Crystal Beach Villa, Aruba Malmok-Arashi :on the Beach

• Great Location!

  Great Location!

  • Guest rumchella
  • Date of stay 01/01/10
  • Review Submitted 01/12/10
  The crystal beach villa is a spacious place that would be well suited for a family or several couples with kids. There is a lot of room to spread out yet you still feel like you have your own privacy. The kitchen is large and ideal for making large meals in and gathering around the table which seats 8 or eating out on the patio. The patio is wonderful and fully equipped with a variety of seating and BBQ grill. There is plenty of food stores in Aruba in fact there's one right after another. The prices are fair considering it's an island. If you plan to stay at the Crystal Beach Villa you will need a car rental. The house is in a High End residential neighborhood not a commercial area with resorts and stores. We used the car rental that Viola recommended the price was good and below most other rental places. The car ran good but was not too spiffy to look at. Upon arrival it was pointed out by the owner Viola, in the owners manual to not use the jacuzzi tubs that are provided in two of the bathrooms because the price of water is very expensive in Aruba. This might be a let down to anyone that likes to soak in a jacuzzi tub. It was also written that tenants that use excessive air conditioning and other utilities will be charged extra. These instructions may be perceived as frugal and different from the care free less controlling ways of let's say a resort or hotel. I chalked it up to part of the eccentricities of renting a space out of someone's home verses a commercial space. We made sure to turn the AC off when we were gone during the day. The location is ideal because it is right across the street from one of the best beaches in Aruba. This however is not a secret because tour busses and boats frequent this beach on a daily basis. The snorkeling is wonderful and there really is room for everybody out there. Water slippers is advisable, there are rocks and little stickers that get into your feet. All things considered you win back what you have lost in petty inconveniences. Why- because of the non commercial location right there by the best beach and the roomy clean appointed spaces of the villa and lastly and perhaps the best is the peaceful patio where one can relax, break bread, have a drink with friends and watch the sun set into the ocean.

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, families with teenagers, girls getaway, adventure seekers, sightseeing, families with young children.

  Owner response: Thank you for the review, I would like the guests know, we are not offering in our listing a jacuzzi. Also we are not to frugal, but wasting will be a problem for our good prices.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 14/16

• Fantastic Family Vacation in Aruba

  Fantastic Family Vacation in Aruba

  • Guest Deborah F.
  • Date of stay 02/02/13
  • Review Submitted 02/13/13
  We stayed at the Crystal Beach Villa and had a very memorable experience! Upon booking I had the feeling that it was "too good to be true" and we all know how that statement ends... BUT! The pictures and the description (and other's reviews) are all accurate! The place was AMAZING! The villa has a wonderful, open concept and feel, and is quite spacious! Nine of us found it to be extremely comfortable. We were all able to come together for meals and socializing, and yet, if we wanted some quite time away from the group, there were many options. The snorkeling beach across the street offers the best snorkeling on the island and has lots of boat activity which is fun to watch. And, another beautiful, sandy beach is only minutes down the road. I would highly recommend this villa. And Viola is great.

  Owner response: THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH ! Vi

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Loved It!

  Loved It!

  • Guest Lesley S.
  • Date of stay 11/01/12
  • Review Submitted 11/09/12
  (We actually arrived on Oct 29th, but the system wouldn't let me go back to select an Oct date!) I had had my eye on this Villa for a couple of years and was thrilled that we had the chance to stay there this year. The location was perfect, the space was awesome...just as pictured. We were two couples, so had plenty of room, the master bedrooms were spacious with plenty of closets and drawers to unpack and get comfortable! The kitchen was huge and had pretty much everything we needed. (Another roll of paper towels would have been helpful, but other than that, in terms of dishes, silverware, appliances, etc., no problem!) The terrace is AMAZING. Huge, with sitting, dining, and lounging space. There is even a little addition that was added that is not shown in the pictures. It was great, and we spent a lot of time out there in the evenings. During the day, it was pretty hot, but hey, it's Aruba!! Proximity to the snorkeling beach across the street, Arashi, a short walk away, and the beautiful Boca Catalina in the other direction was just perfect! There were a couple of times I missed having a pool at the end of the day to come back to, but honestly, you spend most of you time on the beaches, which are right there...a pool is not really needed. And you can always make friends with the next door neighbors who have the best pool on the island!! I was a little disappointed that we had to pay extra to rent beach chairs for the week; I felt the posting stated they were included and available (as are the beach towels and coolers, listed in the same place!), but we did pay $20 each to rent a chair and they were nice Tommy Bahama beach chairs. And for another $15, we got our own snorkel sets to have for the week as well. And we used them every single day! Viola was always available if we needed anything, but other than that, even though she lives right downstairs, we barely knew she was there. She was very accomodating. It is a 4-bedroom villa, but be aware that two of the bedrooms are smaller and have small twin beds. If we had traveled with three other couples rather than just one, I would not have been happy to be one of the couples in one of those smaller bedroom, but for two families with kids, and for us, just two couples, it was really perfect. Bathrooms were very nice, very large and had fantastic water pressure, which surprised me. All in all, a fantastic week, we were very happy in th Villa, and will definitely return!

  Owner response: Thank you! Your friends will come in summer too, nice. About the chairs, the chairs are actually something what is not easy to do, Aruba is expensive Island and sun, salt breaks all, beach chairs supposed to be not heavy(alu) but strong, even I buy the best, if I get some here at all, 2- 3 month is maximum we can use it mostly, by 14 peace free maintenance who >>; I am happy the guest got minimum the chance to rent plastic lounge chairs on the Boca Catalina and Arashi beach, but of course we will still try to have some here for our guest for that $20 week/chair price. Snorkeling equipment is $ 15/week, you can rent on the fishermans beach too, for $ 10 for one day = that's business. I love to make my guest happy so much how possible, happy smiling guest! Vi

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• A Little Bit Of Heaven

  A Little Bit Of Heaven

  • Guest DC
  • Date of stay 02/18/12
  • Review Submitted 06/20/12
  We rented the four bedroom villa.Have rented this property two times. We had four adult couples and were very comfortable. Location is great. A short walk to a beautiful beach for swimming or another for snorkeling across the street. The pictures can't do this property justice. The outside patio was our favorite area. There was an area for dining, a sitting area for reading and relaxing, and our favorite evening activity - laying on the lounge chairs and star gazing. Viola was a great hostess. Always available for questions and advice. Will always return to Villa Viola if it is available. Would highly recommend this property.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, girls getaway, adventure seekers, age 55+.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Great Place, Great Time, Great Owner

  Great Place, Great Time, Great Owner

  • Guest paco v.
  • Date of stay 02/25/12
  • Review Submitted 03/05/12
  We just got back from spending a week at Violas Villa - The Villa is across the road from the main snorkeling spot for the Island so you don't need to pay for an excursion - just rent the gear from Viola and stroll over - very reasonable and a lot fish to see. Property was clean, maintained with a great balcony area where we spent a lot of time- 10 minute drive to High Rise Hotel Area (Shopping and Bars). Buy your beer at the Super Foods Store - We recommend Deep Sea Fishing with Hatts Off Charter - The Flying Fish Bone Restaurant on the south of the island (Good Service) - The Sunset Grill at the Radison (Great Service) - Most of the other resturants we visited had terrible service (wont name them) so be prepared. Be aware of the ATV excursion company, lousy equipment, bus and office personnel. Visit the Radison Casino - go to the Craps table and tell them "Paco says Hi" - They will take care of you if you give them a little toke now and then. BE AWARE of the airport when leaving - the lines are EXTREMELY long if you leave on a Saturday - plan on spending at least 4 hours checking in and going through customs and security - We recommend this Villa but not the airport.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Great view

  Great view

  • Guest Cheryl B.
  • Date of stay 01/15/12
  • Review Submitted 02/14/12
  This villa has a fantastic view of the Caribbean. Our group consisted of 7 grown adults and there was ample room at the villa. We spent most of our time on the deck which provides the best view. The villa is just across the road from the best snorkeling beach in Aruba. This is a known fact because all the snorkeling tour pirate boats and catamarans came here twice a day as did a tour bus every morning yet it was never crowded. Viola was very accomodating and was very helpful. We found the villa to be very clean. I would highly recommend this villa rental to anyone. It is much better than staying at a hotel. Hopefully, we will be able to return next year for another enjoyable week at this villa. Thank you Viola for a great week in Aruba!

  Owner response: Thank you very much, more Aruba vacation NEXT YEAR you are all welcome in our house! V

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Wonderful Vacation Villa

  Wonderful Vacation Villa

  • Guest adam l.
  • Date of stay 01/28/12
  • Review Submitted 02/07/12
  My wife and I would recommend this vacation villa to anyone looking for the perfect island experience. The villa was spacious, clean, convenient to the beach and the view was spectacular. The best on the island. You can enjoy the sunset from your bedroom, kitchen, or best of all the magnificent terrace which is fully equipped with tables, chairs, grill and lounge chairs. Vacationing at Crystal Villa is like having all the comforts of home while on a beautiful island. It is perfect. Anything you need you only have to ask the owners and they will be happy to help you. We will vacation here many more times in the future......Thank you so much Viola and family for the wonderful vacation!!!!

  Owner response: Thank you very much for the review. I am happy that you and your wife had such a good experience for your anniversary trip to Aruba. We look forward to seeing you again soon! Viola

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Crystal Beach Villa

  Crystal Beach Villa

  • Guest patty
  • Date of stay 01/03/12
  • Review Submitted 01/18/12
  Crystal Beach Villa must have been a beauty when it was first built, but unfortunately it has lost it's luster. The rooms are large and the bathrooms suitable, but everything in the house is old. Even though the place is being sold, they are still renovating and adding rooms. Location is great if you like to snorkel, which we do and Arashi Beach is only a short walk down the street. If you are looking for a beautiful beach, you must travel to Baby Beach. A car is a must. Once you get into town, there is so much to do. Casinos in every hotel, shopping everywhere and wonderful restaurants, especially "Madame Janettes". Salt and Pepper is also a great place for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Almost every place has happy hour between 5 and 7 and other places have it between 10pm and 11pm. If you are looking for a great deal on a massage or body scrub before you head home, book it at the salon at La Cabana by the low rises. Best deal for your money and they are eager to please. I wish I could say the villa was clean, but it wasn't. We had bites all over our legs and arms and don't know where we got them. Sorry.........

  Owner response: Dear Valued guest, We are sorry, that Crystal Beach Villa did not meet your expectations. We are renovating the property to maintain its appearance and beauty, with no inconvenience to our guests. We continue to make improvements at the Villa from feedback of our valued guest, which are greatly appreciated. We are sorry you experienced mosquito bites during your stay. Aruba did have more rain fall in November and begin of December than usual, which brought more mosquito activity in Aruba. Had we known, we could have helped. Aruba is a windy island and open areas on the property are subject to dust and leaves. Our housekeeping department cleans every room and open area thoroughly before each arrival of a new guest. We greatly appreciate your comments, and will continue to improve all aspects of maintenance of Crystal Beach Villa. Sincerely, Viola Frankova

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• July in Aruba

  July in Aruba

  • Guest Linda R.
  • Date of stay 07/20/11
  • Review Submitted 07/27/11
  We just returned from an absolutely wonderful relaxing week in Aruba. This is our 2nd time visiting the island. We were so pleased with the Villa and it's location, we'll never stay in a hotel again.! We were 4 adults and two grown teens, and had plenty of room. We lived on the veranda that overlooks the carribean. Steph, the housekeeper was wonderful. She took care of all our needs and passed along information, helped up booking jeeps and shopping etc... We would definately recommend this Villa to everyone, as a matter of fact, already have! Were already talking about when we can make it back.

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

  Owner response: Thank you very much, Viola and Stephanie

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• Great Place & Excellent Value

  Great Place & Excellent Value

  • Guest Horsepower
  • Date of stay 05/14/11
  • Review Submitted 05/24/11
  My wife, her sister and myself had the studio with adjoining room and my daughter and boyfriend had a single bedroom on the same level. The rooms are spacious with and well equipped. The single apartment had an open air kitchen where we had breakfast and grilled out several times. There is internet and cable tv for those who want it. It seemed like my sister-in-law stayed connected the entire week. There are beach chairs, floats and drink coolers for use when you go to the beach. Viola is very easy to schedule and takes deposits through Paypal which is great. She also doesn't require a 6 page rental agreement as one of the other rentals we looked at required. While Viola and family live in the middle of the villa, they were there only if you needed them. They were respectful of our privacy. They are working on another apartment and made sure to schedule some of the noisier work when everyone was going to be away-- unlike some of the hotels that I have been in. The beach which is a short 2 minute walk is great. I think all of the snorkel tour boats were there at one time or another. I finally got to see the turtles one afternoon. I think I was in the water at least twice a day for 5 of the 7 days we were there. Great exercise! I lost 5 pounds just from swimming every day. We went to Baby Beach one day and I agree with Viola that Arashi is better for snorkeling. Rental car is a necessity, but to really see the island, I would recommend a rental car whereever you stayed. Be advised that road signs on the island are woefully lacking, so plan on back tracking and asking for directions wherever you go. One thing is everyone is friendly and will try to help in giving directions. It is not a resort hotel, but if you want to get away from the crowds this is the place to be. I hope I will have a second visit to Viola's in the future. I've got to plan well enough to get the upper floor.

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

  Owner response: Thank you very much for the review for the crystal beach studio and ocean view beach apartment, I am sure you will be in the upstairs villa, like you say, maybe next time' when your party will be bigger satisfactory as well. The view is not easy to overbid. V

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

HIGH season   FEB 1 - FEB  14 2014 US $ 2850   night 407          min stay 6 night
Mid season    Apr 15 - Jun 14 2013  US $ 2050   night 293         min stay 6 night
Summer        Jun 15 - Sep 20 2013  US $ 2350   night 336         min stay 6 night
Low season    Sep 21 - Dec 15 2013  US $ 2050   night 293         min stay 6 night
Christmas     DEC 19 - Jan 5  2013  US $ 3350   night 478         min stay 6 night
CARNIVAL      FEB 22 - March 3 2014 US $ 2950   night 421         min stay 6 night
Cancellations at least 8 weeks prior to your arrival date will be charged half of 
deposit,cancellation less than 8 weeks before check in will be charged the deposit

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.