This was our 1st vacation rental & while it wasn't perfect, we would definitely do it again!
Mark (the host) is very responsive & answered my numerous questions quickly. The staff - Shane (property mgr/cook), Pansy (housekeeper), Neville (grounds keeper) are all wonderful, friendly people. Mark & Shane were accommodating for our late arrival (7pm) and late departure (2pm). Shane is a good cook & didn't even let on when I asked for something unfamiliar. He also went grocery some for us every 3 days or so.
There aren't any keys, but locked gates with keypads to access both the house & the beach side club house. You're in the country, surrounded by nature, so there are bugs and other wildlife. The bug spray we brought didn't help lol. The house is close to the road. Even with the shutters closed and the a/c on, you can hear the trucks & motorcycles. The pool isn’t heated & needs to be repainted but it’s lovely to have a large pool to yourself. The deck/patio area is huge & we dined outside for all of our meals. Even though there’s a breeze, we should have taken a fan outside to divert the mosquitos.
Pros - It's a large space all to yourself. It's your own private resort! All bedrooms have a/c that works very well & their own bathroom (not ensuite, but not a big deal IMHO). The property is wired for sound! We used the wireless speakers by the pool and the beach. The beach club house is very cool!!! With a bedroom (that has a/c & tv), bathroom & bar! There’s even a portable speaker if you want to take it down to the water. This makes the property unique and ideal for a group of friends or a few couples. Sunsets from the club house are beautiful and it’s fun to watch the birds fishing! Cons - The beds were hard for us. I would have liked to have gotten more sun & spent more time on the beach. At the time we were visiting (Jan), the sun wouldn’t reach the pool loungers until 12 pm & beach side, there was a tree partially shading the sun. The tides were high during our visit, so there was no beach to enjoy. The tide would eventually recede, exposing some wet sand. Mark had advised the beach varied in size. Can’t blame Mother Nature and we made the best of our stay by the pool.
If you’re looking for the Ritz or Sandals, this isn’t it. If you can look past the tiny flaws, it’s simply amazing! It was the perfect first experience for us. Thank you Mark for hosting us and thank you Shane, Pansy & Neville for taking care of us!