Reviews of Property: Affordable Luxury: Oceanview Caribbean Villa Rental w/ Staff & Pool

Thank you for letting us use your beautiful Dominican Villa in September. I don't know which I miss more: the icy cold President beer, or the fact that I could totally relax and not have to think about anything for a whole week. Your staff was great. Nelsida was always smiling and bringing food & beverages and Julio was so helpful with all the food shopping and errands; the langostinos from Maimon were great and the Dominican cigars much enjoyed on the terrace.

I appreciate all your help getting this vacation organized for us. Having never traveled to the Dominican Republic having your input made everything run alot more smoothly. With my limited Spanish I don't know how I would have found the villa or even Playa Cofresi, what I would have ordered for meals and where I would have gone for restaurant dinning. Your Villa Guide book was also a huge help once we got to the villa.

Your home is great (better than the pictures show) the location is beautiful (it was so relaxing to gaze at the ocean & the mountain & the stars at night.) Your home stood on it's own and was not crowded by other houses, which is what we noticed about the other villas. The staff was friendly & attentive without getting in the way. Like other reviewers I was tempted to put Nelsida in my suitcase when it was time to leave. A vacation doesn't get any better than this.

Just a quick note to tell you we all had a perfect vacation in Cofresi. Your villa was fabulous! Everything was comfortable, clean and made for tropical vacation life. You were right about the sun terrace being big..between all the chaises and rockers and sunbed and hammock all 14 of us could spread out without the little ones fighting. We just had to learn to take turns on the hammock.

Nelsida, Mercey and Julio were the best! It really was sad when it was time to leave. I have never felt so pampered in all my life and as promised I did not lift a finger except to drink my pina colada (while floating in the pool, which you told me to do). Every single meal was better than the one before and I don't have to tell you that Nelsida knows how to make a great Pina Colada! She had everyone's drink orders memorized after the first day. I should have brought stretchy pants to wear on the plane home.

I have already told my friends and coworkers about your place and you can bet I'll be calling back to book another vacation

Dear Cindy,

Our stay at your beautiful villa was beyond our wildest dreams! Even though the website was so inviting, we were absolutely overwhelmed with the “real thing”!!!! Following flights from Philadelphia via San Juan we were warmly greeted by Julio and Gabino, our luggage quickly claimed and we are on our way. The ride through Puerto Plata gave us our first impressions of the Dominican Republic…vey lush, warm and yes poor, as we travelled to the Villa. There we were warmly welcomed by Nelsida and Mercy and overwhelmed with the beauty of the villa as well as the friendliness of the staff…we knew we were “home”! As we walked out onto the veranda we were stunned by the breathtaking beauty of the pool and the surrounding views of the ocean, Mount Isabella, the other villas near but not too near, this was the villa of our dreams!

After a quick tour of the house we changed into bathing suits and head to the pool. Almost instantly Mercy appeared with a tray of Pina Coladas and cold beer…..we were in heaven. Our stay at Villa Vista Del Mar had begun! Every day was like a dream filled with long, lazy hours in and around the pool interrupted only by the delicious meals and beverages graciously served by Nelsida and Mercy. To say that the food was fantastic is an understatement…our every wish was met with a warm smile! The staff truly became like family.

During the week we ventured off to enjoy a day of sailing and snorkeling on a catamaran and a second adventure which took us out into the glorious countryside through small villages where we were greeted by the smiles and laughter of the beautiful children culminating in a trek through the jungle and swimming in cool, emerald pools at the base of several waterfalls. As the week came to an end we all agreed that it would nearly impossible to find more a more luxurious way to spend a holiday. It is unanimous that we hope to find ourselves back at the villa very soon!

Thanks again Cindy, Julio, Nelsida, Mercy and Gabino!

Cindy,

Our vacation went extremely well. The villa was just as advertised and was lovely. The staff was gracious and very accommodating. We appreciated the recommendation for Chris and Mady’s and enjoyed a good meal the night of our arrival. The best part of the villa was the pool and surrounding outside area. The food was great and the piña coladas even better!

I would recommend the villa to anyone! Thanks to your staff for a restful and relaxing week. When visiting the Dominican Republic again, we will definitely check to see if your villa is available.

Thanks again for everything!

Regards,

Kathy

Cindy,

We had the most marvelous time at your villa! I cannot say enough about your staff. You are correct; I wanted to take Nelsida and Mercy home with me. They are wonderful cooks and superbly wonderful people! My husband and I would've eaten more adventurously if the kids weren't around, but we still got a great sampling of their wonderful recipes. The yucca and crackers and cheese snack when we got there was so appreciated. Chris and Mady's was really good, but we were so exhausted by the time we got there we could barely keep our heads up. For the sheer value, deliciousness and down-home fantastic cooking I'd eat at the house every day. We loved the endless supply of pina coladas, mojitos, banana milkshakes, flan and guacamole. Not to mention the wonderful fruits we had every day. Ahora Beachhouse was great for the kids to get burgers and fries even though you are correct it is quite expensive. The deep fried milky ways were quite wonderful though!

Julio was so helpful and even got us a tray full of langostinos for dinner - so awesome. He also helped a member of our group who wanted to rent a car with logistics and so forth. He and Gabino doing the airport transfers was so wonderful so we didn't have to think about it. Jose was such a sweet night watchman. He spoke to me like I knew what he was saying and somehow I managed to understand most of it. He was so genuine and he told us to come back Pronto! All your staff made us feel right at home and even though the kids (and me) were a little weirded out at first at having "maids" around, by the end of the week they felt more like family.

Your home is wonderfully kept up and the pool was pristine. We spent a lot of time in that pool! We didn't need air conditioning until the last night when we felt it got really, really hot. It was either our imagination or it was because we all fried on the catamaran ride that last day or it was indeed really, really hot. Some places let their maintenance slide cuz they figure there is nothing you can do since you are there, but your place was top-notch all the way. Excellent furnishings and excellent upkeep!

Thanks for all your help and thanks for a truly memorable vacation! We are hoping that someday we can make it back there! If you can reiterate to your staff how wonderful they were and how much we appreciated them I'd truly appreciate that as well...

Lorain

2nd day at Cofresi:
You lied to us. You said this is paradise. This isn't paradise, it's heaven. Julio, Nelsida and Mercy couldn't be nicer or better at what they do. We love it here. Went on the jeep safari today and all I can say is OMG. We are already planning a trip back next year with at least 8 people & you'll have at least 2 more billings after we get home. I'll write more when we get home. PS - the art work in the house is beautiful. Buenos dias.

Post Vacation:
Thank you for one of the most enjoyable, relaxing, beautiful vacations I can remember. Our stay was a week we’ll never forget. We arrived at the airport and Julio was waiting for us as promised. En route to the villa, he stopped at a market so we could buy some last minute items. He is so easygoing and friendly, we fell in love with him instantly. When we arrived at our vacation home, we found the front door open and the aroma of something wonderful cooking. Two very friendly, smiling faces, Nelsida and Mercy could not have been cuter. They acted as if we were family they haven’t seen for years. Julio insisted he carry our suitcases upstairs and immediately we were served cold drinks & snacks. I would come down stairs in the morning and my coffee was being poured as I walked into the kitchen. If I tried to pick it up, I got a stern “no” from Nelsida. I was not to carry my coffee. With a sly smile, she gladly carried it out to the poolside table for me to enjoy. The whole week was the same. The maids would not let anyone do anything but relax, all while they smiled and worked away. They truly are amazing. You were right, we all wanted to bring them home with us. At the airport, I teased Julio that my suitcase was heavy because I had Mercy and Nelsida in it. He laughed and said, “No, my Mercy stays here with me”. We have their e-mail address and will stay in touch with our Dominican, extended family. I can’t accurately convey how fond we grew of them. My son learned a tremendous amount of Spanish from the staff and they were impressed at how fast he caught on. The house itself is beyond description. It looks as if it was built yesterday. It is in perfect condition in all respects. Julio keeps the pool sparkling and it was amazing how clear the water stayed all week. We are already planning our trip back next year with more people. We can’t wait to see Julio, Nelsida, Mercy, the villa and all the wonderful, beautiful Dominicans we met, again. Thanks for an unforgettable experience!!!

Our stay in Villa Vista del Mar was the most relaxing vacation I have ever had. It was by far the best value for the money. This large home comfortably accommodated our extended family of ten people, including four teenagers. Although we were there in the middle of the summer, the many fans, air conditioned bedrooms, and private pool kept us very comfortable. The staff was an added bonus, which made this vacation a dream. They were extremely gracious, took care of all cooking and cleaning, and helped us in many ways, large and small. Any parent will appreciate how wonderful it was to be free of the chores of everyday life.

Play Cofresi is a small community, with a beach, shops, and restaurants within a five-minute walk - and we felt safe day and night. There are also many excursions available through the local tour guide. We took advantage of a few activities, but even the teens were content to spend most of their time hanging out at the pool.

The detailed information provided by the owner before our arrival and the notebooks on site helped us to understand what to expect and take full advantage of our visit to this delightful country.

When we decided we wanted to go to the Dominican Republic, we started looking at areas we wanted to check out. And the top one on that list was the Northern Caribbean coast of DR. Randomly, I came across an Advertisement for HomeAway.com while reviewing Politico.com (who knew??) and when I clicked on DR and Puerta Plata, Vista del Mar was the listing that came up first.

And I can't emphasize how glad we are that it did.

Cindy helped get everything arranged for seven of us to fly into POP, be whisked to the Villa and enjoy seven full days of luxury and relaxation. She took care of everything up front (including food) so we had very little to do but relax by the pool and have Pinas each and every day.

The staff was amazing and so helpful and sweet. Cindy had mentioned that we'd really like them and I think that ended up being an understatement. They were so great and nice and just a joy to be around.

The Villa is huge and allowed us all to spread out and just relax. Each bedroom has air conditioning, which is needed for the hot and humid nights. There are great little restaurants nearby and the beach is just about a block away.

Needless to say, we can't wait to come back to Vista del Mar. When we are on the plane back to Chicago, we kept talking about how lucky we were to find this place and what an amazing week it had been.

A great place, with amazing people. Thanks to Cindy and all the staff at the Villa for making for such a great vacation!

Thomas