Last updated: 9/22/2022 St John is the second smallest of the four major islands making up the United States Virgin Islands (commonly shortened to USVI) territory. Even though the island is fairly small, it makes up for it in beauty. The beaches and views from the hills are picturesque from virtually any point on the island. From the magnificent and world famous Trunk Bay to the surreal sea turtle sanctuary that is Maho Bay, a trip to St John is one that will leave an impression on even the most experienced travelers. Taking the whole family on a trip to St John and staying in one of these villa rentals is a bucket list experience sure to make memories that last a lifetime. A St John villa rental overlooking the turquoise blue water is a bucket list destination for many.
There is no airport in St John, so you will need to fly into nearby St Thomas (Airport Code STT) and take a short ferry ride to Cruz Bay in St John. I highly highly recommend spending the extra $10 per person and taking the luxury Crown Bay ferry, which is about a 5 minute taxi ride from the airport. This saves you having to take a roughly half hour taxi across St Thomas to get to the Red Hook ferry. You won’t regret it. It’s $20 per person on the Crown Bay ferry and the trip takes a little over a half hour to arrive on St John (goes quick with the incredible views). On to the five biggest St John villa rentals!
5. Deja View, an Incredible 6BR St John Luxury Villa Rental
You know when the list starts with a villa like Deja View there are going to be some incredible rentals coming. Deja View is a luxury St John villa rental that sleeps 17, with 6 bedrooms. The property sits at the end of a private road and has 180 degree views of the beautiful Rendezvous Bay below. This location on St John puts you a quick 5 minute drive from the restaurants and shops of Cruz Bay but just far enough away for some quiet tranquility. This is a location that is pretty easy to get to via taxi, so renting a bunch of cars for large groups is not a necessity.
This villa was completely renovated after Hurricane Irma in 2017 and has one of the coolest infinity pools on St John. There is over 5,000 sqft of outdoor living space at Deja View, which includes a luxury outdoor kitchen and bar for entertaining. The 6 bedrooms are all private king suites with ensuite bathrooms, making this large St John villa rental a great option for groups of couples. Deja View is an amazing property and it isn’t surprising that it gets a perfect 5/5 review score on VRBO. Check availability and more info: Deja View Villa on VRBO.com
4. Villa St John, a 6BR Virgin Islands Rental House with Beach Access
Villa St John is one of the rare St John house rentals to actually have beach access. St John is unique because most of the beachfront land on the island is owned by the US National Parks service, making private beach access a rarity. Villa St John is located on the hills overlooking Chocolate Hole Bay, just outside of Cruz Bay. The private beach access is down a long stairway from the house. There are actually 2 villas included in this rental. Depending on your group situation this could be a major benefit, just enough space apart after a long day on the beach.
Much like the last rental, this property has 6 king suites all with attached bathrooms. In total there are 7 and a half bathrooms on the property. The views from almost every room on either villa are incredible. The location is just high enough to have panoramic views overlooking the bay, but not so high that it makes accessing the beach a mountain climb up stairs. Villa St John allows weddings and large gatherings, and will be happy to arrange catering or provisioning for any event. The property owners maintain a nearly flawless 4.9/5.0 average rating from guests on VRBO with around 50 reviews posted. Check availability and more info: Villa St John on VRBO.com
3. Maria Bluff Estate, a 12,000 sqft St John Villa Rental
Maria Bluff Estate is one of the largest St John villa rentals on this list, at least by sheer square footage. Coming in at a staggering 12,000+ sqft, this 7 bedroom, 8 bath rental is recommended to sleep 14 (you could push that way way higher though). The sheer amount of space in this property makes it an ideal space to host large gatherings. Located on the peninsula separating Cruz Bay and Chocolate Hole, the property has great views of both. The views from this property are some of the best on the island.
Maria Bluff Estate has two massive infinity pools with views of the beautiful turquoise blue St John water. Six of the seven bedrooms have King or Queen beds, with the last one having 2 twins. The luxury kitchen and outdoor dining areas make it easy to entertain large groups without having to leave the property. Located on a private cul-de-sac, parking is never an issue. This is one of the biggest St John villa rentals by amount of space, and if you want to host a large group without feeling cramped, Maria Bluff Estate is a great choice. Check availability and more info: Maria Bluff Estate on VRBO.com
2. Villa Cin Cin, an Extreme Luxury St John Villa Rental on a Private Point
If this list was based on pure luxury alone and not size, Villa Cin Cin would be the run away winner. It sleeps 20 comfortably, and is located all by itself on the exclusive Ditleff Point on St John. You would be hard pressed to find a more luxurious villa rental on St John or anywhere in the US Virgin Islands for that matter. Numerous celebrities and high profile weddings have chosen Villa Cin Cin as their destination Villa. From the luxury commercial Viking and Sub Zero appliances to the massive outdoor bar and covered verandas, there is plenty of space to entertain and cater to groups.
It can be extremely, if not nearly impossible to book this luxury St John villa during the high season. During the summer months there are usually some availability if you are willing to be flexible. This property isn’t cheap, but you can tell by the amount of bookings and repeat guests in the reviews that the price tag is worth it for big groups. This is definitely one of those bucket list places that nobody will forget. Check availability and more info: Villa Cin Cin on VRBO.com
1. Shangri-La Villa, the Largest Villa Rental in St John USVI (11BR, 13BA)
The Shangri-La Villa property is the largest in St John and the Virgin Islands. It has an 11 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms and is rated to sleep 32 people. This is by far the largest island VRBO rental we’ve ever featured on Frequent Islander. This villa not only has beach access, but it is actually one of the very small number of properties that sits directly on the beach. Shangri La comes with so much beach and watersport equipment that you don’t even need to leave the property for a beach day. Whether you want to snorkel, kayak, stand up paddle board, or just lay on the beach; all the equipment is provided with this rental.
The infinity pool and outdoor living space overlooks the calm and beautiful blue waters of Chocolate Hole. The massive kitchen and dining area makes preparing food for large groups easy. The property managers will do whatever it takes to make your vacation easy. Whether you want a private chef, a boat rental, a charter boat, or simply drinks and food in the fridge when you arrive, MaryKae and Al will make it happen. There isn’t a villa rental in the Virgin Islands that does it better than this. If you have a huge group and need a lot of space, you can’t go wrong with Shangri-La Villa, the largest St John Villa rental available. Check availability and more info: Shangri-La Villa on VRBO.com
If you enjoy checking out large beach houses like the ones featured in this post, here are a few of our other lists with mansions and large beach houses:
FrequentIslander’s Top 5 Biggest Beachfront Mansion Rentals in the United States
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