Serenamoon, that depends on two things in my experience: 1. Luck; 2. Where you’re staying. Only on one visit did we even notice we had no AC, and that was in late May. The trade winds crapped out on us and it was very hot and humid. That combination was like a welcome mat for the mosquitoes. The previous trip was in EARLY May, same villa, and it was totally comfortable, breezy, and skeeter-free.

The location of your villa is also a factor. If it’s relatively high up you have a better shot at catching the breezes. If it’s buried under vegetation or some other obstruction that inhibits the cross-ventilation, or if the windows all face the same way, that could add to the problem. If it faces west or south, you’ll get some wonderful sunsets but you’ll also get the late afternoon sun to roast the interior unless it’s well-shaded.

We’ll be there the last two weeks of May next year and we faced the same dilemma picking a villa. The memory of the previous trip led us to put AC high on the list of desirable features, at least in the bedrooms. We also picked a new place, high up over Coral Bay. And with a pool, which the previous villa didn’t have.

If you’ll post which villa you’ve rented, you may get some first-hand feedback from people who have stayed there. Everyone has different tolerance levels for heat. As we’ve gotten older we’ve turned into wimps!

I agree with IslandTimer. I've stayed in non-ac villas in May and June and felt perfectly cool. I've also stayed in villas in July and have just about died from heat.

I am staying at La Sirena. The description of the villa states:
La Sirena is a beautiful, newly-built home, overlooking the sparkling Caribbean waters of Kiddle Bay on the quiet, southeastern shore of St. John. Surrounded by National Park land and only a 2-minute walk to the beach at Kiddle Bay.

From the pictures you can see the ocean from the pool area and it looks like it is higher up. You can see the pictures at:

http://www.caribbeandays.com/stjohn/3bedroom/lasirena.shtml

I have already paid for half of the rental, so I will be bummed if I am going to be miserable in the heat while I am there....

By “high up” I meant several hundred feet up the side of a mountain. Any place you can walk to the beach from isn’t high up. Here’s what I mean: http://www.caribbeanvilla.com/particular/default.html

BUT, La Sirena looks absolutely charming. There seem to be lots of windows on at least three sides, plenty of shade, and a pool to jump in to cool off (with a hammock no less!). I can’t quite figure out how the home is situated but much of that part of the island should be shaded in the late afternoon, which helps a lot to keep a place cool. I’m also encouraged by the lack of mosquito netting on the beds, which sometimes makes me think “uh-oh.” Great kitchen. I like the fact that it’s a new house, so the odds are that will actually bear some resemblance to the photos.

You will be in a more secluded part of St. John, 30 minutes at least from Cruz Bay, but very close to Coral Bay, which many people (including us) prefer anyway. I don’t know Kiddel Bay and whether it is a swimming beach, but you’ll have convenient access to some truly fine beaches like Salt Pond and Lameshur, which tend to be less crowded than the postcard beaches on the north shore.

I think the odds that you’ll have a miserable time are pretty much zilch. Let us know when you get back how you like the house. Post a review. Or maybe we’ll bump into you next May and you can tell us yourself!

I thought I'd join in As we will be there in May as well. I agree with Island Timer regarding location & luck. Every year we go around the same time; Once we rented a villa that was waterfront on Great Cruz Bay. It had no AC but the tradewinds NEVER stopped blowing. We enjoyed our experience so much we compare it to all others (the villa is no longer for rent).Last year we rented a villa that had AC throughout but the sun blared into the living area so intensily that the AC barely helped. Even the pool was too hot! From now on we try to find someone who has first hand experience with renting a place before making a decision. Either way, our trips to STJ are nothing less than amazing. This time we rented Gibney Beach house and we are toooo excited!

Well, I am not too worried about having a bad time as I know this place is paradise in a nutshell, however, I am sensitive to the heat. I live in Arizona and am used to a little heat, but without the humidity.

I'll just let this topic go as there are many others that I want to explore. Thanks for all the information.

I'll put a review up of La Sirena when I get back!