The view from your deck - looking southwest

Location. Rapture sits in an excellent location along the uppermost property line of the exclusive Virgin Grand Estates. This is a private and quiet gated neighborhood of recently built and very tasteful multi million dollar vacation homes. Rapture sits at an elevation of more than 600 feet and the higher you go, the better the view gets, and this expansive view is outstanding. It stretches more than 180 degrees to the south and west and includes the islands of St. James, St. Thomas, Hans Lollick, Lovango and many more. The sunset views are dazzling, and the twinkling lights of St. Thomas provide beautiful evening views that make nights on the deck a memorable experience.
Rapture is located on a dead end road within the Virgin Grand Estates. With only 4 villas (as of June 07) on this road, there is very little road noise in this peaceful setting. From your deck, the sun arcs across the Caribbean Sea and provides you with an ever-changing, all day panorama of color. This is also a sun lover's villa, with sun on the pool deck from 9am to sunset, although the pool, the gazebo and the trade winds and a/c in every room will keep you comfortably cool. About a quarter-mile walk below you are the restaurants, beach and fitness room of the Westin Resort, while the renowned restaurants and shops of Cruz Bay are a 10-15 minute drive, entirely on paved roads.

The view from your great room

The view from your pool, as you see it, looking at St. Thomas

The other view from your pool looking back at your pool deck

Design. Rapture is a well appointed and spacious (5000 sq ft) villa that was completed in July of 2005. It was designed to be a blend of classic Caribbean elegance with modern comforts and entertainment systems, and it excels in each capacity. Some of the classic design features include; beamed cathedral ceilings, tiled roofs, white interior tiled floors and nonskid exterior tiled decks, 12 foot Doric columns, a large gazebo and outdoor gallery (living area), exquisite custom crafted mahogany cabinets, furniture and vanities, and 8 foot mahogany doors.

View Floorplans

This is a 2 level home with most of the living areas on the upper level. You park on the upper level and enter Rapture through a set of mahogany doors that open to the spacious air conditioned great room. The kitchen and the interior dining area adjoin the great room and all look out at the gorgeous views. The pool, hot tub and sundeck are on the left (east) side of the great room, while the 450 square foot gallery is under the gazebo on the south side of the house. A hallway on the right side of the great room leads to the two upper level bedrooms and baths plus a half bath, while interior and exterior stairs lead to the two lower level bedrooms/baths, the family room and a laundry room..

The entrance to Rapture

Rapture as seen from the entry road

Sunset

The air conditioned kitchen at Rapture is gorgeous. The custom built solid mahogany cabinets are exceptional in quality and appearance, and they beautifully compliment the polished granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, tiled floor and the beamed cathedral ceiling. It's also well equipped, with a 5-burner gas stove and oven with ventilator hood, a s/s microwave oven, a s/s refrigerator/freezer, s/s microwave, s/s dishwasher, a refrigerated wine rack, a granite kitchen island with 4 Bauer tropical chairs, and much more. A pantry and a small workstation with a desk separate the kitchen from the entryway. A mahogany and granite half bath is off the kitchen, while a large laundry room with twin washer and dryers is on the lower level. A Webber barbeque grill is on the pool deck. Overall, this kitchen is exceptionally elegant and functional, and chefs will love working in this space.

This is custom cabinetry of an exceptional quality

The kitchen at Rapture - another view

The view from the great room

The fully air conditioned 1000 sq. ft. interior living area (the great room) is defined by a towering 25' cathedral ceiling and 8' arched doors and windows that frame the wonderful views. It is furnished in a very comfortable tropical fashion with Neiman Marcus, Bauer and custom mahogany furniture. The centerpiece of the great room is a custom built mahogany entertainment center with a 51 inch Toshiba wide screen satellite TV with DVD/VCR plus a stereo/CD player.

The living area, complete with 51" satellite TV

The formal, interior dining room is on the pool side of the great room and is also air conditioned and seats 10. For dining outside, a teak table under the gazebo also seats 8 and there is a breakfast/lunch table on the pool deck that seats 4 on swiveled high backed bar stools.

The exterior living room (the gallery) sits under an 18 foot tall gazebo and has superb views. This is a wonderfully relaxing spot for a good book, drink or conversation. The gazebo seats nine on cushioned outdoor furniture, including a glider loveseat and glider chairs.

The gallery (outdoor living / dining area)

The east master bedroom - upper level

The east master bedroom - another view

Bedrooms. The 2 upper level bedrooms (king beds) open to small balconies, while the 2 lower bedrooms (1 king and 2 Tommy Bahama twins) open to small patios. There is also a king sized daybed in the family room. All bedrooms and the family room have romantic water views, satellite TV and lots of closet space. The 2 upper bedrooms plus the family room also have a DVD and VCR. All 4 bedrooms also have tiled baths with strikingly beautiful custom built mahogany and granite vanities.

The west master bedroom - upper level

The west master bedroom - another view

Just a reminder of what's outside your bedroom.

The east master bath

The west master bath

The Tommy Bahama twin beds on the lower level

The third master bedroom is also on the lower level.

The day bed (5th bed) in the game room

The upper and lower level bedrooms

The gallery, viewed from the lower level

The view of the pool deck from the gazebo

Caribbean Villa's View. For the past 30 years the owners/designers of Rapture were in the business of building luxury homes in the US.
For 10 years the owners rented from us and often dreamed about building their own island home, and in 2005 their dream became a reality. Rapture now stands as proof that in building a St. John luxury home, there's no substitute for extensive building knowledge and experience, combined with a big budget.
Rapture comes real close to being the house that has it all; its location, ambiance, d¨¦cor, amenities, and comfort level are really first class.
This is another one of those villas that offers so much that you may spend most of your vacation in your villa, although you really should explore St. John's world class beaches and National Park. Some of the "I've died and gone to heaven" features that distinguish Rapture include;

• a 450 square foot outdoor living and dining area (the gallery) with spectacular views and comfortable cushioned furniture for nine. Monte Bay also has a gallery, and many past guests of Monte have told us that they absolutely love this design feature. The gazebo keeps the gallery shaded and cool, and for people who love to be outside but not in the sun, this gallery is a blessing.
• a 26' x 14' pool and a 4-person hot tub that is built into a corner of the pool, so you can easily flop from the hot tub into the pool
  (a very refreshing move) and back.
• a 51 inch Toshiba wide screen satellite TV surrounded by sink-into-it furniture in the a/c great room, a 31 inch TV in the family room and 27 inch TVs in each bedroom, all hooked up to a satellite dish, plus four DVDs and VCRs.
• a stereo/CD system that plays through 6 sets of speakers, with 2 speakers in the great room, 2 on the pool deck and 2 in the gallery.
• a family room with regulation Foos Ball, a Nintendo game cube and satellite TV/DVD/VCR (and a 5th pullout bed).

Let's not forget the location. In addition to the spectacular views, dazzling sunsets and peace and quiet that Rapture offers, when you've got impressive neighbors like C'est Blue, Vista Caribe, and South Palm, you're in a very nice neighborhood. Despite a sense of being removed from the rest of the island, the many delights of Cruz Bay are only a 10-15 minute drive, all on paved roads.
Rapture was designed for families and the floor plan, family room and amenities make this a very inviting family vacation home. This is also a superb home for 2-4 couples, or honeymooners, or lovers looking for a luxury love nest.

The Upper Level Floor Plan

The Lower Level Floor Plan