N°1 français de la location de vacances entre particuliers
11 Appréciation(s) 95303 Las Terrenas, République Dominicaine
luxury house with pool in exclusive beach development
business
luxury house with pool in exclusive beach development
http://www.abritel.fr/location-vacances/p95303a
+33 33 0540395679
Las Terrenas
Côte Nord
Christmas in Paradise
Villa Celine was the perfect place for our Christmas family get-together. With 8 adults and a baby the house never felt small or cramped. We loved the layout and focus on the pool courtyard area and were thankful for the great sliding doors/windows that allowed us to admire the lighted pool at night while keeping the pesky bugs out. Jacques from AIC met and led us in from Las Terrenas which was necessary as it would be very hard to find if not. The house was impeccable (beautiful flower arrangements a lovely touch) and Dora was there with a smile and a delicious meal to greet us that first day. She also went shopping with me on Christmas Eve making sure I knew where everything was (and you can find everything you need in the town of Las Terrenas, including good cheese, baguettes and wine). She also found us delicious fresh lobsters that appeared on Christmas Day afternoon for supper! Dora is a gem.
The beach, just 3 minute walk away was idyllic and felt like our own private beach as we saw 4 people on it the whole week we were there. Long walks and delicious places to swim were found on it by the young folk.
Elaine could not have been more helpful in responding to all my emails and myriad of questions for information beforehand. There was a small problem with gas and water running out at one stage but it was promptly and seamlessly taken care of by Dora with minimal inconvenience to us. Our only complaint was that we couldn't have stayed longer... The pool was a huge plus, the large gas barbecue a great advantage for our big family evening meals (loved it that people cooking in the kitchen were not left out of conversations in the dining room with open air plan)
Must visits include: the waterfall at El Limon - make sure you get the name of the guide to take you from Elaine, and Playa Cosón a 20 minute ride away: the same white sand but spectacular waves to body surf on – and scrumptious fish and pina coladas in whole pineapples at the beach restaurant.
One suggestion: - if you can, try to arrive on a plane early enough to get your car and drive up to Las Terrenas directly from the airport. The road was not easy to find coming from our hotel in Santo Domingo despite good directions. Signs are few in DR! If not, we stayed at a very reasonable hotel our first night in the colonial district called Hotel Frances and it was fine.
If you are looking for a complete getaway, a place to kick back and enjoy yourself in a safe and beautiful environment...you
The beach, just 3 minute walk away was idyllic and felt like our own private beach as we saw 4 people on it the whole week we were there. Long walks and delicious places to swim were found on it by the young folk.
Elaine could not have been more helpful in responding to all my emails and myriad of questions for information beforehand. There was a small problem with gas and water running out at one stage but it was promptly and seamlessly taken care of by Dora with minimal inconvenience to us. Our only complaint was that we couldn't have stayed longer... The pool was a huge plus, the large gas barbecue a great advantage for our big family evening meals (loved it that people cooking in the kitchen were not left out of conversations in the dining room with open air plan)
Must visits include: the waterfall at El Limon - make sure you get the name of the guide to take you from Elaine, and Playa Cosón a 20 minute ride away: the same white sand but spectacular waves to body surf on – and scrumptious fish and pina coladas in whole pineapples at the beach restaurant.
One suggestion: - if you can, try to arrive on a plane early enough to get your car and drive up to Las Terrenas directly from the airport. The road was not easy to find coming from our hotel in Santo Domingo despite good directions. Signs are few in DR! If not, we stayed at a very reasonable hotel our first night in the colonial district called Hotel Frances and it was fine.
If you are looking for a complete getaway, a place to kick back and enjoy yourself in a safe and beautiful environment...you
Cette appréciation vous a-t-elle aidée?
Oui
Non
business
luxury house with pool in exclusive beach development
http://www.abritel.fr/location-vacances/p95303a
+33 33 0540395679
Las Terrenas
Côte Nord
Villa Celine LasTerrenas
Our group of 6 thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the villa. As in any adventure there were a few minor issues, but nothing worth worrying about. Dora made us feel very welcome even though our language barrier was a bit of a problem we always seemed to communicate our needs or wishes. Once we learned our way around the country and visited Samana several times for excursions and visited a school to deliver a few supplies to the children in El Limon who were along with their teachers very appreciative for the items we brought. All the people were friendly and eager to sell us anything. This was the biggest problem.... getting them to not sell to us. If you want a delicous meal have Dora cook for you. She prepared 2 meals for us with supplies (meat) from home and both were very good. Loved the pool and the fact that all bedrooms had en suite baths. Thank you for a lovely place to stay in the D.R. Nicolas from Flora tours was very helpful and we enjoyed more than a few beverages at the Mosquito Bar in Las Terrenas.
Cette appréciation vous a-t-elle aidée?
Oui
Non
business
luxury house with pool in exclusive beach development
http://www.abritel.fr/location-vacances/p95303a
+33 33 0540395679
Las Terrenas
Côte Nord
Just returned from Villa Celine 1/19/13 - 1/26/13
I really wish I could say that we had the best vacation ever, but unfortunately this was just not the case.
Here are the issues with the house itself we experienced: 1) We never received the Welcome Basket as promised; 2) Ran out of water to sinks, showers and toilets for over 12 hours one evening and they had to put a garden hose in the potable water tank to fill it up - very odd; 3) Electricity went out for no reason another evening - no storms or winds - also very odd; 4) The most uncomfortable living room furniture ever made resides in this villa. 5) As expected in the tropics… Tons of cockroaches in the kitchen and a few in the bathrooms
Here are some other things that travelers should know before visiting Villa Celine or any other place in Las Terranas: 1) The waters on the private beach El Estillero are gray and murky - not clear and blue as the pictures depict; 2) The neighborhood is located 1 mile from a paved road, which means you have to travel on an extremely rocky, bumpy, horrible washed-away dirt road every time you want to go into town - which is another 20 minutes away on paved highway; 3) The neighborhood is gated and guarded by men sporting shot guns; 4) The beach area is very private as long as you don't count the men patrolling with shot guns. 5) 98% of the people in the area speak only Spanish. My husband and I loved this because we were able to practice our Spanish, but the others in our party who knew no Spanish would have never made it back home to the States.
We did make the best of it and were grateful for the following positive aspects of Villa Celine: 1) The pool was perfect; 2) The beds were pretty comfortable and clean; 3) The barbeque grill was great; 4) The neighborhood is well-kept and pretty. 5) Dora, the house keeper was nice. 6) Each bedroom had a private bathroom.
Here are the issues with the house itself we experienced: 1) We never received the Welcome Basket as promised; 2) Ran out of water to sinks, showers and toilets for over 12 hours one evening and they had to put a garden hose in the potable water tank to fill it up - very odd; 3) Electricity went out for no reason another evening - no storms or winds - also very odd; 4) The most uncomfortable living room furniture ever made resides in this villa. 5) As expected in the tropics… Tons of cockroaches in the kitchen and a few in the bathrooms
Here are some other things that travelers should know before visiting Villa Celine or any other place in Las Terranas: 1) The waters on the private beach El Estillero are gray and murky - not clear and blue as the pictures depict; 2) The neighborhood is located 1 mile from a paved road, which means you have to travel on an extremely rocky, bumpy, horrible washed-away dirt road every time you want to go into town - which is another 20 minutes away on paved highway; 3) The neighborhood is gated and guarded by men sporting shot guns; 4) The beach area is very private as long as you don't count the men patrolling with shot guns. 5) 98% of the people in the area speak only Spanish. My husband and I loved this because we were able to practice our Spanish, but the others in our party who knew no Spanish would have never made it back home to the States.
We did make the best of it and were grateful for the following positive aspects of Villa Celine: 1) The pool was perfect; 2) The beds were pretty comfortable and clean; 3) The barbeque grill was great; 4) The neighborhood is well-kept and pretty. 5) Dora, the house keeper was nice. 6) Each bedroom had a private bathroom.
Réponse du propriétaire: I was extremely surprised to receive this review as, on the same day, I received a message from the member of this group who had been my main contact (please see below) - the original copy has been forwarded to "HomeAway"...............I can only imagine that the person who wrote the review may have been having a bad day. It's unfortunate "HomeAway" do not have a system in place to avoid this type of post to be put on line .
Hello Elaine,
We had a really nice time. The house is beautiful. Dora was very helpful. The beds were comfortable. We did not get a Welcome Basket though as detailed in the listing.
We visited the water fall @ El Limon, several beaches including Playa Rincon and some very nice restaurants.
Best regards,
I have contacted this client to apologise for the missing "Welcome Basket", explaining that (as this guest was already aware) the member of staff at the agency who usually takes care of this had needed to return to France urgently due to a sad family emergency and was not around to "meet and greet".........another member of staff was available to assist but, unfortunately, the welcome basket appears to have been forgotten in the procedure. I have also addressed other matters stated in the review including the sad fact that man has not yet found a way to control nature or the weather and, if the water was "murky" in the bay this would have been due to adverse weather conditions present at that time (heavy rain/storms/changes in wind direction etc)......beaches are affected by these conditions all over the island and the world. I can confirm that the beach photos are of Playa Estillero as I took them myself and the beauty of this area is the main reason I bought my plot of land and built Villa Céline there.........Security guards are trained and regulated - there has never been an issue with the 24 hour security provided at Playa Estillero and I have always found the guards to be polite and helpful. I was left puzzled by the review comment that 98% of the people in the area speak only Spanish.........this is the Dominican Republic after all !? However, I have found that many local people do take pleasure in showing they speak some English.....in general, they are very friendly and welcoming. Many businesses in Las Terrenas are operated by Europeans and North Americans and English is widely spoken. .
Hello Elaine,
We had a really nice time. The house is beautiful. Dora was very helpful. The beds were comfortable. We did not get a Welcome Basket though as detailed in the listing.
We visited the water fall @ El Limon, several beaches including Playa Rincon and some very nice restaurants.
Best regards,
I have contacted this client to apologise for the missing "Welcome Basket", explaining that (as this guest was already aware) the member of staff at the agency who usually takes care of this had needed to return to France urgently due to a sad family emergency and was not around to "meet and greet".........another member of staff was available to assist but, unfortunately, the welcome basket appears to have been forgotten in the procedure. I have also addressed other matters stated in the review including the sad fact that man has not yet found a way to control nature or the weather and, if the water was "murky" in the bay this would have been due to adverse weather conditions present at that time (heavy rain/storms/changes in wind direction etc)......beaches are affected by these conditions all over the island and the world. I can confirm that the beach photos are of Playa Estillero as I took them myself and the beauty of this area is the main reason I bought my plot of land and built Villa Céline there.........Security guards are trained and regulated - there has never been an issue with the 24 hour security provided at Playa Estillero and I have always found the guards to be polite and helpful. I was left puzzled by the review comment that 98% of the people in the area speak only Spanish.........this is the Dominican Republic after all !? However, I have found that many local people do take pleasure in showing they speak some English.....in general, they are very friendly and welcoming. Many businesses in Las Terrenas are operated by Europeans and North Americans and English is widely spoken. .
Cette appréciation était-elle utile? 2/3
Cette appréciation vous a-t-elle aidée?
Oui
Non
business
luxury house with pool in exclusive beach development
http://www.abritel.fr/location-vacances/p95303a
+33 33 0540395679
Las Terrenas
Côte Nord
Livre d'Or - Extraits
wonderful house and wonderful vacation
Thank you for making this vacation so special - everything went super smoothly from the moment we arrived to the moment we sadly had to leave. Michel had organised the airport transfer and, even though the roads were good, it was great to be able to sit back in comfort and admire the beautiful scenery on our way to Las Terrenas - the last part of the trip, along the coast line was truly spectacular. Dora was waiting to welcome us at Villa Céline and had prepared a great meal for our first night - very much appreciated. Michel had given some details of local restaurants - very good quality in beautiful surroundings. The house itself was above our expectations......we all felt so comfortable and at peace there. The bedrooms, each with an ensuite bathroom, gave each couple a good level of privacy and it was great to all sit around the pool together, surrounded by the beautiful tropical garden. Dora kept the house perfectly clean for us and also took care of our personal laundry - she was really so helpful and cheerful - she is a very valuable member of your staff. We had intended to spend more time sightseeing but actually ended up spending more time at the house than we had originally planned - perfectly happy to swim and read at the poolside. We all enjoyed our long beach walks from Villa Céline, going around the various headlands as you had described, swimming in the calm sea along the way and then returning for a cool drink back at the house!
I would like to thank you again for the the helpful information you gave before we arrived and for helping to make this such a wonderful vacation. We are hoping to be able to return to Villa Céline during the whale watching period - be in touch soon.
I would like to thank you again for the the helpful information you gave before we arrived and for helping to make this such a wonderful vacation. We are hoping to be able to return to Villa Céline during the whale watching period - be in touch soon.
Cette appréciation était-elle utile? 1/1
Cette appréciation vous a-t-elle aidée?
Oui
Non
business
luxury house with pool in exclusive beach development
http://www.abritel.fr/location-vacances/p95303a
+33 33 0540395679
Las Terrenas
Côte Nord
Livre d'Or - Extraits
Return trip to Villa Céline
Wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed our second stay at Villa Céline - the children settled in really quickly as they already knew the place. They were in the pool within 5 minutes of our arrival!! Dora was waiting for us with her lovely smile and had prepared a great meal for our first evening - as tasty as ever!
Michel at the agency had organised the airport transfer and car hire as on our previous visit - really very helpful. We also tried a new restaurant he told us about -fantastic!
We really love your beautiful home -
With very best wishes - Catherine and Jean Luc
Michel at the agency had organised the airport transfer and car hire as on our previous visit - really very helpful. We also tried a new restaurant he told us about -fantastic!
We really love your beautiful home -
With very best wishes - Catherine and Jean Luc
Cette appréciation était-elle utile? 3/3
Cette appréciation vous a-t-elle aidée?
Oui
Non
business
luxury house with pool in exclusive beach development
http://www.abritel.fr/location-vacances/p95303a
+33 33 0540395679
Las Terrenas
Côte Nord
Garden of Eden
This is the place to be to get away from it all. The house was amazing and Dora was great. Could not have asked for anything more. From the moment you get to Las Terrenas and leave everything worked out smoothly. I would highly recommend this place to anyone anyone.
Je conseille cette location à:
Seniors,
Vacanciers avec animaux de compagnie,
Routards,
Escapades entre filles,
Visites touristiques,
Familles avec adolescents,
Familles avec enfants en bas âges,
Vacances romantiques
Cette appréciation était-elle utile? 2/2
Cette appréciation vous a-t-elle aidée?
Oui
Non
business
luxury house with pool in exclusive beach development
http://www.abritel.fr/location-vacances/p95303a
+33 33 0540395679
Las Terrenas
Côte Nord
Beautiful Villa Off the Beaten Path
Our family was looking for a tropical vacation but didn't want the crowds or pre-packaged experience of an all-inclusive resort. Villa Celine answered the bill perfectly. Our family shared the villa with another family, and it was a perfect fit: one family stayed upstairs, the other stayed downstairs--the kids played in the pool, we sat on the deck and had drinks in the evening. The rooms were large, comfortable and clean. Michel was very helpful getting us set up and giving us advice about where to eat, how to get to some of the beaches, etc. And Dora was lovely. One of our friends has a little Spanish, so she was our go-to translator, but Dora kept the house clean and cooked us three great meals. It was so nice to come back to the villa after a day of activities or swimming at the beach to find big pots of delicious Dominican food. The town of Las Terrenas is nearby, and, although it is growing, it still has the feel of bustling small seatown. (French-speakers will find that French is also widely spoken here). The villa is also an easy drive away from Samana, where we went whale watching--saw a mother and her baby. And we took a boat excursion to the Los Haitises National Park--caves, beautiful birds, a great meal. I went diving one day with a local diving outfit. And then beautiful beaches--which we often felt we had to ourselves--the most crowded day would have counted as empty anywhere else. Be sure to visit Playa Coson and Playa Marico. We all agreed that we would happily return to Las Terrenas--and to Villa Celine--again.
Je conseille cette location à:
Routards,
Visites touristiques,
Familles avec adolescents,
Familles avec enfants en bas âges,
Vacances romantiques
Réponse du propriétaire: Thank you Chris,
I'm really pleased that you enjoyed your stay at Villa Céline and that you made the most of visiting the beautiful surrounding area - there is so much to see.
I wanted to clarify that you were travelling with your family and friends, as I have had a few enquiries since your review was posted, from clients asking if they would be sharing the property with strangers (i.e. as in hotel).Obviously this is not the case as only one booking occupies the house at a time......although guests do sometimes tell me that they felt they had stayed in their own "boutique hotel" as the house is light and spacious and each of the 4 large bedrooms has an ensuite bathroom. Dora's tasty cooking also adds to their enjoyment!
I look forward to welcoming you back to Villa Céline some time in the future
I'm really pleased that you enjoyed your stay at Villa Céline and that you made the most of visiting the beautiful surrounding area - there is so much to see.
I wanted to clarify that you were travelling with your family and friends, as I have had a few enquiries since your review was posted, from clients asking if they would be sharing the property with strangers (i.e. as in hotel).Obviously this is not the case as only one booking occupies the house at a time......although guests do sometimes tell me that they felt they had stayed in their own "boutique hotel" as the house is light and spacious and each of the 4 large bedrooms has an ensuite bathroom. Dora's tasty cooking also adds to their enjoyment!
I look forward to welcoming you back to Villa Céline some time in the future
Cette appréciation était-elle utile? 4/4
Cette appréciation vous a-t-elle aidée?
Oui
Non
business
luxury house with pool in exclusive beach development
http://www.abritel.fr/location-vacances/p95303a
+33 33 0540395679
Las Terrenas
Côte Nord
What a relaxing Vacation!
The house was beautiful. Bathrooms were attacked to each individual bedroom which was great for privacy. Two levels with two bedrooms on each level. The kitchen opened to the pool area for an open feeling while eating.
The architecture isn't the reason to stay. This home is secluded (for now) and away from all traffic and tourism. It is a gated area that is going to have more homes, but for now it is very quiet.
The beach is a short walk away and it is all yours. We spent one day there but in the D.R. there are so many beaches, we tried a few more.
There is a nice housekeeper who comes every two days and keeps everything immaculate. She will cook if you prefer, we didn't use her cooking option so cannot comment on that.
Lastly, the owner Elaine is wonderful. We had a small communication problem and got nervous about our vacation and she called us personally from France to reassure us all would be ok. What a great person.
If you want to get away - this is the place.
The architecture isn't the reason to stay. This home is secluded (for now) and away from all traffic and tourism. It is a gated area that is going to have more homes, but for now it is very quiet.
The beach is a short walk away and it is all yours. We spent one day there but in the D.R. there are so many beaches, we tried a few more.
There is a nice housekeeper who comes every two days and keeps everything immaculate. She will cook if you prefer, we didn't use her cooking option so cannot comment on that.
Lastly, the owner Elaine is wonderful. We had a small communication problem and got nervous about our vacation and she called us personally from France to reassure us all would be ok. What a great person.
If you want to get away - this is the place.
Je conseille cette location à:
Routards,
Familles avec adolescents,
Familles avec enfants en bas âges
Cette appréciation était-elle utile? 3/3
Cette appréciation vous a-t-elle aidée?
Oui
Non
business
luxury house with pool in exclusive beach development
http://www.abritel.fr/location-vacances/p95303a
+33 33 0540395679
Las Terrenas
Côte Nord
Livre d'Or - Extraits
Romantic getaway
My husband and I booked Villa Céline for a very special anniversary and everything turned out just as we had dreamed - it was great to have the private pool just for the two of us (and the entire house too!) -and to use the pool whenever we chose - quite often after midnight. Wonderful beach of Playa Estillero for romantic walks - just a few steps from our garden gate. Apart from visiting great restaurants just a short drive away and a couple of trips to Samana Bay and Limon waterfall we were happy to chill out at the house - our anniversary at a real tropical paradise.
Cette appréciation était-elle utile? 5/5
Cette appréciation vous a-t-elle aidée?
Oui
Non
business
luxury house with pool in exclusive beach development
http://www.abritel.fr/location-vacances/p95303a
+33 33 0540395679
Las Terrenas
Côte Nord
Livre d'Or - Extraits
Happy times!!
The house suited our requirements so well......"away from it all" but an easy drive to centre of Las Terrenas for great dining. Glad to get back to tranquilty of Villa Céline after a day of sightseeing......were lucky to sight mother humpback whale with her calf in Bay of Samana -fantastic boat trip with Kim Beddell and her team. Mixed lazy days at the house (strolling on the beach, playing in our pool) with trips to the waterfall at Limon on horseback and discovering "secret" beaches elsewhere on the peninsular. We were 4 couples and appreciated the comfort and privacy of our individual "suites" - it also helped that all bedrooms are similar so no "fighting" over who gets mastersuite etc!!
Cette appréciation était-elle utile? 3/3
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