Casa de Kathy — Hotel in Isla de Vieques

We are two adult travelers arriving to Vieques on Christmas Day 2021 and planned to stay two nights. We were recommended to check with Casa de Kathy for accommodations for our stay by a local tour company. Kathy required us to pay for a three night stay (even though we only needed two) to confirm our reservation. She also was surprised we booked a rental car so late and asked us how much we paid for our rental car booking for Vieques (truly none of her business) before confirming our reservation. A few days before our stay, she asked for our vaccination information. We were already traveling within Puerto Rico at this point. When we let her know one of us is not vaccinated and the other is, she asked details on the Covid testing for the unvaccinated traveler. We let her know we were using the Abbott BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test with eMed Telehealth Services. Kathy asked several irrelevant questions such as where we were traveling from within Puerto Rico before our stay on Vieques among other questions. Kathy told us the testing should be fine she just wanted more information on the OTC test which we provided to her. She responded this test was not acceptable by the Puerto Rico government and required the unvaccinated traveler go to a drug store to get tested. This OTC test was the recommended proctored test on the Puerto Rico online support sites and we also called the Puerto Rico Health Department from the Discover Puerto Rico site who confirmed this type of test to be acceptable for restaurants and hotels/accommodations within Puerto Rico. However we did look into testing at a drug store in hopes of saving our Christmas Day/weekend plans. After searching during our vacation/planned activities within Puerto Rico we could not find opening for COVID testing at drugstores prior to arriving at Vieques. We let Kathy know and that we would continue searching for an opening. The following email from Kathy was a cancellation of our stay with a refund and that she wishes us a happy holiday. No call to discuss this live over the phone or give options. Prior to this happening we had called her to ask if she had recommendations for Christmas dinner on the island. She provided the recommendation over email. We sent a follow up email thanking her and letting her know we were contacting the restaurant for a reservation. Kathy goes out of her way to text the owner of that restaurant about our vaccination status. Kathy let us know this via email and that the owner of the restaurant responded to her text letting Kathy know the owner does not allow unvaccinated patrons. We actually ended up having Christmas dinner there with no issues and was able to find alternative (amazing) accommodations after some scrambling during our Puerto Rican vacation. We followed all the rules during our full stay throughout Puerto Rico and had no issues of restaurants and other accommodations accepting the Abbott BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test. Luckily neither one of us had caught Covid throughout the trip and stayed healthy throughout our vacation. Kathy let us know she did have a guest with a confirmed Covid case at her accommodations and we are actually now grateful we did...

Our Likes: Price, convenient, and a safe location in the town (Barrio) of Esperanza on south side of Vieques Island, nearby touristy restaurants, and nearby south facing beaches. Our Studio Apartment’s amenities included a large shower, plenty of shelves and hooks, great chest of drawers, and a refrig/freezer filled with ice. Kathy is a long-time and active resident who is a wealth of information, who keeps in touch with you (she lives on the top floor), and who can probably quickly access health and safety responses. Our friends, who introduced us to her place, have been staying with her annually for over a decade, and they rented her bigger Two Bedroom Apartment with full kitchen and a sitting area.

My wife, Elsie adds, “Kathy did a great job decorating her studio apartment with island colors. She knows a lot about the Island and is a wealth of information. Kathy’s place is ideally located on the Island and is a fair price. The air condition unit was top of the line and the two ceiling fans in the studio helped keep the place cool too. Her thoughtfulness of providing us with the little things to help make our stay enjoyable was much appreciated, such as, board games, game cards, DVD movies, Vieques history books and magazines, a Brita filtering water pitcher (which we used several times a day) kept in the refrigerator, snorkeling gear, beach chairs, beach towels, Wi-Fi, and the use of her upstairs balcony for a great view of the ocean. Kathy’s excellent customer service is hospitable and commendable. Her occasional visits to see if we needed anything or had any questions was much appreciated and showed that she genuinely cared. We will always remember our wonderful adventure on Vieques. Thank you, Kathy!”

As for vacationing on Vieques, you can expect near vacant beaches and plenty of sun. It does rain occasionally for short periods and the nights can be slightly cool. We liked Sun Bay Beach, Grand Beach, and the Black Sand Beach; and, all beaches are special and mostly deserted. Best restaurants for us: Coqui Fire Café, Mango Public House, Duffy’s Esperanza, and Cositas Ricas, a kabob food truck just east of Esperanza on route 997—located on the northside of the route and with permanently installed multicolored outdoor “picnic” tables and benches.

Elsie wrote, “We enjoyed both the commuter plane and Ferry rides between mainland Puerto Rico and Vieques Island, which were quite an experience and worth the trips! The leisurely Ferry ride on a calm sea returning to the main island of Puerto Rico was relaxing. On Vieques, touring the beautiful beaches, eating meals at different restaurants, visiting historical monuments and places, admiring gorgeous horses, and soaking up some warm sun were great activities.”

Do drive slow enough to navigate narrow roads, curves, obstructions, horses, and potholes, tho’ Federal government roads tend to be less bumpy but nevertheless narrow. You can rent a narrow car, like one of the many Kia Souls, which suited our four-person group needs for people and stuff, proved reliable, and took what the roads dealt us astonishingly well, albeit slowly. Rental cars, golf carts, and scooters...

The two bedroom apartment at Casa De Kathy has everything I needed for my trip to Vieques in an excellent location. I started my two week trip without a vehicle and was able to walk to the Boardwalk, restaurants, grocery, and many beaches with no problem. Kathy was available whenever I needed to provide assistance, advice, and directions. As a solo female traveller I felt safe in the neighborhood, and I also felt that there was no shortage of items in my apartment to let me know where I was going and what options I had. There were also books on plant life, and a fish guide that I could check out after snorkeling to cross reference what I had seen. The apartment was spotlessly clean and full of anything one might need in the kitchen. There were many options for interior cooling including fans and air conditioner if I needed it. My bed was extraordinarily comfortable and I got good rest. There were sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizer in my room, and I appreciated how careful the restaurants and places of business were regarding COVID safety. I got a temp check before I walked inside anywhere and hand sanitizer sprayed on my hands, which I appreciated. There is much history and culture to learn about on Vieques, everyone I met was wonderful and full of info. I did end up renting a golf cart and taking it all over the island exploring the old navy bunkers, and some of the more distant beaches. Farm fresh produce is available at the farmers market once a week and from a cooperative farm nearby the house. Kathy will know the schedule. Happily, when I went to eat out in Esperanza I did not get a bad meal. Food trucks offer some great local options on the weekends. I would say that at Kathy's place there is really no detail left out. She welcomes advice to make her rental better - but it was pretty great on it's own. When I go back, I will...