Clean and well maintained, but missing a few important things.
Submitted: July 18, 2010
Stayed: July 2010
We stayed at Villa Caribe for a couple of nights in the summer 2010. While the property itself is well-maintained and clean, it was missing a few key things: the most important being a comfortable bed. The king bed in the bedroom (1 bedroom unit) and the sofa bed in the living room were so uncomfortable! No one got a good night of sleep while we were there. Another key aspect was the parking issue. We had to drive around the side streets looking for a place to park. I am not too familiar with Ocean Beach but it seems like some areas look a little shady and I wasn't thrilled about parking around the area. Also, anther negative was that there wasn't any beach access from the rental, as advertised. Yes, it offers a beautiful view of the ocean, but you couldn't see it from our unit (all of our views in our unit were of walls or the garbage area). You have to go out into the communal area (that all units share) to enjoy the view. That means sharing all of the amenities like the hot tub, firepit and lounge chairs (which can get a little difficult with a few units sharing this small area). Just seems more like a hotel than your own private vacation get-away. One more issue was that the check out time is ridiculous!! 10 AM! How is that possible? So with all of that said, the place really was well-kept and nice. The kitchen was fully stocked (would be nice to have a little table in that empty space), the towels were fluffy and newer. The furnishings were tasteful and the unit had everything we needed. So with all of the negatives and positives I'd have to say that this place was average. For the cost though (with the tax and cleaning fee - this was a lot of money) I will find another place to stay next time.
Recommended for:
Age 55+,
Pet-friendly
Owner's Response: Villa Caribe has been a favorite of vacation renters for over 5 years now and any complaints we receive are few and far between. We always advise our guests of any issues that may be of concern to them, e.g. most units offer excellent ocean views and garage parking. One has no view at all and no parking but it's much less expensive that the others that have garage parking. Our property has unmatched sunset and ocean views, but not direct beach access - which we advise all potential guests. As some amenities (BBQ, beach chairs, hot tub, fire pit, etc.) are shared, we always advise our guests of the fact that others also staying at Villa Caribe will be sharing the common area amenities. Our check out time, 11 a.m., is standard in the vacation rental industry and we often allow early check in or late check out if no other guests are coming that day. We strongly believe it's not what happens (because we all know stuff happens), but how we respond to it that counts. If we receive complaints after a guest has departed, we aren't given the opportunity to "make it right." But if we receive a complaint about something that we have advised our guests about prior to their booking (no garage parking, no view from your rental), then there's not a lot we can do! Come stay at Villa Caribe, sleep on our brand new in 2013 king and queen beds (sorry but we have never found a sofa bed that is comfortable for a couple yet) and enjoy the quaint, seaside town of Ocean Beach with it's Wednesday Farmer's Market, antique stores and wide variety of restaurants - but only if you prefer friendly, laid-back people!
Helpful votes: 9/10
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
No
