My wife and I spent 11 days at Escape Villa, and enjoyed it quite a bit.
THE HOME: The property is pretty much exactly as pictured. The home is beautiful and modern and was exceptionally clean. It felt virtually brand new. There are some wonderful design touches, like the wooden ceiling fans, hide-away TVs, rainfall-showerheads, and more. The wi-fi was fast, the water pressure was solid, there are remote controls for virtually everything. Having the doors be operated by keypad was great – we never had to carry housekeys around. The kitchen was stocked with everything we could've possibly needed. And, of course, the views are stunning. The property manager was so responsive –replying to texts almost instantaneously, which was very appreciated. One thing that isn’t quite clear in the description is that the jacuzzi area in the pool isn’t a hot-tub jacuzzi – it’s just a seating area within the pool that has jets in it.
THE LOCATION: The home is in a fairly remote gated community (Coral Estates), which is about half-way between the more developed eastern side of the island, and the more rustic western side of the island. We liked the quiet and remote aspect of the community, but you should know that most of the restaurants and things to do on the island will be at least a 20-40 minute drive. We also really enjoyed the amenities in the community - a beach with great snorkeling, a relaxing spa, 3 restaurants (try the tuna nut pizza and the pumpkin soup at the pizza restaurant!), all within easy walking distance.
OPPORTUNITIES: There’s much to love, but there are also a few things that could be done to further elevate the guest experience:
1. There are safes in each bedroom, but they’re all very small. None would fit a laptop larger than 13”. Replacing these with larger safes would be very helpful.
2. In the afternoon, there is no shade on the patios. There are 2 umbrellas, but they provide little shade. Adding more umbrellas, sails, or tall potted plants would help a lot.
3. The sliding glass doors downstairs have no outside handle. So, there’s no way to close it if you go outside. Adding a handle would be good.
4. Finally, the house could use more comfortable seating – the current sofas aren’t very inviting to sit in – and a dining table outside on the patio would also be a very nice added touch.
But, overall, it’s a great house, and we have no doubt you’ll enjoy your stay there!
