Paradise
Ami La Vita Villa, St. John villa review
Gorgeous, everything a family needs. Lovely outdoor showers and breathtaking views. We absolutely loved every moment.
WhreToStay.com was very helpful and quick to answer questions.
Posted by Jessica S
Ami La Vita Villa
Ami La Vita Villa, St. John villa review
Fantastic Villa! Quiet, Clean, Pleasant and Updated interior. Located away from primary road but close to the beaches, downtown, and stores. Extremely quiet inside and outside. Comfortable furniture and beds. Relax in the beautiful family room or float the day away in the terrific pool. Gaze upon an unobstructed wonderful bay view that soothes the soul from the fabulous covered lanai. This Villa is a Gem not to be missed.
Excellent service. WhereToStay walks you through the entire vacation process. Continual communication through the entire process. Met at the Cruz Bay dock by Viky and taken to the car rental then followed Viky to the Villa. Viky provided a Villa tour along with how the Villa operates. Viky pointed out interesting facts pertaining to ST John as well as who owned the Big Houses. Great service. We were also contacted by the WhereToStay throughout our week asking if we questions or any issues; thank you for checking in on us during our stay!
Posted by Michael S
Ami La Vita was perfect for our family
Ami La Vita Villa, St. John villa review
We loved everything about Ami La Vita. The views were stunning, the house is very well kept and stocked. Beds, pillows and AC kept us very comfortable. The driveway is really steep and takes some careful maneuvering. Loved the pool, chaise loungers, floats and noodles. Great beach chairs and thermoses. Would go back in a heartbeat. Highly recommend!
Shawna was great. Like a personal concierge. I loved the services she offered through Wheretostay, her personal email follow-up, etc. I have already recommended two friends to Shawna. Thanks for the great service, Shawna!
Posted by Mindy C
Beautiful Vacation Rental
Ami La Vita Villa, St. John villa review
We loved our stay. The location is perfect. Klein Bay and the path is so nice. We loved this home and plan to return.
Posted by Kate R
Great Villa
Ami La Vita Villa, St. John villa review
We loved the house....great location, great views, loved the outdoor showers! The top notch cookware, was not expected, but was very appreciated, as we did a lot of meals there. The downstairs bedrooms was not a great layout for privacy, there is not a solid door between bathroom and bedroom, just a curtain...very odd we thought,...would be a nice to add a door there so that if someone from other bedroom is using the jack and jill bathroom, you still have privacy in that bedroom. It was a wonderful vacation, would absolutely stay there again!!!
Shawna was great, very good about communication with us at every stage of booking process. So helpful to make sure that we had taxi, food, reservations, etc. LOVED that there was some food in fridge after long day of flying....a wonderful surprise and SO APPRECIATED!!!! Thank you!!!
Posted by Valerie C
Fantastic stay in Klein Bay for family of 6!
Ami La Vita Villa, St. John villa review
Home was all that we expected and then some more. Pictures don’t do it justice. We had a wonderful stay for our family of six. House had all the amenities we needed and kitchen was well equipped for cooking. Views from all rooms are amazing (especially the outdoor showers). Very pleased with our decision to rent for the week.
Posted by Tom B
Work/Play Stay
Ami La Vita Villa, St. John villa review
Very nice property with a stunning view of Klein Bay, 10 minute drive to town. Good island vibe with modern amenities, though the kitchen could have been better equipped and the grill was in an unappealing location. The bedrooms were nice, 2 upstairs and 2 down (more for kids), baths were good (though interesting that main showers were outdoor). Pool was nice, not huge but bigger than the pix on the site, with good floats and a very convenient 1/2 bath, fridge, and sink. Lounge chairs by the pool were really comfortable. The WiFi was fine, maybe could use an extender or two. Maybe our favorite spot was the large outdoor table on the lanai, which had ceiling fans, lights, and a stunning view over the bay - we worked from there whenever possible, and ate nearly every meal there as well.
Overall a very nice property that won't disappoint.
Shawna was great - flexible, understanding, and patient. We need to talk to her about planning for 2022
Posted by Saul N
Views out of this world
Ami La Vita Villa, St. John villa review
The house was everything we wanted and more. The walk to the beach was a good work out, but well worth it. Kitchen was stocked better than any we have ever rented.
Shawna is the best. She was quick to answer any questions we had and to arrange everything to make sure our trip was wonderful.
Posted by Cindy and Stanley G
The Perfect Family R&R Retreat!
Ami La Vita Villa, St. John villa review
Ami La Vita Villa is a hillside gem! We are a family of six, with adult children from Chicago and London, who stayed at the villa between Christmas and New Year's. The house was perfectly suited with space for us to come together, while providing enough room to carve out our own private oasis to rest and rejuvenate.
Shawna was fantastic, and helped us pick the perfect Caribbean location to meet our family's needs. I would highly recommend WhereToStay.com and Shawna for any and all of your Caribbean travel planning.
Posted by Mark C
Great time at Villa Anansi!
Ami La Vita Villa, St. John villa review
We stayed 8 nights at Villa Anansi (2 parents and 3 teenagers) and had an amazing time. The outdoor showers are fabulous! We loved eating breakfast on the veranda overlooking the beautiful sea, as well as dinner there some evenings followed by games. We very much enjoyed using the beach bag, beach chairs, and cooler (provided at the house) when going to a different beach every day. It was a quick 10-minute or less drive into town, and only about a 20-minute drive to the beautiful North Shore beaches. The kitchen had everything we needed and there were plenty of pool/beach towels; the house is beautifully furnished, etc. My husband walked down to the small pebble beach every morning to swim while the rest of us had a lazy breakfast and packed for the beach. The layout of the bedrooms worked perfectly for our family. The pool, floats, half bath beside the pool, pool bar, and ample lounge chairs made for some relaxing and beautiful late afternoons and evenings at the villa after day outings. The view took our breadth every time we drove up to the villa and entered the front gate. The shower water pressure was quite low in the bedroom my husband and I stayed in (the one separated by a breezeway), but the view from the outdoor shower more than made up for it.
I had a top-rate experience working with Sharon and others at WhereToStay. We were always given full instructions and assistance, and we had no "hiccups." Sharon was super at promptly responding to questions I had and gave us great advice and recommendations, in addition to just the villa rental. We tried several of Sharon's dining recommendations and couldn't have been more pleased. Check-in and check-out was easy. Upon arriving we found the fridge was not cooling properly, and WhereToStay had someone over to repair it within a few shorts hours, and had someone check the next day to confirm it had been fully corrected. I would definitely use them again and recommend them to anyone.
Posted by Deirdre M
Very Nice Villa
Ami La Vita Villa, St. John villa review
Ami La Vita is in the Klein Bay Area, which is a very nice and typically quiet neighborhood. We’ve stayed all across the island over the last 20 years, and Klein Bay is one of our favorite areas along with Maria Bluff. The only point to be aware of is the proximity of the new villa next door, Casa La Famiglia. The vegetation keeps the site private, however, conversations over a low voice are easily overheard from the pool deck and the outdoor dining area. Thankfully, our neighbors for our second week of the trip were relatively quiet, as opposed to the first week neighbors who were loud and boisterous. Once inside, there is no sign of your neighbors. The villa itself is very clean and well equipped, and has everything you need for a great St. John vacation.
Shawna is very attentive and quick with replies. A pleasure to work with.
Posted by Bill P
Amazing views & beach is a hidden gem
Ami La Vita Villa, St. John villa review
Our family has stayed at other homes on st. john in the past that were older construction and a bit dated so we had high hopes for this newer property, Anansi, on Klein bay. And overall we were pleased subject to a couple of important caveats.
First off, the view is spectacular and we found ourselves staring at it all throughout the day. Kitchen and appliances were new and worked great. Beds were very comfortable and AC set at 75 degrees (only in bedrooms) worked just fine. Pool was great, if a bit on the small side.
Aside from the view, the beach access is the true highlight of this property. We found the walk to the beach to be steep, but simple, even for our 11 year old. The water was perfect, calm and extremely clear, but entering the water takes a little effort. No urchins on the shore, but still have to take your time to enter. Snorkeling was a delight in both directions. We routinely saw turtles and rays along with lots of fish.
The only drawbacks to mention: the wifi on the property is very slow and range is limited to only one upper bedroom. Coupled with the fact that the home is in a dead zone for AT&T wireless means cell phones/email/texting are basically impossible from this property. An unwelcome surprise.
Second drawback is the indoor living room furniture is uncomfortable and only has seating for 4 people. While we spent most of our days on the outside veranda or by the pool, it meant the nights were usually spent around the kitchen table due to the lack of other seating. A very odd setup given that the property has 4 bedrooms. A couple of comfortable couches would have made a big difference.
All that in mind, we definitely enjoyed our stay and now consider Klein Bay a hidden gem we would return to year after year. But seems unlikely we would return to Anansi unless the wifi were improved and a more comfortable indoor seating options were provided.
We've worked with Shawna in the past and our setup/arrival have always gone very smoothly, including this year. We would continue to book through wheretostay in the future.
Posted by Mark W
Jaw Dropping
Ami La Vita Villa, St. John villa review
Our best family vacation. We could have just sat with a coffee every morning or a glass of wine every night and looked out from the villa Anansi. The villa had all the amenities that were mentioned. Hair dryers, cards, games, floats, internet (slow though), ocean sounds, boat watching, tropical breezes and on and on. My wife always brings her "stuff" just in case but it was not needed. The only negative, was the "peppled beach" and the "easy" 5 min walk. This statement was very misleading. It is not a peppled beach. It is a “round rock” beach that really requires water shoes. You need to be in good - great shape to get to the beach and into the water by foot. After you make it in the water, the snorkeling and swimming is effortless and almost worth the effort. I did it 3 times during my 8-day stay. If it would have been easier I would done it a lot more. I will leave it at that. I gave it 4 out of 5 only because of the beach and the walk. In short, I would still go back in a minute.
Working with Shawna, @ WTS was great. Shawna stayed in contact right up to our departure. She gave recommendations as well as contacts and phone numbers for ferry's / taxi's / groceries. She gave the experience a very comforting personal touch.
Posted by Brett F
I would consider a return visit.
Ami La Vita Villa, St. John villa review
We stayed two weeks in February. This is a nice villa overlooking Klein Bay with views looking toward Saint Croix. This is a good house for three couples, one with one or two children.
The kitchen is well equipped, the pool is small but adequate, and the setting is quiet (although on a very steep driveway). The location is a ten-minute drive from Cruz Bay over rough and winding roads.
The villa is adequately furnished, and the outside deck is especially nice. The outdoor showers are great, too. The beach is a very steep climb and is rocky, but has good snorkeling. There is a nice Weber BBQ grill - which we used often.
We enjoyed the beautiful views and breezes, and would consider a return visit.
Posted by Jeane F
It was very comfortable with an amazing view.
Ami La Vita Villa, St. John villa review
This place was fantastic. The view was amazing!
There were a few negatives, though. The driveway was extremely steep - not for the faint of heart. Also, the outdoor showers tended to attract mosquitoes. The living area didn't have air conditioning.
In addition, be aware that the downstairs bedrooms didn't have doors - just curtains, so they really have to be shared by family or people very comfortable with each other.
Other than that, this place was perfect. We really enjoyed our stay here.
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