St. John or St. Thomas? How to Choose a U.S. Virgin Islands Villa
If you’re choosing between The Westin St. John Resort Villas and The Ritz-Carlton Club, St. Thomas, start with one question: How many days do you want to spend exploring St. John? If Trunk Bay is the first of several beaches on your list, a villa on St. John puts you on the island where you’ll spend those days. If you’re picturing a week on Great Bay with one excursion to St. John, St. Thomas is the better fit.
Choose St. John if you want to explore Virgin Islands National Park
At Trunk Bay, an underwater snorkeling trail begins right at the beach. Signs along roughly 400 feet of water help swimmers understand what they’re seeing. It’s a good first outing for a family with mixed interests: some can follow the trail while others enjoy the same morning from shore. Explore Trunk Bay.
With a villa at The Westin St. John Resort Villas on Great Cruz Bay, you can visit the park one morning, kayak at the resort the next, and return to a favorite beach later in the week. You’ll take a ferry after flying into St. Thomas, but once you’re settled, another St. John beach day won’t require another crossing. Explore water activities at The Westin St. John.
Choose St. Thomas if you want a beachfront stay with an easier arrival
The Ritz-Carlton Club, St. Thomas sits on Great Bay at the eastern end of St. Thomas. If grandparents arrive on an afternoon flight and the rest of the family lands that evening, each group can travel from the airport to the resort by road without coordinating ferry schedules. That can make St. Thomas a particularly good choice for a family gathering.
You can still spend a day on St. John. Take the passenger ferry from Red Hook to Cruz Bay, then continue to the beach you want to visit. One detail worth knowing when you compare listings: Great Bay is the Ritz-Carlton Club’s location on St. Thomas. Great Cruz Bay is the Westin’s location on St. John. See St. John ferry options.
Compare villa rentals with OM Villas
Send us your dates, how many separate bedrooms you need, and what your group most wants to do. “Six guests, three bedrooms, and two mornings snorkeling at Trunk Bay” gives us a better starting point than guest count alone. We can use those details to check which St. John or St. Thomas villas fit your trip.
Call OM Villas at 866-752-8882 or browse OM Villas rentals.