It is hard to exceed expectations when they are so high, but A House of Open Arms did just that. Even though the pictures are amazing, they still do not do the actual views justice. Catherine is a joy, and if you need her for anything she is always there to give advice. Had a great meal that she made us on our first night. The road getting there is half the fun!! Coral Bay is nice and quiet to stay at, plus it does not take too long at all to get to Cruz bay if you ever need to. We stayed at the Villa, which provided a great pool all to ourselves after a day on the beach. I highly recommend A House of Open Arms, and I know we will be back!!!

My husband and I are repeat visitors to a House of Open Arms and just love the location on the quiet lovely Coral Bay side of the island, with its beautiful vistas, peacefulness, and well-appointed villa. Catherine Perry is a wonderful on-sight proprietor - helpful when questions or requests come up, but not in the least bit intrusive. HOOA is a great choice if you are looking for a compromise between the independence and privacy of renting your own place on and staying at an inn. Would strongly recommend.

My husband and I had the amazing opportunity to stay at A House of Open Arms for our honeymoon. As I read other reviews, I feel like there is no way to express how helpful Catherine has been or how amazing her place truly is. Catherine sent us a huge book on St. John before we made the trip, which we used every day while on the island. It led to some of our favorite snorkels and hikes of our trip. Catherine gave us good advice on where to rent a jeep (you will need one if you plan on getting to a lot of snorkeling places and A House of Open Arms). The people at the rental company were so helpful and kind. Catherine met us at the ferry dock with big hugs for both of us. She led us through town to get us settled. She was always willing to give advice or tell us more about great opportunities on the island. At the same time, we felt like we had a lot of privacy in the cottage/on the property. The dinner she made us on the first day was fresh, local, and amazing. You will be spoiled! The cottage has everything you need (we ate all breakfasts there, made sack lunches, and cooked most dinners on the grill). She's supplied you with pots, pans, dishes, a toaster, a blender (we loved this), napkins, basic fridge stuff, WONDERFUL granola, coffee, and a great cooking area (see our pictures...there is a fridge inside the cottage). We sat and ate all of our breakfasts and dinners out on the porch listening to the waves and birds. Catherine has really thought of everything and has a great selection of books, music, bug stuff (though we did not experience ANY bugs), fans, and basic bathroom items for you. We loved that the whole cottage and property was off the grid and ran off of solar energy (she mentioned that she was going to go on the grid this summer just for certain days). We did our best to live with a minimum impact as we were there, which supports the lifestyle we have at home. The whole island is beautiful and we cannot wait to go back. We told Catherine we would tell all of our friends about her place and we will continue to do so! We've stayed at a lot of homes on vacation, but this truly was one of the best. We just hope you don't end up taking our days when we make the trip back!

We just returned from an 8 night stay at A House of Open Arms. My husband and myself do alot of traveling and I am always looking for the very best of the best. I did find it in A House of Open Arms. Catherine is an absolute gem. From the time I made the reservation, she began helping us plan the perfect vacation. From sending me a fabulous book all about the island, to helping me receive a discount at a rental car agency, meeting us at the ferry and driving us to pick up our jeep. She then led us to the grocery store and then to the villa. I felt like I was truly in paradise after arriving. The view is honestly breathtaking!!! Catherine cooked us the best meal we had all week the first evening as a welcome gift after a long travel day. We ate the meal in candlelight on our private deck. She also provided homeade granola, milk, sugar, coffee, and orange juice for breakfast. The villa is even more beautiful that the pictures on her web-site. The villa was spotless and had everything needed for a extremely comfortable stay. Did I mention the private pool??? I hesitate speaking so fondly about the House of Open Arms, because I always want their to be a spot for us every year. But, I am so blessed that I found the reviews on this site, or I would have not found this perfect slice of heaven. Thanks again Catherine and we will see you next year!