Francis Bay Estate Villa | 5 BRs

Perfect Stay at Francis Bay

Francis Bay Estate Villa, St. John villa review

Our party of 7 could not have enjoyed this property more.
The private bedrooms were beautiful, cozy, and cool, and offered the perfect amount of true privacy for everyone. Wonderful views and beautiful sounds of birds all day long!
We are beach people through and through so did not expect the pool to be the centerpiece that it became. Perfect size, warm, beautiful views….we started and ended every day in or by the pool.
The kitchen was a treat and we truly enjoyed cooking together in it. Incredible pantry complete with all the basics, we found ourselves wanting for nothing. The great room was a little warm for most people (especially when cooking) but that’s when we made our way to the pool!
Proximity to Francis Bay was perfect - we did not walk as we had imagined given the incline (carrying our supplies for the day) but being that close was exactly what we’d hoped for.
Our greeter could not have been sweeter and truly made us feel welcome, not only to the home, but to the island as well.
We were thrilled with this property and would happily return.

I was grateful to have the support of Betsy and her team. This was a large financial investment for our party and having their help and insight was critical. Responsive, insightful and helpful!!! They were kind and patient with my many inquiries. The communication with all Where To Stay staff was generally excellent and we would gladly work with this team again!

Posted by Sarah G

Wonderful home for a large family stay

Francis Bay Estate Villa, St. John villa review

This was a great house for our ten person family stay. Walking distance to Francis bay beach. Views are spectacular.

Very smooth.

Posted by Vera H

Dream house in paradise

Francis Bay Estate Villa, St. John villa review

We rented this home for my husbands 40th birthday. Our party consisted of five couples (ages 34-42). This home was the perfect layout for multiple couples. Every room has a beautiful view, a very comfortable bed and is accessed through outdoor walkways. One room had two twin beds, which was the only downfall. Everyone felt bad for the couple that got the twin bed room, because the beds couldn’t be pushed together and the view was a little less lack luster than the other four bedrooms. The walk to the beach is downhill on the way to the beach, but a little treacherous and uphill on the way back; makes for a good midday or morning walk/workout. Shawna, with Where to Stay, helped us arrange grocery delivery, dinner reservations, a private chef and the most amazing private driver, Kevin!! Kevin seriously made our trip so incredibly special. He was so reliable and took care of all of our “on the fly” requests. His phone number is (340)227-6566. If you need a dedicated driver, do yourself a favor and hire Kevin!! Overall would recommend this house to a family with older children or a group of adults. Definitely not for younger children. Thank you for everything Shawna!! You really made this trip amazing and we so appreciate you!! Also, Patrica, the House Manager, was just lovely. Thank you, Patricia!

Shawna was utterly amazing. She was super helpful, transparent and responsive. Would definitely work with her and Where to Stay again.

Posted by Megan E

It was absolutely perfect.

Francis Bay Estate Villa, St. John villa review

Five couples shared this wonderful villa, and never felt cramped or confined. 

The layout of the house was perfect with each room having its own privacy and view. Even the bathrooms were wonderful, with windows that could be opened to a lush view. 

The wrap-around porch, great room, and kitchen, gave ample room to gather and enjoy the view and help prepare meals. This was not our first trip to the island, but our most enjoyable as accommodations go!  We’ll be back!  It was awesome!

Posted by

It was amazing.

Francis Bay Estate Villa, St. John villa review

The house was even better than the pictures.  The location was perfect. St. John is a little more busy than it was 20 years ago, and this house returns to a slower pace. 

Lots of nearby snorkeling can be found, with a sense of adventure and research. However, the less energetic part of our crowd laid by the pool, enjoying the great view and reading. The house accommodates all styles. 

They had a great kitchen for cooking. The rooms were over the top with a great view; and the centralized eating and pool areas encouraged all to be social. 

The sunsets were perfect - we even had a rainbow one morning. The stars at night were amazing. We ended almost every day on the pool deck chairs looking for shooting stars.

We have stayed at the Westin and Caneel Bay- this was much better than both in many ways.

There was a great inexpensive nearby breakfast at Maho Bay Campground worth checking out. 

The only negative can be planned around- there was not a nearby grocery store. However, that didn’t slow us down. We picked up the evening’s food to cook while we were out and about. I wish I was there right now!

Posted by Mike B

Francis Bay Estate is a first class property.

Francis Bay Estate Villa, St. John villa review

A first class property, beautifully furnished and equipped.

However, I would not rent it again in August for three key reasons:

1)Sheltered from prevailing winds by the hills, it is very hot and humid at all times of the day.

2) It’s buggy. Mosquitos and no-see-ums are always present. We could not stay outdoors without liberal applications of Off—and our three grandchildren were still covered with bites.

3) Big drawback: The open plan great room/dining area has no air conditioning. All the overhead and floor fans could do is keep the 80 to 90 degree air moving a little. It is so hot, the refrigerator and freezer really can’t cope.

The bottom line: this is an ideal property for winter rental. The wonderful ensuite bedrooms offer great privacy. Although remote, it’s close to the best beaches in the world. 

Despite the drawbacks, we had a great family vacation. 

Posted by Stan L