WELCOME TO YOUR BEAUTIFUL ST CROIX VILLA RENTAL
The following few pages are set out to help you enjoy your stay at our beautiful St. Croix villa which we have named Sugar Bay House, due to the magnificent views over Sugar Bay, St. Croix.
Sugar Bay House was built in 1995 - it stands on the site of the original vacation rental that was destroyed by Hurricane Hugo back in 1989. We have designed a vacation home using the traditional West Indian plantation style (four poster mahogany beds, planters chairs, a mahogany bar) and have added some luxurious comforts such as down pillows and Egyptian cotton sheets. We hope that your stay at our St. Croix villa is enjoyable and memorable.
There is only one rule at Sugar Bay House - enjoy yourselves.
Relax, treat our St. Croix villa as if it were your own and enjoy your vacation rental.
THE HOUSE:
Sugar Bay House, a well known St. Croix vacation villa rental, is situated on the North shore of St. Croix on the edge of the Salt River National Park and Ecological Preserve. The house overlooks the Caribbean at Columbus Landing beach (where Christopher Columbus landed on his second voyage in 1493) and a natural marina in Sugar Bay.
Behind the house, the hills of St. Croix are visible dotted with old sugar plantation ruins.
This St. Croix villa rental has been architect designed and decorated in the traditional West Indian style of the Great House. It is furnished extensively with both mahogany antique and reproduction furniture, and local hand-made tile. The furnishing and appointments are high in quality; from Corian tops in bathrooms and the kitchen, to the softness of Egyptian cotton towels.
Accommodation at this St. Croix rental is provided for up to eight people in two master bedrooms and two twin bedrooms (which can be converted to King size beds), all with bathrooms, closets, and air conditioning en suite.
Entrance to this St. Croix villa is through a large, double gate of solid mahogany that leads to the internal courtyard where the bedrooms overlook the swimming pool.
The Master Pavilion at this St. Croix vacation villa rental includes the master bedroom, a sitting room, a wet bar/dressing area and en suite bathroom. There is a Queen-sized four poster bed in the bedroom. The night stands and large chest of drawers give ample space for folded clothes and supplement the full hanging closet.
In the main wing of this St. Croix vacation villa rental, there is another Master Bedroom with King-sized four poster bed, and two other rooms with twin beds in each. The twin beds can be made up as a king if so required. All rooms have their own bathrooms with mahogany vanities, and showers - one room has a bath/shower combination. All bathrooms are finished in local hand made tile with inlay of historical brick used as ballast in the sailing ships of the 19th century that took sugar cane from the islands to Europe.
The Great Room at this St. Croix vacation villa rental is 25 feet by 25 feet and has a high, vaulted ceiling. Full length picture windows offer a panoramic view of the Caribbean, Salt River National Park, Columbus Landing Beach, the Northern coastline, and Sugar Bay. In the distance is Buck Island, a national park and nature preserve. In the room are two lounge areas and a formal dining area with a 9 foot traditional mahogany table seating up to eight.
An armoire, styled after one at the Whim Museum Great House, contains a hi fi system with an iPod docking station, a 27 inch television set, and a DVD/VCR with dozens of classic videos for all tastes. Satellite service is available and you can also receive 2 hour music channels (6000 and above) which can be piped through the hi-fi set up. The hi fi system is wired to allow the sound to be directed to the bar, the Great Room, and/or the Dining Pavilion outside.
Off the Great Room at this St. Croix vacation villa rental is a powder room, and opposite this, a washer/drier utility area. Adjacent to the Great Room is the modern gourmet kitchen that has a stove, dishwasher, microwave, and just about every other kitchen gadget you could desire.
On the other side of the Great Room, you enter Harry’s Bar, St. Croix (named after the owner) with a traditional solid mahogany countertop and high stools. There is a refrigerator built in and an espresso machine. This is the place to enjoy breakfast or a cool Rum cocktail before dinner - help yourself to the open bar!
Views from the bar at this St. Croix vacation villa rental overlook the Caribbean and, on the other side, the central courtyard of the house. French doors open out to the 40 foot pool and its surrounding tiled deck. There are several lounging areas with custom designed “Sugar Bay Chaise” – large, comfortable, pool-side “beds”, including one that is shaded by a mini pavilion. These are great places to enjoy a good book during the day or gaze at the stars at night. There are also two hardwood single chaise.
Also pool-side at this St. Croix vacation villa rental is the Dining Pavilion which has a square hardwood table and benches to seat eight. You will find that, except in times of rain, this is the most delightful place to have breakfasts, lunches, and dinners - protected from the sun but able to take in the views over the Caribbean, Sugar Bay, and the marina below -- while enjoying the cool breezes.
Outside adjacent to Harry’s Bar is a professional (48”) gas grill and next to this a table and chairs offering a sheltered place to sit, play games or dine.
SLEEPING ACCOMMODATIONS:
All bedrooms have air conditioning. However,. during the winter months, you may need a blanket on particularly cool evenings. These are located in the bedroom closets. Spare bed linens and towels are also located in each bedroom closet or chest of drawers. Beds will be made up before your arrival. The twin beds may be converted to kings upon prior notice.
KITCHEN :
The kitchen is well equipped for cooking most meals. There are the usual items - refrigerator, stove, microwave, toaster, coffee maker, and a wide selection of "gadgets." There is a dishwasher to the right of the sink. Condiments and basic supplies are provided. We would appreciate it if you could replenish anything used during your stay so that it is available to the next guests.
GRILL :
On the terrace is a “professional” gas grill. To use it, first turn on the propane at the tap in the cupboard under the grill. The propane is located centrally so there is no need to change tanks. Please remember to turn off the gas when you are finished.
GLASSES :
Plastic glasses for use around the pool are found in the bar. “Glass” glasses should not be used in the pool area.
INSTRUCTION BOOKS :
Instruction books for the kitchen appliances are located in the second drawer to the left of the sink in the kitchen. The entertainment center TV, DVD/VCR, and stereo instruction books are in the entertainment center, and the espresso machine instructions are in the left hand drawer in the bar.
ENTERTAINMENT :
You will probably have the most fun outside around the pool, but sometimes relaxing inside can be great as well -- particularly during a brief rain shower.
The television is hooked up to satellite, giving a wide range of stateside channels.
There is a wide range of videos -- mainly adventure "classics" but also some series of Inspector Morse and Hercule Poirot from PBS -- which you can play on the VCR. The system allows both DVDs and VHS tapes to be played and there are a number of recent DVDs in the collection. You can also rent others from various places on the island -- see the Yellow Pages.
The stereo has an iPod connector. Simply plug your iPod in and it will play over the stereo sound system.
CDs may be played through the DVD player.
The music can be heard in the Great Room, in Harry’s Bar, and at the Dining Pavilion (or in any combination of these).
In the armoire in the Great Room, and in the Master Pavilion, is a collection of hardback and paperback books. Feel free to take the paperbacks to the beach and swap them out with any you have brought down and read.
There are a number of games in the armoire and card decks and dominos are in the mahogany boxes in the Great Room. A chess / checkers table is set up in Harry’s Bar, the pieces are in the compartment under the board.
COOLING BREEZES :
The most effective way of cooling the Great Room is to pull down the small casement windows about 6”-9” at the front. The windows in the kitchen and Harry’s Bar slide open. If you do leave the villa, please close all windows as the weather can change suddenly and heavy tropical showers can occur with short notice. The ceiling fans should be left on to keep the Great Room cool and you will want to do the same in the bedrooms that you are using. There are small louvers at the side of the bedroom doors. These can be left open, allowing the cool breeze to circulate the rooms. Keeping the blinds drawn during the heat of the day will also keep the bedrooms cool. The air conditioning in the bedrooms works quickly so can be left off during the day and started thirty minutes prior to needing a cool room.
PHONE:
The telephone number at the house is (340) 779-3136. Feel free to make local calls but should you wish to call the States or elsewhere, please use a credit card service or a cell phone. Cell phone reception at the house is good.
The telephone service includes voicemail. A standard greeting message is recorded and should not be changed.
If, when you pick up the receiver (any phone) you hear a “stuttered” dial tone a message has been received.
To access the message(s), dial *98, and enter the code 9999. Then, follow the directions for accessing the message. Please delete messages after you have listened to them – dial 5.
HIGH SPEED INTERNET ACCESS :
While most guests come to Sugar Bay House to relax and get away from business and emails, sometimes that is not possible.
The Villa is equipped with wireless high speed internet service provided by Broadband VI and the internet can be accessed from all rooms and on the pool deck.
FACSIMILE :
Faxes can be sent to you via a fax machine in Peter’s apartment. He will deliver these to you. They should be sent to (340) 779-3739.
If you wish to send faxes, call Peter and he will transmit these for you.
TELEPHONE SERVICE :
Telephone service on the island can be sometimes unreliable. We have a couple of “fallback” plans. If the service fails, please talk with Peter to discuss these.
ELECTRICITY :
Periodically, usually after a storm, there can be short power outages. These rarely last for more than 10-15 minutes. Not only will you be unable to use the appliances and lights, water pressure (driven by an electric pump) will not work either.
There is a generator that can be turned on and will power the entire house. If needed, Peter Reeves will turn on the generator. In an emergency, if Peter is not available, the directions for turning on the generator are in the utility closet.
Please wait for 30-45 minutes after the outage occurs before having the generator started.
LIGHTS :
As with many houses, the light switches can be confusing. The main panel in the Great Room is marked.
WATER :
There is no "main water supply." It is all caught on the roof, stored in three cisterns under the house, and filtered for your use. As such, you will probably notice it is a lot softer than you are used to.
Please try not to waste water.
It is very rare but sometimes a cistern runs dry, in this case you will not get water from the tap. Peter Reeves will switch over to one of the other two cisterns.
GARDENS :
The grounds are maintained every two weeks by a contractor. Although the flowers will only last a day when cut, please feel free to cut the hibiscus for the various vases in the house or on the deck.
THE POOL :
The pool is 40 feet long and drops from a depth of 3ft. 6in. to 9ft. The filter automatically cleans it from 6 am to 10 am each morning. A pool company comes before you arrive to vacuum and restock the chemicals. There is nothing that you need to do other than enjoy it.
"WILD" LIFE :
The small, long creature you often see running across the roads is a mongoose - they have ensured that there are no snakes anywhere on the island.
You will see a few lizards on the terrace. These are harmless and keep the insect population under control.
At certain times of year, particularly after a lot of rain, you will find a few gungalos around the house and on the terrace. These are worm-like but with lots of little legs. They are not centipedes and are completely harmless. They die within a day, so the majority that you find will already be dead. Just brush them up and throw them outside. Try not to step on them - they make an ugly mess that is difficult to clean!
GARBAGE :
Garbage should be left in the bins at the front of the house. Trash is collected twice each week – Tuesday and Thursday. On these days, please leave your vehicle(s) inside the stone wall or parallel to it to allow room for the trash truck to turn.
WASHING/DRYING:
There is a washing machine and dryer in the utility area off the Great Room. Please beware of the water issue when using the washer, and set the water level at the appropriate level for the load you are washing.
There is an iron and ironing board in the utility area.
BEACH EQUIPMENT :
In the generator room there are beach chairs, a cooler, and a portable barbecue. There are beach bags in the utility area.
THE BEACHES IN ST. CROIX:
There are countless attractive beaches on St. Croix. Below are a few of our favorites.
The nearest is the Columbus Landing beach just at the foot of the hill. This is well protected, shallow, and has some good snorkeling on the reef, but no facilities. A boat can be hired from the marina below to visit the reef.
Cane Bay (west along the north coast - Rt. 80) has excellent snorkeling but the bottom is quite rocky. A bar is located there, where diving and snorkeling equipment can be rented.
Toward the east end, Prune Bay is an excellent beach for swimming and has great views of Buck Island. Drive along Route 75, past Chenay Bay (also very good) and take Mrs. Bea's Road (on left). Drive through the private estate and park at the end of the road next to the stone house at Pull Point.
Also, Shoy’s beach is a naturally beautiful beach, although with no facilities. Take the turn to the Buccaneer Hotel and turn right through the guarded gate. Go to the end of the road, park, and take the small path on the left to the beach.
Chenay Bay has a good beach for children and a good bar/lunch spot.
Duggan’s Reef is also very beautiful with a great restaurant.
DIVING ON ST. CROIX:
Some of the best diving on St. Croix is right here in the entrance to Salt River.
The dive shop in the Salt River Marina is, therefore, the most convenient.
Alternate dive sites are Cane Bay - shore entry, descend at a point about 150 yards out from boat ramp - and Buck Island, which is shallow (30-40 feet) and not as good as Salt River.
If you are not qualified, take a series of introductory dives or sign up for a certification course.
FOOD SHOPPING ON ST. CROIX:
The house is stocked with most of the basics -- salt, sugar, oil etc. For the convenience of the guests coming in after you, please let Peter know so he can replace anything that you finish.
Perhaps the best supermarket is Plaza Extra. There are two – one is close to the Sunny Isle Shopping Center and the other is towards Fredricksted.
Most convenient shopping (but somewhat limited) is at the Pueblo supermarkets. One is in La Reine Shopping Center (on the way from the airport), another on the main road into Christiansted. Foodtown on the way to Christiansted is also a good choice.
Each is similar and stocks most of the goods you would find in the US. Since most fresh fruits and vegetables are imported, there will be times when the shelves are fully stocked and others when the choice is limited.
THE PROPERTY MANAGER :
Sugar Bay House is managed on-site by Peter Reeves. Peter will be pleased to help you with any problems you may encounter or to give you further suggestions on things to do and places to see if you so desire.
Under the house near the pool, there is a separate apartment. This is occupied by Peter Reeves and has its own entrance down a path from the turning circle. During your stay, Peter will respect your privacy and will not disturb you on the deck or in the main house.
His telephone number is: (340) 779-3739 or cell phone ( 340) 332-9317
TIPPING :
If Peter has made your stay more enjoyable, tipping, while not essential is at the guests’ discretion. US $100 per week, per group, is a suggested amount.
HOUSEKEEPING SERVICE :
The house is cleaned before guests arrive and there is also a mid week service. If you do not wish to be disturbed mid week, or if you wish more extensive housekeeping services, please contact Peter who will arrange this for you.
SOME USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
Emergency:
Police 915
Fire 921
Ambulance 922
Directory assistance 913
RELATING TO YOUR STAY :
We hope you have enjoyed your vacation in our home and hope that you will return in subsequent years. If you have family and friends who might also enjoy the house, please email a friend about our web site.
Before leaving, please take a moment to sign the Guest Book located in the Great Room on the table just before the entrance to the bar, and jot down any comments you many have regarding your stay at Sugar Bay House, our beautiful St. Croix vacation villa rental.
If there are ways we can improve, please give us a call Tel. (609) 452-0060 x3005 or email us at
mailto:info@sugarbayhouse.com?subject=Sugar%20Bay%20House mailto:info@sugarbayhouse.com?subject=Sugar%20Bay%20Housemailto:info@sugarbayhouse.com?subject=Sugar%20Bay%20House.
Best wishes,
Harry, Jackie, James, and Nick Bunn
P.S You can see our family and the fun we have had at Sugar Bay House over the years in the various photo albums found in the Great Room!