Hard to qualify

Guest: Ren?, John, Roy, Peter (Long Island)
Date of Stay: 12/31/11 Review Submitted: 01/28/12

A vacation is what you make of it. We tend to have a good time wherever we go and this was no exception. This apartment has some serious drawbacks, though, that other renters should be made aware of: the deafening noise of car radios played on the weekends right up to 5 AM sometimes. (sleeping without earplugs is nearly impossible); equally loud open-air bars nearby; the night-time drug dealing that occurs right in front of the building; the internet often not working or so slow that it is useless; the kitchen is poorly equipped with no freezer for ice (in the tropics?) and very few utensils (one teaspoon?). Under the circumstances, we feel the apartment is overpriced and we have to give it a poor rating only for those reasons listed above. On the other hand, if partying all hours, booze and drugs are your thing, then this might just be what you're looking for. Still, it's what you make of it and this can certainly be chalked up as "an experience"!

Owner response:This is the first review of a total of 16 which has less than a 5 star rating. I think this in itself is a rather clear response to this rather negative review. But to answer more specifically, the issue of an ill equipped kitchen is just not true… toaster oven, 4 top stove with oven, blender, coffee maker, skillets, pots, pans, dishes, etc… is not an ill equipped kitchen. I checked with the renter regularly… no mention of “only 1 spoon” was ever made. The refrigerator is a small frig, and yes, it does not have a freezer for ice, but we do have a restaurant right downstairs with all the ice our guests could ever need or use… as instructed, they need only go down and fill up the cooler with ice for the day…. this has been more than acceptable with all our other guests. The one point that I do partially agree with is noise on the weekend. Unfortunately while the guests were staying at the apartment there was a pleasure boat from the main island that moored close-by for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night… There was some very hardy partying on and close-by the boat through-out all of those nights. Consequently, noise along the Malecón that weekend was unusually pronounced. But it is also true that our previous guests as witnessed by their unanimous 15 five star reviews and our many return guests have not had the same experience.

Recommended for:

Perfect Location, Great Hospitality

Guest: Gil (Kansas City, Missouri)
Date of Stay: 10/07/11 Review Submitted: 12/05/11

My sister and I stayed at the oceanfront apartment for several days and it was absolutely perfect. The location is right in the middle of main strip in Esperanza where all of the bars/restaurants are located so everything is walking distance. We decided not to rent a car and it worked out just fine. Sun Bay beach was within walking distance and there were many other beaches that we could have reached with a short cab ride (or in a public car). We opted to walk almost everywhere and we loved every second of it. Barry was wonderful and the shopkeepers in the building treated us like old friends, we couldn't have asked for anything more. We hope to return very soon!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

Amazing location for an affordable price!

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 10/06/11 Review Submitted: 12/05/11

My sister and I stayed at this cute little apartment this past October. It was the perfect size for the two of us, and included everything that you would need for an island getaway - towels, two beach chairs and a bottle opener. Nothing too fancy, but perfect for a girls getaway or a romantic island vacation. The best thing about the property would have to be it's location. It's right in the middle of everything in Esperanza, which is hands down the best place to stay on Vieques. We could go snorkeling, stop by our place for a little siesta, and then walk down the street for a drink and dinner. Literally everything you need is within walking distance, so we didn't even need to rent a car. It was fantastic! Also, all the people who owned shops below the property were super nice and helpful. Everyone on the island that we encountered really made us feel like we were at home. I can't wait for our next trip back to Vieques!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, tourists without a car.

Can't Beat This Location

Guest: Beach Hunter (Parker, CO)
Date of Stay: 11/21/11 Review Submitted: 11/28/11

This apartment is in a perfect location and the large living area with A/C was very nice to come home to after exploring Vieques. The veranda was ideal for coffee in the morning, sunsets in the evening and coqui frogs at night. The location was very convenient to many good restaurants. It was centrally located to all of the local beaches - Green was good for snorkeling, Red was great for lounging and Navio was nice in the evening. There was also nice snorkeling right outside the apartment and the bay provided for a peaceful way to start and end your day.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing, romantic getaway, age 55+, tourists without a car.

A+++++ Place to stay.

Guest: Jose (San Juan)
Date of Stay: 07/14/11 Review Submitted: 07/19/11

just stay last week, excellent location, lots of restaurants, close to everything. Definetly will contact Barry for future stay.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing, families with young children, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

Great Apartment, Excellent Location

Guest: Mark1 (Colorado)
Date of Stay: 04/06/11 Review Submitted: 05/10/11

This apartment is very spacious and comfortable. Everything you can ask for is within walking distance including many great restuarants. The Mucho Gusto restuarant directly beneath the apartment is great. The view from the apartment is wonderful. The owners treated us great and we really appreciated how helpful Barry was and his willingness to answer our many questions. This is the perfect place to base out of for your stay on Vieques. We spent time on the beaches as well snorkeling, diving, flyfishing and exploring the island. The apartment and location in Esperanza worked perfectly for us plus the price is a great deal. We would definitely stay here again!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with young children, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

We'll come back, a great place to stay.

Guest: ron (New York)
Date of Stay: 01/25/11 Review Submitted: 02/06/11

This is the nicest, most convenient place we have stayed in on the island of Vieques. The view of the Carribbean is perfect from the veranda; we had dinner most every night as we watched spectacular sunsets over the water. One of the nicest surprises food wise was the chicken barbecue down at the end of the Malecon, open only on Sunday. Buy a whole chicken and enjoy it for a couple of days/

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, age 55+, tourists without a car.

Great location and excellent place

Guest: N (Seattle)
Date of Stay: 11/20/10 Review Submitted: 12/05/10

Fantastic location - right on the malecon with lots of places to eat at and things to do. We loved all the neat places which are next door. Definetely recommend Duffys, Lazy Jack's for food and drink. We loved the breakfast at Belly Buttons and also the veg pasta at Tradewinds. There also stores within walking distance for groceries and other supplies. Barry was very gracious and helpful. The apartment itself was clean and very convenient with some great views of the sunset. We would definitely recommend the apartment for a vacation at beautiful Vieques.

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Nice view

Guest: chelo (San Juan,P.R.)
Date of Stay: 07/23/10 Review Submitted: 08/10/10

The apartment was more than we expected very spacious and all that you could possibly need is in there or just a little walk away. Restaurants with international chefs, scooters,jet ski,kayaks,bicycles,snorkling equipment and horse rentals. We rent it all... and had the fun or our life. Thanks Barry and the people from Vieques with the best beaches in the caribbean that made our stay a really kings vacations.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with young children, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

Guest: Rose13 (Madison, WI)
Date of Stay: 02/15/10 Review Submitted: 02/15/10

I have to repeat the same comments listed above...this apartment was a fantastic find and a true gem. Location, space, ammenities, owners, you name it, it all exceeded our expectations and we truly wished that the rest of our trip to Puerto Rico would have been as scenic, calm and as perfect as our time at the Guayacan Oceanfront Apartment. Thanks Olga and Barry!

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