Hello everyone,I am planning my honeymoon for Nov 15-25 and have prety much decided on St. Barths. From everything I have read so far, it seems that a

[JoshJ]

Honeymoon plans, suggestions appreciated!

Hello everyone,

I am planning my honeymoon for Nov 15-25 and have prety much decided on St. Barths. From everything I have read so far, it seems that a standard cottage on Village St. Jean is a great choice for us. We want some privacy, but still retain some hotel ammenities. My specific questions for you St. Barths fans...

Is it possible to walk to a lot of places (grocery store, casual and nicer restaurants) from VSJ? We will probably rent a car for a few days, but would like the option to walk most places.

Any suggestions on which VSJ standard cottage to get? I requested pics of each, but they are not available. We'd like to get the best balance of privacy, view and furnishings.

Are there any other comparable places to consider other than VSJ? By my calculations, 9 nights at VSJ should be about $2,000.

Finally, what is the feedback on the boat versus plane trip from St. Maarten?

Any input is greatly appreciated!

 

[Brendan]

Re: Honeymoon plans, suggestions appreciated!

Its possible to walk to a few local shops in St. Jean from VSJ and of course the beach, but you NEED a car to explore the rest of the island. You would be missing out on a ton.

 

[Midwest Mike]

Re: Honeymoon plans, suggestions appreciated!

You can walk to a lot of places from VSJ, but I'd still rent a car for most of the trip...maybe skip the first day or two...you WILL want a car for ST. Barts.
If you have a choice, I'd pick standard cottage #20 or #22...they will give you the best view and the most privacy of the standard cottages. If you decide to upgrade to a deluxe cottage, PM me and I'll give you the run down of the top pick to the least desirable.
If the airport is completed on schedule, I'd go for the plane over the boat. I would never take the boat unless that was the only means to get to SBH. Mike

 

[Island Visitor]

Re: Honeymoon plans, suggestions appreciated!

Car is MANDATORY. Yes, you can walk to several nice places from VSJ which is a solid choice for the price range you mention.

Even so, you MUST drive to saline and gouverneur and several different restaurants. Not going to Saline and Gouverneur and Mandala and Eddy's and several other great places is like being a kid at Disney World who doesn't ride any of the rides.

St Bart is Disney World for Big Kids.

Ride the rides.

 

[Bob]

Re: Honeymoon plans, suggestions appreciated!

I agree on the car, but you will get to walk to St. Jean beach, Andy's Hideaway, Le Piment, several shops, take out food places and Nikki Beach from where you will be staying. That really is a nice location. Still, I.V. is right. Don't be lured into staying there and not venturing all over the island. Driving is its own adventure on SBH, for a variety of reasons. Have a great trip!

Bob in Virginia

 

[briang]

Re: Honeymoon plans, suggestions appreciated!

Josh,

My wife and I stayed there for our honeymoon last May and thought it was a great place. They had a honeymoon package that included a car rental, deluxe cottage terrace, and a dinner at their Terrazza restaurant. It was a very good deal but they may not offer it when you're going - might not hurt to check. The owners were very cool and even let me pay in USD, which was nice b/c the euro gained 10% between booking and going. The hotel is in a great location and there are several restaraunts close by. The only place I'd add to everyone above's recommendation is that panini shop at the bottom of the hill - it's a good spot for a quick, easy lunch or snack. La Rotisserie is also a close spot to stop in for a morning pastry. Definitely rent a car the whole time. Saline, Gouverneur, and Flammands rule and you may spend more time there (and at the other beaches) than at St. Jean Beach.

-Brian

 

[claudia]

Re: Honeymoon plans, suggestions appreciated!

Josh, We stayed at VSJ four nights in March.When I realized we needed a refrigerator for our left over beer and wine and could not do without a view, I called VSJ to see if we could upgrade from the standard room we had reseved.Philip showed us a couple of alternatives and, for privacu kitchen and view, we chose villa #18.It is across the road form the hotel rooms, registration, restaurant and pool, on the left as you would drive from St. Jean beach. 290EU per night. It had a lovely view,very private compared to more expensive accomodations we were shown, pleasant room with king-sized bed,large bath with roomy shower, AC,and room service.You can walk to St. Jean shops, beach and restaurants.Spent a memorable evening watching the reflection of the sunset, drinking wine and finishing of a whole bag of nacho cheese Doritos.

 

[charleselee]

Re: Honeymoon plans, suggestions appreciated!

Hi Josh,

We stayed at VSJ last summer, and had one of the deluxe terrace cottage (#8). This was the view from our cottage: view from deck--gorgeous! Here's is a previous post on our stay at VSJ and our trip report. We will be going back to the same cottage in early July. You can walk to a lot of places from VSJ, but to really enjoy your trip you will probably want to rent a car. St. Jean is a great beach, and there are great places to eat within walking distance of VSJ, but you'll probably would miss the beaches at Saline, Gouverneur, Flamands, etc. and other great restaurants on the island if you don't have your own transportation.

 

[claudia]

Re: Honeymoon plans, suggestions appreciated!

Josh, I think the Seashell Kids post shows #18 as the standard villa example.View definitely not as large as from the deluxe terrace accommodations, but off season(Nov.?)should be witin your budget.Also,more private than a terrace above the pool.Personnally, I would take the deluxe villa if I could afford it, because view, not privacy,is my priority.

 

[Midwest Mike]

Re: Honeymoon plans, suggestions appreciated!

The "view from deck" in the seashell kids post is definitely #8. This IS a deluxe terrace cottage. The privacy from this particular cottage is probably the poorest of all the deluxe terrace cottages. There are several others with views that are superior and much more private than #8. The cottage Wickhamlane stayed in (18) is a nice standard terrace cottage. The view is good...that would be the next pick if #22 and #20 were already taken.
Mike