Villa Caribe, a Modern Colonial Masterpiece

• "Sanctuary in Merida"

  Guest comment entered by owner

  "Sanctuary in Merida"

  • Guest Naomi (Flipkey)
  • Date of stay 02/07/13
  • Review Submitted 05/08/13
  "Sanctuary in Merida" I had the pleasure of staying at Villa Caribe for 23 days in February 2013, with spouse, niece, nephew and a girlfriend coming and going during that time. The house was very well situated; in the very authentic Santiago neighborhood with an easy 1/2 mile or so walk to Merida's central plaza or easy to flag a cab on nearby Calle 59 to anywhere. The décor and floor plan of the house are perfect for relaxing: stylish but practical, peaceful and beautiful. The stunning, very private (we rarely heard noise from neighbors), walled back garden area with pool was the most popular feature of the house (we were all Seattleites so a pool is a treat) but the large, modern, high-ceilinged kitchen within the open concept design was also a hit. I was particularly fond of the view of the back garden from the spacious beautiful master bedroom each morning, sometimes watching hummingbirds in the flamingo bush. The house is well designed for adults since the master bedroom is separate from the remainder of the house with a private entrance from the side yard. The information regarding Merida provided at the house was very good, but even better, the owner, Anna, was available continuously by email and provided great suggestions for activities as well as managing a few tweaks needed at the house. Probably the unexpected bonus of the stay was anna's recommended guide/driver Polo Garcia. We initially arranged for Polo to drive us from Chichen Itza to the house, but then took advantage of his warm personality, great English and wonderful suggestions, for excursions to Progreso, Lol-tun and Uxmal, a working hacienda and Celestun and for shuttling our guests back and forth from the airport. We hope to return to Villa Caribe.

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• Beautiful property - walking distance to everything

  Beautiful property - walking distance to everything

  • Guest stacey b.
  • Date of stay 03/27/13
  • Review Submitted 04/08/13
  The Villa is as beautiful as it looks in the pictures - fully restored colonial building that maintains all the charm of the original building (tiled floors, super high ceilings, courtyard) with modern finishes (updated kitchen, bathroom, washer dryer) and tastefully decorated. It was well laid out for our purposes - open living area up front and bedrooms in the back. The two bedrooms aren't on top of each other so each room has very good privacy should you want it. Beds were comfortable, both ceiling fans and AC worked great - and we needed it as it got up to 103 degrees for a few days that we were there - and definitely made use of the pool. Additionally, the owner has it well set up - with options to get picked up by an English speaking driver (at no additional fee), a local property manager should you need her to help with things, etc. The Villa is generally very well located - just a few blocks to a main square, super market, etc - and maybe a 7-10 minute walk to the main square. There are some nicely refurbished houses nearby (like this one) and some in varying states of disrepair. It felt like we were really living with the locals, but if having manicured lawns and houses everywhere you look is important to you - you are going to have a tough time finding that in Merida! We felt extremely safe in Merida - quite frankly safer walking around than in our own city at night after dark. People were friendly and didn't necessarily default to English when they spoke to us (which we appreciated since we all spoke Spanish) but also enough people spoke English that you could get around as needed. Merida itself is well located to allow you to do several day trips if you want to explore the region. All in all, a lovely house and a great trip!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, romantic getaway, girls getaway.

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• A lovely house with all that you need in Merida!

  A lovely house with all that you need in Merida!

  • Guest jayellcee79
  • Date of stay 07/05/12
  • Review Submitted 07/10/12
  We were a small group of friends headed to Merida for a friend's wedding nearby, and we were all thrilled to stay at Villa Caribe. This listing depicts the house perfectly and all my correspondence with the owner was informative and prompt and best of all very warm and kind! The house itself, aside from the beautiful design with new appliances and amenities, is a cool and lovely respite from the heat of the tropics, and the pool provides an unbelievably refreshing retreat to look forward to after an afternoon of exploring the town and surroundings in the hot sun. Arrival and departure to and from the house were easy and smooth and location-wise the house is a pleasant walk into the center of town. We rented a car one afternoon - very easy and cheap to do in Merida - and took a trip to an archeological site nearby and found that roads and directions and getting around were very easy to do! All in all, a stay at Villa Caribe on a trip to Merida is highly recommended!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, girls getaway.

  Owner response: Thank you so much, Jessica, we also enjoyed corresponding with you! We are very happy that you and your party enjoyed Villa Caribe, and we really appreciate your comments. We are very proud of Villa Caribe, and thrilled that you enjoyed the house - and the pool - and its central location. We would be happy to host you again if you find yourself in Merida in the future!

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• Just Perfect!

  Just Perfect!

  • Guest amy
  • Date of stay 05/19/12
  • Review Submitted 06/17/12
  We stayed here for a nearby family wedding, and we found this place to be perfect in every way for our group (two couples). The location was perfect, just a few blocks away from the square so we were able to wander over for tacos and music. I took early morning walks with my sister and one morning we found ourselves outside the zoo, (also only a few blocks away), and it was free to enter so that was a great discovery. The location couldn't have been more central. We could even walk to the 711 and a large grocery store, very convenient considering we didn't have a car. The house itself is so beautiful we were all in awe when we walked in, the pictures online are great but its even better in person. And its such a great deal, especially when two couples split the cost. We just had to toss a coin to see who got the master and we were the lucky winners. The house had more than everything we needed for our week long stay. We ate in some of the time, but did go out to some nice restaurants a couple of nights. The house is lovely! Our stay here really spoiled my sister. It was her first stay in a vacation rental and now she wants to find others exactly like it on our next getaway. I'm having difficulty finding anything similar as this was the perfect vacation rental for a small extended family. We'll definitely be back and just hope that this house is available when we do.

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

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• Waking up in Paradise!

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  Waking up in Paradise!

  • Guest Michael, Alberta Canada
  • Date of stay 03/05/12
  • Review Submitted 06/11/12
  You can't beat waking up in the morning and your first sight is the sun shining off the pool just two steps outside your bedroom, that's Paradise! Tastefully laid out and decorated, with a gourmet kitchen to boot, this centrally located rental in Merida was a luxurious home away from home for our much needed Mexican vacation. This lovely house is within walking distance of all the attractions in central Merida though we found ourselves wanting to just lazy about by the pool and soak up that healing Mexican sun. Highly recommended.

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• Perfect Vacation, Perfect House

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  Perfect Vacation, Perfect House

  • Guest Maple Ridge, BC
  • Date of stay 02/01/12
  • Review Submitted 06/11/12
  Amazing! Wow, what a fabulous holiday. This house is simply charming. My husband and I stayed here for 3 weeks in May and we didn't want to leave. The house is so well thought out and had everything we could ever need. The bed was really comfortable and waking up to the view of the pool was breathtaking. We took advantage of the pool and hammocks a great deal; I think we'll miss those the most. All in all we couldn't ask for more.

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Fees:

• Taxes Not included

Cancellation policy:

sharlan@comcas

100% refund if canceled at least 60 days before arrival date.