I certainly recommend staying at a private villa on St. John. I had the luck to be invited to stay with the parents of the groom at their rented Villa. The large, five bedroom villa located on top of the mountain past the Westin was a fabulous treat. Being that high up on the mountain, you would never have guessed that it was August in the Caribbean. Some nights, we turned off the a/c and let the cool air breeze through our rooms. I can’t say enough about staying at a private villa. The rooms were beautiful, the pool, large, and the villa was fully equipped. They had a gas grill outside on the pool deck and had everything you would want for a kitchen, including a dishwasher and washer and dryer- it was wonderful to cook meals together in the evening and then to take a late dip in the pool. They provided beach/pool towels, beach chairs, and even floats for the pool – and there was maid service on Wednesday. I loved getting up in the morning to watch the sunrise and drink my coffee while enjoying the beautiful landscaping.
Check out the website: http://www.cateredto.com/villas/Panache/villapanache.php