Vacation Rentals by Owner

Away from Home

Guest: Miriam C.
Date of Stay: 04/08/12 Review Submitted: 04/16/12

Beautiful home with all the amenities. Customer service rep. Sandy and her husband were extremely helpful. They answered all our questions and assured us that if we needed anything they would be at hand. I felt at home and relax. We encountered a couple of problems but they immediately handled the situation. Many thanks to them because they made us feel comfortable. The house was clean when we arrived. We covered many local restaurants in the area not too many attractions for younger children. All in all I would recommend this rental to all my friends and family.

Owner response:Thanks for your review always improving our home, I am now traveling home in PalmasdelMar and refinishing the pool , fresh paint inside and outside , a 42inch flat screen tv in the family room , new pillows / mattresses and plenty of small need it things while traveling away from home... To ALL future guests who take the time to read our reviews and gather most precious informations on their next venture ...Great Thanks to ALL our guests for their reviews ,We do take great pride in our home away from home and hope that you will be visiting some day. Will be waiting,Nathalie

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Wonderful property!

Guest: Jean P.
Date of Stay: 03/31/12 Review Submitted: 04/11/12

Our family of nine people ages 4 to 70+ had a perfectly comfortable week in this lovely house. We practically lived in the pool area and gazebo, enjoyed all our meals outdoors, and found every amenity available, including pool and beach toys. The property manager was very helpful, and everything was clean and attractive. We had visited Palmas del Mar previously, but this was our most enjoyable stay.

Owner response: GREAT!!! We are very happy to make one more family's love and enjoy our little paradise, Sandry our property manager is the best ,we started this venture with homeaway/vrbo in 2007. We would like to say THANK-YOU to all family's who take the time to write us a reviews ,it does help future guests to get a idea about our home and who we are. Thanks, Nathalie&Carmen&Sandry

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Santiago's Youngstown, Ohio

Guest: Lisa Santiago
Date of Stay: 01/02/12 Review Submitted: 01/21/12

We are 2 adults ages 53 ,47, and traveled with our 18 year daughter. Upon arrival we were pleasantly surprised at how well equipped the house was especially the kitchen. We only needed to buy groceries. Sandry (our contact) was very helpful and attentive. We spent every morning eating breakfast by the pool, what a great way to start the day, and enjoying the view. My Mom and Dad, whom live on the island, joined us for a couple nights. They were loving it just as much as us. The golf cart was great for getting around the community. My wife enjoyed drives to the beach while I played golf. The pool was great especially after a round of golf. Our daughter was so impressed that all her facebook entries were about how happy she was. While on the island we visited El Yunque, The Arecibo Observatory, The Caverns of Camuy, Rincon Light House, Luquillo Beach, and many more sites and were not disappointed with any. We would like to thank Nathalie for letting us use her home. It was one of the best vacations that our family has enjoyed. We would recommend this house to anyone. Nothing was misrepresented and you will not be disappointed!

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Great Stay

Guest: Ron (Wisconsin)
Date of Stay: 01/29/11 Review Submitted: 02/08/11

Our family which includes two grown children, their spouses, 3 young grandchildren, and my wife and I rented this house for a week. It was wonderful! The house is as described online, the pictures are accurate, and the kitchen is well equipped with dishes and cooking utensils. The pool was a hit and used probably 4 hours a day, there were pool/beach items for our use in the garage, the cabana was a wonderful place to eat our meals, and the beach was only minutes away. We also appreciated the bathroom and shower in the cabana. Sandry, the manager, was very helpful. She was at the house when we arrived, giving us information about the house and offering any assistance that we may need throughout the week. Although we didn't need her, we felt comfortable that she was only a phone call away. While in Puerto Rico we visited El Yunque, old San Juan, toured the Barcardi factory, and took a road trip on the scenic highway southwest along the coast. It was a terrific week! The only thing that may be difficult for some people in the house are the stairs...there is no railing on them but the walls are close enough to touch which can aid you. Otherwise the house is equipped with EVEYTHING one would need for the week including shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and dish soap. I've seen reviews where people weren't happy with the TV -- either more chanels have been added or we aren't diehard TV watchers...we got all the network channels and a few other programs. There was even a Kids network for our grandchildren. The golf cart is new and was handy for trips around Palmas. Both Nathalie and Sandry were pleasant and easy to work with. Without hesitation, I recommend this house for your vacation.

Owner response: We take great pride in sharing our vacation home with other families and really appreciate guests taking time out of their busy schedules to share their experience with us. It is feedback from our guests that helps us continue to determine ways to maintain and/or enhance our guests' experience. Thank-you for your recommendation.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children.

Wonderful Time

Guest: Brenda (Medford, NY USA)
Date of Stay: 08/15/10 Review Submitted: 08/31/10

Dear Nathalie: Just want to say to you a BIG THANK YOU for the use of your home. My Family and I had such a wonderful time. We enjoyed every minute of our stay in Puerto Rico. The Palmas Del Mar area in which you live is beautiful. We were all so impressed by what we saw. Your home is gorgeous. The kids had a blast using the pool which was so much fun and the house was big enough for 10. We also went swmming at the beach in Palmas, horseback riding on the beach and we also hit the casino's twice. We visited the Rain Forest, El Moro in San Juan and Vieques. We did allot and had great fun. I would recommend your home anytime and would love to come back real soon. Your house had everything just like you mentioned. Thanks again for making my family trip a very memorable one. Regards, Brenda

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway.

Our Family Vacation

Guest: Eve (Queens, New York)
Date of Stay: 08/06/10 Review Submitted: 08/20/10

First of all Nathalie we have to say that our dealings with you via phone and emails were nothing but excellent. Sandry and her husband were also beyond helpful and on top of everything with us - great caretakers. Your home was absolutely beautiful and we utilized everything that you offered us in your home. We did not want to leave the house. The pool was always so warm and clean. The grill was wonderful to us. I especially loved your kitchen. We shopped at Walmart in the Plaza and also Ralph's Super Store - they had everything and only 10-15 mins by car. I suggest that each house renter utilize your golf cart; our daughter loved it and it gave us the opportunity to see the Palmas del Mar area; had us breathless with the beaches there. There are many things to do in Humaco and other areas of Puerto Rico, I suggest getting a GPS and be willing to Cabo Rojo, Old San Juan, Ponce, etc. We look forward to visiting your home once again. P.S. We loved hearing the sounds of the coqui's and I took great photos of them too.

Owner response:We are so pleased that our home is being enjoyed by so many families from all over the U.S. and beyond. It brings us great joy to know families have the opportunity to really explore and enjoy the island the way we do.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, sightseeing.

We had a wonderful and relaxing time!

Guest: Jennifer G.
Date of Stay: 07/21/10 Review Submitted: 08/09/10

Nathalie, Wonderful and relaxing time! and we did get very tan as well!You have a beautiful home where we spent so much time outside in the pool and the the spa. It was so nice to be able to make some of our own meals together as well!! Palmas Del Mar is a beautiful development. Thank you again for letting us use your home for our vacation.

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Guest: Lindah ( Brockton, MA)
Date of Stay: 06/29/10 Review Submitted: 07/19/10

Hello Nathalie, I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your wonderful home in Puerto-Rico. When we got there everything was beautiful. Sandry was there to meet us. The property is well maintained and all the "extra" like soap,shampoo,lotion was so very thoughful. My family and I are planning a return trip to Puerto-Rico and we be sure to stay in your lovely home. The pool not being heated was not a big deal....the water was warm - how could it not be in sunny Puerto-Rico! We had a wonderful time!

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The perfect family spring break vacation!!

Guest: Indy L. (Indianapolis, IN)
Date of Stay: 04/04/10 Review Submitted: 05/12/10

I was very skeptical about renting a vacation home sight unseen for my family's spring break this year. I have three children ages 6, 4, and 20 months in addition to my husband and nanny. I could not have been happier with my decision to rent this house. The house was beautifully decorated and extremely clean. The house had all of the comforts of home...all we had to do was unpack and pick up a few groceries. The patio and pool area were as beautiful as in the pictures and there were plenty of pool toys in the garage for our use. As other reviewers have mentioned, the pool/jacuzzi is not heated, but it is very clean and offers a cool, refreshing dip when you have lounged in the hot sun. The golf cart was another great amenity and was essential for quick trips to the beach or plaza. The Palmas property has fantastic restaurants and it is located just a few exits away from Walmart, grocery stores, and other restaurants. We also liked the fairly close proximity to San Juan and the rainforest. I also cannot say enough about how helpful Sandry, the property manager, was in helping to make sure we had everything we needed. The Palmas property (and the surrounding areas) do not have a public gym or fitness facility which is the only thing that my husband and I were disappointed about since we enjoy working out. Also, the property does not have much nightlife which was fine for our family vacation, but maybe not ideal for honeymooners or young couples without children. The only other complaint I have is that we did not stay longer. I would recommend this house and location without reservation to beach vacation seekers young and old.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car.

Great home away from home!

Guest: Abea (MN)
Date of Stay: 03/22/10 Review Submitted: 04/06/10

This was our first time renting a home rather than staying in a hotel. And I will be going this route from now on! The house was perfect, very roomy, clean, and everything it said on the website was exact. Nathalie the owner was so great to work with, she made everything so easy for us. I traveled with my husband and two small children and the house was made for us. Puerto Rico has perfect weather the only downfall is there isn't much to do in terms of water activities or at least they weren't kid friendly. Our kids didn't want to do the rain forest, the Bio Bay is best at night, and we couldn't find anyone to take us on a water tour. The resort is so big you honestly don't need to leave to enjoy yourself so forego the super exspensive car rental and stay local. This house even comes with a golf cart which was great for getting around the grounds. We will be going back again!

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

Our Mothers Memorial

Guest: RLFG (CT / NH )
Date of Stay: 07/11/09 Review Submitted: 08/02/09

We stayed at this property in mid July for our mothers memorial. There was a total of 9 of us and we enjoyed our stay. The property is beautiful and we all enjoyed cooking in the large kitchen the special dishes our mother made that are typical to Puerto Rico. It made us feel as if we were home. Considering the reason we went down to Puerto Rico, overall we had a wonderful experience and hope to return in the near future.

Owner response:It was a pleasure having your family staying with us,a lots of our guests enjoy the kitchen in the house indoor or outdoor, it is a good time spend with family and friends.The cabana area made every evening or day very pleasant, the light breeze from the ocean is so refreshing ....you wish you were there!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Paradise Found!

Guest: AutumnI (Fairfax, Virginia)
Date of Stay: 06/23/09 Review Submitted: 08/10/09

Nathalie (owner) you rock! This was our second time vacationing at the Palmas house and again we were not dissapointed. The pictures do not do it justice. It's that perfect and beautiful. There were so many touches that the are provided that make it a perfect vacation home: grills, coolers, beach toys, games, music, toiletries, books, wireless internet, too many to mention. If we had any questions, our answers were just a phone call away, as the owner and property manager were always available. The golf cart is a great plus, since you can literally pull up to the beach access in it. There were however, some glitches, mostly minor: the heater in the spa was not working so we could not enjoy that ammenity. I hear that the owner plans to restore this sometime this fall. Also, the cable package available on the tv is the bare bones minimum offered by the local company. It only provides mostly Spanish-speaking channels and the American broadcast channels: eg NBC, ABC,CBS, PBS. There is no Nickeleodon, Disney,CNN,USA, ESPN, et. al. I have suggested to the owner that she consider upgrading her package, as having childrens television is a very handy thing to have when there is down time and you have young children along. There is no Blockbuster nearby, although the local Walmart has a Redbox. All in all, it was another great vacation and we look forward to returning, hopefully next year!

Owner response:The house is fully equipped so a family can enjoy a beach vacation without having to worry about the details. The spa is currently not heated. We (owners) are headed there in September for a week to enjoy some rest and relaxation but also to see if we can arrange to have a new heating system installed for the pool and spa. We hope we are able to get installed and ready for our Winter vacationers. At this time only basic cable is available. We have a selection of DVDs for everyone's enjoyment. We also encourage families to bring their own movies, cds and dvds as it is difficult to accomodate everyone's tastes.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, pet owners.

Great House, but details!

Guest: PuertoBella (Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.)
Date of Stay: 05/18/09 Review Submitted: 05/28/09

We really loved the house, it provided comfortable living arrangements and was beautifully decorated. Our only problem was that no one told us that the beautiful jacuzzi featured in the pictures would not be working when we got there. :( Make sure that people know ahead of time what things are and aren't working, that was an unfair surprise.

Owner response:The spa is working, however it is not heated at this time. We hope to offer both the swimming pool and spa heated beginning in the winter months. The plan is to install a much more energy efficient unit that works on a timer and heats both the pool and spa.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

April 25-May 2, 2009 "Party of nine" from PA

Guest: Jeff W. (Reading, PA)
Date of Stay: 04/25/09 Review Submitted: 05/04/09

What a great house and great location. Our party of nine consisted of 5 adults and 4 children ages from 2-9. We loved the house and all the extra amenities the owners add. From lotions, soaps, towels, beach chairs, coolers, you name it, the house had it! The pool and hot tub were a big hit for the whole party, especially after the kids went to bed and the adults could unwind! We highly recommend the house to all age groups. We used the golfcart daily and rented another one thru Target, who delivers right to the house. The kids loved exploring the area and playing in the surf! Our group took road trips to the Rainforest, and the popular beaches on the east coast, but Palmas had the best beach, with the bar and music. Halfway thru the week, we decided to stay in Palmas because it had everything we were looking for! Many thanks to the property managers who all were very friendly and quick to respond to our needs. One night the grill ran out of propane right before we threw the steaks on and we had difficulty with the replacement tank. Within 15 minutes a maintenance man was at the door and got us cooking again. Another time the hot tub was not hot and Tony the Pool guy had it fixed by the time we got back from a roadtrip, boy was that relaxing! Our group can not say enough! Once again, this was a great house with alot of extras that made it feel like home. We highly recommend it! Thanks for making our first Puerto Rico trip great!!!!!!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: homeaway.com
Date of Stay: 04/01/09 Review Submitted: 04/30/10

Please check our past reviews at homeaway.com 171888 same web provider.

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What a relaxing getaway!

Guest: Ed and Valerie (Urbandale Iowa)
Date of Stay: 03/15/09 Review Submitted: 04/12/09

Our party of 10-two families, with kids age 2-18-had the most wonderful vacation in Puerto Rico. The house was just wonderful and came with just about everything you would have in your own home. We only left the gated community once in 8 days. The beach was just minutes away in the golf cart and the sand and water were beautiful! Our kids were in the pool most all everyday, all day. The house is VERY family friendly-watch out for wet feet on marble floors though! I would highly recommend this to any family with any age kids. We really were able to relax and enjoy every moment. Just beautiful!

Owner response:The house was set up with families in mind. The Palmas Del Mar resort does provide great amenties and make it easy never to have to leave the resort. While the floors can handle the traffic of families in "beach and vacation mode" it is best to wear flip-flops if wet and coming indoors. The floors can be slippery. It is nice to see families enjoying our home.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children.

Wonderful Puerto Rico Get Away

Guest: SuZeeBee (New Jersey)
Date of Stay: 01/31/09 Review Submitted: 02/11/09

Our vacation in Palmas del Mar was just fabulous.The villa was just lovely with our own pool and hot tub. The beach was wonderful. Not crowded at all, warm, beautiful water. Excellent vacation destination for kids. Highly recommended! Susan

Owner response:Thank you for your review,it is always very nice to know our guests enjoy our vacation home ,it is a pleasure to share our love for Palmas Del Mar!!!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

PALMAS VACATION

Guest: Jose M. (NH)
Date of Stay: 08/23/08 Review Submitted: 08/31/08

This home was all that it was described to be and more. This was our first family trip to the island and ages ranged from as young as 8 months to ???, but we all had a great time. Everything that you need is there for you, any comfort feature that could be imagined was covered. We traveled all over the eastern part of the island from San Juan,Luquillo, Fajardo, El Yunque and all was within 40-45 minute drive. We would recommend your home without hesitation and look forward to visiting again in the near future.

Owner response:Thank-you so much for taking the time to write a review. It means a lot and gives future vacationers important information. It is an incredible island with lots of wonderful sites.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

The pictures do not do this house justice

Guest: Jaycru (Rockland County, NY)
Date of Stay: 06/20/08 Review Submitted: 07/07/08

From the moment you drive up to the property you know you are in for a good time. Its located on a culdesac so there's lots of privacy. The yard allthough sloped is enormous. The view is awsome and once the area is totally devoloped it will only get better. When you walk in to its luxurious bathrooms and its modern kitchen you realize that pictures do not do this house justice. The pool area with its outdoor kitchen, dinning and full bathroom made it the perfect place for our family reunion. The house is equiped with every imaginable accessory you made need while in the house or for when you go out. It was 97 deegrees the day we arrived. The breeze you get from the sea made it so that we can sit out side through the whole night if we wished. Because of this, no bugs bother you. There were just a couple of things that did not go our way. First the Electricity went out on us one day for 12 hours. The owner had just purchased a brand new state of the art back up generator to compensate for when such ocassions occur. Unfortunately it was not working. Maintenance was inexeperienced and could not get it going. The second issue is that there are no TVs in the bedrooms. With so many children and teenagers durring our stay it would of helped if there were one in each room. Suggestion to future renters: Bring Laptops and use them as DVD Players. The home has an assorted variety of movies on DVD. If not, suscribe to a service like Netflix. These were minor issues in our opinion. We hope the generator matter is taken care of by now. With all we enjoyed the property thoroughly and can't wait to go back. This is trully a great place to rent for vacation. PS: The golf cart is a little slow.

Owner response:The generator is fully functional and I am assured it now works.It is unfortunate that the very first time needed it did not turn on as programmed.We will be there the first of August to enjoy some golf, beach and family. We will also make sure the home is ready for our next guests.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Great winter getaway

Guest: born vacationer (Setauket, Long Island, New York)
Date of Stay: 01/01/08 Review Submitted: 01/22/08

The home is every bit as nice as it's description and more. The owner was extremely helpful and accomodating. The beach is great for sunbathing and is close by. With the golf cart that's made available to us, getting aroud Palmas was a breeze. The restaurants in the area are all very good. We also barbecued a lot and took advantage of the outdoor dining facility. Having our own pool and jacuzzi is also a plus. It's great relaxing around the pool and jacuzzi after a day at the beach or golf while waiting for dinner on the grill. We had such a great relaxing vacation nobody wanted to leave. The weather was perfect everyday, lo 80's with a nice breeze. We were very surprised at the lack of bugs at night. We would rent this house again in a heart beat. Almost forgot to mention the 2 great golf courses that we played on. The staff were extremely nice and the facilities were gorgeous. Night life is definitly lacking for our college kids and their friends but they didn't mind it at all. They all came home with a great tan.

Owner response:Thank-you so much for taking the time to write this review. It really pleases us to know that other families really enjoy our home. And as for the night life, well...there are some great places not far from the resort, but it is nice having them spend time with the family. My two, a 24y.o. and 26y.o. always manage to find the "nightlife".

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.

Super property, great management

Guest: Big O (San Juan PR)
Date of Stay: 11/01/07 Review Submitted: 12/18/07

Just like a home away from home. Everything imaginable is covered! Beautiful property in new condition. I mean, everything is in new condition. And the owner is always within reach for any questions. Extremely helpful, always. Property is fenced in, two car garage, plenty of parking. Golf car included for quick trips around the resort. Close to restaurants and casino, golf and tennis, and the beach. Beach is not that great, but the pool and heated jacuzzi are great. The price is right, I'd highly recommend this property and I would definitely stay there again.

Owner response:Thank you so much for taking the time to submit your comments. We are thrilled you enjoyed the property and we had to reserve a week in February and in November now because the reponse to our property has been so great. I actually like the beach because it is small/private, has palm trees and a nice bar/restaurant...but I live in Orlando. I also loved the heated jacuzzi, unfortunately while the spa still works great and the jets are very relaxing, it is no longer heated. I guess it turned out to be a bit complicated to operate and was left on several times with no water running through the system. The heating element has been damaged a number of times. I hope to replace it at some point with a different system. Hope to see you again soon.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with young children, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.