The Villa at House of Open Arms

From making the reservation, communicating with Catherine over the months before our trip, to her meeting us at the ferry, taking us to get our rental car, leading us to the grocery store and then to her beautiful home, everything was absolutely amazing. She is the most humble and gracious hostess imaginable. She was not intrusive, but was very helpful when we needed it. Of course she is super knowledgeable about the island, and could answer just about anything we asked. We stayed in The Villa for 9 nights, and it was a great place to be. Everything was just as promised, and the veranda with its beautiful turquoise hammock was my favorite place to be. The views every morning, afternoon, and evening were unbelievably beautiful. We had full use of the pool, and from the morning dips to the moonlight swims, it was fantastic having a pool right there. We absolutely loved staying in Coral Bay. We had a jeep (4 wheel drive is necessary to get to the property), and we drove all over the island. Every day we went to a different beach, and you must take the East End drive to the end. So much fun! We plan on coming every year, and there is no other place I would want to stay. Catherine is a warm, kind person who cares very much for her guests' comfort and happiness. She made our trip very memorable in the best way possible. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! 5+ STARS!!

Great location if you’re looking for Coral Bay side of the island. Welcome dinner on night of arrival was a real treat. Cooler, beach chairs, and anything else you might need was available. Catherine is an exceptional host!

House of Open Arms will not disappoint. The peacefulness of St John will overwhelm you here and the constant, fresh ocean breezes will relax you as the sound of the ocean will lull you to a place of beautiful dreams.

Very nice accommodations. Great view. Gorgeous sunrises over the east end of St John. The road to the villa is steep and rugged. Definitely requires 4WD vehicle. Very friendly and knowledgeable owner on site to help with any issues that might arise. This is a great spot if you are looking to stay on the quieter side of St John near the shops and restaurants in Coral Bay. Highly recommend staying at House of Open Arms.

Open Arms Villa is one of the places that gives a vibe to the "East End". The small pool is perfect for an afternoon refresh. Very few bugs high up on the mountain side. Been to 3 other villas on the east end and would go back to Open Arm.

Well,where do start. You can believe all the reviews you read. There is simply no way you could not love this place. The house is very homey and comfortable,and the views are so spectacular you will find yourself not wanting to leave. Don't worry about the property owner being there,you will never see her if you don't want to. But in our opinion if you don't get to know her you are missing out on a wonderful experience. Catherine is an absolute delight and a very caring and compassionate person. We had several wonderful visits with her. You will not be disappointed in this property,it's everything you see in the photos. Read through reviews going back years and you will not find a bad one.

Our stay with Catherine at Open Arms is our absolute favorite vacation ever. From the time Catherine greeted us at the ferry to the sad departure and final feeding of the banana quits, our stay was wonderful and amazing. Catherine was the perfect host. She always had a recommendation for the best place to snorkel, a great restaurant to eat at or some other interesting tidbit about island life. She gives you all the privacy you want, but she is always ready and willing to answer any questions you may have. The welcome meal she prepared was exquisite! She is an amazing cook as well as a fantastic artist and amazingly brave and tenacious person. The views were spectacular! Watching the full moon rise over the mountain of East End was breathtaking. Two weeks of being unplugged was very refreshing and invigorating! The snorkeling was beyond description, and the water was crystal clear. The trails around the island were nicely groomed and well marked. One of the coolest thing was all the wildlife. No matter where you would run into deer, wild donkeys, free ranging goats or chickens, pigs, cows, doves, and lots of crabs. After many trips to different islands, St. John and Open Arms is our favorite spot. I can't wait to go back and visit the little piece of heaven Catherine has created and feed her bird friends again.

As an academic who does lots of research before she travels, I thought I knew what to expect from my stay at A House of Open Arms. However, no amount of studying photos and reading reviews could have prepared me for the sheer joy of the actual experience! The first gift was finding Catherine Perry (the owner who is also an artist) waiting for us at the ferry. It had been a long day of travel for my best friend of 35 years and I (from Texas and Minnesota, respectively) and even though we were on an earlier ferry than we planned, Catherine was there waiting to take us to rent our Jeep, lead us to the grocery store, and then back to the house. We rented both the villa and the cottage which were not only meticulously clean, they were full of thoughtful little touches everywhere (generous beach towels rolled into lovely baskets, Catherine's homemade granola, a wonderful selection of books and music that rarely out competed the view for my attention). Catherine's artful touches served as gentle expressions of love and care in every corner of the property--from clusters of shells in the garden to the lovely turquoise ceramic bowl in which the Banaquits bathed. I so wanted to capture memories of this experience that I carried a piece of Catherine's artwork home on the plane with me. St. John is an especially beautiful place since much of the island is US National Park. Although we were there during the warmer weather, the constant trade winds kept us comfortable. Like any island, groceries can be tricky, but Catherine tipped us off to Josephine's, a local organic farm where we bought delicious greens. Don't worry about the presence of the owner on the property, Catherine will be invisible unless you need something and then she'll leap into service (as she did when our sailing adventure fell apart and she helped us find another trip). As beautiful as the beaches were, we absolutely loved our time at our peaceful House of Open Arms and spent most afternoons in the pool or enjoying a rum drink with the stunning views. Sunrises, sunsets, and a full moon shining on Coral Bay added to a dream-come-true trip. It took me days to write this review because I struggled to adequately express how special this place felt to me. Catherine has created a sacred abode on this land blessed by nature, and I promise your spirit will be nourished in a way that's true to the name of the place. You will feel like your soul received a big hug from A House of Open Arms.