also have a better time!).  In Cruz Bay you will find a number of restaurants at Wharfside where kids can play on the beach while waiting for a meal at restaurants like High Tide, The Balcony at Cruz Bay, Cruz Bay Deli & Pizzeria, and the bit more upscale Waterfront Bistro.  Other casual choices, although not on the beach, are Cafe Roma and Morgan's Mango.

On the east side of the island,  Miss Lucy's and Vie's are both in the category of fun for kids.  Kids can watch the chckens and kitty cats roam around under foot at Vie's Snack Shack and at Miss Lucy's they are quite apt to have a goat wander by as they wait for thier meal.  Miss Lucy's is also located right at the water's edge so playing on the beach while others sit and enjoy their meal is a nice option.  Another casual restaurant in Coral Bay is Skinny Legs (great burgers) and Shipwreck Landing.