Hi - here's a link to a thread on another board where P&P is discussed:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g147405-i568-k548600-Pavilions_and_Pool_s_for_a_honeymoon-Charlotte_Amalie_St_Thomas_U_S_Virgin_Islands.html

As I mentioned in my post to the thread, we were there for a couple of days at the tail end of a STJ villa trip in 2003. We stayed in the Caribbean unit (smaller unit, smaller, shallower pool). Yes, our unit had some problems but the staff was very responsive and tried to fix what they could. The units are individually owned and the staff can only do so much with what they are given to work with if the owner has not kept up with upgrades, replacements and repairs. At that time the units were priced the same within the category - now they have sub-categories so you may be able to get an upgraded unit. P&P does have a certain charm - the honor bar, the dinners for which you sign up in the morning, the management and the housekeeping staff are so nice, the proximity to Pelican and Lindqvist beaches. (BTW, if you stay there and want to walk over to Sapphire Beach, check if the gate is locked before you start off on your walk). The traffic running on 38 in the early morning would keep me from taking one of the Caribbean units again - they run parallel and close to 38. The international units should be much quieter but none of the units have too much of a view. We saw a sliver of ocean in the distance over Crystal Cove but that was about it for the view from our unit.

For the $$, my preference now would be Secret Harbour, but if you are looking for extreme privacy you cannot beat P&P.

I was an owner there from 1995 until last year - and I'll still probably go back as a renter this year. With the private pools and its proximity to Sapphire Beach you can't find anything else like it. Every unit is different. If you have realistic expectations you will be fine. It is not a five-star resort. It was built in the early 70s and some units have not had any upgrades since then. You might see some rust on the refrigerators, for example, but I'd never describe the units as dirty. The cleaning people do a very thorough job. And creepy? I don't get that description. I really like the smaller units - they are closer to the beach (a 5 minute walk at the most) and many on that side have a nice view of St. John. Units 102 and 109 have recently had some upgrades to the outside deck area (tiling, etc.). An alternative are the Crystal Cove units down at the beach - they are operated by Antilles Resorts. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks everyone! I guess I just need to make a decision and stick to it. I appreciate all of the advice. 🙂

A comment: There is sometimes WAY too much information available on the internet. No matter where you decide to go, someone will tell you they had a bad experience there. Travel used to be a matter of going someplace you hadn't been before, seeing what was there, enjoying the food, people and activities. Now travel seems to be about picking the exact PERFECT place to stay ("Does the sun shine every day there? I don't want to chance having rain.") and packing your own food ("I only like the meat at my local market.") and looking down your nose at the people who picked a different place to visit.

Okay, I will place myself in time-out now.

(agapotravel: I think your idea is perfect! ;))

You are so right, East Ender! The more I read online, the more confused I am getting! My husband thinks I ask too many questions sometimes. Now, do you guys believe that?!?!?! 🙂

Thanks for the advice and encouragement.

Agapo - never too many questions - - the key is to filter and sift the answers and find that little nugget that resonates with YOU.

I should have added in my post that although now I would like to have the beach that Secret Harbour offers I would not hesitate to stay at P&P again. DH and I started talking about it last night and remembering the times we stayed there prior to '03 and the delicious informal dinners and the tiny bar and impromptu entertainment. We also recalled being there during the NBA playoffs one year and turning the TV around so we could watch the game while floating in the pool - lol. Just some little things but some really good memories. Like I said, P&P does have its charm.

East Ender: Do you think the reason folks seem obsessed with finding the "perfect" place is that $$ are tighter than ever these days for most of us so it becomes more important than ever to try not to make a travel "mistake"? In conversations with friends this is what I hear and, unfortunately, some folks do not "sift and filter" what they hear or read but often accept the first negative comment they read about a place and then cross it off their list. I am so happy that we (finally) went to STX this year and saw for ourselves what a lovely place it is rather than taking to heart all of the negativity floating around about it.

Someone once told me that the very thing you bring to a place will be what you find and take home with you and I think that's true.

Quite honestly, I think people are in a Disneyworld state of mind. Everything should be perfect and if it isn't ,it is horrible.

I think that alot of people expect everything to be perfect, but come on, you're in the islands. It's not like your own home, where you keep it up to your standards.

On the other hands, there have been some really bad reports about Sapphire Beach, and I believe those people. There's also some people who keep there units updated and clean, and renters are happy with them.

I don't believe "you get what you pay for". We had a bad experience with a Villa. I didn't expect the most beautiful place we ever would stay....but I did expect it to be cleaned, and live up to what the websites stated.

Some people will never be happy wherever they park themselves when it comes to a vacation spot. I agree with EE's comment. It has very little to do with $$s but with the mindset of instant gratification. For many these days it's something they were simply, unfortunately, raised with by a generation which had to struggle but who were determined to raise their children with MORE than they had and with unfortunate results.

As technology advances, as the lives of the super rich and famous are easily accessible via TV and internet, as cellphone cameras and assorted gizmos become the "must-have" toys, so reading levels drop, comprehension of the written word drops, writing skills drop and so one eventually ends up with a segment of American society totally incapable of independent thought, That posit is nothing new, has advanced for at least the last 25 years.

To get back to agapotravel's query, I think you'll enjoy P&P. It may not be perfect (!) but if you can negotiate a reasonable price and then rent a car for at least several days of your trip, you'll have a wonderful time. I never have and never probably will understand why some vacationers pay $3-400/night to stay in an hotel here, Cheers!

Unless you want to spend mega$, like thousands per night for movie-star resorts, go with the expectations that you won't be spending all your time in your room, you will just sleep there, and most of the time you will be out and about enjoying the beautiful islands. Now if it's completely gross, toilets overflowing, bedbugs, mold in the fridge, etc. then complain. But the resorts that are a little shabby but clean, old fixtures but working, who cares? You can either spend your life savings on a expensive resort for a week, or go with your budget, enjoy the thought that you're going to paradise and have a great time, and don't stress the little things.

So Right Joanne!!