The host Brenda is very reactive and has prepared info and instructions that make the stay comfortable.The villa is perfect and the location is magic, we enjoyed the sunset on the beach and we spent lovely time together. The location is perfect to spend time with friends and also with the family, our kids were enthusiastic!The staff is kind and very well organised, Gloria is a great cooker, Jenelle keep the house perfectly clean and Chappie is very friendly and helps with any needs you might have.We recommend the location and the host!
This villa was very charming, clean and as described. Beach was very nice. The meals were very good. However, overall it was not a good fit for us. The staff was not very communicative and we didnât receive a warm welcome, they were not rude at all just not very personable. We were not given even a quick tour of the property. We had to pull out the water sports equipment when we wanted to use it, we wouldâve liked it pulled out and put on the sand for us. The housekeeper informed us she would launder our clothes on a specific day and not as needed per our request. I have listed just a few of the issues we experienced. We are accustomed to having a staff that interacts more and asks if your needs have been met. To be fair, I did not inform the host about any of this, we just powered through it and still managed to have a good vacation. In short, if you want a laid back vacay with minimal interaction with staff, this villa will be a great fit.
If you love a laid back experience with a beautiful beach with no one bothering you, nor crowds, then this is an amazing option. While the weather was not cooperating, the house and its location was still amazing. The staff was kind and very accommodating. The only caveat to anyone looking to stay here.. you should know you will likely eat home most nights. Ocho is a 45-1 hour drive (given traffic) and driving at night is not fun. There are not too many restaurant options around. Maybe 2-3. Not a problem for me as the cook's meals were great! We got fresh lobster right off the boat!
From begining to end we had the most relaxing vacation! Gloria absolutely made our vacation! She is the best cook and we looked forward to every meal! We wanted to take her home!! Choppy kept the grounds beautiful, clean and safe everyday for us! And Jhanell did a great job keeping the home clean and our rooms very nice for us. A family vacation we will NEVER forget! We already want to plan our return!
Good Day!
Our stay at the Seahorse was pleasing to a certain extent. However, there are some significant improvements needed. The staff did their jobs, but when asked questions, it became an issue. For example, the grocery invoice, the quality of condiments (used vs. new), and meals. For example, we brought 5-6 lobsters fresh off the water, I asked if they could be grilled without overcooking them, she said yes. They were all overcooked. It came to a point where we (guests) started cook our own meals for the remaining of the trip. The Chef was kind at first then not so kind. My guest did have to reach out to the property manager and owner to report her discomfort, and further issues during the stay. The owner did have us text/email the grocery invoice, and take inventory pictures of what was in the refrigerator, and seasoning cabinet. As the guest was speaking with the owner, part of the staff stood around to listen. The third to last night, the Chef informed us we had enough food in the fridge to eat dinner, not asked if we would like her to cook something else. Nevertheless, Mr. Lloyd, the groundskeeper was amazing, informative, hospitable, and a great landscaper. I am writing this to help improve the next renter's experience, and encourage better communication and quality of services.
Janelle did a great job of keeping the house clean, changing the sheets and towels and doing our laundry. Charlie kept the beach and pool clean and arranged for transportation. Gloria made us great meals. Andrew shuttled us around and picked us up at the airport.
The beds were comfortable and the AC in the bedrooms worked great.Bathrooms were immaculate.
A large storm a few weeks before our stay took away a lot of sand from the beach making a little slope rather than a flat entry into the water. That also didnât allow us to have a bonfire on the beach since the house and trees were too close. Mother Nature will change this again! We were there 2 weeks and had only one day of rain. There were waves that one day. Other than that the water was perfectly calm and wonderful. There were 3 kayaks, pool floats, and beach toys.
The VRBO site stated breakfast was included which meant the cook was available for breakfast- food was not included. We opted to make our own breakfast since everyone got up at different times.
Groceries are expensive. Donât bother going shopping for groceries since it is not worth the $60 cab ride. You can have what you want called in and delivered. They showed up the day before we left to get our credit card. Their exchange rate is not good, so use the card and pay in Jamaican $. Plenty of seating outside. The pictures show the dining table outside, but it is really tucked in a corner of the covered patio. Not much of a breeze there!
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Seahorse!! The staff and house were both outstanding.
It had rained earlier in the week and so the storm water got into the bay making it a bit muddy; nevertheless we enjoyed the stay at the villa - great outdoor living space and a private pool and beach literally right outside the door. Very appreciative of the air conditioned bedrooms. This place had everything one could ask for in a beach vacation - centrally located between Montego Bay and Ocho Rios.
We enjoyed Chef Gloria's cooking and are very appreciative of the hospitality offered by the other staff members, Choppie and Janelle.
If you're looking for a private vacation that's like having your own all inclusive, this is a safe bet - your own villa on a private beach in a gated community !! Love it !!
We had a lovely stay at Seahorse with another couple. Very private, quiet and comfortable! We loved the pool and privacy of the bayâŠhouse staff was very accommodating, kept the property clean and catered to our food requests. Chappy the house manager went above and beyond to find some (highly sought after) wood to build us beach bonfires and Gloria, the chef, worked around a variety of different food requests. Andrew, our driver, was amazing as well (the recommended driver from the host)âŠhe was just wonderful with suggestions and even hooked us up with his âfish guyâ so we could eat fresh fish a few times. Was a great trip!
Tl;dr: The Seahorse villa, staff, food, and overall experience was amazing.
Long version:
Communication with Dan and Brenda was flawless - they answered every question and provided a wealth of resources to plan and make the trip seamless. Amazing hosts!
Chappie, Jhenell, and Gloria were incredible from the moment we arrived to the moment we left. They worked tirelessly to make sure we were taken care of, the villa and grounds were spotless, and we were never hungry! If I win the lottery Iâll be convincing Gloria to come back to Canada with us - her cooking is incredible.
The villa is on a stretch of beach with maybe a dozen houses, so outside of the occasional group walking the sands ⊠we had half a mile of beach to ourselves. The water was clean, calm, and swimmable throughout the entire day.
Tips:
â Bring more $ than you think youâll need!
â Donât bother bringing beach/pool stuff. There are floating devices, goggles, sand toys for kids, etc, to draw from.
â Bring bug spray and grab a citronella candle (or two) from Progressive grocery. The mosquitoes can be a bother at night without it!
â Book a beach massage with Caroline and Ann-Marie, worth every penny
This was our first stay at a villa and set a ridiculously high bar. If youâre debating if this is the one ⊠trust me it is :)
We can't say enough wonderful things about our stay! Chappie, Gloria, Jhenelle, and Andrew went over and beyond to make our stay comfortable and relaxing! It was so wonderful to not worry about cooking, cleaning, and driving.
We will definitely be returning to Bengal Beach in the future!!
It was truly an amazing experience and one for the memory. From the sunrise to sunset, beach to pool and most of all the wonderful staff Choppy, Gloria and Jhenell ⊠who accommodated us in every possible way. They are an amazing team and represented well. Friends and family are already interested in future stay at this location.
This was our 2nd stay at Seahorse Villa, and it didnât disappoint. The staff is amazing. Brenda, the owner, is quick to respond to questions.
It was very hot and humid, so we spent a lot of time in the pool. We had to move our game night into one of the bedrooms to take advantage of the AC.
The house is in a gated neighborhood, and there is someone there 24-7, so we felt very safe. You can go wrong with this property.
Beautiful villa, incredible experience and the most arelaxing vacation.
No where else have we been able to go from beach to pool to ocean in seconds. Ms. Gloria takes care of all meals and clean up which is an unheard of treat! Ms. Jhenelle kept the house beautifully clean and even did our laundry before we left. Choppie had our kayaks ready and kept us safe on property!!
What we LOVED:
Private pool
Pool floats available
Sand toys available
Beach in a cove- Only about 10 other villas on the cove!
The cooking and cleaning!!!!
A/c in bedrooms
Kayaks and paddle board and snorkels!
Ocean lifeâsea turtles, crabs and fish
Incredible sunsets
Never had to leave
Tons of games and books provided
Comfy beds
Spacious bathrooms
Deadbolts and locks!
Did I mention cooking and cleaning??? Amazing!
Call-outs (not complaints! Just be aware!)
-Bring bug sprayâ-youâll get eaten!
-Wifi doesnât work well, donât depend on it to do much more! My hubby had to use his hotspot to do his bit of work
-Mr. Choppie is great, but a bit of a stickler. Be super cautious of the rules, especially if you have kiddos!
-groceries and transportation are more expensive than you expect! Bring enough cash!
-the water is wonderful but not the clear blue we experienced in Montego Bay. Again, not a complaint, just an fyi.
- there is ac in bedrooms but not the main area! When we couldnât play games outside, we had to play on a bed otherwise it got a bit toasty!
This home is a great place for family with kids, seemed very safe and away from everything for privacy. You have a private beach with about 6 homes that share the beach and very little activity so it private. The staff was wonderful too, Gloria will cook whatever you like, fried chicken, shrimp, locale favorites, all good. If you want to kayak, its perfect as the water is not rough. If you want to snorkel, its better at other places as the water is not clear here due to the fresh water river that runs into the bay. A little maintenance is needed as our safe was not working, although we felt we could trust the staff. Chappy is always on site so you can feel safe. Speaking of staff, be sure to bring extra cash as they recommend you to tip the staff at the end of the stay, anywhere from 10-15% of your rental.
We had the most amazing time in Jamaica! The owner answered all questions very quickly and thoroughly. The grocery process could not have been easier -- we had Gloria shop for us and the market came to the house with a credit card machine for us to pay. So so awesome to not have to worry about that. The house is gorgeous, and we loved being on our own private beach. Depending on what attractions you wants to visit, the house is in a very good location as it is pretty centrally located to many of the top attractions. The house is very well stocked (games, blender, full kitchen supplies) although they are a stingy with the beach towels. The pool is awesome and very clean. I took one star away for two reasons. The first, is not the fault of the owner but something I wish I had known. I booked over Easter. Turns out Easter is a VERY big deal on the Island with lots of parties. We did not sleep at all the first three nights because of parties and loud music from across the bay. The final night (the Monday after Easter Sunday) LOUD repetitive bass went until 4:00 a.m. (no exaggeration). However, after holiday, the house and area were silent at night and wonderful for the next 5 nights. So I think normally this is not an issue but if you are there over Easter beware. The other reason was the master bed -- the mattress is awesome and comfortable but the bed frame is ridiculously noisy. Every movement creates a loud creaking noise. We couldn't take it. We ended up sleeping in a different room. That all said though, we would definitely book Seahorse again. We had the trip of a lifetime and the house is so lovely. It was hard to leave paradise.
My wife and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary at the Seahorse Villa. Was a wonderful experience from
start to finish. Gloria kept us well fed, Chappie does a bit of everything. Most importantly takes wonderful care of the guests, and Janelle kept the rooms clean and tidy. If you enjoy massages, ask Chappie to schedule a time to have Caroline come out to the Villa. She does a wonderful job as well! Thanks for making our stay amazing. Hope to be back in the future.
This place is amazing!! Super clean, super comfortable (especially the beds), 100% recommend! The staff is amazing and the owner was fantastic about responding quickly. Hope we can return one day!
If you're looking for a quiet private vacation home, this is it! The house is absolutely perfect, directly on the beach.
Gloria, Choppie and Jhenelle are wonderful people. Gloria made sure our bellies were full with amazing home cooked meals, choppie took care of the grounds and security and made us a beautiful bonfire on the beach and finally Jhenelle made sure the house was always immaculate.
Why go to a resort when you can have it all minus the crowds!!!!!
Thanks again for everything!
Everything was fantastic with the villa and the team - what is being offered on the website is exactly what you get - no hidden surprises- safe area for families with children - highly recommend
Our family has been traveling to Jamaica since 1999. Our two sons absolutely love the country, culture, and the numerous activities that Jamaica has to offer. We love being near the ocean and the tropical weather. For the vacation to feel like home, we wanted to stay in a villa instead of an all-inclusive resort. We have found that having a house to ourselves provides the family setting we were looking for!
Prior to purchasing Seahorse, we were very familiar with the bay area and the north coast. Having vacationed at a villa located on this beach, we knew this location would be idea for our beach home. The private setting and the quaintness of this bay community was the selling point for our family. Sitting in the middle of the bay, the view is fantastic as you look out to the sea. Away from the hustle and bustle of the two major ports, Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, we find that we really relax and unwind. However, we are just a short journey to the two cities for food, activities and nightlife.
The new renovation of the villa in 2015 completely changed the appearance of the villa inside and out. New tile, tongue and groove cedar ceilings, new windows, and an additional bathroom are just a few of the changes inside. On the outside, a privacy fence was completed around the perimeter of the property with new landscaping and a gorgeous swimming pool. When you first walk into the Seahorse, you have that feeling of comfort and being at home!