We stayed for 4 nights & truly enjoyed our time at the "Castle"! There were 8 different families and 29 total people in our group and we never felt like we were overcrowded or on top of each other in the house. Upon our arrival, the property owner Dave, who is on-site next door was GREAT to us & very helpful with any questions we had. While he was there if we needed him, he kept to himself if we didn't & let us enjoy our evenings even if we were a bit loud, etc. The beds were comfortable and there were plenty of extra roll-out beds if you needed them for kids, etc.
The kitchen was well equipped and even though it said to bring spices, foil, etc, we found there to be that sort of stuff down there, possibly left over from past guests. There were plenty of plates, cooking utensils, etc....suggest bringing paper plates & plastic drink cups along for sure. The flat top griddle is awesome for cooking breakfast items on & the gas range & cooktop was nice.
The main room TV had direcTV which was nice. The rooms only have DVD players, but that was not a big deal, as we didn't spend much time in the rooms. We rented the 3 outside suites, which are perfect for small families or those wishing for a little extra privacy & quiet at night. The pool & spa in the front courtyard were nice and clean & enjoyed by all.
The back patio was the most popular hang out spot, being in the shade all day long. Having the option for both propane grill and traditional wood charcoal cooking was nice. Dave provided the charcoal, which was nice. Ice goes fast in the climate, especially if you plan to leave coolers outside. We left a couple inside the house in the hallway in the cooler space and that seemed to help out.
We opted for the daily maid service, which was nice & recommended. They came in around 10 a.m. and at least picked up the trash inside & out, cleaned up the kitchen and bathrooms, swept the sand off the floors, etc. We also hired "Gamma" through Carol and he came out on our last night and prepared an AWESOME meal for us on the grill of carne asada, shrimp & tacos al pastor (pork). We paid him a very reasonable rate to cook for 30 & it was WELL WORTH IT...incredible tacos, rice & beans!
Beach was perfect, shallow for the kids & NO rocks. We had a fire one night in the beachtop firepit, but DO bring your own wood. Brought our Polaris Rangers & had alot of fun riding up & down the beach on them. Great overall experience at the Castle, would stay agai
