Coral Bay holiday

My wife and I spent a week at Beas Maison for our 15th wedding anniversary. It was the most incredible trip we've *ever* taken! The house is everything the owners promise and more. I almost hate to post this review - I'd rather Beas Maison stay a secret! It'd be hard for us to imagine staying anywhere else on a return trip to St. John (and I promise there will be one!) and it'd would have been nice not to have to fight for a reservation!

Beas Maison is very easy to get to but is tucked away south of Coral Bay overlooking Coral Bay and East end. It is quiet, peaceful, and close to some great south shore beaches. We spent a lot of time going to many of the beaches and had several all to ourselves.

The views are simply astounding! I thought the pictures of the view were cherry picked, but the reality puts all of them to shame. It really is that beautiful!

One of my main concerns was the lack of air conditioning. I like a cool house - I set our AC at home to 73. When I asked, Don assured me it was not an issue. I said to myself: "I'm sure they all say that." Let me assure you, Don was telling the truth. We had nice cool breezes through the house the entire week...in August, to boot. It was *hot* outside, but the villa stayed nice and cool.

As to the villa itself and the customer service. We had a few small glitches (internet was out and the cisterns went dry) while we were there. Don and his "on-island caretaker" took care of both problems efficiently. As to the villa itself, it is very roomy and comfortable. It was meticulously clean and had everything you could want: snorkel gear, towels, plenty of places to sit and look out at the Caribbean, soaps, shampoos, pots, pans, dishes, books, grill, etc... If I could make one complaint, it would be the water pressure (or lack thereof) in the shower. It's a *very* minor nitpick and nothing a different shower head couldn't take care of.

The grounds of the villa are remarkable. It is obvious Don and Safia have put a lot of love and care into the landscaping. There are well manicured plants and trees everywhere. In addition, there is a colony of hermit crabs that ate almost anything we dropped over the railing (at the request of Don and Safia), bananaquits that flocked to the sugar we put out and a pretty white kitty that came around looking for handouts.

I cannot recommend this property highly enough...I just hope you all leave it free for us the next time we want to go!

My first reaction when we arrived at Beas Maison was: the photos do not do it justice!!! The ceilings were higher, the new paint job was prettier, the landscaping was lusher, it was more private and larger than I thought...I could go on and on. It was unbelievably gorgeous. It had a washer/dryer, dish washer, EVERYTHING to make it homey and convenient. Even the dishes and kitchen tools were beautiful. On the huge deck was a large dipping pool overlooking the incredible view. There were no less than 4 eating areas in and around the house. The main portion of the house was a great room (living, dining, kitchen), a large bedroom with king bed and a bathroom. There was another bedroom with two twin beds and a bathroom that was separated from the main house by a breezeway. We didn't use this room, but it made the house perfect for a family vacation too.

The back patio smelled divine...jungle, organic, green. I kept saying that I wished I could bottle the smell and take it home.

I cannot recommend Beas Maison highly enough...although I am reluctant to do so in case we can't book there again when we want to return!

The pictures do not do it justice. As beautiful as the beaches of St John are, it is difficult to motivate yourself to leave the deck of Beas Maison. In the shade, in the sun, in the pool the view is wonderful and soothes the soul. All you need is a t-shirt and a bathing suit: they have provided everything else but provisions and transportation. Two minutes to some of the best snorkeling in the VI at Salt Pond and just a few minutes to the restaurants and shops of Coral Bay. We hope we get a chance to return soon.