Before I begin my review of Lucia Beach Villas, I want to share a couple of things about my family and myself. We have traveled extensively and have stayed at many wonderful resorts. We are, in all honesty, very particular when it comes to cleanliness, safety and comfort. We try to research our destinations so as not to have any surprises. The only surprise that we had at Lucia Beach Villas was how near perfect our experience was.
Our trip started out with a small “fender bender” with our rental car. Because we were lost, tired, and frightened from this experience and had not yet been to Lucia Beach Villas, our wonderful hosts went over and above the call of any hotelier. After I called LBV and told them of our small misfortune, the owner, Jeanette came to the police station where we were filing our report and personally escorted us to the hotel. Bear in mind, we were lost and were roughly 45 miles from the hotel, yet Jeanette greeted us with a smile, and asked if we wanted to stop and get dinner before we began our drive to the hotel. At that point, I knew that we were in for a great trip! I will not even begin to try and express how strongly I feel about the compassion and warmth of Jeanette and her husband, Gary, except to say that I feel that we have found friends that we will have for a lifetime.
The villas are sparkling clean! I am a total “stickler” about cleanliness, and had absolutely no reservations about using the hotel bedding, towels, etc. There is no carpeting in the villas, which is perfect since we were generally damp or sandy from the pool or ocean. There is a broom in the villa so you were able to simply sweep up any messes. And of course, the villa was cleaned completely during the middle of our stay. The kitchen had all of the essentials, as well as a blender- you can’t beat fresh margaritas while sitting on the beach! The villas have a wonderful floor plan for a family, as my husband and I were able to use the bedroom upstairs and our 2 daughters had the futon and television, DVD, etc. downstairs. There are even movies to rent from the hotel! Next time we will bring some of our own, also, as it is a good way to end the day when you’re tired. (Catch that- “next time”-it’s already being planned!) Also, the pool is kept immaculate. We have a pool at home, and ours is not cleaned and maintained as well as this one!
Safety is always another concern of ours. As the mother of 2 teenage daughters, I was relieved to find out that after the staff is no longer in the office, there is a night guard who patrols the gated area. It was just a good feeling to know that there was someone watching out for you, although we never once felt unsafe. The wonderful owners, Jeanette and Gary, also live on the premises, and their dedication to guests is unsurpassed.
The beauty of the area is second to none! We have been all over the Caribbean, and the peace and solitude of the long stretch of beach by LBV, will be in our memories forever. We wanted a family trip to celebrate our daughter’s high school graduation. I actually wept from happiness while sitting on the beach, watching my husband walk with our 2 daughters. The waves were lapping at the shore, and we were the only people in sight, and I realized that this was a memory that my girls will take with them forever.
Finally, the Puerto Rican people were so kind to us. It was actually an enjoyable trip to go to the local supermarket and visit with the friendly islanders. We did a few small day trips, and felt that we were treated with total respect and that the people wanted to make our trip even better.
I cannot find words of praise that are sufficient to rate this hotel. I would recommend (and have recommended) it to anyone who is considering a peaceful, relaxing, fun adventure. It would be an ideal setting for a family reunion, wedding, and goodness knows, we enjoyed our daughter’s graduation trip here. From the hosts and staff, to the villas, to the ocean- we experienced perfection. Don’t hesitate to book a trip here.