Swogjan's Dragon - La maison de rêve d'un amoureux de la plage

The views from the main living room and deck/pool/hot tub area are amazing. You get an incredible panorama of Coral Bay, East End, and Norman Island to the east, and Jost Van Dyke to the north. The large pool and hot tub were wonderful--a great way to relax at the end of the day. Beds were comfortable, showers were good (with just enough hot water), and the property managers left a stocked fridge, including chocolates, as we arrived on the Saturday before Easter. They also left plenty of towels, soap, and shampoo/conditioner. The villa was clean and comfortable, though the decor is a little dated. Parking off of Centerline Rd. was easy--it's not one of those crazy hidden driveways with a steep drop, you don't have to go off-roading for 10 minutes, and there's plenty of room to maneuver a large Jeep. Overall, my wife, son, mom, and brother had a really great time. We've stayed on St. John several times, and this has to be the best location we've ever had. Close to the north shore beaches and Coral Bay. Not too far from Cruz Bay, and walking distance to Colombo's Smoothies. My only complaint about the villa's location on its ridge would be the wind, which howled most of the day and night during our 6-day stay. I think it was partly just a particularly windy week on the island. But it's definitely windier at the villa, as there's nothing to block the tradewinds. Finally, my only complaint about the property management is a minor one--the DVD players didn't work. The one downstairs had no connecting cable at all, and the one upstairs had the wrong type of cable. When I tried to get them to address it, they were responsive, but never actually came out and fixed it. Maybe it's harder to get the right kind of cable on the island. Not a big deal, obviously, but they could have done better. But overall, a terrific villa for the price, particularly if, like me, your priorities are great views, good location, a pool, and a hot tub.