Great Expectations
Hillside, Estate Chocolate Hole, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
6 Bedrooms, 7½ Bathrooms
Maximum Occupancy: 14
Description
Great Expectations, a popular St John villa, has 4 spacious air-conditioned bedrooms each with a King bed (convertible to 2 twins) located in 2 pavilions separated by a Great Room with a large living room, gourmet kitchen, and indoor and outdoor dining areas.
A nearby 2 bedroom air-conditioned Guest House ("Beau Geste") with its own living room and kitchen, is also available for rent for larger groups. Once the main villa is rented, if it is determined that the Guest House ("Beau Geste") will not be needed it may be made available for smaller groups.
Each of the 6 air-conditioned bedrooms has a private bathroom with double sink lavatories and enchanting indoor/outdoor showers. Best of all, each of the Villa bedrooms have patios on both the east and west sides with spectacular water views. In addition, there is an air-conditioned exercise room, The Club Room, which also can serve as a small bedroom bringing the total number of bedrooms to 7 with 7 1/2 bathrooms.
Sunrise...sunset... Great Expectations offers views both to the east over the romantic turquoise Caribbean Sea and gentle waves rolling over the rocks of Hart Bay, as well as to the west where sailboats moor in the calm waters of Chocolate Hole. Our guests have especially commented about how 'kid friendly' Great Expectations is -- plenty of grassy and level areas for kids to play, the fenced in tennis court, a wading pool just the right size for little ones (and their parents!), hammocks to play in and on, and lots of baby equipment on site.
Great Expectations in Estate Chocolate Hole is located on the south shore of St. John, about a 5 minute drive on paved roads to town (Cruz Bay) and to the Northshore Road where the famous, white sand beaches of the US Virgin Islands National Park are located. The closest beach for swimming and fabulous snorkeling is just a short 5 minute walk (or drive; you can park right next to the beach) to Chocolate Hole -- a sandy beach with calm, protected water on the west side of the Villa. On the east side of the Villa is Hart Bay which is the closest beach for great beachcombing and breaking waves (especially when the wind is up). Great Expectations sits about 100 feet above Hart Bay beach which is accessible by a path from the Villa (about a 5 minute walk, but not recommended for small children or the elderly). It is a very secluded beach; you cannot get to Hart Bay by car or even boat as the coral reef comes right up to the shore so it is worth the visit!
All the openings (sliding doors, windows and transoms) in this St John villa are fully-screened. Italian tile adorns the floors and kitchen and bathroom counters. Native stone work laced with local coral and shells frames the Villa entrance and is used around the site to highlight the lush landscaping of beautiful, colored bougainvillea, hibiscus, croton, wild orchids and, and our favorite, frangipani. A number of significant palm trees as well as banana trees complement the beauty of the site. A variety of birds frequent the immediate area which, depending upon the season, may include magnificent pelicans, frigate birds, soaring osprey, nesting hawks, great blue herons, the largest hummingbirds you have ever seen and our popular native bird, the little, but gorgeous, banaquit. The Villa itself is furnished with custom-made teak furniture and carvings from Bali and, we think, very tastefully decorated with original paintings, sculptures, sconces and even a native mural which was written-up in the local papers. Great Expectations does not pretend to be fancy, just very, very special!
Great Expectations was designed by the award-winning, Boston architect John Sloan whose vacation rental villas can be found elsewhere in the Caribbean and Hawaii. It was built in 1998-9 by Bill Osborn, one of the finest builders of vacation rental homes on St. John. The excellence of their work is reflected by the fact that both John Sloan and Bill Osborn studied earlier in their careers at the Harvard University School of Design. Thanks to them, Great Expectations is framed by the extraordinary "double" east/west views afforded this remarkable site.
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Rates per Night
| Bedrooms | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Christmas/New Years
Dec 20, 2008 - Jan 9, 2009
7 Night Minimum | Call | Call | Call | Call | Call | Call | Call |
High Season
Jan 10, 2009 - Apr 17, 2009
7 Night Minimum | $1,072 | $1,143 | $1,215 | $1,286 | $1,429 | $1,572 | $1,715 |
Rate Notes
- Security Deposit: $55 Non-refundable Damage Deposit Waiver
- Rates subject to 8% tax.
- Additional cleaning fee may apply for stays of less than 7 nights.
- Rates in U.S. dollars.
- Rates based on double occupancy per bedroom.
- Weekly rate is equal to seven times the nightly rate.
- Rate subject to change without notice.
- Holiday rates and date periods may vary. Holidays may include Christmas, New Year's, Thanksgiving, Easter, President's Day, etc.
- Additional fees may apply. Call for details.