Location: Havers, Tortola, British Virgin Islands BVI, Caribbean (Havers on Tortola's south coast 15 minutes west of Road Town) View Map
Accommodations: Villa, 6 Bedrooms + No additional sleeping rooms avail, 5.5 Baths (Sleeps 12)
Keywords: Villa
Perched on a hillside, 500' above the ocean, in the midst of a green oasis, Summer Heights is situated on Tortola's south coast just a short drive from the beaches, shops and nightlife of the island. Guests, who stay at Summer Heights, describe the villa as a peaceful hideaway with amazing views that seem to go on forever – one of the best in Tortola! Overlooking the Sir Francis Drake Channel, you can see all the way from Ginger Island in the east to Coral Bay in St John in the west. On a clear day, you can even see St Croix, over 30 miles away. If you are an early riser, the sunrise is spectacular! At night, the clear, uncluttered sky offers a wonderful opportunity for stargazing.
Our beautiful Tortola vacation home is approached up a winding country road through the breezy green hills of the private residential area known as Havers Estate. On arrival, a broad staircase of Mexican coral tile leads through the double entry doors to a sunny enclosed courtyard with an expansive deck of crushed coral and the swimming pool, lined with cobalt blue tiles.
A roofed poolside area provides a beautiful setting for casual dining, with the adjacent gourmet kitchen and bar immediately at hand. A curved glass brick wall separates the kitchen from the very spacious lounge. Here you find comfortable, overstuffed sofas for lounging in front of the TV, as well as a computer desk. The desktop computer has WiFi and long distance calls can be made by VOIP using Skype or MagicJack.
Just along the deck from the lounge, are four similar bedroom suites. The two lower suites open onto a semi-shaded deck hung with a double hammock while the upper two open to private balconies. The fifth suite, the Turtle Dove Suite, is in the east wing and opens directly onto the pool deck. This room also features a sitting area and a walk-in closet. Each of the five suites has a beautiful ocean view and features an impressive teak king four-poster bed with deep comfortable mattress, en suite bathroom, air-conditioning and flat screen TV / DVD combo. Above the poolside suite and accessed by a staircase leading directly from the room is a twin bedded loft room, ideal for children. This room shares the bathroom with the room below.
Summer Heights is a luxury Tortola villa rental property and a relaxed and restful haven conveniently located to town, shops, restaurants and West End beaches. It is an easy fifteen minute drive to Road Town where you will find the three main fully stocked supermarkets. The closest beach is at Long Bay, a ten minute drive west and Smuggler's Cove, which we think is Tortola's best beach, is just another few minutes further on. Nanny Cay Marina, a watersports and boating centre, is less than five minutes from Summer Heights. From here, you can rent snorkel gear, arrange SCUBA diving or rent a powerboat.
Barry & Rosalind Rice, the owners of Summer Heights, personally built and now maintain the villa in immaculate condition. Originally from England, our own accommodations are tucked away on the lower eastern side of the property, completely separate from the villa's amenities. For more than 20 years, we have hosted guests on our beautiful 72-foot sailing yacht, Endless Summer II, in the BVI. If she is not on charter, ask about the possibility of a day sail to one of the neighbouring islands. We are always available to offer advice on where to go & what to do. However, we will respect your wish for total privacy, if you so indicate.
Vacation Rental Features
- Amenities
- Air Conditioning : A/C in all 6 bedrooms
- Linens Provided : Beach towels provided
- Washer : Laundry services available
- Dryer
- Off Street Parking : Parking on site for up to 3 cars
- Beds
- King Bed (5) : Teak king size beds with deep comfortable mattresses in each bedroom
- Twin/Single Bed (2) : In loft bedroom, linked directly to the poolside Turtle Dove Suite. Shares bathroom with suite below. Best for children.
- Crib (2) : One wooden full size crib (age 0 - 3 years); one fold up smaller wooden crib (age 0 - 1 year)
- Entertainment
- Cable/Satellite TV : 40" flat screen TV with cable in lounge. Cable TV in poolside suite.
- TV (No Cable/Satellite) (5) : Flat screen TV / DVD combo in 5 bedrooms.
- DVD
- Video Library : Extensive DVD library
- CD Player
- Stereo System
- Music Library : Charged iPod dock connected into lounge & deck speakers. CD library with 100 CDs.
- Private Pool : 10' x 20' Depth 5' - 6'. Unguarded. Children should be supervised.
- Kitchen
- Full Kitchen : The good size, modern kitchen is a cook's delight!
- Cooking Utensils Provided
- Refrigerator (2) : Side by side fridge/freezer with water & ice dispenser. Additional fridge in bar
- Dishwasher
- Microwave
- Ice Maker
- Outdoor Features
- Gas/Electric BBQ Grill : Gas BBQ
- Deck/Patio : 2 seating areas on deck. One chat centre under a retractable sun awning & one cocktail table and chairs overlooking the view.
- Balcony (2) : Upstairs bedrooms have a private balcony, with chairs.
- Lanai
- View/Location
- Ocean View : Expansive views over the Sir Francis Drake Channel from St John to Ginger Island
- Water View
- Communications
- Free Long Distance : Skype & MagicJack available on the computer
- Cell Phone (2) : 2 cell phones for local calls, with credit, provided for guest use. No charge for incoming calls & no charge for calls between the two phones. Guests can keep in contact with each other when out and about in different locations around the islands.
- Computer : DSL & WiFI connections
- Broadband Internet
- WiFi (Wireless Internet)
- Other Amenities
- Standby generator. Books & games. Computer with high-speed DSL + Wi-Fi & free Skype VoIP. Bar with refrigerator for drinks, cooler & beach chairs. Highchair for babies & toddlers. Double hammock, lounging chairs & love-seat under a retractable sun awning. Personal laundry is done by the housekeeper who visits once a week. With advance notice, groceries and drinks can be stocked at Summer Heights for your arrival. Beauty treatments, massages and spa services may also be arranged. Accommodations:Up to 8 people in 4 king suites in the Main Villa; Up to 10 people in 5 king bedrooms including the Turtle Dove Suite. Up to 12 people 6 king bedrooms including the Turtle Dove Suite & kids loft. When your rental is less than 5 bedrooms, the Turtle Dove Suite can be included for a $490 per week supplement.
- Suitability
- No Pets Allowed
- Kid Friendly : Be aware that the swimming pool is unguarded.
- Smoking Not Allowed : Smoking allowed on the deck only please.
- Activities
- Tennis
- Shopping
- Kayaking
- Sailing
- Boating
- Waterskiing
- Swimming
- Surfing
- Windsurfing
- Biking
- Mountain Biking
- Fishing
- Health/Beauty Spa
- Shelling
- Hiking
- Restaurants
- Fitness Center/Gym
- Cinemas/Movie Theaters
- Museums
- Other Activities
- A 4WD vehicle is recommended. All the sea and land activities that the BVI has to offer are a short distance from Summer Heights. Along with your own private pool for swimming, the beautiful beach at Long Bay is just a short distance away.
Rate Details (In US Dollars)
Rates shown are for double occupancy of each bedroom per week.
Minimum stay 5 nights except holidays. Add 7% BVI government tax.
Summer & Fall Rates 2011: 1 room $3,200; 2 rooms $3,600; 3 rooms $4,100;
4 rooms $4,600; 5 rooms $5,100; 6 rooms $5,500
Winter Rates 2012: 1 room $4,200; 2 rooms $4,200; 3 rooms $4,900; 4 rooms $5,600
5 rooms $6,300; 6 rooms $7,000
Xmas/New Year: 10 nt min 1-4 rooms $7,000 wk; 5 rooms $8,000 wk; 6 rooms $8,500 wk
Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.
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Credit Cards Accepted:
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Map & Owner's Profile
Summer Heights - Great Value! Sleeps 12 in 6 Bedrooms
Year Purchased: 1997
Why the Owner Chose Havers
We chose to build Summer Heights on Havers because of its central location, the constant breeze and the amazing views. We haven't been disappointed - the position is everything we hoped for and more! The ambiance is one of peace and tranquility. I can think of nothing better than sitting on the deck absorbing the ever changing vistas - I hope you will too!
The Unique Benefits at this Villa
To set Summer Heights apart from other excellent villas on Tortola, Barry & I decided to use the experience garnered over the past 25 years of running our 72’ charter yacht by offering an affordable culinary package here at Summer Heights.
Although I am not professionally trained in haute cuisine, I have always enjoyed cooking and eating in fine restaurants. Nowadays, there are few that can match my 25 year career as a charter chef. I have been a contributor of recipes to the ‘Ship to Shore’ series of cookbooks and the inspiration for the cook book ‘Simple Pleasures’ based on the culinary experience aboard Endless Summer II. Some minor cordon bleu courses have helped me with new ideas for menu planning and presentation. I do like to work with tropical fruits and local vegetables that impart a Caribbean flavour in my recipes.
The meal plan rates are per person and, depending on the number of meals you choose to have at the villa, range from $160 - $240 plus a 15% service charge. The package has been calculated on an at-cost food basis and without consideration of my own time. Because not everyone wants to get up early for breakfast, this meal is not included in the package. All you need for a casual “help yourself”continental style breakfast is provided. Every effort will be made to ensure the meal selection complies with the food dislikes and allergies declaration that I will request from you before arrival. The menus will always vary depending on the availability of ingredients and the mood of the day. This package is not to be confused with a full chef service where time and costs can amount to several hundred dollars for just one meal. Special requests outside of my normal fare are certainly possible but may incur added food cost. House wine is included with dinner but no other beverages are included in this package. Normal clean-up and loading dishwasher are also considered part of the service.
Owner's Map of Havers
We always had a sense of adventure and were lured away from England in the 1970's by the sea. We sailed across the Atlantic to the Caribbean in our 32' sailboat. Planning to be away for just one year, we never returned! Working as crew on charter yachts introduced us to the hospitality industry. When our daughter, Susanna, was born in 1986 settling in the beautiful British Virgin Islands, with their easy access to the US was a no-brainer! In the mid 90's we decided to build our villa Summer Heights. Situated on a hillside on the southern shore of Tortola with easy access to all attractions and with awesome views it has proved extremely popular with guests who return year after year. We would love to share our little bit of paradise with you and introduce you to "Nature's Little Secrets" - the hidden gems of the British Virgin Islands!
Property Photos
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- View of the pool & shaded seating area - Tortola Vacation Villa
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- Aerial view of Summer Heights - Tortola Vacation Villa
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- Outside dining poolside - Tortola Vacation Villa
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- West end of deck with bedrooms & hammock - view to Coral Bay, St John
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- One of the deck level suites
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- Entrance to Summer Heights
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- Comfortable lounge
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- Poolside suite
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- Poolside bathroom
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- East Deck bathroom
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- Kitchen
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- View from East balcony suite
Traveler Reviews (26)
A Very Happy New Year 2011
Guest: Jennifer
(Isle of Man)
Date of Stay: 12/31/11
Review Submitted: 01/12/12
12 of us enjoyed the beautiful house so much that instead of going out for New Years Eve we all stayed in, enjoyed using the wonderful large kitchen, and ate a four course meal next to the pool with the amazing view over the sea. The sound system allowed us to play music outdoors and dance in the new year. Five bedrooms were large and spacious with en-suite bathrooms, the sixth is best used for children. The service was fantastic with mid-week housekeeping and I would recommend using George the taxi driver for all trips to town. Definitely a holiday home to remember and come back to!
Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers, sightseeing, age 55+, girls getaway.
Epic Villa. Fantastic Owners!
Guest: Rob from Boston
(Boston)
Date of Stay: 11/04/11
Review Submitted: 11/07/11
Just got back from a grand weekend on Tortola. Summer Heights was the highlight by far. Amazing views, great layout and amenities. And, wonderful owners! They had the fridge stocked with drinks, helped with car rentals and ferry service. Very friendly and accommodating. I would recommend the place to anyone...
Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway.
Outstanding villa
Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 06/30/11
Review Submitted: 07/27/11
My family and I (6adults and 3 children ) recently stayed at Summer Heights and had a wonderful time. The view is fantastic and we spent many happy hours enjoying that. The villa is very well equipped with everything one needs for a great vacation, awesome kitcen, games, pool, computer access etc. Roz and Barry were very friendly and helped with every question we had. Roz cooked a great meal for us and made the choice of food enjoyable to all even the kids. I would highly recommend this villa for a vacation on Tortola and hope to go again in the near future.
Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers, sightseeing, age 55+, girls getaway.
We had a great time!
Guest: Chuck
(Bowie, MD)
Date of Stay: 06/25/11
Review Submitted: 07/09/11
Our extended family of 10 recently returned from a family vacation at Summer Heights, and were very pleased with the accommodations. The grandchildren enjoyed the pool and the internet and the games, and the adults enjoyed the comfortable beds and the spacious and well-appointed bath rooms adjoining each room. The kitchen was well equipped with all the items necessary to prepare and serve our food. The dining table was large enough for us all to gather around, and was well protected from the rain, provided the wind was not blowing strongly. The views are magnificent, and the outdoor furniture was very comfortable. The only real surprise for someone not familiar with the terrain were the roads. But Roz will guide you up and around the 4 hairpin turns to the villa, where you will descend through a short 45-degree driveway into a courtyard where your rental car can be parked. And from then on, part of your vacation excitement will be as you traverse the "roads" up and down the Tortola hilside. Roz and Barry are excellent hosts, remaining discretely hidden in their downstairs rooms until you need them, and then they will provide assistance and information as you require it, including which taxi to call if you need one(not all of them wish to travel over that road!). Our family all agree that the accommodations were first-rate, and we certainly would entertain the possibility of staying there again, if we are able to return sometime.
Owner response:Thanks so much for your great review. We look forward to welcoming you back sometime.
Recommended for:Families with young children, age 55+.
3rd Stay at Summer Heights
Guest: Glenn & Cary C
(-)
Date of Stay: 04/28/11
Review Submitted: 06/13/11
What a great time we had at Summer Heights! This was our third time staying with Barry and Roz and their hospitality was wonderful! Each trip, we have brought a new person along with our family and they have each been completely "wowed" by Tortola and the views from Summer Heights. Driving up the road to the villa is crazy but after doing it numerous times we are used to the climb and our son loves the 4-wheeling adventure. We love gazing out at the Channel from the pool deck and our son loves seeing the sailboats passing by. And having a pool right at the property is so nice. Some days, we just stayed at the villa and relaxed and other days we voyaged to beaches at Smuggler's Cove, Long Bay, and Cane Garden Bay. Another day, we took the ferry over to Jost Van Dyke and just hung out at White Bay. Using Summer Heights as our base worked great for all that. We also enjoy the close proximity to Nanny Cay for groceries, restaurants and shopping. Our family definitely recommends Summer Heights. We love it there!
Recommended for:
The perfect oasis on a tropical island!!!!!
Guest: Tania
(Cortona, Italy)
Date of Stay: 10/23/10
Review Submitted: 11/30/10
We stayed at Summer Heights for a week in October. The property is well tucked away on a lush hillside seemingly far away from the cruise passengers who come in for daily visits (but only 15 minutes from Roadtown). The house is beautiful and well equipped with everything and more you will need during your stay. Although all of the rooms have air conditioning we never had to use it because there was plenty of breeze coming in from the screened windows and sliding doors. The pool was an added benefit, we loved hanging out in the pool in the mornings while planning our day and in the afternoon after long days at the beach. Bonus, you can hook up your mp3 player to their stereo that also had outdoor speakers next to the pool. The view overlooking the sea at Norman and Peter Island is absolutely breathtaking and we often just hung outside in the poolside chairs, drink in hand, taking it all in. Nanny Cay Marina and Soper's Hole are both close and good for a little shopping and Smuggler's Cove was only a 15 minute bumpy ride and turned out to be our favorite beach. Barry and Roz were incredibly helpful and went out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed, knew how to get around and gave us some wonderful suggestions for local places. Thanks again for providing such a lovely oasis!!!!
Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers, sightseeing, age 55+, girls getaway.
Peaceful, relaxing & oh what a View!
Guest: Heather Craigen
(-)
Date of Stay: 04/19/10
Review Submitted: 06/09/10
We have stayed at Summer Heights several times and each stay is the same, if not better! This was our first trip to the BVI with both of our young children and they LOVED the home! Plenty of shade and great times in the pool. As we like to take a couple long vacations each year, it is important to us that the internet works flawlessly to be able to continue to work from time-to-time. The shade, the internet access, the pool and the view made this our best family vacation ever.
Recommended for:
Views!!! Peace, hospitality and excellent internet service!
Guest: Heather C.
(Steamboat Springs CO)
Date of Stay: 04/19/10
Review Submitted: 06/09/10
We have stayed at Summer Heights several times and each stay is the same, if not better! This was our first trip to the BVI with both of our young children and they LOVED the home! Plenty of shade and great times in the pool. As we like to take a couple long vacations each year, it is important to us that the internet works flawlessly to be able to continue to work from time-to-time. The shade, the internet access, the pool and the view made this our best family vacation ever. Barry, Roz and Susanna are available for any questions and offer wonderful service. You choose whether you will ever see them during the week. They just look out for making your vacation memorable!
Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers, sightseeing, girls getaway.
Guest: Eileen Sullivan
(Minnetonka, MN)
Date of Stay: 01/31/10
Review Submitted: 01/31/10
We were furtunate to be able to bring our 3 children and their spouses to Summer Heights to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. The Villa exceeded our expectations in every way. We were able to be together using the large outdoor table for as our gathering place for everything from meals to cards and games. We gathered there evey morning to plan our day. Having internet access was a huge plus for our kids and the computer for our own use was also very nice. The kitchen had everything including a seperate mine-fridge for drinks. We were able to make use of the coolers as we headed out every day with a picnic lunch. This was our 4th trip to Tortola--1st for the kids--and we love it. Summer Breeze was the best place we have found in all of our stays!!!
Owner response:Summer Heights is well positioned for the cooling trade winds, which might explain why Eileen renamed our villa Summer Breeze!
Recommended for:
Guest: Melissa B.2
(Knightdale, NC)
Date of Stay: 08/25/09
Review Submitted: 08/25/09
We had such a wonderful week staying here in 2008 that we are returning for a week in 2009. The house and the views are spectacular. The meals prepared and served by Roz and Barry were the best on the island!!
Recommended for:
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Vacation Rentals by Owner Listing #160839
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