For more pictures - Click Here
|
Caribbean Estates Lands & Villas was set up relatively recently, in August 2000, but it has already established itself as one of the leading villa rental agencies in Tobago. It is owned and operated by Natalie Mahabir, who has been in real estate in Tobago since 1992. She manages and rents out around 20 villas, preferring to remain small and selective in order to guarantee levels of service. Caribbean Estates Lands & Villas also sells properties as a real estate agency.
|
KEY FEATURES...
| Efficient performer, reliable information and service, growing portfolio of good villas |
CLIENT PROFILE...
| Independent travellers, families |
|
| |
Natalie Mahabir, from Trinidad, is married to a leading Trinidadian architect John Otway, who has designed a number of villas in Tobago, including Villa Ohana, the spectacular villa built almost entirely of wood in Balinese style. Natalie herself started out doing project management, working alongside him, and in 1997 she moved into real estate sales. At the same time, villa owners asked her to manage their properties and a villa management business began to develop. In 2000 she to set up on her own. The offices of Caribbean Estates, Lands and Villas are on the corner of Milford and Golden Grove Roads in Canaan, well located on the main road to the airport at the western end of the island.
The villas are also situated mostly at the west end of the island. They include villas in the residential estates in Tobago, Mt Irvine and Tobago Plantations, but there are also others which are independent, among them Ohana in Bacolet outside Scarborough and Mirage on Turtle Beach in Black Rock. Their high standard and diversity in styles make them an interesting and highly rentable portfolio, meaning that clients can be fitted a suitable villa for them. All villas have public liability.
Keeping the portfolio selective and small means that it can stay manageable, enabling Natalie to concentrate on providing a high quality service. |
| ^ back to top |
Services
Caribbean Estates provides a full management and maintenance service for villa owners, as well as villa rentals.
Natalie runs the villa rental side of the business herself and takes all bookings. All houses are checked over by Natalie herself although she now has help in the form of her two villa management agents, Zia and Dagmar, who both know the drill and are very fastidious. Between them they check over each villa before rental guests arrive to make sure that everything is just right. Once guests have settled in either Natalie, Zia or Dagmar will telephone to make sure that everything is OK. They will also visit if needed and offer a 24 hour emergency contact service. |
| ^ back to top |
Grocery Supplies
A complimentary starter pack is provided with all rentals through Caribbean Estates Lands and Villas. Each starter pack is customised for the age (adults, children, infants) of guests and dietary requirements (low fat, low sugar, high fibre) and always includes breakfast and drinks – she customises pack according to the age and type of guests. She will also stock villas with food according to your particular requirements so all you need to do is to send a shopping list.
Cooks can be arranged at a cost of US$15 per meal. If you require staff to shop for you during your stay and they are able to do so, a US$15 service charge will be added to shopping bills. |
| ^ back to top |
Staff
Generally staffing in the villas on Tobago is quite low key. You should not expect the full levels of service that you might find in, say, Barbados, St Lucia or Anguilla, with butlers and chefs. In most cases villas are staffed with a housekeeper, whose hours are usually 9am–1pm, six days a week (excluding Bank Holidays). Villa Ohana is an exception with two housekeepers 6 days a week, hours 9am – 1pm, plus 5-7pm.
Cooking is charged at US$20 per meal. Housekeepers do general cleaning. Laundry is available at US$5 per load, and ironing costs US$1.50 per item. Babysitting is arranged with the housekeepers at US$5 an hour with a minimum of 3 hours.
Rental rates do not include service charges so you are encouraged to reward your staff appropriately. Natalie will advise on this. |
| ^ back to top |
Meet & Greet
Caribbean Estates, Lands and Villas have their own dedicated meet and greeter who will meet you at the airport and arrange your transfers. Where transfers are not included in the villa rate, this will be billed to your account. The meet & greeter can also arrange car hire and will accompany you to your villa.
We do not recommend that you take a general airport taxi to villa accommodation because the driver is likely not to know how to reach the property itself. Taxi drivers arranged by your travel organiser or Caribbean Estates, Lands and Villas will keep in telephone contact with the villa staff or Natalie in case of late arrivals. |
| ^ back to top |
Check In/Check Out
Priority is always given to preparing the villa for incoming guests and unless you make specific alternative arrangements at the time of booking, the check out time is at noon. If villas are not booked back to back, however, there may be the chance of some flexibility.
As most flights arrive late in the afternoon, check-in time is generally 4pm. If your arrival on Tobago is earlier, please make sure that you tell your travel organiser or Caribbean Estates, Lands and Villas so that suitable arrangements can be put in place. |
| ^ back to top |
Departures
If you have a hire car, you can choose to return it at the airport (making sure the luggage will fit, or order a taxi to help you out) or have it collected from the villa prior to your departure. If your travel organiser hasn’t already made the transport arrangements to take you back to the airport, you can book a taxi through Caribbean Estates. |
| ^ back to top |
Booking Conditions
If you wish to book direct, bookings should be made through the local managing agents, Caribbean Estates, Lands & Villas. You will need to send a deposit equal to 25% of the total rental fee to confirm a reservation and payment of the remaining 75% is required 4 weeks prior your arrival. If you are booking within 4 weeks or less prior to your arrival, full payment must be made to secure the booking. Deposits are non-refundable and balances are refundable up to 2 weeks prior to arrival.
One night’s villa rental is held as a damage deposit. The damage deposit must be sent with the final 75% payment. |
| ^ back to top |
Weddings
A villa wedding is a lovely option and offers you the sort of privacy and ‘made to order’ experience that you would not be able to achieve at a hotel. Mirage is the only one of Caribbean Estates properties to encourage weddings. They will allow a maximum of 35 guests. If the group is definitely under 20, most villa owners could be persuaded the damage deposit would be increased at Caribbean Estate’s discretion.
Caribbean Estates will happily liaise with your travel organiser and the island's only professional wedding organiser, Tobago Weddings to ensure that everything goes smoothly on your wedding day. You may choose to wed at your villa or if you wish to marry in a church or at another location, you can have your reception at the villa. Again, this would be subject to you or your travel organiser working through Tobago Weddings, and all the arrangements being vetted and approved by Caribbean Estates and the property owner. |
| ^ back to top |
Portfolio Listing
DefinitiveCaribbean features a representative selection of the properties that are available for rent through Caribbean Estates, which you may book directly, or through tour operators/travel organisers that have an agreement with the company.
See here for a complete listing of the Caribbean Estates villas that we feature on DefinitiveCaribbean:
| Lahay, Tobago
A 3 bedroom/3 bathroom hillside chalet with views of Buccoo Reef, a swimming pool and Jacuzzi, TV room and open-plan living area extending to balcony. | | Memories, Tobago
A pleasant, modern Tobago rental villa with 4 bedrooms on two storeys, located in the well positioned residential development of Bon Accord. Life at Memories, which is set in a walled garden in a cul-de-sac, flows easily between the open-plan kitchen/living area and lawns via a covered terrace and a pool. An excellent property for entertaining, suitable for families and groups of friends. | | Oceana, Tobago
Very well appointed and extremely spacious 4 bedroom/4 bathroom oceanfront villa with private pool and Jacuzzi within the 750 acre Tobago Plantations Beach and Golf Resort. | | Villa Soleil, Tobago
An extraordinary-looking villa with walls of burnished orange and extensive white wooden trim, set dramatically on a hillside near Arnos Vale on Tobago’s northern coast. Villa Soleil has four bedrooms over three storeys and is built in a striking mix of Caribbean and oriental styles. It is extremely elegant and open, and from its multiple levels and pool decks it has breathtaking views of Tobago’s north-western shoreline. | | Seashell Villas, Tobago
Popular collection of two storey, privately owned and individually furnished gingerbread style holiday homes. All are set in pretty enclosed gardens and have very good outdoor living space. Perfect and good value for families, couples, honeymooners and small wedding parties. | | Wind Dancer, Tobago
A compact modern 3 bedroom holiday villa with an appealing Caribbean design located in Bon Accord estate near Tobago’s western tip. A light and cheerful open-plan living area leads straight out to a west-facing pool terrace and a fully enclosed garden with a small area of neat lawn. Wind Dancer is a charming, comfortable home that will suit those seeking good Tobago villas within easy reach of Pigeon Point and Store Bay beaches. | | Raintree, Tobago
Comfortable 5 bedroom/5 bathroom home with far reaching views of Buccoo Reef. Ideal for three generation family groups, 2 bedrooms have kitchenettes; there are upper and lower verandas and a delightful pool area with sun terrace, “liming deck” and dining gazebo. | | Canboulay, Tobago
A vibrant plantation style 4-bedroom house with contemporary furnishings and décor set in landscaped gardens above the golf course giving a perfect venue for carefree tropical living. Popular with families and keen golfers. | | Joie De Vivre, Tobago
A spacious and comfortable 4 bedroom Tobago holiday home set on a hillside in Mt Irvine Estate. Inside, Joie de Vivre is homely, with some bright furnishings and contemporary style, outside it has excellent space including a lovely covered terrace with a spectacular view over Buccoo Reef and the north coast. An ideal holiday home for older families and couples. | | Ohana, Tobago
A real beauty and one of Tobago’s finest villas built almost entirely from wood in the Balinese style with stunning views from its cliff side location with open-plan living areas and 4 delightful four poster en suite bedrooms. | |
|
| ^ back to top |
Have you found this page useful?
We appreciate your feedback on our service.
I found this page useful
I would like to make a comment
All the information on this page comes to you free of charge. Please remember to mention DefinitiveCaribbean when you contact Caribbean Estates, Land & Villas for your Tobago villa rentals as our ongoing service to you may depend on how frequently our name comes up as a point of reference.
Thank you for your interest. |
| ^ back to top |
|
Print
page
www.realestatetobago.com
