We stayed at Alain & Caroline's villa for 5 nights in July 2017. There were 8 of us (4 adults and 4 "kids" ages 16-24) so we rented 4 of the bedrooms; as a result, we had the entire villa to ourselves. The photos accurately represent the villa....very nicely decorated, clean, extremely spacious, very secure, and with beautiful gardens. The air conditioning worked well in all of the bedrooms. The kitchen was very well equipped....though we didn't do a lot of cooking. The pool was clean and refreshing...we really liked the walk-in sloped entry to the pool. We also liked being able to do laundry at the villla....had we known how easy it was to laundry, we would have packed lighter. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to enjoy all of the amenities such as the workout room, sauna, or massage room. The beaches of Orient Bay are walking distance (5 minutes?) from the villa. Every morning we walked to the shops at Orient Bay for french pastries and/or breakfast needs from the supermarket. We liked having maid service a couple of times during our stay; there were also plenty of beach and bath towels. In short, the villa was great.
But the highlight was Alain and Caroline. I've rented several homes/villas etc.. through a variety of websites including HomeAway. Normally, I like to meet the owners, take care of business affairs with them, and then go our separate ways. However, Alain and Caroline had two special offerings that looked interesting to us.....the "French dinner evening" prepared by the two of them and the day long Catamaran trip (we did the trip to Tintamarre and Pinel Island). Both "events" were well beyond our expectations. Alain & Caroline are outstanding hosts who know how to make their guests feel welcome and at ease. The dinner event was extremely enjoyable....and we were able to practice our French language skills. The catamaran trip was the highlight of our 8 night vacation (which included another 3 nights in Anguilla). The trip lasted about 12 hours and included snorkeling (saw sea turtles), open bar, lots of appetizers, lunch at Pinel Island (we paid), and lots of swimming. The signature/defining moment for me was when the catamaran returned to Orient Bay. Once the sun set, I assumed the excursion was done. Instead of "closing up shop" and sending us on our way, they kept the party going for another couple of hours with dancing, drinking, and swimming in the bay well past dark. They're fun people who are very committed to their guests.
