Christmas Winds was a perfect place to stay for my birthday with my husband, his brother and wife. It was extremely easy to get to, has everything you'll need for your stay. We loved the two living spaces and the washer/dryer!! Patty was absolutely wonderful to work with. We were coming from the DFW area that was going to get hit with an ice storm the day we were to leave so I contacted Patty to see if by chance an extra night was available to come in early. Luckily it was and the entire transaction was done in minutes and flawless. We all agreed that we will hopefully be able to stay at Christmas Winds next year! The home was perfect for us!

We stayed at Christmas Winds for our St Johns family vacation in early May 2022. The house worked well for us, with my young adult kids staying in the downstairs area and the parents in the upstairs bedroom. The location and deck view are really sweet! The house has all the amenities you need to have a great stay in St John and is a short drive to a nearby market for food and supplies. We rented a jeep and explored much of the island from this location. Taxis might work in lieu of a rented vehicle depending on what you like to do. Patti our host was informative about local information and available when we needed her. She explained everything about the house. Would stay here again.

Our stay was wonderful and much too short! The rental had everything we could possibly need and it was in the perfect spot - private but not too far from restaurants and stores. We will definitely be back!

from the expansive deck of this very comfortable cottage in a lovely quiet neighborhood dotted with bougainvillea. The cottage was clean and very well equipped. (even had snorkeling equipment!) It was very useful to have a good washer and dryer too. Our bed on the upper level was very comfortable although my adult boys noted that the beds on the lower level were a bit hard. The set up with the bedrooms/bathrooms on two different levels is ideal for a family with older children or adults and gives everyone their privacy (might not work for little kids?) I noticed some other reviews mentioned a problem with insects but we certainly did not have this issue at all - not even one spider!!! It was a pleasure meeting Patti who manages the cottage and gave us a tour of the property on our arrival and made sure we had everything we needed. Thank you Patti for recommending Shambles for dinner. It has a fun vibe with live music and the food was delicious! Ashley (owner’s daughter) was also very helpful in suggesting hikes (we did several) and Arawak for our kayaking/ snorkeling trip which was awesome! We had a wonderful vacation made even better by the excellent management at this beautiful cottage. We would love to return!

Christmas Winds was the perfect vacation home for our family! The location is very convenient to town and all the beaches. The house was very clean and well maintained with lots of extras. We appreciated the beach chairs, coolers, sand toys and snorkeling googles we found. The kitchen was well stocked and I was even able to find a band-aid for my son without feeling like I had to rush out to the store to buy a whole box. Our pre-teens loved having their own space in the basement bedroom suite. The views from the deck and iguana hunting in the the trees were some of our favorite things to do in the mornings and evenings. We loved our stay on St. John!

We love everything about Christmas Winds — including, literally, the refreshing breezes that the house is perfectly situated to catch — also the iguanas in the nearby trees, the bananaquits that visit regularly for the sugar we put out, the commanding view of the sea to the south, the closeness of funky Cruz Bay with its great restaurants (5 minutes), the brilliant night sky, the great beaches that St John offers, and so much else. We have rented this house a number of times and always look forward to returning.

wonderful host, beautiful location, views, well-appointed kitchen, living spaces, deck

Excellent experience.

The Cottage was as advertised. We were impressed at the level of communication with the owner and on-site property manager who met us at the ferry and walked us through the property. This cottage has a very personal and cozy feel. So easy to relax on the completely private deck or inside. There are other houses nearby but we could not see the neighbors at all. The bed on the main floor was very comfortable. The beds on the lower level are quite soft and less supportive. We absolutely loved the location close to Cruz Bay and the Northern Beaches. We would rent again.

It was as advertised. Great location and house was well stocked, clean and sufficient beach equipment. Prompt response to any question. I would recommend and return.

We enjoyed our stay at Christmas Winds very much. No complaints, accomodations were everything we needed. We made it to several different beaches and for the most part, they were not crowded at all. Very convenient to town and several markets. Can't wait to visit again!!!

Four of us had a wonderful time visiting St John and staying at Christmas Winds using both the upstairs and downstairs. While the home has not been updated, it was clean and well stocked with all the essentials we needed; we also appreciated usable items left by others. (We would recommend replacing some of the knives, a frying pan for eggs and the ice cube trays that are cracked.)

Have been coming down to Saint Johns for five years this house had a great location beautiful views of chocolate whole.

When booking this Villa for my family who attended my wedding, first the owner/manager denied the week as they hadn’t updated their black-out dates. It was an overlap of one day. When I inquired about an exception for renting for only 4 nights versus the required 5 night minimum rental, they decided to change their plans to make 5 nights available. I should have known they were greedy from that moment on. Upon departure, no one was present to inspect the property (unlike at arrival) and we did not think to photograph every square inch since everything was left as we found it. 11 days later, we were notified there was damage to the front window. No one in our party damaged the window, but they kept our deposit. I find this to be fishy and shady. I do not recommend Christmas Winds or the Winchesters. We had a fabulous experience with the other property we rented for the same destination wedding event. It’s not a VRBO issue, it’s an owner/manager issue.

The description and comments describe the house perfectly. The best part for us was the view over Hart and Chocolate Hole bays. We caught most sunrises and sunsets on the deck. The house was fully equipped for cooking. Books to read, extra towels and sheets. Quiet, even on New Year's Eve. Booking late, we struck out in vehicle rentals, so we walked everywhere. Hart Bay is a steep downhill (and back up) hike of 1.3 miles. Although I would recommend having a vehicle, we loved walking everywhere. We walked downhill to the Westin for taxis. Overall, we averaged about 4 hilly miles per day. And are glad we got to know the neighborhoods, the very courteous people. Outside of downtown Cruz Bay and north shore beaches, there is almost no traffic. Thanks to a combo of taxis and walking we got to many beaches, snorkeled twice, rode horses, and dined all over the island. A fond memory was when Marvin, a taxi driver, kept trying to give my husband a ride up a steep hill (he's 83 and was limping). When he waved the guy off with a smile, the driver came back twice and offered to take him for free. So our overall impression of the property is intimately intertwined with our encounters with the community. We had previously stayed at Maho or Concordia, sadly gone since the hurricane. We loved the relative luxuries of home living, and got to know a different part of the island. We hope to come back later in the year!

This was our second visit to St John and staying at Christmas Winds in 20 + years. The house has everything that you need and is just a short drive to the St John Beaches. This visit their was one great new addition, the AC which made the visit even better then the last.

Christmas Winds was a perfect choice for our family. The house was cozy, comfortable and clean and a great location. The true advantage of staying here was that the house was superbly equipped with everything from beach equipment to a variety of spices, detergent, garbage bags, etc. Our son got married during our stay and the owner provided so much information in advance to help us schedule some of our activities. The manager was also readily available when we needed her. We would highly recommend staying at Christmas Winds!

We enjoyed our 5 night stay at Christmas Winds Cottage following a 10 day sail in the BVI. It was the perfect location for my wife and I and another couple to decompress and get our land legs back. We enjoyed snorkeling in Haulover Bay South and in Trunk Bay and visiting and swimming at other beautiful beaches on St. John. Although hurricane damage is still obvious, the islands are making tremendous progress in recovery and in no way did it diminish the beauty of the island and the people. Thank you Patti and Ashley for your assistance. We will be back.

Overall it was a good stay, the communication was straightforward and the house was in good location and has a great view of the ocean. A few things I wish I knew before I booked-the mosquitoes were vicious, and on average I got about 5 new bites. It made it difficult to get good rest at night because if you're sensitive to mosquitoes like me they constantly attack you. Otherwise it was a nice stay!

I really enjoyed staying at Christmas Winds. The location was great, and very close to Cruz Bay. Great amenities, and the inside had a very comfortable/cool atmosphere. It was nice feeling the breeze and hearing nature around you each morning. I will definitely be seeking out this rental when I decide to return to St. John! Thanks for a great vacation!

VRBO only gives you the opportunity to love or hate a property, and we ended up choosing love because two of the three of us enjoyed our stay. One of us, however, did not have a good experience staying here. Please take caution because this place when we arrived was infested with mosquitos and bugs outside, and we had constant bugs inside throughout the duration of our stay. There were cockroaches inside, as well as many mosquitos. We expected St. John to have bugs but we also expected that a VRBO would take precautions in preventing bugs from intruding the home. Beyond the bugs, the two levels is a bit deceptive: the stairs to the second level are outside, where it was dark and inconvenient. We also had to lock both floors when leaving as they were not internally connected. It was a strange setup for a single family. The second level is very run down. The floors were dirty in the bathroom and bedroom, it was very dark, and overall it was really rustic. On more positive notes, the view and location of this property are spectacular. Every day we we were grateful for the opportunity to observe local wildlife such as lizards, birds and deer. There was a washer and dryer and good air conditioning in both units. We also enjoyed the beach towels and snorkeling gear. We loved the resident cat who we fed and named Shadow. The beds and furniture were comfortable. The decks on both levels were also nice. The owner was also extremely helpful and gave many tips on such things as car rentals, food, etc. The property manager met us and escorted us to the property which was helpful. Overall, the property has a lot of potential but needs some TLC.

From beginning to end, this was a great experience. I have used VRBO many, many times in the past and Ashley was one of the most patient, helpful, professional people I have ever dealt with. Christmas Winds is homey, comfortable, and exceptionally well stocked. The linens and towels are high quality - not at all cheap and scratchy like some other places. A hundred little things added up to make this a very special vacation spot. Thank you!

Our family of four loved staying at this house. It had everything we needed - beach towels, snorkeling gear, full kitchen, laundry, beautiful views. The house is nicely taken care of and we liked it from the moment we walked down the steps. We enjoyed seeing the animals - iguanas, lizards, birds at the feeder (they flocked to it when we added sugar water), even a little island cat. Patti and Ashley were extremely helpful if you had a question or needed help with something. 4WD rental definitely needed - it's not easy to walk anywhere from this location because of the hills. We would definitely stay here again.

Great views, conveniently located and felt like home!

A cozy house with excellent southern views of Chocolate Hole. Easy to get to from the Ferry Dock with grocery stores & gas stations nearby. Snorkeling and other water activities are close by as well as easy access to the National Park. Full kitchen with stove and fridge. Two patio levels with the lower level covered by the upper level to provide shade during the hot morning sun. Close enough to the day & night life activities in Cruz Bay, but far enough out to enjoy the peace and quiet of the waters and the waves crashing onto the beach. The house manager was very helpful and met us at the Ferry and pointed out of said stores and other sites of interest. Can't wait until next year... will stay here again.

We chose Christmas winds to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. The price was very affordable. The location was perfect to hit up all the beaches or run in town for groceries or dining in Cruz bay . Saint John is simply beautiful and worth the trip. It’s paradise ! The House was perfect for 2-4 people . The air wasn’t always needed but they had it available for use when you did. The breeze is typically always blowing so we could have survived with out it if we needed to. They provided lots of towels and items to get you started on your visit . Over all we would use Christmas winds again. The only reason we wouldn’t would be if we brought our children next time and in that case we would have outgrown it. We can’t wait to come back for a visit . Ashley and Patti were extremely helpful in getting us settled for our stay. Brandy & Austin cox Trinity, NC

Christmas Winds lives up to its name with trade winds that are enjoyable. Didn’t need to use the air conditioning. The views are amazing. Sleeping was quite comfortable with lovely linens and a quiet overhead fan. Personally enjoyed the rustic island charm of a family owned home. Evenings were peaceful with quiet surroundings star gazing on a lovely deck. There was an abundant amount of towels for use. The washer was an added convenience. Patti the house manager is fantastic and available for any needs that may arise. I look forward to our next visit.