Cofresi Villa

Guest: Lalo (Portland, OR)
Date of Stay: 04/17/11 Review Submitted: 04/23/11

Just finished a week at this Casa Blanca. Very nice experience! Maribela, the cook/housekeeper is an incredible worker. We were all very impressed by her. Sandy, the groundskeeper was also always willing to help out. Pedro, the security guard (at night) always greeted us with a smile and was always alert . The villa is large and sleeps 8 very comfortably. Cliff, the owner, responded quickly to any questions we had. The only caution would be to have a little bit of knowledge of Spanish. This will make the whole experience a smooth one, as it was with us.

Owner response:I am so happy that you and your family enjoyed your stay. Come back soon!

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

Beautiful Vacation Home

Guest: Lynn (Mississippi)
Date of Stay: 01/14/11 Review Submitted: 02/07/11

"The house is spacious, the grounds well kept and the pool is very nice, but too cold for swimming in January. Maribelle, (the cook), who speaks no english, and Sandy, (groundskeeper) who speaks limited broken english did a great job keeping the place up and accommodating our needs. I suggest you have Maribelle cook Dominican meals she is familiar with; those meals were good, but she was not familiar with American cooking, ingredients, or procedure. The house has a beautiful view of the ocean from the top balcony and is only a few minutes walk to the beach. Many important details not divulged, caught us off guard with regard to added expenses, essentially undermining our budgets. Our party of eight people rented the Villa for 4 days and then the remainer 4 for an additional 6 days and in short order found ourselves out of cash. We had planned to use credit cards for expenses, but found only two local places that accepted cards, one of which charged additional local fees above and beyond the cost of goods and taxes (about ten percent). Since communications where limited we had to travel to get groceries at a cost of $45 per cab ride, at a distance half that to the airport but for the same price. We had 2 trips to grocery store because of the length of stay. The price of groceries is comparable to that of the states. Gus came to the house to book our excursions, but that too had to be paid in cash. We took the jeep tour which included the falls - it was a great experience and we also booked Paradise Island which was awesome. Four restaurants within walking distance all had good food, but only Chris and Maddies accepted cards -(excellent food and drinks, be sure and try their margarita it was the best!). Come to find out after reading the outdated binder that was on hand, we found that besides paying the staff, we were also expected to provide meals for the staff, including dinner for Jose (the night security guard). We were also expected to pay for the bottled water which I think should have been included in the cost of the rental."

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, tourists without a car, adventure seekers, families with young children, age 55+.

Beautiful Vacation Home

Guest: Lynn (Mississippi)
Date of Stay: 01/14/11 Review Submitted: 01/29/11

The house is spacious, the grounds well kept and the pool is very nice, but too cold for swimming in January. Maribelle, (the cook), who speaks no english, and Sandy, (groundskeeper) who speaks limited broken english did a great job keeping the place up and accommodating our needs. I suggest you have Maribelle cook Dominican meals she is familiar with; those meals were good, but she was not familiar with American cooking, ingredients, or procedure. The house has a beautiful view of the ocean from the top balcony and is only a few minutes walk to the beach. Many important details not divulged, caught us off guard with regard to added expenses, essentially undermining our budgets. Our party of eight people rented the Villa for 4 days and then the remainer 4 for an additional 6 days and in short order found ourselves out of cash. We had planned to use credit cards for expenses, but found only two local places that accepted cards, one of which charged additional local fees above and beyond the cost of goods and taxes (about ten percent). Since communications where limited we had to travel to get groceries at a cost of $45 per cab ride, at a distance half that to the airport but for the same price. We had 2 trips to grocery store because of the length of stay. The price of groceries is comparable to that of the states. Gus came to the house to book our excursions, but that too had to be paid in cash. We took the jeep tour which included the falls - it was a great experience and we also booked Paradise Island which was awesome. Four restaurants within walking distance all had good food, but only Chris and Maddies accepted cards -(excellent food and drinks, be sure and try their margarita it was the best!). Come to find out after reading the outdated binder that was on hand, we found that besides paying the staff, we were also expected to provide meals for the staff, including dinner for Jose (the night security guard). We were also expected to pay for the bottled water which I think should have been included in the cost of the rental.

Owner response:We certainly appreciate your review and wish to improve our operation from your experiences. ATM machines are conveniently located throughout Puerto Plata, and the exchange rates are favorable. Unfortunately, no one in a party of eight had an ATM card. We were able to arrange a cash loan for our guest. Few businesses in the DR accept credit cards as the Peso fluctuates against other currencies. It is a Dominican custom for the master of the house, in this case, the villa guest, to share their food with their domestic staff. When planning meals the staff should be taken into consideration. Language can be a problem at times as the Dominican Republic is a Spanish speaking country. It can be challenging as well as fun to communicate with the people. They are loving, outgoing, charming and resourceful people. As foreigners, our guest should understand they are not in their country and must understand and respect the customs and traditions of the Dominican people.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, families with young children, sightseeing, age 55+.

Luxurious Villa in a secluded Island Garden of Eden

Guest: Ricky (Cincinanti, Ohio USA)
Date of Stay: 11/13/10 Review Submitted: 12/08/10

I had the distinct pleasure to stay at the Playa Confresi with a group of friends during the week of 13th thru the 20th in the month of November 2010. The Villa sits uniquely in a secluded hillside overlooking the bay and all the way thru to the ocean. My friends and I loved sitting by the Villa's large pool, while the house cook Maryvase would serve breafast, lunch , and dinner! Maryvase prepared everything to order and to our specifications! Maryvase was very eager to serve our every food need during our stay at Playa Confresi! She even took us to the local market in Puerto Plata to help us pick out just the right ingredients and meals we wanted while staying at Playa Confresi! The Villa manager Gabino Binet was always available to us for booking excursions into the local mountains, and all trips being picked up right from the Villa by your very own driver! For the adventure seekers I recommend the trip to the waterfalls and the tour to the mountain villages. The waterfalls was truely one of my favorite excursions. Mr. Binet also organized for us trips with our own private driver and tour giude to the local beaches, shopping in Puerto Plata's local art galleries, to dinners at local beach side restaurants. Mr. Binet and his staff never skipped a beat on making sure our trip was everything we wanted it to be. On our first morning at the Villa, Mr. Binet had scheduled the availability of a masseur for us. The masseur was such a wonderful surprise and just what the doctor ordered! Of course the Massage wasn't free, but once the fatigue had vanished and the masage was completed, we all felt stress free and relaxed just ready to take on all the Dominican Republic had to offer!! If you plan a stay at Playa Confresi you will not be disappointed, but rather relaxed without ever lifting a single finger! Everything is just done for you by the Villa's wonderful house staff from the time you wake up till the time you turn in for the evening! I would go back to this true Garden of Eden in a heartbeat!!

Recommended for:Pet owners, girls getaway, families with teenagers, people with disabilities, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, adventure seekers, families with young children, sightseeing, age 55+.

Relaxing Island Getaway!

Guest: CORETODD (Tierra Verde, FL)
Date of Stay: 05/02/10 Review Submitted: 08/07/10

Had a chance to get-a-way with a group of friends to wonderful Playa Cofresi. The pool and landscape are beautiful and very relaxing. The inside of the house offers great places to gather as well as the separation you might desire. Be sure to have quarters in your pocket for the trip from the airport to the villa. The local entrepreneurs do their best to make sure all your car windows and mirrors are clean so you can see the beautiful countryside :) The villa is a very short and relaxing stroll down to the beach. Be sure to try the local restaurants although you will enjoy the wonderful cooking and service provided by Emma.

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

I will be back

Guest: Tux (Bermuda)
Date of Stay: 05/24/10 Review Submitted: 07/14/10

I stayed at the villa at the end of May 2010 and had a very relaxing time. The villa is situated in a quiet, peaceful area and was very private. The house is well maintained and clean. Emma is excellent at making sure you are comfortable and is truly there to make your vacation go as smoothe as possible. A truly beautiful villa, with great staff, quiet private location and all the amenities. I plan to return in September 2010.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, families with young children.

Fantastic property at a great price!

Guest: adfit (Cincinnati, Ohio, USA)
Date of Stay: 05/05/10 Review Submitted: 07/14/10

Playa Cofresi is a beautiful villa with spacious dimensions in every room! The bedrooms are very large with plenty of storage space, private bathrooms and air conditioning. The grounds are immaculate with lots of old growth landscaping with a remarkable cross section of the lush local plants and flowers. It has a nice view of the bay and ocean beyond and all of that is just a short 5 minute walk down the road. Also on that short walk is a great restaurant/bar with good service and prices! The pool is large and the patio area has just the right mix of sun and shade during the whole day. The staff that comes along the cost of the accommodations are friendly, helpful with any of your needs and your in villa meals are prepared any way you like them and any time you want them! You can't go wrong with Playa Cofresi!!!

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

Vacation Playa Cofresi

Guest: Coop (Clarksville, Ohio)
Date of Stay: 06/11/10 Review Submitted: 07/09/10

Playa Cofresi was a great place to spend a vacation. The house was very nice and well kept. The house keeper, Emma and her brother Marino really went out of their way to make us feel welcome. She is a great cook - I recommend the black bean soup, it was great. The beach and some restaurants are a short walk away, and you can set up day trips very easily. They come right to the house and set up whatever excursions you want.We did snorkeling, rode the cable car to the mountain top, but would highly recommend the waterfall "adventure" (for those without small children). We would go back in a heartbeat. This was a vacation where you could do as much or as little as you wanted. We had a wonderful time and will recommend it to our friends and family.

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