I haven't stayed at Pools and Pavillions but have toured the property and it seems fairly quiet and subdued. The closest snorkling to you will probably be at Sapphire which if you go out to the point by where the pool bar is the snorkling isn't too bad.
Also, not very far away from you will be Coki beach which probaby has some of the best snorkling available which is easily accessible to the general public.

Katetastrophee,

Love your screen name...too funny.

Thank you for the info. I do want to do some exploring and find some great snorkling. We've never snorkled in the ocean, just lakes and rivers. So I'm very excited. I know Pavilions & Pools isn't a fancy place but it looked very secluded and romatic. Just what I'm looking for.

Thanks Again!

Your inquiry is timely. We just returned from a St. Thomas Wedding and 6 couples from our group stayed at P & Pools --- which gave us a really good base line for comparison. While P & P is clearly not for everyone, all of our group really enjoyed our stay. The new Manager "George" does a terrific job making sure everyone's stay is comfortable and things run smooth. The "private" deck & pool is unique to any resort complex we have seen in the Caribbean. The morning "continental breakfast" is a terrific plus, and actually a $$ saver. The "indoor-outdoor" shower is fun, and certainly not the downer some have suggested in other posts. The units are not palatial by any means, but are fully functional and more than adequate, particularly if after your morning sun tan session at the pool you are out for most of the day. The couple of extra $$ for an International unit(larger size than the Caribbean units) is probably worth it. My "savvy traveller" tip is to be sure you speak direct with George, and flat out ask him if you can have one of the upgraded or modernized unit --- #116 for example. Also ask him if your unit has "stairs" going into the pool, not a vintage 1950 era ladder. Unit #121 was under renovation/modernization while we were there, but may be completed by your visit.
Have a great time.
JJH
p.s. Be sure to have dinner at both Roberts American Grille and Romano's --- absolutely great food !

Hi there JJH,

Thank you for all the info. I have already made reservations for a Carribean Villa through a travel agent. Do you think I should call George now, myself, have the travel agent call, or wait till we get there?

I think we'll be happy with the Carribean Villa, but an updated one would be nice, with the pool stairs too. Not looking for anything fancy or to be waited on hand and foot. We'll enjoy the privacy.

Thanks for the tips on the restaurants. I'm looking for great places to eat and snorkle.

Dear jjh

I'm sure your comments were very helpful to Marie.

One comment you made needs correction. "..the private deck and pool is unique...

If you have ever been to St Croix, you would have discovered Villa Madalaine. This development of forty something condo units is very upscale and each condo has a private pool. It is much nicer than P & P on St Thomas. You did qualify your statement.

Villa Madalaine is something special

I must comment on the fabulous Villa Madeleine on St Croix. I stayed there in the 90's and still dream of the resort. I think of it as individual vills not condos built on a hill side with nice views and constant tradewinds, not to leave out the private pool with each villa. The Great House was built to resemble the sugar plantations that covered St Croix until the mid 1860's, also has an open air restaurant. A car is a must, the roads are straight and easy driving. Before you ask,,,,no, I am not the owner and no I don't own a unit to rent, tho I wish I did. The Villa Madeleine was featured in the 1991 Architectural Digest, with beautiful pictures of the villas and grounds. A must to see if you visit St Croix.

The restaurant at Villa Madeleine was closed a few years ago and is now part of a private home. The closest food is at the bottom of the hill at Just 'n Case Deli and Duggan's Reef restaurant is just a few hundred yards along the waterfront from there.

Oh, I didn't know that, wow what a private home it would make. No doubt the home of the Roncaris',,,,that is, if he's still the owner??? Thanks for the update on the Villa Madeleine.

The owner is a guy who is building an enormous, multi-million dollar home on the waterfront towards the east end. His guest house was built first (about $2M) along with an impressive fence. The fence isn't complete yet, despite it being started about 18 months ago or more. The main house is now under construction. No rumors are out there yet if he plans to sell his Villa Madeleine great house home once the new project is ready to live in.

My wife and I stayed at Pavilions and Pools for our first honeymoon (we return to the Virgin Islands every year for another honeymoon). I had found it on line and she had found it in a travel magazine at the same time so it was fate. We totally enjoyed the privacy. I'll agree that it is not the fanciest place we have stayed but none the less we loved it. We had a rental car and traveled all over St. Thomas and St. John. My wife had never snorkled and took to it like she was born in the ocean. Now I can't keep her away from the water when we're there. There are many great places to explore but to do it properly you will need transportation. We have found it best to have a Jeep for the week that we travel to St. John (not so much for the roadways but the car barge is easier with a Jeep) and a small sedan for our week on St. Thomas. We have been using Dependable Car Rental since year one and have always been very happy with the vehicles and service. The only down side to Pavilions and Pools is the fact it isn't right on the water but with your own vehicle it really isn't a big issue.

Does anyone know if Pools & Pavillions offers condos for sale?

I believe that the units at P&P are individually owned. I don't know if any are for sale at the moment but a realtor could help you find out.

A few years ago I was looking to buy a condo on St Thomas. Pavillions and Pools was one of the places I was considering until I found out that an owner could NOT live there all year round (maybe 90 days a year was the max). I ended up buying a hilltop unit at Point Pleasant, and it may not have a private pool, but Oh, what a view!

Hi All...thanks for all the great info. 17 more days...I just can't wait! Does anyone have any pictures of pavilions and pools? I have checked out their website, but noticed that there's no pictures of the view from the villas. I did change my reservation to an updated International Villa. I really think we'll be very happy there. We're looking for a very private, romantic weekend.

Thanks for any and all info.

Marie

Hi - There may be a view from one of the Int'l units at the far end but we have stayed in several of the "middle of the pack" Int'l units in the past and the view was foliage. Once we stayed in one of the smaller uinits and we had a far-away view of Sapphire - through the buildings at Crystal Cove. Pretty sunrises but not much of a water view. If you are looking for privacy - this is the place. Your Int'l unit should be quieter - the smaller units are very close to 38 and there is a lot of road noise early AM with folks rushing to the ferry at Red Hook. Before you take the path around the smaller units to try to walk over to Sapphire / Crystal Cove, check with the management to make sure the gate is unlocked. These units are individually owned and I think there is a timeshare or vacation club percolating there now, too. Not all units are created equal. We were last there for a few days of STT shopping a couple of years ago on our way home from STJ and there was only one unit with steps into the pool. I understand there are new managers now and there may have been more improvements. You will have a great time - you are so close to Sapphire, Red Hook, Fungi's and Agave Terrace at Point Pleasant. Be sure to try the Blue Moon Cafe at Secret Harbour. We like to go there for lunch or for drinks and music in the evening. You will have the kitchen and full fridge for convenience. I remember the first time we were at P&P - one night we floated in the pool balancing our Red Stripes while watching a late NBA playoff game on the TV (we turned the TV toward the pool and left the slider open - lol). Now, that's the way to watch a game - lol. Have a wonderful time!

Do yo happen to have any pics of the area?

hi - for all that have stayed at P & P and have had the chance to stay in the upgraded/renovated villas, do you happen to know what kind of updates have been made? I asked my travel agent to call and see if we can be guranteed one of the newer villas and was told that the prices would be higher. Did others that got the newer villas pay more for them? I just thought that was kind of fishy since the higher prices are not listed anywhere and we don't even know exactly what has been upgraded and, technically, someone could just make a reservation at the prices listed and get one of the newer villas by the luck of the draw. Thanks in advance for any info!

Call them direct. Talk to George Marovich. He will give you the straight info. While it sounds "fishy", perhaps these are individually owned condo units, who may be free to set their own price. Let us know what you find out.

JJH

I talked to George and it sounds like they have been upgrading some of the condos so they are charging more for renovated ones now. They seem to have 3 groups now for the Internationals: Standard, Superior, and Deluxe. Superior & Deluxes have been renovated with the Deluxe apparently done a bit nicer (he mentioned stuff like nicer ceramic tiles, 27 inch TVs, DVD player, stereo, etc). Prices are more like the Villa Madalaine place now which people have said is nicer. The only thing I did not like about Villa Madalaine is that it sounds like there is not much to do around there - seems a bit too secluded.

Now I'm wondering between the Superior or Deluxe. JJH, you mentioned that you stayed in an upgraded unit. Did you guys happen to pay more for this and do you know if this was a Superior or Deluxe?