House in St. John
Reasons to book
About this house rental
Vela Vista + Verde Cottage pairs two separate homes on one property high on Bordeaux Mountain, joined by a well-lit wooden walkway through the rainforest (a one- to two-minute walk), at about 1,100 feet above sea level. Your group gets two complete homes, each with its own kitchen, living space and bedrooms, so everyone can gather for meals and sunsets and still have room to spread out. It is ideal for extended families, friends traveling together, or two families sharing a trip. Altogether there are 7 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, sleeping 15 guests (14 in beds plus a twin futon).
VELA VISTA (5BR / 3BA, SLEEPS 11)
Vela Vista overlooks Coral Bay, St. John's East End and the British Virgin Islands. The home features a private plunge pool and two wraparound decks with sunny and shaded lounge areas. It spans four half-levels, with stairs between the living areas and bedrooms; all rooms are reached from inside, and there is no bathroom on the main living level. The whole house is air-conditioned, with a Mitsubishi mini-split in the main living area and in each of the five bedrooms, plus ceiling fans in the living and kitchen area. The kitchen is fully equipped and includes a dishwasher, a propane range and oven, and a propane grill. Starlink Wi-Fi covers the house and connects to a Sonos sound system and an AirPrint printer. There are two Samsung Smart TVs and a Samsung washer and dryer. Retractable gates on the pool deck are available for families with little ones.
VERDE COTTAGE (2BR / 1BA, SLEEPS 4)
Verde Cottage is a charming, newly remodeled 650 sq ft cottage nestled in the rainforest, surrounded by lush greenery with a water view peeking through the valley to the east. It is reached by a long stairway of 67 steps, which is your gateway to peace and privacy. Inside, you will find an efficient, well-equipped kitchen, a living area with a 40" Samsung Smart TV, and a bathroom with a washer/dryer. Up a set of steep, narrow stairs is a cozy loft bedroom with a queen bed, a private dressing area and a treetop water view. A large wraparound screened porch offers swinging and lounge seating and a dining table for four. The private primary bedroom opens off the porch and has a queen bed, blackout shades and its own air conditioning. The cottage is fully air-conditioned.
SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS
- Vela Vista, Bedroom 1 (upstairs primary, en-suite bath): 1 king
- Vela Vista, Bedroom 2: 1 king
- Vela Vista, Bedroom 3: 1 king + 1 twin futon
- Vela Vista, Bedroom 4: 1 queen
- Vela Vista, Bedroom 5: 1 queen
- Verde Cottage, Loft bedroom: 1 queen (steep loft stairs; not ideal for young children)
- Verde Cottage, Primary bedroom (off the screened porch): 1 queen
Total: 7 bedrooms; 3 kings, 4 queens, 1 twin futon - sleeps 15
Bathrooms: Vela Vista has 3. Bedroom 1 has an en-suite bath, Bedrooms 2 and 3 share a bath, and Bedrooms 4 and 5 share a bath. Verde Cottage has 1.
AMENITIES
- Private plunge pool and two wraparound decks (Vela Vista)
- Wraparound screened porch with dining for four (Verde Cottage)
- Air conditioning throughout both homes
- Two fully equipped kitchens; propane grill at Vela Vista
- Starlink Wi-Fi serving both homes; dedicated workspace
- Washer and dryer in each home
- Smart TVs (two at Vela Vista, one at Verde Cottage); Sonos at Vela Vista
- Linens, bath towels and beach towels provided; beach chairs, umbrella, coolers and some snorkel sets at Vela Vista
- Baby gear at Vela Vista: two pack 'n plays, two clip-on high chairs and baby gates
- Rainwater cistern system, UV-treated and triple-filtered, plus a chilled drinking-water dispenser at Vela Vista and a complimentary gallon of drinking water in Verde Cottage's fridge on arrival
- Parking for 5 cars across the two homes
- Self check-in with smart lock
SOLAR AND POWER
Both homes run on a 48-panel solar array with six Tesla Powerwall batteries, located at Vela Vista and serving both homes, and the system stays grid-tied for cloudy days. This setup gives the homes dependable backup power, so a typical island outage usually goes unnoticed. During a long outage, we simply ask guests to be a little energy-conscious, such as running the dryer, dishwasher and oven during daylight hours and easing up on air conditioning overnight.
LOCATION
Both homes sit high on Bordeaux Mountain in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, in a quiet residential area with no through traffic. The mountain is slightly cooler than the rest of the island and faces east into the tradewinds, so you may want a light layer in the evenings. Several Virgin Islands National Park trailheads are close by, including Bordeaux Mountain Trail (about 3/4 mile), Reef Bay Trail (about 1.5 miles) and L'Esperance Trail (about 3 miles). Drive times are about 20 minutes to Cruz Bay, 12 minutes to Coral Bay, and 10 to 20 minutes to the North Shore beaches (Maho Bay is about 12 minutes). The Windmill Bar is about 10 minutes away. Guests fly into St. Thomas (STT) and take a ferry or car barge to St. John.
GOOD TO KNOW
- These are two separate homes on one property, each with its own entrance, kitchen and living space. A well-lit wooden walkway runs from Vela Vista through the rainforest to the halfway landing of Verde Cottage's stairs, a one- to two-minute walk.
- Verde Cottage is reached by 67 steps and suits fit, active travelers. Its loft bedroom has steep, narrow stairs and is not ideal for young children.
- Vela Vista has stairs between its four half-levels and no bathroom on the main living level. Please supervise children around the stairs and pool.
- A rental car is essential. For a group this size, plan on at least two vehicles or large SUVs, and book early, since island cars sell out.
- For Vrbo and direct bookings, you will be asked to e-sign our rental agreement and upload ID, and a $1,000 security deposit is held before arrival and released after departure.
- No smoking in the homes or on the decks. Quiet hours are 10 PM to 8 AM.
- Check-in is after 4:00 PM; checkout is 10:00 AM.
- Local property manager on island for anything you need.
Map of St. John








