Choices, choices

[Pittgirl]

Ok. We have our plane tickets, now we have to decide where to stay. I have it narrowed done to three villas. Coconut Breeze, Oceanport, and Satinwood. If anyone has any opinions or advice about any of these, please let me know. Thanks!!

[Pittgirl]

Oh, also on our short list are Waterlemon and Kia Ora. Thanks everyone!!

[piscesgirl0314]

It seems like I remember inquiring about Oceanport and they don't have ac anywhere in the villa...not even the bedrooms. We are an AC family but this may not be an issue for ya'll. It is a nice villa, though.

[stjchica]

I like the feel of Coconut Villa a lot, that would definitely be my first choice from your list, although if it was a family trip the outside stairs to get to the second bedroom would be an issue for us. Not an issue if it is an adult trip...My second choice would be Waterlemon.

[Lindy]

I've stayed at Oceanport and Kia Ora. They are both older villas but still quite comfortable. We actually loved Oceanport because the way it's built allows for cross ventilation in the bedrooms so you don't need (or want) air conditioning. Because it's high on a incline over the water you have the sea breezes at night and you can hear the surf. I also love, love, love being able to hear the frogs at night. The inside of Oceanport is very comfortable, nice furnishings - the kitchen was a little worn when we were there 4 or 5 years ago, but still functional. There's no pool, there was a hot tub that wasn't working correctly (WAY too hot) and my one complaint was that there was no shade on the deck during the day so it's hot. We would be at the beach all day anyway so it wasn't a huge issue. There is a garden area in the back where we would eat breakfast and drink coffee but you didn't get the water view. The view from the deck at night is stunning though. There are stairs down to a rocky beach but it's a LONG way down and the vegetation wasn't trimmed back. One of the guys in our group found a way into the locked garage and borrowed some clippers to clean things up (he's landscaper so we left things better than we we arrived). There are lots of stairs at Oceanport, if that makes a difference - stairs down from the parking area, exterior stairs down to an apartment-like unit on the lower level with kitchenette, interior stairs to the second floor for two of the bedrooms and LOTS of stairs down to the water. The only complaint about the interior areas was that the lower level unit smelled musty - but the couple staying down there insisted on locking it up tightly at night and whenever we left so it never really had a chance to air out.

Kia Ora is smaller inside than Oceanport and a little more dated. Only one of the bedrooms is air conditioned. The cross ventilation is not as good but I was still able to sleep comfortably with the slider open. (Depends on whether you're the type that has to lock up tight at night.) There pool there is good sized with a large deck around it and the outdoor dining area is covered so there is shade during the day. There is a large bedroom on the lower level with two queen beds that you reach by exterior stairs. The views from the outdoor areas is stunning there also. There were sitting benches in a couple of spots in lieu of railings so that the view wasn't blocked and this could be a potential danger for small children so you'd need to watch them closely to keep them off. The master bath had a funky "garden" shower which was basically an open area (with screens from the shoulders up and overhead). The toilet was at that end of the bathroom so if it rained hard with wind the toilet would get wet and the pipes were rusty behind it. Not a major issue to me but someone who expects four star accomodations might be a little turned off. Little geckos were also on the plants in that area so if you get skeeved out by those it might not be the best choice. I happen to like the little critters and I had fun watching them watching ME in the shower.

Overall I thought they were both good values for the money. Oceanport was better if the inside is most important to you and Kia Ora was better for the outdoor areas. Just depends on what you're looking for.

[dreamshark]

First you should decide whether you want to stay in Chocolate Hole or Coral Bay - two very different experiences. If you are leaning towards the Chocolate Hole locations because of the proximity to "beautiful Hart Bay," don't let that seduce you. Hart Bay looks pretty from above, but it is a rocky beach with poor snorkeling. People like the Chocolate Hole location because of proximity to Cruz Bay, impressive sunset views, and presumably because they like relentless hot sun beating down on their pool decks.

I'm a fan of big shady porches and mountain views, so I would pick Waterlemon or Coconut Breeze. In fact, I like the look of Waterlemon so much that I'm adding it to my spreadsheet. It's the photo of the shady dining porch with the wicker furniture and the view that won me over. If you skipped right past that picture to examine the level of sun on the pool deck, you might prefer the Chocolate Hole villas, which seem to be all about that. We all have different tastes.

[michigan girls]

We'll be in Satinwood in just 25 days!

The location was the primary consideration for us, but the fact that's it's totally off the grid helped as well. Gotta love those views, and the price is great too!

[mnfun2bme]

We'll be in Satinwood in just 25 days!

The location was the primary consideration for us, but the fact that's it's totally off the grid helped as well. Gotta love those views, and the price is great too!

Can't wait to hear about this one. It's an option for us. Love the views!

[Knolmom]

I believe Kia Ora has most recently( January) has been completely redone with a modern tone. You might speak to Mary Eileen from Privatehomesvi about recent renovations. Great views, very convenient, nice pool.

[Pittgirl]

Thank you all so much for your input. I think we have pretty much decided to stay at Coconut Breeze. We will be on island in 119 days!!