Sadly our stay at Three Little Birds was hampered by; cockroaches-numerous large live cockroaches were found daily; a staff member fumigating the property with dangerous chemicals to try to get rid of the cockroaches,without our consent, leading to allergic reaction in all of the guests, including the two young children; a faulty generator pumping toxic diesel fumes into the main living area. These events overshadowed the welcoming nature of both Andrew and Rosie, the delicious food cooked by Andrew daily, and the idyllic Silver Sands beach a short walk away.
The owner was on hand throughout but only via WhatsApp messenger as he is based in a different country. He was apologetic but this did not change the situation.
The owner insisted TLB was treated for roaches prior to our arrival. However, nearly everyday large cockroaches were found. It was a horrible experience for us and the children. Of course, in Jamaica, cockroaches are to be expected but not of this size on a daily basis unless there is an infestation. The owner was on the end of WhatsApp to offer his apologies but we are a family of British and Jamaican heritage and know this number of cockroaches inside is not the norm. We have visited the island on numerous occasions.
The owner also apologised for the chemical fumigation of the villa that took place without our consent, whilst we had gone to the beach for only 2 hours. He acknowledged that it was a serious error, offered a substantial refund and asked the manager of the estate to check on us, but this cannot negate the serious hazard it placed upon my family’s health.
The villa was left unventilated and not a word of the fumigation by staff until I asked, as it triggered my asthma. Prior to this they let all of us into the villa. The children showered and complained of sore throats. All of our eyes were red and my 7 year old came out in hives. It was so worrying we located the Drs number, we all had difficulty swallowing, our tongues became white and we had to take antihistamines, which I luckily had travelled with. This episode could have led to serious health consequences.
During the trip there was a storm, which is perfectly ok and typical of the region. However the villa is not equipped to deal with this. There is a generator but it is in need of repair, apparently attempted but unsuccessful previously. When it was put on it pumped dangerous toxic diesel fumes into the villa. We couldn’t wait to leave TLB.