We went on vacation February 2018. We had 7 people. The house was spacious and large enough for all of us to enjoy our own space. The patio was sandy, but very well maintained and a nice relaxing space from the hot sun. The pool was small, but refreshing. The beach was breathtaking and very private with few people and an occasional herd of cows walking by.
The house staff was excellent and kept the house and yard very clean. Absolutely no complaints here.
Dwight was the man on the ground that visited us almost every day to make sure we didn't have any issues. Dwight was fantastic. He made sure that the fruit trucks stopped by the house so we could buy fresh fruit daily. He set up a last minute massage for us and was there to meet our drivers for all of our outings. We could not have asked for better service than what he delivered.
We also requested the chef service. There is a minimum of 5 days. In hindsight, we would have wanted less. The local restaurants were delish and delivered better food. That is not to say that Hazel's food was not good, but you would be hard pressed to find sauces and beef better than La Perla's in the States most certainly for the price. The restaurants run on Nicaraguan time so it is a 2.5-3.0 excursion to eat a meal, but it was about the experience for us.
The cost of the chef services is more expensive than what you could buy at the local restaurants/fruit trucks. Furthermore, we did ask for local dishes, but they were mostly Americanized. Also, we got a vanilla cake and brownies out of a box for two desserts, and the menu we approved of was switched. That being said, Hazel was fantastic and it served its very convenient purpose. We would do this option again only if they offered less days.
Massages - Excellent - done by Surfers Massage.
Granada Excursion - . Christian was our driver and he was good. The boat ride around the islands of the lakes was interesting and fun. The lunch and shopping in the Center of Town was fine. It was an okay excursion.
We did the Masaya Volcano excursion. A beautiful view, but a long drive. I would do the excursion on your way to the house or on your way home. Otherwise it is a 6-7 hour trip with the majority of that in the car.
BEST EXCURSION - The local trip to three small villages to see how they live. Harold was the tour guide and was EXCELLENT. Keep this authentic. This was new and we were the first tenants to go. I would do again.
