The smallest of the three U.S. Virgin Islands, St. John is also known for its unspoiled beaches, snorkeling, historic sites, and land-based adventures. Visitors can easily interact with sea turtles, rays, coral reefs, and colorful fish and choose beaches with shallow, calm waters or venture to more active beaches with windsurfing and kayaking. Its top all-inclusive resort, Concordia Eco Resort, is the ideal option for a relaxing vacation.
Concordia Eco Resort
Secluded from the hustle and bustle of Cruz Bay, Concordia Eco Resort has an eastern shore location on the beachfront of Coral Bay. Free from light pollution, it shares boundaries with some Virgin Islands National Park hiking trails and beaches and is a ten-minute drive from downtown Coral Bay.
Undergoing renovations due to damage from two 2017 hurricanes, Concordia currently has two types of accommodations available: villas have one queen bed and pull-out sofa included, an ocean-view balcony, A.C., a kitchenette, and a bathroom, fitting up to four people; and eco cabanas, which have one queen bed, a double mattress, and two twin beds, a mini-fridge, kitchen appliances, an ocean-view balcony, and fits up to five people. Eco cabanas have a tree house feel, using filtered rainwater for their showers.
Concordia also has an outdoor saltwater pool, a large sun deck, and free WiFi at the reception area. Guests can go hiking, snorkeling, diving, clear paddle boarding, and kayaking at the Salt Pond bay beach, and the resort offers wellness retreats that include hiking, swim camps, and anti-gravity yoga. Guests are encouraged to rent a Jeep for their stay due to the resort’s secluded location.
Few All-inclusive Resorts on St John
Concordia Eco Resort is the only all-inclusive resort in St. John. There are, however, numerous traditional resorts all over the island. Here are some of the most well-known resorts situated within St. John.
Gallows Point Resort
On a private, oceanfront five-acre peninsula, Gallows Point Resort include panoramic views and is a five-minute walk from the town of Cruz Bay.
The resort’s one-bedroom oceanfront villas are newly renovated, with tropical decor, spacious living areas, king- or queen-sized beds, and fully equipped kitchens included. Views are of the ocean or the harbor, and villas can be two stories or single-story. Villas also have A.C., WiFi, satellite television, and iPod docking stations.
Gallows Point’s acclaimed on-site restaurant, Ocean 362, offers fine dining “island to table” style six nights a week (closed on Tuesdays), while Gallows Point Resort Gift & Gourmet serves breakfasts and lunches and carries deli meats, cheeses, and basic grocery items.
The resort has an outdoor pool and a concierge service that can arrange island activities.
The Westin St. John Resort Villas
A top vacation ownership resort in the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Great Cruz Bay, the Westin St. John Resort Villas are set on pristine beaches.
Accommodation options range from a studio, one-, two-, or three-bedroom villa or townhouse up to 2,850 square feet. Each villa has king-sized Westin Heavenly Beds, fully equipped kitchens or well-equipped kitchenettes, washers and dryers, and furnished balconies. Some villas have two levels. Villas have many amenities, including WiFi and flatscreen cable/satellite televisions.
Snorkels Bar & Grill, a poolside restaurant and beach bar, offers casual Caribbean cuisine, salads, sandwiches, tropical drinks, and beach views; The Mango Deli is a perfect stop for quick meals or cooking ingredients. There are nearby dining options off-site, such as High Tide Seafood Bar & Seafood Grill and Ronnie’s pizza, which are about a mile away.
The resort’s quarter-acre outdoor pool is landscaped with palm trees and overlooks Great Cruz Bay, with a whirlpool spa and Snorkels Bar & Grill nearby. There are also tennis courts, a spa (temporarily closed), a Westin Family Kids Club for kids ages 3-12, and a fitness studio.
Off-site, guests can take advantage of the pristine coastline for snorkeling and swimming; do watersports on Cruz Bay; hike the Reef Bay Trail of the U.S. Virgin Islands National Park; take guided day trips to the nearby British Virgin Islands; go shopping, dining, dancing; or visit historical sights such as the Annaberg Plantation.
Estate Lindholm
Historically, the site of Estate Lindholm was settled in the 1720s by Danish planters; today, it is an intimate tropical inn within the Virgin Islands National Park overlooking Cruz Bay harbor.
There are 17 guest rooms including private furnished balconies, bathrooms, wet bars, mini refrigerators, coffee makers, microwaves, air conditioning, and high-speed WiFi. All rooms have views of Cruz Bay and many surrounding cays. Plantation Cottage is the most historic room, a renovation of the original house built by the Morrisette family, who settled on the property in the 1950s. New penthouse rooms on the third floor are named Salomon and Haulover. During guests’ stay, daily breakfast, housekeeping, and on-site parking are included. Beach chairs, towels, coolers, and snorkel rental equipment are also available.
Amenities on-site include a saltwater pool with harbor views. The inn is happy to help guests arrange various water sports (scuba diving, snorkeling, sport-fishing, kayaking, etc.) and other activities. A short hike along National Park Trails will bring guests to secluded Honeymoon and Salomon Beaches. Cruz Bay’s shops, art galleries, and restaurants await you within easy walking distance. Guests can also visit St. Thomas and the British Virgin Islands quite easily.
Sea Shore Allure
Sea Shore Allure is settled on a shell beach close to Cruz Bay’s restaurants and shops, St. John National Park, and upscale Mongoose Junction.
The resort has 14 modern oceanfront suites (one-bedroom, one-bedroom with spa bathroom, two-bedroom, or three-bedroom penthouse included) with complimentary high-speed WiFi, full gourmet kitchens, en-suite bathrooms, home theater systems, desks, safes, and daily housekeeping upon request. Suites have Brazilian hardwood detailing, travertine tile, and native stonework. The entire estate can also be rented out.
Sea Shore Allure has a private pebble beach equipped with chairs, umbrellas, coolers, and unlimited towels; it also has an outdoor Havana pool with spa jets, surround-sound speakers, pool toys, and floats, as well as a poolside tiki bar, cabanas, outdoor showers, restrooms, and a grill. A private rooftop terrace with hot tubs and an area to sunbathe is ideal for guests to relax in. Other amenities include complimentary snorkeling gear rentals, complimentary parking, a 24-hour front desk, concierge service (offers help for jeep and boat rentals, reservations, etc.), and a laundry facility for the few rooms that do not have washers and dryers. Key for families is the on-site nanny/babysitting services that make family vacations a breeze! Also close by are tennis courts, golf courses, a salon, a spa, an ATM, and a convenience store.
Guests can take advantage of nearby Cruz Bay’s restaurants and shops and visit nearby historical sites.
Cruz Bay Boutique Hotel
Cruz Bay Boutique Hotel is a quaint hotel with fourteen rooms and a penthouse suite. Founded in 2010, the hotel was renovated and expanded in 2018 in a Miami boutique style crossed with island decor. Cruz Bay Boutique Hotel is right in the middle of lively Cruz Bay’s restaurants, bars, and shops, near to St. John’s beach and tourist attractions and ferry dock.
Rooms are small, simple, and elegant, with baths, pillow-top queen beds, complimentary WiFi, flatscreen satellite television, mini refrigerators, and air conditioning. The penthouse apartment is a one-bedroom suite with a full kitchen, a double futon sofa, and one additional sofa, with 12-foot beamed cathedral ceilings. The penthouse is ideal for extended stays and requires at least a 7-night stay.
Cruz Bay Boutique Hotel offers daily housekeeping, concierge service, 24-hour front desk service, and equipment like beach chairs, towels, and coolers. There is a daily continental breakfast as well.
Dine at the ground-level Dave and Jerry’s Island Steakhouse or venture out to Cruz Bay’s variety of restaurants.
