Where to stay on St. John

From Roughing It to Luxurious Living

"Getting away from it all" can mean very different things to people. Basking in the beauty of your surroundings without interruptions from the outside world could entail watching the sunset from the comfort of the screened-in-porch of your resort suite while indulging in a room-service-delivered meal. For someone else, it could mean cooking fresh-caught fish over a beachside campfire near their elevated tent.

St. John "Au Naturel"

With more than two-thirds of St. John designated as National Park land, lodging opportunities are slightly off the beaten beach path on this nature-laden Caribbean island. Located within the Park boundaries, is Cinnamon Bay Campground (800-539-9998 or 340-776-6330), a privately owned beachfront site that has been described as "the most famous campsite in the Caribbean." Here guests can choose from 10-foot x 14-foot fully equipped tents, larger concrete "cottages" -- also fully equipped, or bring-your-own-tent campsites. Bathroom facilities are shared and the cool-water private showers are located outside for an "open air" experience. Tree Lizards, the onsite restaurant, serves up good food or you can stock up at the campground's supply store. With the average stay costing less than $30 per day, you'll have plenty of cash to splurge on other activities and attractions that St. John has to offer -- if you can pull yourself away from the amazing beach that beckons you at Cinnamon Bay.

Slightly more expensive, but still less than $100 per night, is the even higher-rated Maho Bay Campgrounds (800-392-9004 or 340-776-6226). An eco-resort in the truest sense of the word, you can luxuriate in the hillside view of Maho Bay from the sundeck of your 16-foot x 16-foot tent that looks like a cozy canvas cottage securely anchored to a wooden platform. Bathhouses with pull-chain showers recycle the water to the surrounding landscaping. Motivated tourists can cook their own meals or allow themselves the indulgence of partaking in the scrumptious breakfasts and five-star dinners available at the open-air restaurant/communal pavilions. The Maho Bay Store has necessities close at hand and there's even a laundry facility for those who need it. There are plenty of onsite, scheduled activities and classes to participate in, if you so choose, along with early evening entertainment. Lots of stairs to climb, but with 114 "rooms" available, Maho Bay is a high-class tent city.

Other environmentally friendly accommodations include:

• Concordia Eco-Tents (800-392-9004 or 340-693-5855) - Much like Maho Bay Campgrounds, similar in cost, and owned by the same company, this is more like a "tree-house tent town" as it only has eighteen units for rent. Each one has their own private bathroom; showers are solar-powered and the toilets are composting units. There's also running water, a propane stove, and a cooler. Enjoy the trade winds blowing over your loft-like sleeping quarters after spending the day at Salt Pond Bay or the freshwater pool. Stairs to contend with, but that just means the views are better. Four newer sites are wheelchair accessible.
• Harmony Studios on Maho Bay (800-392-9004) - Also owned by the parent company of Maho Bay Campgrounds and Concordia Eco-Tents, here you can choose between bedroom studios or living room studios; both have kitchenettes, private bathrooms, and large decks. Power for these cottages that are constructed almost entirely of recycled materials is generated by the sun and wind.

Bed and Breakfasts by the Bay

One of the highest-rated inns on St. John, Garden by the Sea Bed and Breakfast (340-779-4731) is well known for a few distinguishing features. Located at what has often been described as "the bottom of a thrilling steep roller-coaster hill," the truly open-air stone shower that's located in the garden leaves most guests feeling refreshed on many levels. Make your reservation well in advance as there are only three rooms, all with air-conditioning, private entrance, and personal bath, but none with a telephone or television. Feel free to use the kitchen appliances and store your food in the refrigerator, but enjoy a full breakfast on the shaded veranda that overlooks the ocean. This Caribbean gingerbread-style inn with its soothing paint palette gives new meaning to the word quaint.

Estate Lindholm (800-322-6335 or 340-776-6121) is one of the most popular Bed and Breakfast inns in the Cruz Bay area. Guests rave about the stunning gardens that surround this hillside property. Ten rooms, all with kitchenettes, offer air-conditioning and cable television for those seeking a touch of modern conveniences. A light continental breakfast, honor bar, coolers, ice machine, beach chairs, beach towels, and a two-minute drive to Cruz Bay make this inn convenient by day and cozy and quiet by night.

St. John Resort-Style

Caneel Bay Resort (800-928-8889 or 340-776-6111) is "the place to stay" if beach life is what you're seeking from your Caribbean vacation. Seven pleasantly secluded and mind-boggling-beautiful beaches can be found bordering the 170 acres of National Park land that make up this tropical paradise. The rooms are described as "old school charming" and the resort is considered to have an ambience that's "subtle luxury in a sophisticated and thoughtful manner, but without the glitz and glamour of the Ritz or Four Seasons." This is also the resort to stay at if you place more importance on cleanliness, quiet, and comfort (fluffy towels and bathrobes, sandals, and scrumptious mango bath products), more so than the need for a telephone or television (which you won't find in your room).

Included in your stay at Caneel Bay is an amazing array of complimentary services including, but not limited to, an airport greeting, a welcome bottle of island rum, use of water-sports equipment, fitness center, pool, continental breakfasts, afternoon tea, twice-daily housekeeping, and massage demonstrations. For an extra fee, you can enjoy watercolor lessons, rent a jeep, take a sunset cocktail cruise, and numerous other activities. With 166 rooms, four restaurants - including the Turtle Bay Estate House, the Equator, Caneel Beach Terrace, and Caneel Bay Bar with entertainment, eleven tennis courts, and children's programs, who can pass up the opportunity to vacation at a facility where beachside servers will wade into the water to deliver your drinks?

Gallows Point Resort (800-323-7229 or 340-776-6434) features 50 one-bedroom, one- and two-story suites in a townhouse-like layout. Conveniences include fully equipped kitchens, air-conditioning, cable television, wireless internet hookup, an onsite grocery/liquor/souvenir store, gas grills, and Zozo's Ristorante, a favorite eatery among many St. John tourists. Additional nice touches include board games, movies, and a stereo for those rainy days and a binder at the front desk that contains helpful off-site restaurant menus. Rent your snorkel gear at the front desk and then head on down to the coral beach surrounding this five-acre peninsula or lounge around the ocean-side pool. If its off-site adventure you're looking for, take a five-minute stroll into the town of Cruz Bay.

Once known as the Hyatt Regency, the Westin Resort (800-621-1270 or 340-693-8000) unarguably provides the highest level of glitzy luxury on the island of St. John. Where else can you expect to see 400 palm trees that have been imported from Puerto Rico?

Choose from hundreds of guest rooms with cable television, marble bathrooms, mini-bars, and telephones with voice mail and data ports; guest suites -- some two-story town houses -- with even more floor space, whirlpool tubs, and a dining area; and full kitchen villas ranging in size from studios with semi-private swimming pools to three-bedroom villas with private pools. The "Heavenly Bed" that's found in every room on the resort is a trademarked, well-known, and well-loved feature of staying at this tropical all-inclusive resort.

For your dining pleasure, the choices are almost overwhelming. Choose from Chloe and Bernard's chef-prepared dinners, the Beach Café and Bar with its filling breakfasts and spectacular sunsets, Snorkel's Bar made-to-order pool and beach-side dining, or the ever-popular (even with the locals) Mango Deli with its Starbuck's coffee, fresh-baked goods, take-out meals, alcohol options, and outdoor patio accommodations. There's also 24-hour room service if you have any late-night cravings.

A 1,200-foot beach, six lighted tennis courts, a state-of-the-art spa and fitness center with sauna and massage options, the largest swimming pool in the Virgin Islands -- with its palm-tree islands and waterfall, Kid's Club activities -- both entertaining and educational, onsite water-sports center, and evening entertainment in the lounges keep every member of your traveling party busy and happy. While such royal accommodations don't come cheaply, you'll get your money's worth at the Westin Resort.

Although not a resort, Lavender Hill Suites (800-975-5001 or 340-776-6969) feature condominium-type accommodations with fully equipped kitchens. A highly rated establishment in Cruz Bay, there's a total of ten one- or two-bedroom units. Gorgeous views, cooling breezes with air-conditioning as a back-up, telephones, televisions, VCR's, CD players, a town beach and grocery store located across the street, a pool with gas grills nearby, and computer/internet access in some rooms are just a few of the amenities that keep guests scheduling their return visits prior to departing.

Private Villa Life

St. John is perhaps best known for the large number of villas that are located throughout the island. Size, amenities, and cost are wide-ranging. For assistance with locating a villa that meets your needs and budget, contact Caribbean Villas & Resorts (800-338-0987 or 340-776-6152), the island's largest real estate agency that not only deals with villa rentals, but condominiums and entire homes as well.

Two last tips for travelers to St. John -- Cruz Bay is considered the most convenient location for island-goers who either have to rely on public transportation or who want wining, dining, and shopping opportunities within easy walking distance. As is the case with most Caribbean islands, lodging costs are often reduced during the summer months by anywhere from 30% to 60%; plan accordingly and you'll be able to afford an even longer visit than you might have first expected. How's that for a deal?