Ristaba Villa Reviews

Feb 2010
We had a wonderful week here- we so enjoyed your lovely home with the beautiful sunsets, excursions to beach..we were always welcomed home in the afternoon by our poolside friends- the two iguanas...such a wonderful place to share with our family!
The Gianniny's

March 2010
The three of us couples ..Left the snow and the children behind to come to our favorite retreat, St John, and this villa Ristaba with its phenomenal pool. There's nothing better that us T'ree women... floating in the pool, waiting for the guys to serve us daiquiris or mojitos...What a magical place this is!
Dan, Jodi, Chip, Mattie, Todd and Laurie

April 2010
We came, we saw, and loved every minute of it! From Michigan with our families...this was an amazing gat away for us! Ristaba is such a comfortable and inviting launch pad for all the island activities..I can't say enough about Ristaba. It fit so well for our 2 families, is obviously well built and smartly appointed. We also love the location, sitting atop the island world. We hope to come back!
Douglas, Marilyn, Megan and Matthew

August 2010
Our second visit to Ristaba -last time was 6 years ago. The view is as spectacular as ever! We look forward to year 7!
The Maachio's

Nov 2010
What a wonderful week, what a fabulous home! This is what dreams are made. First time here but not our last. What a magnificent house!! It was a fantastic week! Thanks Lisa! Great place for a family of 12 :>) The Wolfe's

Thanks
HUGE thank you from the Salt Lake clan. The main house and cottage was perfect four our group of 12 adults..was the 2nd trip to the island for most of us and it was everything we loved and more...loved Ristaba and will hopefully return soon!
The McAlister's et a

Fodor's Review:
Big families or couples who travel together will enjoy Ristaba's abundant space. The great room opens onto a spacious tiled veranda that overlooks the pool and the stellar sea views. The layout gives you lots of room for socializing. The house has four bedrooms in the main building, with two more in a separate cottage. Floors are ceramic tile, and the furniture is wood and wicker, perfect for relaxing. Although the house has plenty of places to catch some rays, it also comes with lots of shady spots, such as the wicker rockers on the porch. Pros: pleasant neighborhood, lots of space, great pool. Cons: ...need car to get around, no a/c in.. Living rooms.

07/08/2005 Rating: ****Excellent
We just came back from a family vacation on St. John. We stayed at Ristaba - a 6 bedroom villa about 5 minutes from town. Everything was perfect!
Our party had 3 children and 9 adults. The house was perfect for us. The family with children stayed in the cottage. They were able to have their own kitchen and watch movies in there at night, but for the most part everyone tended to congregate in the main house.
The living area of the main house is the second floor. It has LOTS of space - a huge dining room table that accomodated all of us, a kitchen big enough for a chef and a few helpers (which was nice when you're cooking for 12!), and a TV/reading area for about 6 people. Because of the large screened doors around the room we enjoyed wonderful breezes every day. The living area extends out to the porch where there is another table for 6 to dine and some wicker furniture.
The views from the living area both inside and outside are amazing! We saw St. Thomas, the Westin, and on clear days, St. Croix. Looking down from the balcony you see the pool which is fun because you don't have to be IN the pool to enjoy being with the kids. However, the pool is very deep so kids must be supervised by an adult. There is a large step area which is where the kids generally swam.
The bedrooms in the main house are very nice. The air condioners and fans do a great job of keeping the rooms cool. Some of the bathrooms have outdoor showers which is fun.
Both houses have laundry machines which is very convenient. (We only used it twice b/c of the water conservation on the island)
The house provided beach chairs,bed linens, bath and beach towels. Also, a nice surprise was the hair dryers in the bathroom.
Ristaba is located in Chocolate Hole, which is about a 5 minute drive to Cruz Bay and a 3 minute drive to the Starfish Market. We found the location to be very convenient. We rented 2 SUVs and 1 car, but you could also call taxis to get around if you prefer. We will definitely be back to Ristaba! It is paradise in every way. Sarah