Guest Report

[Ruth r]

My family of 6 and I recently spent 4 nights at Azulejo in the company of two other families, totaling 16 persons - 6 adults and 10 children ranging in age from 9 to 16.

On the positive side of things, Azulejo is indeed an absolutely beautiful property, conveniently and ideally located on the Grafton Ridge. Its architecture takes full advantage of its hilltop location to provide spectacular views and enjoy the cool Caribbean breeze. The infinity pool is absolutely lovely as is the deck on which it is located.

It is extremely spacious and could easily house the 70 guests for a wedding as seen advertised elsewhere. Each of the 6 bedrooms upstairs has its own en suite bathroom and balcony with a postcard worthy view.

Its kitchen is reasonably well equipped and the usual amenities of washer, dryer etc are available.

The grounds are beautifully maintained.

We can only give a rating of 3 stars, however, for the following reasons:

1) Safety. Nowhere could we find any review which mentioned that this villa is NOT appropriate for children. It behooves the owners and other property managers to clearly state up front to any would-be tenant that the property is strictly 12 years and over. There are numerous safety hazards for the very young, the elderly or the infirm. These include windows without railings that are child, and even adult height in some cases, which start at floor/stair level overlooking a 20+ foot drop onto concrete. The spaces between the railing bars on the patio could easily allow a toddler to fall. And the railing on the pool deck was loose. All these would be unsafe even for a healthy adult who happens to slip.

2) Security. While the wooden shutter windows that open all the way back to allow views and breeze are beautiful, many are warped and do not shut completely. This poses a serious security risk in an island which, unfortunately, can no longer boast of having no violent crime.

3) Maintenance. The external appearance of the villa no longer matches the pictures that are liberally posted. It is is dire need of a cleaning / paint job. The driveway is in need of a powerwash (as noted by more than one of us who slipped while trying to walk up or down). Some shutters and also the built-in louvres on the doors are warped or broken. Some of the wooden fixtures in the bathrooms are badly mildewed. The overall sense of the house was one of mustiness and not being quite fully clean. This was evidenced by debris found under more than one bed.

In conclusion, while the raw bones of the property are indisputably beautiful, and even in its somewhat rundown state it is still a lovely location for groups of adults, this property is not on our repeat list.