Garden by the Sea was beyond our expectations. The location was perfect, short walk from Cruz Bay, but far enough to avoid the loud noise. Not to mention the beautiful sunsets! The rooms were very clean. We stayed in the Garden Suite, which was more than enough room for 2 people. Most importantly, we loved Nancy & John (and their breakfasts)! Both were more than willing to make suggestions and help out with daily plans and both were very knowledgeable on St.John!

Needless to say, I would definitely recommend GBTS and will definitely be coming back!

to provide some back story, i have been a vegan for about a year and am a frequent patron of B&Bs. my dietary needs have led to a variety of reactions by the B&B owners - ranging from annoyance (only once) to thinking it's no big deal and providing a simple alternatives such as oatmeal or nuts or soy milk and granola cereal (this is often the case) to really going out of their way to make a special hot meal just for me (this has only happened at two B&Bs).
i am SO GRATEFUL that john and nancy (the owners of garden by the sea) fall into the best of the three groups. upon hearing about my dietary needs, nancy was great via email prior to our trip. well, nancy happened to be out of town during our stay, which left john to cook all of the meals. he was tremendously accommodating and made the most wonderful meals that i had during my stay on st. john (restaurants included). i was treated to delicious(!) beans and rice, homemade bread, hash browns, fresh fruit, etc. my husband and i had the pleasure of staying for 4 days there and after getting to know john more we found out that he and nancy used to own a restaurant. this came as no surprise considering how good the food was.
i highly, highly recommend staying at this B&B. great food, really cool bathroom (we stayed in the garden room), beautiful location (breakfast was held outside in the most delightful spot), spectacular beaches nearby (cinnamon bay was tops) and fun snorkeling (waterlemon bay is what john will recommend and he's right).
FYI - it's probably best to rent a jeep no matter the length of your stay since the hills are so steep (even though the walking distance to town is deceptively short). plus, you'll be very happy to have the jeep when you go to the beaches or need to go to the star market (which hosts a grocery store, wine store, and a few yummy restaurants).

I stayed here back in february of this year and it was definitely the best vacation of my life. The delicious breakfasts, the quiet & peaceful atmosphere, the close walking distance to town & the beach (and shell hunting), the birds everywhere... And the best and most friendliest hosts I could ever imagine... were all spectacular. I would never want to stay anywhere else on St. John! In fact, I would live here if I could! As if the virgin islands couldn't be great enough, this place surpassed all of my expecatations. I cannot wait to return! Thank you, thank you for such a fabulous experience! I will never forget it and will always want to return :)

I stayed as a solo traveler at this perfectly run B&B in October 2010. The owners stay on site and they are extremely helpful with advice about all kinds of things from hiking trails to day trips to solar energy and homebuilding. The rooms are sparkling clean and comfy. There is fridge space for storing food, sunscreen and bugspray provided, an enormous delicious breakfast tailored to any dietary request, free internet access, and town within walking distance for visitors without cars. Garden by the Sea is not a "luxury" destination but in every detail it couldn't be more comfortable, friendly, and convenient.