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Kellie in the Caribbean: St. John charming cottage getaway gets international attention

Imagine having this, all to yourself.

 “They do day trips, they go boating, and they love coming home and watching the sunset. The sunsets are beautiful,” Teri Gibney, owner of Gibney Beach Villas said in an interview with CBS USVI. 

Teri Gibney is the owner of Gibney Beach Villas. The land has been in her family for decades. Her late husband wanted to turn it into a campsite. She wanted to build two little cottages. Now those little cottages are a charming getaway for people all over the world. 

“This cottage is pretty much booked back to back always and the garden cottage sometimes families will rent both of them.” 

 The visit is complete with an adorable living space, a kitchen, bath and massive bed fit for a king or queen. If exploring is more up your alley there is an entire garden of exotic trees and fruits. 

“In the old days it was a bay rum factory and before that it was a rum factory. It has always been a provisioning ground for now over 300 years,” Gibney added. 

History, culture, and beauty merge to create the unique vacationing experience that is Gibney Beach Villas. Gibney herself lives on the estate. Her original home destroyed by the 2017 hurricanes. The two cottages were untouched.

“The two hurricanes that we just had definitely changed everyone’s life forever and how these two cottages survived is a miracle.” 

Toes in the sand and beachfront views, this is what you get when you stay at Gibney Cottages in St. John on the US Virgin Islands. After surviving two category five storms it is open for business and ready for the next tourist season.

Helping get ready for the busy season, being on the November 2018 cover issue of “Coastal Living.” Gibney said it was a dream come true. 

“She called me and she said we’d like to send a photographer and I had them come July 4thduring Carnival. I had them stay four nights in each house. They did the shoot of the cover.” 

Gibney’s cottages were featured in the issue highlighting the recovery of the Caribbean after the storms. After all they went through, it was a memorable and life changing experience. As they still move on with the recovery. 

“Coastal living was my how would you say before the housing were built that was my go to of what I pictured building here, not a big house just a teeny little cottage.”

 Now that dream is a reality for so many visitors who come to St. John, just to see this charming piece of the Virgin Islands. Becoming a part of the Gibney family forever. 

“It is a complete local experience, getting to know involved with a family that has been here this long. There is a lot of history here and we don’t have a lot of neighbors so and people become a part of our family. So it is kind of a win-win situation,” Gibney said. 

 So if you want to call this slice of the VI home, just give Gibney a call, she’s happy to have you as part of the family. 

 For more information on Gibney Beach Villas go to http://www.gibneybeachvillas.com.