Vacation Rentals by Owner

One month stay between April and May 2011!

Guest: Tammy T. (Santa Rosa, California)
Date of Stay: 04/30/11 Review Submitted: 08/12/11

My husband and I rented this house due to good reviews. It has taken some time for us to submit our review as we hoped to refine our thoughts and also did not relish the idea of submitting a less than positive review. Ultimately,since we use this site so much,we felt obligated to write of our experience. Prior to our trip,Karen (owner), was very helpful,informative and prompt in response to questions. When we arrived in Roatan we were met by the driver,taken to the store,and then driven to the house.The house is in a great area, between West End and West Bay and is a very quiet and attractive cluster of homes. Ron and Patricia welcomed us to the home,showed us the ropes,and told us that the AC in the bedroom with access to the deck was not operating. We were told it would be tended to in a few days. The house is nice,has 2 wonderful decks,the kitchen is fully stocked,and the snorkeling right out front is the best on the island. The other renters were friendly and the neighbors below the house were wonderful! About 2 weeks into our trip we called the property managers as the AC hadn't been fixed, the DVD player wasn't working, and the AC in the main area was not cooling the area,forcing us to seek refuge in the bedroom to cool down. Later,the property managers arrived with workmen and we were told that the AC in the 2nd bedroom couldn't be fixed on that visit,they tuned up the one in the main room,although it was noted that it was not sufficient for the space,and there was no mention of the DVD. A new AC was required and would need to be brought from the mainland so we decided we would have to make due and enjoy our remaining time. While we loved Roatan,traveled the island several times,meeting wonderful people along the way,the lack of appropriate AC,which we were paying for,certainly impacted our vacation,comfort and enjoyment of the property. Days before our departure the AC was ready to be installed but that was held off due to the impact it would have on us. When we checked out with Ron we discussed the positives/negatives and toward the end of June contacted Karen by e-mail to share our views. She responded with an explanation and said she had planned to contact us upon our return in May,but would now due so upon her return to CA. That has not happened in over a month and is now a moot point. A missing kayak paddle was to be replaced upon our arrival. It never was.We have happily rented 15+ times;this time was average for above reasons.

Owner response:Jack & Tammy were wonderful people to have in our home. We had visited our home two weeks prior to their arrival and everything was working at that time. On their arrival they were informed the A/C was not working. Unfortunately, as I sent a lengthy email to them on their return, we were NOT informed of this problem until nearly 3 weeks in to their stay. Roatan is a small island with all manufactured parts needed to be shipped to the island. We were in constant communication with our property managers to get this problem fixed after they informed us midway thru their stay. The maintenance man did not get back to us until 10 days later with price and A/c. We also tried to get other bids from other contractors. We finally got a unit 3 days prior to their departure and would take 2 days to install. We did not want workers bothering them in their last days there, therefore the A/C was installed after departure so as not to have workers bother them during their last days. They did have full A/C in the bedroom and living room that was working at full force in highest heat in May. There was 2 people staying in the house. We were never informed of the dvd not working until after they left and a new dvd player was available the entire stay in our own unit for their use if we had known. The original kayak paddles were lost by previous renters The kayak paddles were ordered by a local business in April and were not received during their stay. We were told they would be there by May 1st. We tried 5 different businesses to obtain these and none were available. On their return, I did call them with no answer and sent a lengthy email explaining our situation in this matter of not being aware and the followup with our property managers on a daily basis once we knew there was a problem. We treat our clients on a personal basis as they are staying in our home and we want them to feel right at home. Our home is not just a rental, but a home away from home. As all homes have items that break downand need to be replaced, we strive to take care of these things in a timely manner. Island living is a challenge, life is getting better and we will continue to diligently keep up on all maintenance as we have done in the last 6 years. We personally will be on site 6 months in 2012 to manage, so life at Orchid Breeze will be top notch.

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

Great location, great owners to work with, lots of fun

Guest: Joe and Lori (Petaluma)
Date of Stay: 03/26/11 Review Submitted: 04/06/11

We just spent 8 blissful days with another couple in Orchid Breeze. The location was convenient to walk or water taxi to West Bay or West End. Karen was so helpful in providing tips and information. It really helped us get more out of our time there. Snorkeling was great. All the water toys were great to have available. We took a short walk down the beach to Gumbalimba Park for Zip lining. It was great having Ron and Patricia meet us when we checked in. They are very nice and helpful. Thank you Karen and Eric for sharing your comfortable, well-equipped home with us! Joe and Lori Chatterton Petaluma, CA

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

Great location, relaxing

Guest: St Pete Travelers (st. petersburg florida)
Date of Stay: 03/05/11 Review Submitted: 03/29/11

My wife and I and another couple stayed here for a week in March. The location was ideal, about halfway between West Bay Beach and West End. Small complex of 4-5 houses on bluff over beach with private dock. You can snorkel out or kayak out to reef. 24-hour security guard at entrance from road also patrolled beach to discourage unwanted visitors from either direction. This is a good service in that people staying at another compound closer to West Bay Beach, which did not have security, were robbed at machete point while visiting the beach at night the week before we arrived. Locals say this part of Roatan is generally safe but staying off the beach at night is a good idea. House was spacious for a two-bedroom, with decent kitchen and nice furniture. Property manager Ron and his wife Patricia live about 10 minutes away and were always available for questions or help, like when I inadvertently locked the house keys in a beach gear box outside the house.The owner Karen was most helpful with info before we left and has a detailed folder on restaurants and attractions in the house. All the equipment worked and the beds comfortable. Our only beef were two leaks in the roof. March is not normally rainy season but we did have two wet days. The one over the dining room table was avoidable, but one over the bed in one of the bedrooms was annoying. I think the owners were planning to fix it before we arrived but were delayed in getting down from the states. But on balance, this was a very nice place in great location. I would go back as long as I had assurances of no leaks or other problems. Best snorkeling was just off Infinity Bay on West Bay Beach on Sunday and Monday when the cruise boats weren't there. Pretty crowded when they are in port. Best restaurant by far was Tong's Thai in West End. Rivals thai food anywhere in the world. Great fruit smoothies at Rudy's in West End, a 15 minute walk down the beach at daytime. Terrific little fresh seafood market in West End, just a few shops to the right as you come into town, across from Beach House. Flying fish in Coxen Hole was also good. Grocery shopping best at Plaza Mar in Coxen Hole.

Owner response:We are presently in the process of silicone sealing all bolts on our metal roof. We had sealed some areas in Oct 2010 but as the rains this year were more torrential than in the past, water has a way of finding new places to get thru. We plan to do more extensive work on the roof in Oct 2011 before the winter rains start.. We are presently equipping Orchid Breeze with a commercial 24hr camera and alarm system that is connected to West Bay Beach Bull Dog Security. Any attempt to breakin will be sounded by an alarm. Unfortunately, Honduras is a poor country and it is difficult to control petty theft. We advise our clients to keep valuables safe at all times in our safe in our home and not take much with them on the beach and never walk at nite on the beach. We are constantly maintaining our property either by us, our gardener, housekeeper and Property Managers, Ron & Patricia. Please feel freen to address any problems with any of us. Thank you, Eric, Karen, Ed and Debbi

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

ROATAN WONDERLAND

Guest: KEN & DEBBIE (Edmonton, Canada)
Date of Stay: 02/05/11 Review Submitted: 03/15/11

Absolutely wonderful. Thank you Karen and Eric for sharing your house with us. We have just finished spending Feb 2010 at Orchid Breeze and loved every minute and wished we could stay there forever. Karen was amazing in her efforts to fully brief us before we left home. And this continued as we were greeted at the airport (pickup arranged by Karen) and at the house by the personable and helpful property managers, Ron and Patricia. The house is so well stocked with all the necessities for a total escape to the Roatan beach. Everything about the house was perfect for us. The two decks where we spent all of our time, outdoor dining, watching the ocean scene, picking out the constellations of the MIlky Way, and counting how many humming birds could sit on one feeder. The fully appointed kitchen which encouraged us to ignore all of Karen's advice about the best restaurants in the area and instead focus on our own gourmet meals. And Karen and Eric were particularly generous in sharing all of their "water toys" (the floating chairs, kayaks, snorkel gear, chairs, coolers)...and we can say that not all owners do this. The location was also perfect for us. Quiet, small development, situated amongst mature native trees, and close walking distance to the exquisite beach and snorkelling at West Bay and the fun times of West End. Walk from the house down to the beach and yes excellent snorkelling! Two huge lobsters make their home right near the dock. Fine corals, fish, moray eels, and other critters abound. Some folks might feel the need to have a vehicle, but we never did. Yes, we did rent vehicles to explore the island but we much more enjoyed walking the beach to the villages. And if you need a water taxi, just stand on the dock and wave. Divers? The dive shops will pick you up on the dock. We used Blue Water Adventures in West End. Very personalized service, and at times one on one dives. We cannot recommend Orchid Breeze enough for anyone hoping to experience a quiet Roatan experience.

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

So Relaxing

Guest: Lise and Ted (Toronto)
Date of Stay: 12/20/10 Review Submitted: 01/03/11

My husband and I, as well as two friends, rented Orchid Breeze for our 'over Christmas' vacation. We all found Orchid Breeze to be the perfect antidote to stress! The house was outfitted to provide for all of our needs, right down to the spices in the kitchen! The property managers, Ron and Patty, went out of their way to to welcome us, get us fresh fish and lobster at the market and help us get our bearing of island life. Roatan was so laid back. We took advantage of the snorkeling, and had several beach days. Even though we had a few grey,rainy days, we didn't let that get in the way, we just used the rainy days to explore the rest of the island- including (and this was definitely the highlight of the trip for all of us) an afternoon at the Hole in the Wall! Thanks for recommending a car rental-we were really glad we ended up renting a pick-up truck to get to Orchid Breeze- it was exactly what we needed to navigate the steep approach to the property on rainy days-and would recommend the same (or an AWD) for future renters. Thanks as well, Karen, for spending so much time and energy on the phone and emails with us, giving us all that great advice! We loved our stay- and would definitely come back to Roatan- and Orchid Breeze- again!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sightseeing.

Fabulous Time!

Guest: Sue & Wayne (Pickering, Ontario Canada )
Date of Stay: 12/18/10 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

We stayed at Karen and Eric's place for the last two nights of our trip on December 18 & 19/10. What a wonderful location! The house is magnificent and has everything you could possibly need, they have thought of everything, right down to the wine glasses! The view from the upper deck is fantastic, you can see for miles and the sunsets are incredible. We ate our dinner there the last night and it was fabulous. Watch for the hummingbirds during the day. We would gladly stay here again, hopefully for longer on our next trip. I would highly recommend this property to anyone visiting Roatan. Thanks Karen & Eric from Sue & Wayne

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

!!! WOW !!! What a Wonderland.

Guest: bofsthus (Missouri)
Date of Stay: 10/09/10 Review Submitted: 10/26/10

First off Eric and Karen are outstanding people. They met us at the Airport with Drinks in hand. We didn’t even lift a bag. Their Bag man Banjo was so sweet and nice! Then it was off to the house with a short drive after making a quick pit stop at the store for our staples. The house rocks it’s got that Caribbean feel and look. They happened to be in town so ahead of time I was able to order Shrimp and Lobster which was waiting for us in the Freezer! Note to sell do not try to eat 4 tails in one sitting LOL. It rained most the time we were there but were able to hit the beach enough to satisfy the sun and Diving/snorkeling fix. The Deck is perfect for a rainy day though. Sat and watch the Humming birds(Note: fill the Feeder when you first get there!). Had Libations and watched the day go by. What a way to de-compress! To top it off Karen(My Karen) and I were going to get married on Roatan on 10/10/10 but managed to make it happen before we left just due to the trouble in getting legally married in Roatan but we had mentioned we would like a ceremony. Well we had no clue but Karen(The Owner) went off and created something very wonderful. A Sand Union Ceremony. It was wonderful had great weather down on the beach. THANKS Karen and Eric!!! Oh one more thing. Laying in the Hammock Reading "A Pirates Look at Fifty" will be with me for the rest of my life. !!!!!!! I would recommend this property and we will be back!

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

WHAT A TIME!!! Great Great Time!

Guest: bofsthus (Missouri)
Date of Stay: 10/09/10 Review Submitted: 10/26/10

First off Eric and Karen are outstanding people. They met us at the Airport with Drinks in hand. We didn’t even lift a bag. Their Bag man Banjo was so sweet and nice! Then it was off to the house with a short drive after making a quick pit stop at the store for our staples. The house rocks it’s got that Caribbean feel and look. They happened to be in town so ahead of time I was able to order Shrimp and Lobster which was waiting for us in the Freezer! Note to sell do not try to eat 4 tails in one sitting LOL. It rained most the time we were there but were able to hit the beach enough to satisfy the sun and Diving/snorkeling fix. The Deck is perfect for a rainy day though. Sat and watch the Humming birds(Note: fill the Feeder when you first get there!). Had Libations and watched the day go by. What a way to de-compress! To top it off Karen(My Karen) and I were going to get married on Roatan on 10/10/10 but managed to make it happen before we left just due to the trouble in getting legally married in Roatan but we had mentioned we would like a ceremony. Well we had no clue but Karen(The Owner) went off and created something very wonderful. A Sand Union Ceremony. It was wonderful had great weather down on the beach. THANKS Karen and Eric!!! !!!!!!! I would recommend this property and we will be back!

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

Guest: jim/nancy
Date of Stay: 03/06/10 Review Submitted: 05/24/10

We loved Orchid Beach Village. Quiet, private, yet close to West Bay and West End, walking and water taxi. Angel the caretaker was great, spoke english and helped us out with all our questions. Loved the no hassle , starting at the airport. the owners arranged everything right from getting off the plane, baggage pickup, driver, someome to meet us at the property and the house was just like being at home. Kitchen had everything so was easy to cook in. Decks are great, lots of lounges, hammock, swing chair, outside dining, huge gas barbecue, we even had rafts for floating in the calm crystal clear ocean. The observation deck was awesome-great views and the stars at night from the deck-wow. We will definitly return to Orchid Breeze and Roatan. Loved the people and the island is lush and tropical and the snorkeling right on our beach was a must do every day. Great price for so much and so close to the beach.

Recommended for:

Orchid Breeze makes vacationing a breeze!

Guest: Sebas/Mari (San Diego, CA)
Date of Stay: 09/11/09 Review Submitted: 08/13/10

What I loved about Roatan and specifically Orchid Breeze was how everything was right at the house. We had a kitchen with everything, wifi, beautiful views, security and we were walking distance to both West End and West Bay. I love the water taxi's it's truly Carribean. We didn't need to go anywhere for snorkeling as it was right there off the dock. We could make our tropical drinks put them in a cooler and walk down to the dock everyday! We listened to our Ipod at the beach and in the house with their Ipod radio. We did take one excursion to the other side of the island to try out this old guys bar/restaurant, I think it was called hole in the wall. West End has every restaurant imaginable and I loved having my own privacy, unlike resorts! Great stay and great vacation for really reasonable price! We will go again for sure. Sebastian and Marie from San Diego, CA

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

Guest: paul/janice
Date of Stay: 04/11/09 Review Submitted: 05/24/10

Great house had everything, fabulous snorkeling right off the beach. Loved having our own beach chairs and rafts, even an ice chest to take on trips. Would definitly go back, great location

Recommended for:

Wonderland

Guest: Nita (Savannah, Georgia)
Date of Stay: 04/04/08 Review Submitted: 08/21/10

What a wonderful location for rest and relaxation. Walking distance to two of the best day and night time areas. The house has everything you need to enjoy the type of vacation you desire. Sit on the deck or on the private beach to read a book and dream. Float on the crystal clear water and watch the sea life below. The kitchen is supplied with what ever you need to prepare meals at home or take a short walk to an island dinner at one of the many restaurants available. I can't wait for my next trip to this island paradise.

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