Isle Blue Luxury Villas — Hotel in Weddington

We stayed at the Emerald pavilion villa and I must say it was truly a “one of a kind” experience. The villa itself was amazing, well appointed and every detail well thought out. We wanted for nothing. The pool and amenities were perfect in every way. The beach and water so clear and beautiful that I no longer long to travel to Maldives or Figi…that beautiful!! But the staff were what made this trip unforgettable. The pre-booking concierge told me that the staff was top-notch, and the reason we picked EP, but until we arrived, we didn’t realize how special they really are. Dana and Mark made sure we were taken care of every moment and even memorized our preferences for every meal and beyond. They sat up our meals for service outside by the pool, under the veranda, and occasionally in the dining room. Every service was arranged with a different place setting and each one unique and beautiful. Upon arrival and every time we came back to the villa we were greeted outside with lemongrass scented cold towels and a refreshing drink. ….so special!! The chefs were both extremely talented as they prepared every dish to perfection. We could not have had a better meal anywhere on the island!! They were timely and catered to every suggestion and meal choice. Opal was like a stealth ninja making sure the rooms were well maintained. We would go to breakfast and all 7 rooms were cleaned and fresh towels and linens replaced. Same every time we left our room it was tidied again and again. Steve was stealth as well - he maintained the pool and grounds to perfection. He brought the paddle boards back from the beach and constantly maintained the surrounding areas at all times. We all think of our vacation to TCI and the friends we made every day. We actually cried upon departure and can’t wait to return. We will never be able to go anywhere else in the Caribbean other than Emerald Pavilion, because of the staff we’ve become so close to that we call...

I misunderstood a couple things about the service that is given with Isle Blue. First, in the past, when I have booked a villa or a resort with a dedicated concierge, the concierge is there upon our arrival and books tours and reservations for us, on the spot. This is not the case with Isle Blue, that is not what they do. A person who works with the local concierge stopped by two days after we got there and explained that they don't provide that type of service. That was an assumption on my part based on past experience and that's not what is upsetting to me- just want others to know. There was also some ambiguous wording in the contract that led me to believe a meal was included. It was also a misunderstanding on my part, but reached out to Lisa upon return to try and get her to see that it could be confusing to some people. What I got back was completely bizarre, just email after email basically telling me that I was totally wrong and it could never be misunderstood, when in fact, it was misunderstood by me. I just wanted her to review their wording, but her final email was completely condescending and explained to me, as if I was a child, the different types of vacations and that this type of vacation just wasn't a good fit. Just so weird- arguing with me all day. A simple "we will review our word choice" would have completely sufficed. Anyway, there are other companies out there that I have booked through that give much, much better service so just do your research before booking with Isle Blue.

*After reading your reply, you just still don't get it. I took full responsibility for my misunderstandings. I just want you to be more clear instead of arguing with me, but you just continue to prove my point with...

Arc En Ciel (St. Lucia) - A Major Disappointment

Arc En Ciel is now 35-plus years old and the pictures shown on the web site are at least that old. The owners have made no investments to upgrade the property. Toilets are 35-plus years old, plumbing and water supply is an issue. The sofas in the rooms are worn, sagging and badly stained from decades of use. In one bedroom, the “exhaust fan” is a moldy hole in the ceiling allowing bugs, including large spiders, to enter the room. The uplighting of the walkways and gardens doesn't work and over half of the lanterns and lights are not working or have burnt out light bulbs. The outdoor wooden chaise lounges are old, worn and peeling. The kitchen was certainly not what one would expect in a high-end villa. It is worn and in dire need of a major makeover. Sandfleas all over the kitchen counters and birds were always, constantly on the countertops in the kitchen – which is a sanitary issue and health hazard. Arc En Ciel is on a very steep hill, which makes walking down to the beach an issue as the road can be slippery. Getting around is difficult. Visitors are not allowed to pass through the Viceroy Sugar Beach resort, so you'll need to drive around on fairly dangerous roads to reach town (Soufriere) and sites. The major road/highway is undergoing a 6-month construction project, so we were forced to use back roads, which were a major challenge (about 12-ft wide, 2-way roads with no signs, major deep potholes and steep switchbacks). The house manager has permission to enter the Viceroy Resort and drove us when requested, which was greatly appreciated, but then we were dependent on his availability. We enjoyed and views, but the villa itself was absolutely not...