Sunset Ridge Villas

If you love St. John or have been wanting to go - here is a good place to stay at a mimimum cost. The units are clean, has all you need & view is beautiful. We rent a car for about $350 - $500 for the week - cost depends what month you are there. We have always been able to rent one.

The beaches are some of the most beautiful in the Caribbean and I have sailed & traveled many Caribbean islands. The island is 3/4 national park & it is a magical island. Sunset Ridge is at the top of a mountain - with beautiful views.

There is a nice size pool. Each unit has a sitting pool, good size rooms, washer/dryer, microwave, full fridge and more. The units are private and its great to sit out at night and look at a gazillion stars.

The town of Cruz Bay is 5 minutes away or you can go to beaches all day long. Or hop a ferry to BVI's. The Westin and other most places to stay on the island are very expensive - much more plush than Sunset Ridge - but you will pay for it.

Sunset Ridge is a good place to stay without having to spend a lot. Our whole family goes at least once a year and we take lots of friends too! We love it.

we had a wonderful time because it was our first trip to st. john but there were several things to consider when staying at this resort that we didn't know. you are not staying close to the beach, you are up in the hills, so to be able to get to all the beaches on st. john you need to rent a car at $100. per day and that is IF a car is available. the villas are somewhat sparce and a tad ratty although the best thing about this property is the spectacular views. i think we'll try the westin next time because of the rental car expense but we'll deffinately visit st. john again. it's just a gorgeous island with the most beautiful beaches!

Tried to buy a week , no deed avail or title, somebody owes a lot of taxes. I got burned big time!

i stayed at sunset ridge last june,yes it is hard to find but when you do its worth,everyone is on island time which means slow. the units were clean ,not fancy i had no problems with staff,i have been to st johns before and it is busy ,this is quiet and off the beaten path.buy your own food and enjoy the view. charlie

We were lucky enough to get a trade here thru RCI in November (2004). There are only 6 units here and they are huge! There are 2 buildings and a large outside patio in between. You not only have your own private plunge pool on the patio but there is a very large lap pool (with mini-waterfall) with a view to die for. Don't forget to bring binoculars. You definitely need a 4WD to get there as it is on one of the highest points of the island. SSRV is not easy to find. A few signs would certainly help, especially for first timers. There are a few maintenance issues but there are so many positives that outweigh the negatives. Many of the owners here own multiple weeks and rarely exchange them. We have been to many Caribbean islands and St. John is our favorite (so far)!

I am a current owner of two weeks (willing to buy more from fellow owners).

First, I have to comment on the review a former owner posted a couple of years back. Our water is stored in cisterns which collect rainwater. Effluent water is sewage and not very clear and smells like sewage (even from a distance). All the inside and outside taps are cistern water. Everyone on island drinks bottled water because cistern water tastes a little off. It also needs clorinization when used in a pool. I think he was a little confused.

All summer (the dry season), we get a 3,000 gallon water truck delivery at 9 AM every day, it costs $250 per load. I've seen the budget, we pay a fortune for water and I've personally seen them refill the jacuzzi's with it.

Staying at Sunset Ridge is like having your own condo on St. John. You hear roosters crowing in the morning. We have "island air conditioning" from being up so high on a hill, you leave the windows open and by midnight, you need a blanket.

The owners' association has spent a lot of money in capital repairs the last few years. New appliances, exterior painting, etc. The interiors still need painting, I understand that is in the plan for 2006 after roof repairs. The association still has to spend constantly, the sun at 18 degrees latitude destroys quickly. It's not perfect and the maids are lazy at times too. When we arrive, we usually sweep the place and courtyard ourselves, hopefully someday that will be addressed. But no island in the Carribean is nicer and that's why you come here.

Look at the prices to rent a house and you will begin to really understand why you rarely see a Sunset Ridge unit for sale, and usually they are over $10,000/week when you do. Look for yourself in the St. John MLS.

As to crime, I feel bad for the reviewer who was robbed, I understand that the perpetrator was finally caught. Ironically, the St. John PD K-9 Squad consists of one policeman who now lives 300 feet down the road from the Villas with his Police Dog. You must pass his Police SUV to get to the Villas.

Read the online version of the VI Daily News. Weeks go by between anything happening on St. John, it's as safe as you get in the Carribean. With only 3,000 residents, the cops know the troublemakers and keep them in line.

In summary, this is a nice way to experience the island as residents, not resort guests who miss truly seeing the flavor of carribean life.

I've stayed at Sunset Ridge twice, in 2003, and 2001. I bought a week on the resale market and look forward to going back. The island, which is 2/3 National Park is the main attraction. The villa is a home with a view and a pool. You won't find a bar on site, nor live music. Very spacious unit (1800 square feet) with private master suite across the courtyard. Only 6 units in the resort. The road up to the villas is an eye opener the first time you drive it. (Steep in spots) It's very expensive to rent on St. John (unless you tent camp it) You drink bottled water on St. Johns, and drive on the left. The beaches, snorkeling, diving, hobi cat sailing, etc are as good as it gets. Dining in Cruz Bay offers something for everyone. If you can trade into St. Johns, do it! The Westin is quite a bit fancier, but really spendy.

We are owners at Sunset and spend a second week at the Westin each year. After the carnival like atmosphere of the Westin, Sunset Ridge is a welcome retreat. We have a spacious 2 story villa witha private terrace and a master suite in a separate single story building. The pool is completely refurbished and clean - we spent all week swimming with the pool virtually to ourselves. The views are spectacular and evenings on the patios are breezy and lovely. Sunset Ridge is more like living on St. John rather than just vacationing.

To update: We never filed our deed with the USVI until May of 2007. We had no problem and have the recorded deed in our possession. I really don't understand why the reviewer in 8/06 had a problem

The unit we stay in is over 1500 square feet (with a very private master). The views are gorgeous and the patio and barbecue allow us to have family dinners under the stars. The site is at the top of the hill so the paddle fans are great and there really has not been the need for AC for us. This is not the Westin which means it is not a five star resort (that could be anywhere) but it is a four star Carribean experience on beautiful St. John.

We own at both Sunset Ridge and the Westin and enjoy the pluses at Sunset Ridge...spacious units with private outdoor space (patio and barbecue) to be more appealing to us than the Westin but they are two entirely different properties. You must have a car at Sunset, but to really appreciate St. John, you must have a car wherever you stay. St. John is fantastic for exploring and enjoying the outstanding beaches.

*** The new management (2008) at Sunset Ridge has been terrific and new board of trustees are making significant improvements. The owner/developer who just (finally) handed the management over to the owners was not a good caretaker of this beautiful and special spot so it did fall into disrepair. This is a great time to buy a week if you can get one as it gets better and better.

This place is a disaster. Very poor quality, filthy dirty, hateful staff, broken appliances, no air conditioning, over-chlorined jacuzzis, what could be worse? Try getting burglarized in the middle of the night and having $2500 worth of cameras and cash stolen....right from the bedroom where you were sleeping! A better option would have been to rent a car in St John and sleep in it for the entire week. Avoid this place like the plague unless you want to risk getting your throat slit in the middle of the night - absolutely ZERO security at Sunset Ridge.

I am a former owner at this resort and found it to be poorly maintained. The management was also aloof. The view is spectacular but the units need major refurbishment. Linens were old and furniture cushions were ripped and worn out. Patio furniture was pitted and the barbecue grill needed to be replaced. In response to user skpope, the over chlorinated jacuzzi was most likely to compensate for the effluent water from the outside villa faucet being used by staff about midweek to refill the jacuzzi. Needless to say, we did not go in the jacuzzi again during our stay. Gross!!!! Did I forget to mention the ant infestation. With appropriate repairs the overall appeal of the resort might improve.