Villa Papillon; fully equipped beautiful beach resort villa. Pool, beaches and golf course, diving, snorkeling, boating, fishing and submarine rides. http://www.caribbeanmag.com/search/hotels/St_John/villapapillon/hotel/792/21/ en-us Copyright 1998 e-TravelMedia.com/CaribbeanMag.com Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:13:53 EST Perched 125 feet above the beautiful and rugged north coast of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, Villa Papillon offers a breathtaking panorama of the tropical Atlantic Ocean. The villa is comprised of two multi-level pavilions embracing the courtyard. Built right into the 13' x 21' swimming pool is a separate, deep hot tub which will comfortably seat six. (You'll love sliding in and out from warm water to cool. Mmmmm.) The hot tub is equipped with powerful aerated water jets to melt whatever worries you left behind. The 'backyard' consists of dozens of islands, providing a spectacular backdrop for sunrises and whale watching. Just over the hill (and only 5 minutes away) is Magens Bay, named by National Geographic Magazine as one of the world's ten most beautiful beaches. And when the sun sets, the tropical night will reveal more stars than you've ever dreamed possible. The night sky is so clear you can see satellites zooming around the earth. And did we mention meteorites? We guarantee at least one shooting star every night of your stay. The hub of the villa. The 13' x 21' swimming pool is 4 feet at the shallow end and nearly 7 feet at the deep end. The deep (30") hot tub is built right into the pool. The nice thing about that is you can slide from warm water to cool. The jacuzzi and pool are lit for a midnight swim. There's plenty of comfortable outdoor furniture for lounging and pool floats for sun tanning. There is also an outdoor dining area with comfortable swivel chairs and a table light for romantic dinners in the evening. The outdoor 'summer kitchen' features a 41" Viking s.s. barbecue grill with side burners, large mosaic tiled counter and a small fridge. The courtyard is filled with tropical plants like desert rose, bougainvillea, oleander, sunrose, allamanda, trumpet flowers and jasmine. You'll also find some fruit trees (banana plants, a papaya tree and guava berry tree.) If the fruit is ripe, help yourself. AMENITIES: The Kitchen: Eighty square feet of granite counter space, 16 foot high vaulted ceilings and a full ocean view. Now that's a kitchen! You'll find only top end equipment here, such as the Viking professional gas range with indoor grilling, designer fridge with ice maker and water dispenser, dishwasher, food disposal, trash compactor, microwave, blender and a full complement of quality cooking gear and utensils, including cookbooks and the spices! The Living Room: Breathtaking. It's what every single guest has said. And you can see why. The three living room "walls" are all glass, providing a 180 degree, floor to ceiling view. Exquisite designer furniture, an eclectic reading library, overstuffed leather chairs, oriental carpets, and real bamboo floors crafted in the Far East provide sublime comfort and relaxation. This is not your typical 'rental' villa as you will find many unique object d'art from around the world on display such as 10th and 13th century stone carvings from Cambodia, a first edition (1772) of the Encyclopeadia Britannica and the original front page of The Baltimore News dated April 15, 1912 covering the Titanic! The Dining Room: A sumptuous dinner, great friends or family and sipping on a glass of fine wine while looking at the ocean -- it doesn't get any better. (Have a Titanic dinner party one evening. The villa's library has a book of the meals served on the Titanic, including the recipes to recreate them.) The Rec Room/Den: The courtyard building is where you'll find the fun stuff. There's a wet bar and beverage fridge so you won't have to walk far for a tropical drink during your bumper pool game. Feel like being a couch potato? Step down a level and curl up on the huge sectional sofa in the media room. Choose a classic movie from the extensive video cassette library or catch up with current events on the 32" stereo TV with VCR. Or how about a little Nintendo! There's a selection of video games including two play stations for competition. Electronics: - Stereo television with digital cable (100 + channels) and VCR in all bedrooms. - Sound system with cassette and multi CD player - Air conditioning: A/C in each bedroom. Recreational: - Nintendo 64 with variety of games and equipped for two people to play - Extensive and very eclectic book library - Video movie collection (classics and new movies) - Telescope - Binoculars 7 X 50 - Pool floats - Board games - Bumper pool table - Outdoor lounge furniture Miscellaneous: - Viking 41" outdoor gas grill with side burners - 20KW generator for uninterrupted electrical power. - Ceiling fans located throughout - Four telephones - A safe for valuables - Fax machine - Iron and ironing board - Clothes washer and dryer - Hair dryer - Kitchen: - Viking dishwasher - Viking professional gourmet gas stove with indoor grilling - Trash compactor - Food disposal - Microwave oven - Electric can opener - Designer side by side refrigerator/freezer with ice maker and water dispenser - Two coffee makers - Complete set of quality pots, pans, dishes, cutlery, glasses - 4 slice toaster - Blender and electric mixer Property: Villa Papillon is situated within a small, exclusive, gated neighborhood on the north side of St. Thomas. Maid service: Mid week. Property Managers: Should you require any help, the on-site property managers will be glad to assist you in any way possible. Beaches: The closest beach is Magen's Bay (rated by National Geographic as one of the worlds ten best beaches!) which is located 5 minutes from Villa Papillon. Golf course: Mahogany Run, 9 minutes away. You can see the spectacular 14th hole from the deck of Villa Papillon. Bedrooms: Three, each with private bathroom. One features a California king, the other a king size bed. The third bedroom has two twin which is convertible to a king size. Pool: 13' x 21'. Shallow end, 4', deep end 7'. A separate hot tub is built right into the pool. ACTIVITIES: What to do during your stay in St. Thomas: Beaches: Some of the world's most beautiful beaches are here. Magens Bay, among the 40 beaches on St. Thomas, is "one of the ten most beautiful beaches in the world," according to National Geographic Magazine. And its only 5 minutes from Villa Papillon. Shopping: With no sales or luxury taxes and no customs duties on items such as watches, cameras, liquor, jewelry, perfume, china and leather goods, the USVI is a free port for visitors. U.S. citizens are allowed a duty-free shopping quota of $1,200., twice that of any other island in the Caribbean and three times that of European countries. Charlotte Amalie is the place to go for most shopping, especially jewelry. Music: Dance along, sing with or simply watch our local musicians at many hot spots around St. Thomas. Calypso, reggae, quelbe, jazz or pop --- you name it, we've got it. There's even karaoke if you prefer to make your own music. Night Clubs: St. Thomas has no shortage of night life! Follow this guide for the best places to go. Fridays and Saturdays at the "The Old Mill" you can dance up a storm in the dance club, shoot pool by the outside bar, or relax in the jazz bar. The Old Mill has many different areas and rooms and gets packed every weekend (Saturday is the busiest). At "Duffy's Love Shack" you can have dinner - and fabulous drinks from their award-winning exotic drinks menu - in the warm night breeze then dance the night away on their dance floor that is open on two sides. The Greenhouse has live reggae and calypso bands playing on Wednesdays and Fridays. The Greenhouse attracts a mostly local crowd. Scuba Diving: You will find a variety of dive sights to suit every diver's (or diver-to-be) experience level. Coral reefs, sunken ship wrecks or steep drops---select what is appropriate for you. Snorkeling: You won't believe the sea life visible just from snorkeling on the surface of our crystal-clear waters. Colorful fish, exotic corals, sea turtles, lobsters, sting rays and more are all easily viewed while snorkeling. Boating: Many say the best boating is to be had in the Virgin Islands. With so many islands, so close together, you'll want to rent a boat (with or without a captain) for a day and visit several of them. Fishing: The waters surrounding the U.S. Virgin Islands are famous for their excellent fishing opportunities. Twenty-four world record catches have been recorded in Virgin Islands waters. Kayaking: Sea kayaks are a great way to explore our beaches and coves up close. Golf: There's a scenic and challenging 18-hole Tom Fazio course which is sure to please. Hiking: Get close to our beautiful scenery with an invigorating hike. St. John alone has 32 hiking trails managed by the National Park authorities. Exploration: Explore the USVI just as Columbus did when he "discovered" them. Only now you'll find centuries-old towns, restored plantations, forts, churches, sugar mill ruins and museums. Parasailing: Thrill-seekers don't want to miss the opportunity to float high above our waters for a birds-eye view of paradise. Submarine Rides: Go 90 feet below the surface without even getting wet. Take a ride on Atlantis submarine to see the active sea life from a truly unique perspective. Coral World: Only a short drive away. View sharks, exotic fish, coral reef and exotic marine life -- all without getting wet! DINING/RESTARUANTS: Restaurants: Our numerous restaurants (most are open-air and feature great views) offer a variety of West Indian, French, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Pacific Rim, Danish or Continental fare. As expected, many restaurant menus rely on the islands' surrounding waters to please their patrons' palates. Wahoo, grouper, mahi-mahi and other fresh fish are menu staples. Type: Villa Beach Location: Beach Front (Directly on Beach/Water Front) http://www.caribbeanmag.com/search/hotels/St_John/villapapillon/hotel/792/21/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:13:53 EST