Villa Soleil
- Category
- Villas & Villa Living
- Island
- Tobago
- Location
- Arnos Vale, St David
- No of Rooms:
- 4
- Prices from:
- US $900.00/ villa/ night ? view all rates
At a glance
This extraordinary-looking villa, with its walls of burnished orange, enjoys a dramatic location and is set over three levels. Unique and exotic, it boasts four bedrooms plus an optional fifth bedroom in a self-contained apartment, a two-tier pool fed by a water feature, and is built in an arresting mix of Caribbean and oriental styles. Breathtaking views of Tobago’s shoreline.
- Best for:
- Family, Beach,
- Who for:
- Families with older children, friends and nature-lovers
- How to get there:
- Flights from the UK/Europe and US direct or via Trinidad
Key features
Expansive open air living area with outstanding, fully equipped kitchen with bar and breakfast bar, 12 seat mahogany dining table, various sitting areas including furnished inner courtyard. All rooms with shutters opening to views. Large corner sundeck, barbecue area and family entertainment room with kitchen. Lower tiled sun terrace, 2 small pools linked by a waterfall. Cable TV, WiFi, CD player.
Style:
Bold contemporary design. The walls are a striking shade of deep burnt orange and there are scores of white shutters (there is no glass in the villa).
The beach:
The shoreline at Villa Soleil has no beach. The nearest good beach is at Arnos Vale, approximately 5 minutes drive away, where there is a delightful cove, a beach bar and very good snorkelling
The rooms / villas:
1 main level master bedroom with en suite bathroom (tub and shower), 3 upper floor bedrooms, 2 with en suite bathrooms and 1 with bathroom across a walkway (all large showers). All bedrooms have private enclosed balconies with large shutters. Optional 5th bedroom on lower level has kitchen, living room with sleeping alcove, and en suite bathroom.
Children:
Restrictions apply. Due to the nature of the villa’s steep hillside location and unique design, it is not suitable for very young children
Staff:
Manager, 2 housekeepers, a pool man, a gardener, a caretaker and a night watchman. Cook available on request
Journalist’s Review
Beach & Swimming
Villa Soleil sits above a steep and rocky shoreline with steps leading from the lower sun terrace down to the water's edge. A breakwater is planned to create a calm swimming area. The sea along here is very lively and it is not safe for swimming.
Arnos Vale beach, just south of the villa, has good sand and lovely snorkelling. It is set in a pretty cove enclosed by steep-sided headlands, and has the advantage of the facilities of a hotel, including a beach bar and restaurant.
Villa Soleil has a two-tiered plunge pool located on the lower ground level. The upper level pool sits in the main sundeck and is fed by a water feature running along the deck. It is almost oblong in shape, 6ft x 16ft and just 3ft deep. It is entered via a step-ladder and is a pleasant spot to loll and to enjoy the view. An overspill feeds the second pool below it. This is set in a smaller tiled sun terrace that is reached by a small flight of stairs. It is almost circular, about 8ft across and 8ft deep. This also has a step ladder and both sitting and standing ledges (being so deep) from which to enjoy the views.
Sports & Recreation
There are some good outdoor activities around Villa Soleil. The area is good for walking because the countryside is so attractive. There are farmers' tracks and rivers to follow with waterfalls in which you can swim. The bird-watching in Tobago is exceptional and you will see many species both in the grounds at the villa (a bird feeder hangs on the sundeck) and of course in the surrounding area.
There are two good golf courses on Tobago, the Mt Irvine course further west along the coast and the Tobago Plantations course on the south side of the island beyond Scarborough. Boat trips, to Buccoo Reef and other sites, are very popular and mostly take place out of the western tip of the island around Crown Point and Pigeon Point. There is excellent scuba diving in Tobago of course.
Locality
Villa Soleil is situated just north of the town of Plymouth on the north west coast of the island. It sits off a private access road in a secluded spot and there are no visible neighbours. This is an extremely pretty area of the island, where the western flatlands begin to crumple into mountains and there are very pretty, steep sided coves. While you can get simple groceries in the town nearby, the main supermarkets are further west, either in Bethany south of Mt Irvine or in Scarborough. Most of the restaurants are also to the west of Plymouth.
Useful Hints
Complimentary, initial food supplies (breakfast items, soft drinks, beers and rum) will be placed in your villa for your arrival. However, should you wish the villa to be fully stocked or you require specific items, you should ask your travel organiser or the management company directly to make the necessary arrangements. You will be billed for these items by the villa management company on arrival. If you would like a simple welcome meal prepared for your arrival, this can be arranged and food items will be charged for. Cooks can be arranged at a cost of US$20 per meal. If you request staff to shop for you during your stay and they are able to do so, a US$15 service charge will be added to all shopping bills for each trip. Laundry is charged at US$5 per load if you don't wish to do it yourself.
Rental rates for villas in Tobago do not include 'tips', about which you will find advice in the guest information book at the villa.
Airport Meet & Greet
If you are booking direct, ask the villa management company to send their representative and a taxi to meet you at the airport. Your airport transfers are paid for locally and take approximately 30 minutes. Alternatively, if you would prefer to be taken care of from the minute you arrive at the airport until the time that you leave, with a range of services that can include a personalised Concierge Service and transfers, please click here for Yes! Tourism.
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 are usually included in the cost of your holiday if you have made a flight inclusive booking. Please check at the time of booking.
Getting Around
Due to the location of Villa Soleil a hired car is almost essential, and it is strongly recommended anyway for private villa holidays. Public transport is sporadic and not a convenient option. 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 your car hire via your travel organiser or direct with Thrifty Car Rentals and ask for it to be delivered to the property approximately 2-3 hours after your scheduled time of arrival on Tobago or 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.
Villa Soleil offers bookings via the following tour operators:
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CV Travel
CV Travel: A long established villa holiday specialist with an extensive Caribbean programme including some of the region's finest villa resorts and characterful hotels.
Villa Soleil offers bookings via the following villa rental agents:
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Caribbean Estate Land and Villas
Established in 2000 by Natalie Mahabir and now one of the leading villa rental agencies in Tobago. Small, selective portfolio.
