Review May 2006
Sunset Ridge Villas
Estate Bethany
P.O. Box 1447
St. John, V.I. 00831, USA
340-779-4488

This small resort of only 6 villas is perched atop one of the highest hills on St. John. Each villa has two bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms and a full kitchen The master bedroom with queen size bed and spacious bath are located in a separate building across the courtyard from the main building which houses the living room with it’s incredible views of Cruz Bay and St. Thomas. A well-equipped full kitchen, washer and dryer, half bath, dining area and living room with cable TV are on the first floor of the main building. No air conditioning is needed with ceiling fans and cool Caribbean breezes. On the second floor is another bedroom with two twin beds and a full bath. (None of the baths have tubs.) The courtyard separating the two buildings features a small dipping pool, gas bbq grill and patio furniture.

There is a very nice pool and patio for the use of all guests. There are no organized activities and little or no information from the management office. Stop by the Cruz Bay visitor center to pick up your area tourist information. A rental car is recommended however driving can be stressful on the narrow hilly roads. The alternative is to call a taxi, do some walking, and take advantage of the local bus when crossing the island.

The units vary in views depending on the vegetation growth off your balcony and the angle your villa is facing. Bugs are a problem in the villas going beyond the acceptable but unwanted sugar ants to the roaches that will scurry by as soon as the lights are out. Store all food products in the refrigerator out of their path. Our unit had at least one rodent who was brazen enough to run right by us as we watched TV in the evenings. The second floor bathroom light bulbs were burned out and we had to move a floor lamp to the area for light to shower by. When we were there we were not able to use the washer and dryer due to ongoing drought conditions and the gas bbq grill was not working.

Be your own judge if the incredible views from this island hilltop make up for the lack of good management. The handyman who lives on the property comes across as unwelcoming and downright surly if you have to seek him out for supplies or maintenance. The front office management is disorganized to the point our reservation was not on file and management attempted to turn us away even though we had a written confirmation in hand.

Two thirds of St. John is a U.S. national park. Activities vary from snorkeling the world-class beaches, swimming, sailing, kayaking, hiking in the National Forest, and perhaps touring a historic sugar plantation.

It is 2 miles to the nearest grocery store, bus stop or the ferry to St. Thomas where you arrive to or leave St. John.

Recommended xXxxx