By Guy Britton

I was waiting at the airport in St Thomas, recounting the history of my time at Mystic Ridge in St John to a onetime colleague I ran into at the airport.

“You’ve been living like a rock star!” She told me.

The truth was, I had.

Because at some point, you know it. You’re beyond the hotel.

You’re ready for a villa.

And Mystic Ridge was a very special villa indeed.

There is a mountain road in St John that goes though the Virgin Islands National Park from Cruz Bay to Coral Bay.

At the eastern crest of this road, just as Coral Bay comes into view is Mystic Ridge — one of the best villas — and best views — in the West Indies.

You can vacation in a house or vacation in a villa. The choice is yours.

But the difference is enormous.  A house is a structure — a villa is lifestyle.  A lifestyle that says that you are on vacation, that you are ready to relax and that you are leaving the details to someone else.

The best villa vacations are booked with a villa management company.

This trip came through Island Getaways on St John, led by Kathy McLaughlin and her team that manage just 12 villas on St John and personally see to all the details. And there are many.

With a perfect view down Drake’s Passage, this may have been one of Drakes “seats,” where he and his minions watched for enemy fleets. We bet he did not have a Jacuzzi though.

Nearly two-thirds of St John is the Virgin Islands National Park.

Many villas are nested into the park land Mystic Ridge is perched atop it.  Wildlife is abundant. There are 140 species of birds, 302 species of fish and 50 different corals in the park.

Mystic Ridge has 4 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, 2,400 square feet of indoor living space and 1,800 square feet of outdoor living space marked by sweeping views and cool mountain breezes.

So what does a villa management company do?

The villa management company job begins long before your arrival, in fact upon your first inquiry, through your booking and helping you plan your vacation. They maintain the property, prep for and receive guests, they are there 24/7 to solve problem and help if your party needs a chef, bar tender or a minister, baby sitter or doctor.

Details like the inventory in the kitchen, furnishings, safety and cleaning, things like towels, fine linen and bathroom amenities.

We’re not sure why but Mystic Ridge is for sale — listed for just under $2.5 million.

As a villa rental it comes with great reviews and a long list of happy guests and a built in villa management company.

That — and your friends will think you’re a rock star.