Sea Symphony Villa

Pros +

• The location of the property is ideal. Its quiet and safe and surrounded by monkeys, mongoose and hummingbirds which we saw daily. There is a beautiful view of the sea from the upper balconies too. Its a moment walk down to a very quite sandy beach which was a delight to swim or board in every day. Some parts of the island are much windier and the sea wilder - this was perfect. We stayed at the end of April when there is a lot of seasonal seaweed on other beaches but it doesnt seem to affect this part of the coast at all. We did hire a car (easily arranged by the staff who gave us a few numbers and choices and it was delivered to us) but often preferred the beach and the quiet of the villa. In nearby Spightstown there are some good lunch or dinner options. Caboose is instagrammable and prices to match but nice or Sunflower Rotis offer great takeout options at half the price. Similarly, restaurants range from stylish and concept to local too. The beach there (Heywoods beach) offers great snorkelling and sandy shores and good safe swimming. Youre also nearby 10 min drive to Animal flower cave - the breadfruit tacos there are amazing but for a group, the cave entry is quite pricey - but thats similar for other attractions too eg Nicholas Abbey Distillery (also beautiful). Bathsheba bay is a 30 min drive (The Roundhouse is another good option for food and drink there or more local style Scotland View on the way). Part of the ease of the villa is the way it is managed and staffed. Housekeeper Dolorious kept the villa immaculate so it was like staying in a hotel in terms of crisp linen and freshly made beds and plentiful towels for beach and bathroom - and even managed our laundry for us. She was quietly, brilliantly efficient and much appreciated. There are some beautiful bedrooms and a lot of relaxing spaces - our main bedroom had a beautiful balcony overlooking the sea, and the wildlife - it was also enormous and similar to a Sandals suite we enjoyed years ago.
• If you want peace and quite and a beach that is as private as a public beach could ever be then this is the villa for you! First time we have ever had a chef and housekeeper whilst self catering. We did not have to do a thing! The housekeeping standards from Heather were sensational - she did ALL our laundry, changed our beds and towels regularly and kept the communal areas (excluding kitchen areas) at an exceptional level. The food provided by Lindrey was good, and he could make a meal from all the ingredients we bought for him. It was our wedding anniversary whilst we were there and he created a wonderful meal for us under the gazebo - including table sparklers - truly memorable! He does like to sit and tell stories at the table with you, which is nice....but sometimes he would just start and interrupt the conversations we were having!

Cons -

• We had some issues with the pool as there was a changeover in contracts and cleaners so it wasnt at its best for our stay. I dont think this would be a problem for anyone else in the future as the new contractors were brilliant and got it sparkling quickly once in place.
• If you want local amenities within walking distance this is not the villa for you. A car is essential or you will feel very isolated. Lindrey does like to sit on the upper balcony during the day watching his mobile phone so loud we could hear it by the pool...and yes we did politely ask him if he could turn the volume down...