For more pictures - Click Here
|
Style: Well appointed, grand plantation style, executive villa for more mature tastes, with all modern comforts.
The Beach: Within short walking distance of the long stretch of golden sand on the sweeping bay of world famous Sandy Lane beach
The Rooms: 5 bedrooms with en suite bathrooms
Key features: One of the newer villas in Barbados but it has a colonial air, private path to Sandy Lane beach with chairs provided, swimming pool, barbecue, large 1st floor TV lounge/den, cable TV, VCR, CD players.
Children: Welcome
Staff: Cook and maid/laundress. Butler when all five bedrooms booked. |
| |
Description
Set amidst a grove of mature mahogany trees and an abundance of well established gardens, it is hard to believe that Mon Caprice was constructed only relatively recently. It lies behind an electronic gate next door to Sandy Lane Hotel, sharing an exclusive residential enclave with three other holiday homes, Bluff House, Landmark House and Landmark Cottage. Its location right on the edge of Holetown, means that Mon Caprice is conveniently close to the best that the West Coast has to offer, its beaches, sports and recreation, restaurants, shopping and night life.
Mon Caprice is a stately looking, two storey, coral stone villa with a contemporary palladian style façade that is reminiscent of a plantation great house. It is surrounded by tall mahoganies and so it is a well shaded property. The interior has been furnished in a grandiose style in keeping with the design of the villa and there is a collection of antique mahogany pieces alongside others in more contemporary style for a lighter touch. On the ground floor a central foyer looks towards the kitchen and two of the bedrooms on the right, the formal living and dining room on the left, and straight ahead a sweeping wooden stairway to the upper floor. The formal sitting room is open plan to the dining area, and has a trio of elegant sofas. It is a fairly traditional-looking room, and its furniture and accessories have been chosen to reflect its plantation style. The dining room is dominated by two striking antiques, one a large carved armoire and the other a long mahogany dining table that seats twelve. A set of glass paned arched doorways lead out to pretty courtyard-like sun terrace, with enclosure walls that have been taken over by trailing vines, giving it a nice tropical feel. Teak sun loungers are provided along with a couple of teak tables, so guests can enjoy poolside meals. A kidney-shaped pool is set into the terrace. It is small in size and so it is more for dipping than for swimming. A short walk from the rear of the villa, via a small area of lawn with a hammock, will bring you to the glorious Sandy Lane beach. This is accessed by a lockable gate and beach chairs are provided.
A breakfast area with corner seating is located to the rear of the huge kitchen. However this area is seldom used, except occasionally when there are children in residence, as guests generally prefer to eat outside. The kitchen is impressive and rather masculine looking, with dark turquoise stained fitted cupboards, highly polished black granite work surfaces and professional equipment. It leads into the formal dining room and has access to the rear garden.
Upstairs, the stairway leads straight into a large family room known as ‘the den’, which has a more casual feel than downstairs. It has been furnished in lighter tones with an antique carved cabinet housing the TV, VCR and CD player. An adjoining balcony that looks down onto the small rear garden offers glimpses of the sea through the canopy of trees. The terrace is furnished with patio chairs and there is the option to have meals served out there.
There are five bedrooms at Mon Caprice, all of which feature antique mahogany wardrobes, air-conditioning, have ceiling fans and CD players, and feature original oil paintings of island life and scenery by local artist Don Small. Three bedrooms are located upstairs and two of these face the entrance (a twin and a king, both with en suite bathrooms with shower). The Master bedroom, with a king bed, looks out towards the ocean and adjoins the main balcony. It is very roomy and has a sitting area and a larger en suite bathroom with shower and tub. The other two bedrooms are located downstairs on the northern side of the villa. A twin bedroom faces the entrance and the other, which has a king size bed, looks toward the sea. It has a small covered terrace leading onto the small garden area with hammock, from where the path leads to the beach. Both bedrooms have en suite bathrooms with tub/showers. |
| ^ back to top |
Beach & Swimming
Mon Caprice has a private pathway which leads from the small rear garden out onto the world famous Sandy Lane beach, just north of Sandy Lane Hotel. A glorious stretch of golden sand curves gently southwards, offering some of the best swimming on the island. At certain times of the year there can be a swell with some undertow, so do make sure to look out for the red flags which warn against swimming. The beach, and even right in front of the hotel is lined by Manchineel Trees whose leaves produce a caustic sap and should never be used for shelter during rainfall or shortly after to avoid skin blistering. The yellow, apple-like fruit are also poisonous, so do be watchful around small children. If consumed seek medical treatment immediately. Most trees either carry signs or have a red painted ring around the base of the trunk. |
| ^ back to top |
Sports & Recreation
The Sandy Lane Golf Club, tennis courts, and dedicated spa are located within a few minutes drive from Mon Caprice, as are a range of water sports from Sandy Lane Hotel’s beach which is a short stroll away. The Royal Westmoreland golf course is about 10 minutes drive away, which has some tee times open to outsiders in the mid morning. There is a fitness club at West Coast Mall approximately 4 minutes away. The nearest polo field is at Holders Hill approximately 5 minutes by car. |
| ^ back to top |
Locality
Mon Caprice is located just off the main West Coast highway, within an exclusive residential enclave close to the world famous Sandy Lane beach, just north of the actual hotel and very close to the golf course. Bluff House is close-by as is Landmark House and Landmark Cottage is next door. This is the heart of St James, and the Platinum Coast and conveniently close the nearest shopping district which is Holetown. Here you will find the Cave Shepherd Plaza and the larger West Coast Mall. These contain a supermarket, bank, photo centre, duty free shops, video rental, and various shops and boutiques. Also close by is the Chattel House Village, a series of traditional looking Caribbean cabins selling souvenirs, the 24 hour Sandy Crest Medical Centre, and a market stall where you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables. The town also has a gas station (as petrol stations are known locally) which has an in store mini-mart and an outlet of KFC, both open until late evening.
Holetown, the place where the English first landed in 1625, later settling it in 1627, is also a local Barbadian community, with police station, post office, parish church, bank, pharmacy, clinic, fitness centre, school and so on.
There is a host of restaurants within 15 minutes drive along the main West Coast Road in either direction of Mon Caprice. You might consider the famous Cliff Restaurant, about ten minutes away to the south - also look out for Scarlet, Daphne’s and Calabaza in this direction. Heading north beyond Holetown you could try celeb favourite the Lone Star, about 15 minutes north, or the Fish Pot. There are any number of restaurants in Holetown itself, including The Mews, Café Indigo, Olive’s and The Tides as well as an excellent patisserie, Flindt’s and several pizza parlours, cafés, a beach bar and some fast food outlets. There is also good nightlife in Holetown with lively weekend gatherings in 1st and 2nd Street, where the restaurants and bars stand shoulder to shoulder, with some providing live music. Drinkers tend to spill out into the street to mingle, creating an easy-going ‘street party’ type of atmosphere. The current ‘hot spots’ are The Mews, The Elbow Room, Spago’s and Lexy’s. |
| ^ back to top |
Useful Hints
Ask your travel organiser or the management company (if booking direct) for initial food and drink supplies to be laid in for your arrival. The cook will then prepare a welcome meal. Thereafter, staff will shop for you during your stay if you wish to delegate this chore, however it is up to the guest to provide transportation and funds for the staff to do so. Rental rates for villas in Barbados do not include ‘tips’, about which you will find advice in the guest information book at the villa. Initial groceries and additional shopping, transfers, and any other incidentals such as crib, high chair, TV rental are subject to a 15% VAT and 15% Service Charge. |
| ^ back to top |
Rates
| | 15 Apr -14 Dec 2007 | 15 Dec-14 Apr 2007-08 | 15 Apr-14 Dec 2008 | | Mon Caprice 1-6 guests 7-8 guests 9-10 guests | 1,000 1,300 1,500 | 1,500 2,200 2,800 | 1,000 1,300 1,500 | Prices are per night in US$ and exclude 7.5% Government Tax. Minimum stay of 7 nights. Rates do not include the Christmas/New Year period for which special rates apply, with a minimum stay of 14 nights. All rates are subject to change without notice. |
| ^ back to top |
How To Book
If you wish to book direct, bookings should be made through the local managing agents, AAAltman. 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 30 days in summer and 60 days in winter prior your arrival. If you are booking within 30 days or less prior to your arrival, full payment must be made to secure the booking. You may contact AAAltman by using the WEB LINK or DIRECT ENQUIRIES facility at the top of this page, or if you wish to telephone them, please click on TELEPHONE CONTACT to reveal the number. For a review of AAAltman and details of their services please see here. |
| ^ back to top |
Airport Meet & Greet
If you are booking direct ask the villa management company AAAltman to send a taxi to meet you at the airport. Once you request their transfer service, they will have a representative at the airport outside the arrivals hall holding a sign with your name on it, who will direct you to your awaiting taxi. Your airport transfers are paid for locally and take approximately 40 minutes.
Alternatively, if you would prefer to be taken care of from the minute you arrive at the airport, with a range of services that can include limousine transfers and a Concierge Service is offered by St James Travel & Tours.
If you are booking through a travel organiser, it is likely that their representative will be at the airport to meet you. This service and your return airport transfers should be included in the cost of your holiday. Please check at the time of booking. |
| ^ back to top |
Getting Around
Although most things are relatively close at hand and Holetown can easily be reached by public transport, a hired car is strongly recommended for all private villa holidays, unless you prefer staff to call taxis for you as required. A car will be useful if you want to dine out at night or do lots of sightseeing and particularly when it comes to shopping for groceries. Book car hire via your travel organiser or direct with Stoutes Car Rentals and ask for your vehicle(s) to be delivered to the property approximately 3 hours after your scheduled time of arrival on Barbados or, if preferred, the following morning. Vehicles can be returned at the airport or be collected from the property at a pre-arranged time on your departure day. |
| ^ 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 and we do not earn commission from your bookings. Please remember to mention DefinitiveCaribbean when you contact AAAltman for villas in Barbados or Stoutes for your Barbados car rental requirements.
Thank you for your interest. |
| ^ back to top |
|
Print
page
www.aaaltman.com
