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U.S. Virgin Islands  ·  Caribbean

St. Thomas Luxury Villa Rentals

St. Thomas, 32 square miles, the U.S. Virgin Islands gateway with the Cyril E. King Airport and the paired-island ferry to St. John. Twelve editorial-grade villas across Peterborg, Mahogany Run, Frenchman’s Bay, Magens Bay edge, the North Side, and the offshore Water Island. Winter peak from $20,000 to $62,000 per week.

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Island size32 sq mi, paired with St. John (4 mi east)
Peak season14 Dec to 14 Apr (Christmas/NY peak)
Frenchman’s Bay 4BR peak$20,000 to $32,000 / wk
Trophy 8BR peak$48,000 to $62,000 / wk
Last updated2026-05

St. Thomas is 32 square miles in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the gateway island for the territory with the Cyril E. King International Airport (STT) and the cruise-port economy at Charlotte Amalie. The villa rental market splits six ways. The East End carries the trophy ridge stock at Peterborg (the highest absolute St. Thomas rates) and Mahogany Run with private cove access. Frenchman’s Bay carries the working East End villa stock with the Ritz-Carlton resort frontage. Magens Bay edge carries the public-beach-adjacent stock with the Drake’s Seat overlook routing; Magens Bay itself is ranked among the top Caribbean beaches and is the most visited St. Thomas day-beach. Hull Bay and the North Side carry the quieter swell-side stock with the local-surfer routing. Charlotte Amalie hills (Estate St. Peter, Estate Solberg) carry the historic-residential walking-to-the-harbour stock. Water Island carries the offshore-by-ferry alternative at materially below the East End rate.

The peak window is December through April. The absolute peak is the 20 December through 03 January window (Christmas-and-New-Year), with the 14 February to 14 April window the secondary peak (Presidents’ Day, school spring break, Easter). Saturday-to-Saturday is the standard cadence at most editorial-grade properties, with Christmas-and-New-Year holding a 10-to-14 night minimum. The 14 December through 14 April window is the calibration-quality window with no named-storm risk in recorded history. The hurricane season (1 June through 30 November) is closed-season for most operator-managed properties; the May and late November shoulder windows open to 5-to-7 night bookings at 40 to 55 percent below winter-peak rates.

Editorial-grade St. Thomas villa rates run $20,000 to $62,000 per week at peak. A four-bedroom Frenchman’s Bay or Mahogany Run villa with pool sits at $20,000 to $32,000. A six-bedroom East End or Peterborg ridge estate sits at $32,000 to $48,000. The trophy compounds (8-plus bedrooms, ocean-frontage, full staff) sit at $48,000 to $62,000 and up. Published low-season weekly rates at the larger 1-to-22-guest trophy tier run from $22,500 to $30,500 per week. McLaughlin Anderson Luxury Villas (managing Caribbean villas since 1985), WIMCO, Vacation VI, Island Luxury VI, and Where To Stay carry the operator-managed inventory. Airbnb and Vrbo cover the second-tier inventory at smaller-portfolio level.

This page covers the six sub-regions, the cruise-port-density-versus-villa-location math, the USVI Occupancy Tax structure, the hurricane-and-named-storm clause language, the STT airport access and the St. John ferry routing, and the cost band by group size. Specific named-villa rates carry markers where inventory pages route to direct enquiry rather than published nightly rates.

Section I  ·  The Sub-Regions

Where to actually book.

St. Thomas as a villa destination is six functional sub-regions. Each carries a distinct stock, a distinct price band, and a distinct trip pattern.

No. I

Peterborg and the East End.

Drive to STT airport: 22 to 35 minutes. Built for: trophy ridge stock at the highest absolute St. Thomas rates. The Peterborg peninsula and the eastern East End (Lovango Bay-adjacent, the Sir Francis Drake Channel frontage). Most stock is six-to-twelve-bedroom estate, ridge or hillside positioned with infinity pool, Caribbean view to the BVI, full staff (chef, butler, housekeeping typical). The Coral World Ocean Park sits on the East End. The deepest editorial inventory on the island.

No. II

Mahogany Run and Smith Bay.

Drive to STT airport: 20 to 30 minutes. Built for: working East End villa stock with private-cove access. The Mahogany Run golf course (the only 18-hole course in the USVI) and the Smith Bay cove. Most stock is four-to-eight-bedroom villa with pool, on Mahogany Run ridge or Smith Bay cove-frontage lots. The right answer for the East End multi-family week with the golf program priority.

No. III

Frenchman’s Bay and the Reef Bay corridor.

Drive to STT airport: 12 to 18 minutes. Built for: the Ritz-Carlton resort frontage stock. Frenchman’s Bay (the Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas resort frontage) and the Reef Bay south-coast corridor. Most stock is four-to-eight-bedroom villa with pool, on the south-coast ridge with Caribbean view to St. Croix or on the resort-frontage approach. The right answer for the resort-amenity-adjacent week with the easier STT airport access.

No. IV

Magens Bay edge.

Walking to Magens Bay public beach: 4 to 18 minutes. Built for: the public-beach-adjacent stock. Magens Bay is consistently ranked among the top Caribbean beaches and is the most visited St. Thomas day-beach (3.5 to 5 USD entry per adult ). The villa stock on the ridge above Magens Bay carries walking or short-drive beach access. Most stock is four-to-eight-bedroom villa with pool, on the Magens Drive ridge.

No. V

Hull Bay and the North Side.

Drive to STT airport: 18 to 28 minutes. Built for: the quieter swell-side villa stock. Hull Bay is the local-surfer reference; the North Side carries the steady winter-swell exposure for the surf-priority booking. Most stock is four-to-six-bedroom villa with pool, on Hull Bay-adjacent or upper-Skyline-Drive lots at 25 to 40 percent below the East End rate. The right answer for the privacy-priority North Side week.

No. VI

Water Island (offshore by ferry).

Ferry from Crown Bay: 8 to 12 minutes. Built for: the offshore-by-ferry alternative at materially below the East End rate. Water Island is 1.5 square miles, with a population of approximately 180 and no cars (golf-cart transport only). Honeymoon Beach is the primary beach. Most stock is two-to-six-bedroom villa, with pool or beach-adjacent access. The right answer for the maximum-privacy booking with the daily-ferry routing to St. Thomas mainland.

Two areas we would not book a villa week in: the immediate Crown Bay cruise-port frontage (Charlotte Amalie waterfront) (cruise-ship arrivals carry day-tripper density to 8,000 to 14,000 per day at peak winter calls, and the Havensight and Yacht Haven Grande corridors run at retail-density 09:00 to 17:00), the immediate STT airport approach (Lindbergh Bay) (jet noise on the inbound and outbound runs from 06:30 to 22:30 in winter peak).

Section II  ·  By Group Size

The best St. Thomas villas, ranked by group.

Each card sorts by what the villa does well at the occupancy level. Verified May 2026 against McLaughlin Anderson, WIMCO, Vacation VI, Island Luxury VI, Where To Stay USVI, and direct broker channels.

For couples and small groups of four to six.

No. I

Water Island three-bedroom offshore villa.

Bedrooms: 3. Sleeps: 6. Sub-region: Water Island, 8 to 12 minutes by ferry from Crown Bay. Peak rate: $14,000 to $24,000 / week. Verdict: the small-group offshore-by-ferry booking. Heated pool, Caribbean view to St. Thomas mainland, walking to Honeymoon Beach, golf-cart transport only on the island. The right answer for a couple or two-couple week with the maximum-privacy positioning.

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No. II

Frenchman’s Bay four-bedroom resort-adjacent villa.

Bedrooms: 4. Sleeps: 8. Sub-region: Frenchman’s Bay, Ritz-Carlton-adjacent. Peak rate: $20,000 to $32,000 / week. Verdict: the resort-amenity 8-person booking. Heated pool, walking or short drive to the Ritz-Carlton resort program, 12 to 18 minutes drive to STT airport, contemporary kitchen and architecture. The right answer for a 8-person family week with the easier airport access and resort-amenity routing.

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For groups of eight to twelve.

No. I

Mahogany Run six-bedroom East End ridge villa.

Bedrooms: 6. Sleeps: 12. Sub-region: Mahogany Run or Smith Bay. Peak rate: $32,000 to $48,000 / week. Verdict: the East End multi-family 12-person booking. Hillside-positioned infinity pool, Caribbean view to BVI, 20 to 30 minutes drive to STT airport, walking or short drive to Mahogany Run golf course. The right answer for the multi-family golf-priority week.

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No. II

Magens Bay edge six-bedroom ridge villa.

Bedrooms: 6. Sleeps: 12. Sub-region: Magens Drive ridge above Magens Bay. Peak rate: $28,000 to $42,000 / week. Verdict: the public-beach-adjacent 12-person booking. Hillside-positioned pool, walking or 4-to-8-minute drive to Magens Bay public beach, Drake’s Seat overlook adjacent. The right answer for the multi-family beach-day-priority week.

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For groups of twelve to sixteen.

No. I

Peterborg eight-bedroom trophy East End estate.

Bedrooms: 8 across main and guest house. Sleeps: 14 to 16. Sub-region: Peterborg peninsula. Peak rate: $42,000 to $58,000 / week. Verdict: the trophy East End 14-to-16-person booking. Multiple structures, infinity pool with Caribbean view to BVI, full staff (chef, butler, housekeeping typical). The right answer for the milestone or multi-family Christmas-and-New-Year booking at the trophy tier.

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No. II

Hull Bay eight-bedroom North Side contemporary.

Bedrooms: 8 across main and pool pavilion. Sleeps: 14 to 16. Sub-region: Hull Bay or upper-Skyline Drive. Peak rate: $36,000 to $48,000 / week. Verdict: the privacy-priority North Side 14-to-16-person booking at materially below the Peterborg rate. Multiple structures, infinity pool, contemporary architecture, Hull Bay swell exposure for the surf-priority program. The trade-off is the 25-to-30-minute drive to STT airport and the East End.

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For groups of sixteen and up.

No. I

Peterborg ten-bedroom trophy ocean-frontage.

Bedrooms: 10. Sleeps: 18 to 22. Sub-region: Peterborg peninsula, ocean-frontage. Peak rate: $52,000 to $62,000-plus / week. Verdict: the trophy of trophies on St. Thomas. Direct ocean-frontage, multiple structures, full staff (chef, sous-chef, butler, housekeeping team), infinity pool with Sir Francis Drake Channel view, often a private mooring. The right answer for the 18-to-22-person extended-family Christmas-and-New-Year booking. Published low-season weekly rates at the 1-to-22-guest trophy tier reportedly run $22,500 to $30,500 per week.

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No. II

East End ten-bedroom multi-structure compound.

Bedrooms: 10 across main, guest house, and casita. Sleeps: 18 to 22. Sub-region: East End ridge, Smith Bay or Mahogany Run. Peak rate: $48,000 to $58,000 / week. Verdict: the largest-group East End booking at materially below the Peterborg trophy rate. Multiple structures, full staff, heated pool, Caribbean view, golf-course or cove-adjacent positioning. The right answer for the 18-to-22-person family booking with the golf and Mahogany Run resort routing.

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See the full ranked list of St. Thomas villas
Section III  ·  The Cost Data

What a St. Thomas villa actually costs.

Headline weekly rates by sub-region, bedroom count, and season. Before USVI Occupancy Tax (currently 12.5 percent), cleaning fee, and staff gratuity. Verified May 2026 against McLaughlin Anderson, WIMCO, Vacation VI, Island Luxury VI, and Where To Stay USVI.

Sub-region and bedroom count Peak (Christmas/NY) Standard winter (Jan to mid-Apr) Shoulder (May, late Nov)
Water Island 3BR offshore$14,000 to $24,000 / wk$10,000 to $17,000$7,000 to $12,000
Charlotte Amalie hills 3BR walking-harbour$16,000 to $26,000 / wk$11,000 to $19,000$8,000 to $13,000
Frenchman’s Bay 4BR resort-adjacent$20,000 to $32,000 / wk$14,000 to $23,000$10,000 to $16,000
Magens Bay edge 4BR$20,000 to $30,000 / wk$14,000 to $22,000$10,000 to $15,000
Magens Bay edge 6BR ridge$28,000 to $42,000 / wk$20,000 to $30,000$14,000 to $21,000
Mahogany Run 6BR East End ridge$32,000 to $48,000 / wk$22,000 to $34,000$16,000 to $24,000
Hull Bay 8BR North Side contemporary$36,000 to $48,000 / wk$26,000 to $34,000$18,000 to $24,000
Peterborg 8BR trophy East End$42,000 to $58,000 / wk$30,000 to $40,000$22,000 to $28,000
Peterborg 10BR trophy ocean-frontage$52,000 to $62,000-plus / wk$36,000 to $44,000$26,000 to $30,500

Rates are weekly, before USVI hotel-and-villa Occupancy Tax (currently 12.5 percent ), cleaning fee ($600 to $2,800), chef pre-stock ($800 to $2,400 per week typical), and staff gratuity (10 to 15 percent of staff cost standard). Published low-season weekly rates at the 1-to-22-guest trophy tier reportedly run $22,500 to $30,500 per week. Source: McLaughlin Anderson, WIMCO, Vacation VI, Island Luxury VI, Where To Stay USVI cross-checked May 2026.

Section IV  ·  The Paired-Island Math

The St. Thomas-and-St. John economy.

St. Thomas and St. John function as a paired Caribbean destination across the 4-mile Pillsbury Sound. The Red Hook to Cruz Bay ferry runs 20 to 25 minutes, hourly in season, $13 per adult each way on Varlack Ventures or Transportation Services. A St. Thomas villa with one or two day trips to St. John (Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay, Maho Bay, or the Reef Bay trail) is the standard winter trip pattern. A St. John villa with one or two day trips to St. Thomas (the airport gateway plus the Mahogany Run golf course, the Magens Bay public beach, or the Charlotte Amalie shopping district) is the equivalent.

The villa-and-island choice is the calibration. For the National-Park-priority booking, the St. John villa with no airport on the island is the correct positioning. For the airport-proximate and resort-amenity-adjacent booking, the St. Thomas villa with the East End and Frenchman’s Bay stock is the correct positioning. For the larger-inventory and wider-price-range search, St. Thomas carries the deeper editorial pool. For the smaller-luxury-Caribbean and beach-priority booking, St. John carries the trophy private-beach positioning at Peter Bay.

The day-charter program connects the two islands and the broader USVI and BVI corridor. The Pillsbury Sound and the British Virgin Islands day-charter loop (Norman Island, Peter Island, Jost Van Dyke) operates from Red Hook on St. Thomas or from Cruz Bay on St. John. A 35-to-45 foot day-charter boat with captain runs $1,800 to $3,800 per day. The standard one-day routing is Red Hook-Soggy Dollar (Jost Van Dyke)-Sandy Cay-Norman Island-Red Hook; the BVI clearance at Jost Van Dyke requires passports and an entry fee at the Customs office in Great Harbour. The Coral World Ocean Park on the East End and the Mahogany Run golf course are the two terrestrial day-program anchors on St. Thomas.

The Magens Bay public-beach reality is the central Caribbean-beach pattern. Magens Bay was a Laurance Rockefeller gift to the people of St. Thomas in 1947 and is operated by the Magens Bay Authority. Entry is $3.50 to $5.00 per adult, with parking and concession on-site. The beach is consistently ranked among the top Caribbean beaches and is the highest-density St. Thomas day-beach. Cruise-day arrivals at Charlotte Amalie carry significant Magens Bay visitor density 09:30 to 16:00 on call days; the early-morning (before 09:00) and late-afternoon (after 16:30) windows are the workable visit times for the villa-renter looking to walk in.

Section V  ·  Booking and Cancellation

When to book, when to walk away.

For Christmas-and-New-Year at the trophy Peterborg tier, 9 to 12 months. For the standard Christmas-and-New-Year window at any sub-region, 6 to 9 months. For Presidents’ Day and spring break, 5 to 8 months. For Easter week, 4 to 6 months. For the standard winter (mid-January, late March, early April), 3 to 5 months. The May shoulder opens to 30-to-60-day inquiries at workable rates at the 4-to-6BR tier.

USVI villa leases run 50 percent on confirmation, balance at 60 to 90 days. Refundable security deposit $1,500 to $7,500 on credit-card hold. Cancellation tightens to 100 percent non-refundable inside 60 days at most operator-managed properties. Add USVI Occupancy Tax (12.5 percent currently ). Cleaning fee $600 to $2,800. Trip insurance with hurricane-named-event coverage is the practical hedge for May through November bookings.

The thing to walk away from: any St. Thomas listing without an explicit hurricane-and-named-storm clause. The 2017 Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria sequence damaged most editorial-grade inventory; rebuild work continued through 2020. The lease that omits the clause has not been updated for the post-2017 market. The other walk-away pattern: any Charlotte Amalie hills listing without an explicit cruise-day-density disclosure. The Estate St. Peter and Estate Solberg corridors sit inside the cruise-walking radius from Yacht Haven Grande and Crown Bay; cruise-day Charlotte Amalie density runs at the property frontage from 09:00 to 17:00 on call days during winter peak.

Section VI  ·  The Disclosure

Villas and areas we passed on.

Six properties and patterns we did not include in our editorial list, with the reason each was disqualified.

  • An Estate St. Peter five-bedroom listed at $28,000 per week with harbour view. The villa sits inside the cruise-walking radius from Yacht Haven Grande. Cruise-day Charlotte Amalie density runs 8,000 to 14,000 visitors at the property frontage from 09:00 to 17:00 on call days. The listing description omits the cruise-day-density disclosure.
  • A Lindbergh Bay four-bedroom listed at $24,000 per week with airport view. The property sits within 400 meters of the STT runway threshold. Inbound and outbound jet noise carries from 06:30 to 22:30 during winter peak. The listing photography is composed from the south-facing yard with the runway cropped out.
  • A Magens Bay edge five-bedroom listed at $36,000 per week with private beach access. Listing claims private beach access. The reality is the Magens Bay public beach with the $3.50 to $5.00 per adult entry fee. The owner has been challenged on the “private beach” claim and has not removed it from the listing.
  • A Peterborg six-bedroom listed at $42,000 per week with infinity pool. The pool was last resurfaced in 2018 with reports of chipped tiling in 2024 reviews. Manager non-responsive on a 2025 inspection update. The infinity-pool marketing photography is the 2018 shoot.
  • A Mahogany Run five-bedroom listed at $34,000 per week with golf access. Mahogany Run golf course access is listed as included with the villa rental. The course operator (Wyndham Mahogany Run) confirms the course is open public-play with green fees of $130 to $185 per round depending on season. The included-access marketing is misleading.
  • A Hull Bay five-bedroom listed at $26,000 per week without hurricane clause. Lease language has not been updated for the post-2017 Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria reality. No named-storm cancellation provision in the contract. The 35 to 55 percent shoulder-season discount is offered without the corresponding risk-transfer language.
Section VII  ·  St. Thomas Beyond the Villa

Where to eat, drink, and sleep off the property.

The villa is the destination. The rest of the trip still matters.

Section VIII  ·  FAQ

The questions readers ask.

How is St. Thomas different from St. John?

St. Thomas is 32 square miles with the Cyril E. King Airport gateway and the cruise-port economy. St. John is 20.6 square miles with no airport and Virgin Islands National Park covering 60 percent. The Red Hook to Cruz Bay ferry runs 20 to 25 minutes between the islands. St. Thomas carries the deeper inventory and wider price range; St. John is the quieter National-Park-priority option.

When is the peak season?

December through April. Absolute peak is 20 December through 03 January. Secondary peak is mid-February through mid-April. Saturday-to-Saturday standard with 10-to-14 night minimums at Christmas-and-New-Year. Hurricane season (1 June through 30 November) is closed-season for most editorial inventory.

What does a St. Thomas villa actually cost?

$20,000 to $62,000 per week at peak. Four-bedroom Frenchman’s Bay or Mahogany Run $20,000 to $32,000. Six-bedroom East End or Peterborg ridge $32,000 to $48,000. Trophy 8BR-plus $48,000 to $62,000 and up. Published low-season weekly rates at the trophy tier reportedly run $22,500 to $30,500. Add USVI Occupancy Tax (12.5 percent ).

Which sub-region for which trip?

Peterborg and East End for trophy ridge stock. Mahogany Run and Smith Bay for working East End villa stock. Frenchman’s Bay for resort-adjacent stock. Magens Bay edge for public-beach-adjacent stock. Hull Bay and North Side for quieter swell-side stock. Water Island for offshore-by-ferry alternative.

How do we get there?

Cyril E. King International Airport (STT). Direct connections from Miami, JFK, Atlanta, Charlotte, Newark, Boston, Washington Dulles, Chicago, Dallas year-round. Taxi or pre-arranged car 15 to 35 minutes to villa. St. John ferry from Red Hook 20 to 25 minutes. Water Island ferry from Crown Bay 8 to 12 minutes.

What is the typical deposit structure?

50 percent on confirmation, balance at 60 to 90 days. Refundable security deposit $1,500 to $7,500 on credit-card hold. Cancellation tightens to 100 percent non-refundable inside 60 days. Add USVI Occupancy Tax (12.5 percent), $600 to $2,800 cleaning, chef pre-stock and gratuity where staffed.

How does the cruise-port economy affect the booking?

Crown Bay and Havensight piers handle the cruise calls. Cruise-day arrivals during winter peak run 8,000 to 14,000 visitors per day in Charlotte Amalie. East End and North Side villas sit 15 to 35 minutes drive from Charlotte Amalie and are largely insulated. Charlotte Amalie hills villas (Estate St. Peter, Estate Solberg) sit inside the cruise-walking radius.

Can we host a wedding?

USVI civil-ceremony license through Superior Court, 8 calendar days residency required, $200 license fee. Magens Bay public beach ceremony requires USVI Department of Tourism permit at $50 to $150 per event. Standard pattern: lease villa, hold ceremony at permitted beach or Ritz-Carlton resort venue, host reception at villa.

How does the hurricane season affect the booking?

2017 Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria sequence damaged most editorial-grade villas; rebuild continued through 2020. Most leases now include a hurricane-and-named-storm clause. Trip insurance with named-event coverage is the practical protection for May through November bookings. Mid-December through mid-April carries no named-storm risk in recorded history.

Methodology

How we built this page.

Last updated May 2026. Properties on this page were assessed through McLaughlin Anderson Luxury Villas (managing Caribbean villas since 1985, with the authoritative St. Thomas collection), WIMCO (USVI portfolio at the agency-managed tier), Vacation VI, Island Luxury VI, Where To Stay USVI, and direct broker channels. Published low-season weekly rates at the 1-to-22-guest trophy tier reportedly run $22,500 to $30,500 per week per the Vacation VI and Island Luxury VI public-facing listing pages. USVI Occupancy Tax structure. Magens Bay Authority entry-fee schedule. The named editor of this page is the Villas For Kings Caribbean desk. Next refresh: October 2026 ahead of the 2026-2027 winter booking window.

The For Kings Network

The rest of the St. Thomas trip.

The Old Stone Farmhouse booking. The Sky Top Bar panoramic-view program. The hotels for the three-night version.