Owner Review

Guest: Dan (Wilmington)
Date of Stay: 11/02/11 Review Submitted: 11/11/11

First I would like to Thank the guest who wrote review # 4760711. As the owner of this Villa I must admit I had not been to the Villa in almost 2 years. I was disappointed in this review and went to look for myself. Here's what I found. The Villa was indeed in need of painting, as was the pool. It was originally expected that the last paint job would last 5 years. It didn't, it lasted 3 years. Contracts have been issued to drain, reseal and repaint the pool as well as the complete exterior of the Villa and Pool House. All work will be completed by mid-December 2011. As to pool chemicals there is an automatic dispenser that was in perfect working order. I assume there was a language issue here as there is no problem. All beaches in the Dominican are open to the public. The beauty in our part of the beach is that an easy 5 minute walk takes you to the restaurants on the beach where you can swim or be waited on without leaving your beach chair. I'm not aware of shelling other than that they are offered for sale along the beach as well as in the village of Cabarete. Now to the problem. I have to rely on a local management company to provide services including maintenance, lawn care, pool service and etc. These accusations as well as the condition (need of Painting) of my Villa are totally unacceptable. We now have a new management company which includes pool service. I would like to thank all of you, my guests, for your business as well as your comments; rest assured they will be acted upon. Dan Reid

Recommended for:

The weather & the people are beautiful!

Guest: TaTa (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Date of Stay: 07/09/11 Review Submitted: 10/23/11

The pictures must have been taken when the property was first purchased, it is as pictured but is time worn. The pool needs some TLC, but the water was the perfect temperature, and they have a pool man service it regularly, although he said it didn't need chemicals...I dont' quite understand that. The onsites wife will come poolside to give you a stone massage, ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! Very reasonable! The house was clean, maids are provided, the onsite manager was very helpful arranging excursions, we went on a wonderful catamarand/scuba day trip from Sousua. You don't need to rent a car....in fact you wouldn't want to, people drive crazy! Joseph was our driver from pick up & drop off at the airport to shuttling us around anywhere we wanted to go, he was great! The beach near the unit was a little dissapointing to me, but we went to Playa Grande beach & you were in paradise! Food was prepared in little huts & brougt to you by the ocean, very reasonable & the fresh pineapple pina colada's are to die for! We went to see the Blue Lagoon, dispite what we were told it is not the location that the movie of the same name was filmed. It is beautiful, but in disrepair, too bad! I am a sheller, and despite what was said in the owners blurb about things to do, I found one shell & I had to dive for it at Playa Grande, so that was dissapointing. I thought the food in the nicer places was a little high, but you can hire a cook to come to the villa for a very small amount of money, and her food was GREAT! First time I rented a place without a dishwasher & washer & dryer...bit of a drag there, but again you can have things done pretty cheaply. You must learn how to say NO, as people there continuously approach you to sell you something. If you are willing (and like) to haggle you can get some good deals. It is not like going to Hawaii, Tahiti, Bora Bora or Moorea....but it was a different kind of tropical experience that I don't regret. Weather was perfect! Make sure you try the "Mamajuana"....(it is the signature rum drink of the DR) just to say you did! The security was good, but the pool guy took our camera...we knew it had to be him because he was the only one around and he brought it back to us in the evening (for a tip of course). There is a safe in the unit, I recommend using it & not being lax like I was. We changed our money in to DR currency, but found we really didn't have to as everyone seemed to accept American dollars. I have recommended it to friends.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, girls getaway.

Amazing family vacation

Guest: Lisa (NYC)
Date of Stay: 04/21/11 Review Submitted: 05/11/11

We had a wonderful time at your villa. My entire family (husband and three kids ages 15, 12, and 6) really enjoyed the entire week. The house was just a short trip from the airpost. It was so nice to arrive in the DR and be at the place we were staying withing 1/2 hour. The weather was perfect everyday. The house was wonderful to relax in. We spent many wonderful hours out by the pool and reading on the rocking chairs on the front porch. Ther were plenty of shady areas for those who wanted to avoid the sun. We also enjoyed the beach and my son and I went jogging there each morning. The property manager helped us set a few excursions that we enjoyed but we actually ended up cancelling a few because we were having such a good time hanging out at the pool and beach. I thought the restaurants in the area were a bit over priced for the food they offered but great food wasn't a top priority for us on the trip. We made good use of the kitchen and grill. We hope to return to some day soon!

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

We loved Villa Joya!

Guest: Family of 3 (Wilmington, DE)
Date of Stay: 01/20/11 Review Submitted: 01/31/11

Villa Joya is a well decorated, beautiful, clean and comfortable home. My husband is a wonderful cook -- so we had some meals at the villa and also enjoyed the restaurants on the beach. We had a wonderful time! There are endless options of things to do - from relaxing by the villa's private pool to many excursion options. I definitely loved the fact that a rental car was not necessary. We walked to restaurants and stores. The owners were great to deal with and the site staff were as well. Our plan is to vacation at this property again next year!

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

Getaway

Guest: Shannan & John (Auburn, Maine)
Date of Stay: 04/08/10 Review Submitted: 01/18/11

The property was exactly as promised – very beautiful and very clean. It was nice to have a private bath with every room. We also enjoyed the options of the beach and the private pool. The site manager made the arrangements to have a taxi pick us up at the airport and take us to the supermarket on the way to the villa. We were able to stock up on groceries and then supplement at local mercados. We also spent many evening eating at the great restaurants on the beach. I would highly recommend Villa Joya!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, romantic getaway, tourists without a car, families with young children, girls getaway, adventure seekers.

Review from December 2010

Guest: Group of 4 young adults (New York, NY USA)
Date of Stay: 12/23/10 Review Submitted: 01/14/11

The house was nice, spacious, clean. Not fancy or luxurious. It closely matches the pictures online. The bathrooms are fine, but could use updating. The best part of the property is its location (the complex is located next to the beach but the house is down the road in the complex --about a 45 sec walk to the beach) as well as the security and the daily maid service. The property managers were attentive and responded to any request or need. The grill in the backyard is great, but the stove and the refrigerator in the kitchen (at the time of our stay) were unreliable so we couldn't cook at the house as much we'd have liked. That said, the house is just a few minutes walk down the beach from an array of good restaurants.

Owner response:To put this review in perspective this was a party requiring appliances to comply to Jewish Kosher religious standards. The family had many requests that we never had dealt with in the past. One of the requests was to have never used appliances and grill surfaces – or have the appliances cleaned to Kosher standards. We received countless number of emails prior to their vacation. Our compromise was to replace the gas grill at the Tiki Bar. After the trip I received a gushing email indication how much fun the family had – how they loved the home and were so comfortable. Knowing we went the extra mile I asked if they would write a review. This is the review we got ---they allowed the daughter to write the review. Interesting that they announced that there was a problem with the stove in the review – this is the first I have heard about it. I have had all the appliances checked out and everything is working properly. In this business sometimes the extra mile gives you a slap in the face.

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

thanks for the wonderful place

Guest: Mark_HAC24935 (united states)
Date of Stay: 06/10/10 Review Submitted: 09/02/10

Hello Karen, I want to thank you for our many stays at your place "Joya" in cabarete.. The place is always clean, and well stoked w/ towels, accessories for the kitchen, and anything else to make is feel at home.. We've continued to choose your place for several reasons.. The layout is ideal for the larger group we have.. I personally like the 4th bedroom that's separate from the house.. The pool is our central gathering place for cookouts, and visits from other friends.. We like the security of the place and to assistance from the staff w/ anything that may arise.. Of course it is a added plus to be able to walk a minute or two and be right on the sands of the beautiful beach.. Your place is ideally located.. We get the privacy and seclusion we desire, yet we can walk right in town to the restaurants, and shops.. I'm looking forward to our next stay there.. I'll have to remember to book early because the word is out that your place is the best.. thanks, Mark

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

Family of 4

Guest: Family of 4 (New Hampshire)
Date of Stay: 11/23/09 Review Submitted: 08/19/10

This was the best family vacation! The home was meticulously kept and spacious enough for our needs. Whether relaxing in the private pool or on cabarete beach, there was something for everyone..even the adventure seekers. My husband took kite surfing lessons while the kids ( ages 2 & 8) used their boogie boards, and there was plenty of island shopping. We took day trips to the adventure park and swam with the dolphins. While we did plenty of cooking at the villa, we also enjoyed great outdoor caribbean cafes on the beach while the kids played in the sand. The maid service was excellent, and the gardener even climbed the palm tree and sliced a coconut for the kids. We hope to go back again this year!

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

Guest: Amy155 (-)
Date of Stay: 01/25/10 Review Submitted: 01/25/10

Stayed at this place summer 2009. Really enjoyed it. We have kids and it was a great setting for kids with the private pool area, mud room, and plenty of bedrooms. The walk to the beach was quick (although it isn't on the beach - the gated community to which it belongs is located on the beach). We would definitely stay here again.

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