Battery Hill for magnificent 360 degree views
Written: Nov 26 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Unbelievable views, attractive units, lots of space, great location
Cons: Really, none at all
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| Profilewriter's Full Review: St. John |
There are very few places to stay on St. John, and the tiny, perfect Battery Hill condominium complex may be the best of the bunch.
Location
All arrivals to St. John are by boat. Ferries pull into docks at a harbor bracketed by tall hills. Get off the ferry, look up and to the right and you see one building, Battery Hill.
While the island's two resorts, Caneel Bay and the Westin Resort, are each about a 10 minute drive from the harbor and its tiny town, Battery Hill is within walking distance. This is an advantage. For while driving around the heartbreakingly beautiful island in an open-top jeep is one of the great joys of visiting St. John, the roads are very narrow, have no guard rails in most places, and are a bit scary to navigate after dark. It is very pleasant to just walk down the hill to restaurants after a day of swimming.
View
It's hard to imagine where on earth humans have a better view than they do from Battery Hill. Straight down, there are church steeples, brightly-colored shops and sailboats bobbing at anchor in impossibly blue water. Farther out, the lights of St. Thomas island twinkle all night. And off to the north is the sea.
Nearly all of the condos at Battery Hill have large decks, and most units are square with windows on every side for panoramic views from every room. If you're not looking out onto a small cruise ship or a ferry loading up with school children in pink uniform shirts, your view is of bright pink hibiscus bushes or a sunset on the horizon.
The setup
This is a very small complex. There are about 10 units, most of which have a large living room, a kitchen and dining area, a deck and an upstairs loft. Six people can sleep comfortably in most units, and eight would not be out of the question. There is one small unit, a studio with a patio rather than a deck. It sits below the other units, but still has fine views and is on the same level as a small swimming pool.
All units come fully equipped with cooking utensils, sheets, blankets and even some extras, including tennis rackets and board games. There are phones, and there was a television in our unit, but we never figured out how to use it (it may have been broken) and never missed it a bit.
There is a gravel parking lot at the rear of the condominium with just enough room for one jeep from each unit.
The tab
Prices vary tremendously with the season, early winter being the most expensive. A unit that fetches $1,600 in February will be more like $2,000 at Christmas and $800 in March. In the summer, prices are even lower.
The bottom line
Anyone who values space over room service would do well to check out Battery Hill. There is plenty of room for even a large family, or for two small families. There is a pool, a sun deck and an outdoor barbecue and this condominium's location makes it easy to get anywhere on the island. The best beaches on the island are public, so not having a beach onsite is not a problem.
Recommended:
Yes
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