“The experience was magnificent*****”

“Awesome spot”

“Wow..a fab choice”

“Villa Horizon- great for families or a group of friends, lots of”

“Beautiful Villa - amazing holiday”

“Probably the worst Holiday we've had in Barbados....”

Response from the owner The comments made by this reviewer - step-daughter of the primary Guest - are most unfortunate, and we believe that in the 11 years of the villa’s existence, our first response to a guest review is necessary. During their stay all communications, except for the evening before their departure, were between the primary Guest and the Villa Manager. The first and only conversation with this reviewer, was relative to a late check-out, on the penultimate day of departure, which this reviewer claimed had been requested prior to arrival. This was subsequently proven to be false, and after this was accepted, everything seemed to have gone downhill from there. The General Standard Mircowave: The built-in microwave malfunctioned, during the previous rental, and the required part could not be sourced in time for this rental. A decision was made to purchase a new countertop microwave. The Guests were met on arrival by the Villa Manager and during the standard tour and check-in process, the guests were notified that the built-in microwave was not in working order but was replaced with a new unit, which was pointed out to them. Air-conditioned unit in the Master bedroom: A report was received on June 19, advising that the air-condition unit in the master bedroom was not working. A technician was sent to identify and rectify the problem but reported that the system was functioning when he arrived at the villa so there was nothing further he could do. On the evening of June 25, another report was received for the same air-condition unit. The technician was again sent to the villa the following morning and was able to confirm that the unit was not functioning. He was also able to identify and rectify the problem on this occasion and explained the reasons to the guests, who were present at the time. It should be pointed out that the night of June 25 was the only night the guest were without the use of this Carrier unit, during their two week stay, and all the other units were in working order throughout their stay. Icemaker: On the night of June 17, the Villa Manager received a call indicating that the icemaker, within the Whirlpool side-by-side refrigerator, was not producing ice and the amount of ice that had accumulated in the ice tray was being depleted. Despite the attempt by the Villa Manager, the Guest was unable to identify whether the icemaker lever was in the On or Off position. On investigation by the housekeeper the following morning, it was revealed that the icemaker lever was in the Off position and with a flick of the lever, the problem was immediately rectified. It should be noted that they were not without ice during this period, or any other period throughout their stay. Cot and High Chair: It is acknowledged that a Cot was requested prior to arrival and although it was not made available on arrival, it was delivered the following morning, without charge. There was never any request received for a high chair. After reading the comments in the Guest comment book at the villa, the Guest referenced a comment from a previous guest, where they were thankful for the cot and a high chair provided, and queried why we didn't offer this to them. The Villa Manager indicated that these items are offered as an additional paid service to guests. However, the high chair was also delivered to the villa, at no charge to the guests. Bees The phrase “the villa was infested with bees” is an exaggeration. Upon their arrival, bees were noticed swarming externally, around an area by the roof above the pool deck, and close to one of the open bedroom windows. That same evening, the Villa Manager sent a bee company to investigate and rectify the situation. On inspection, the beekeeper advised the guests that due to the time and height of the roof, he would have to return the following morning, with assistance, to remove the bees. The Villa Manager followed up on this visit with a call to the Guest later that evening expressing her concern, especially for the young children, and assuring him that she would endeavor to have the issued rectified as soon as possible. During this discussion, the Guest indicated that he was aware of the 4th bedroom at the villa and requested that we make this room available to them. This request was considered, and it was decided that we would allow them to make use of the 4th bedroom, at no additional charge. As promised, the beekeepers arrived on the morning of June 14, and removed the bees from the outside of the roof. In addition, they sprayed the area and informed the guests that in addition to removing the bees, they had sprayed and sealed the area on the roof, where the bees were congregating. They also advised the guests that they may see some bees on occasion but they would either be dead or dying. They however, made it clear that if they saw more live bees to report it and they would return to investigate other areas of the roof. The Villa Manager followed up with the Guest after this visit discussed what the bee company had reported, and at that time everything seemed fine. The Villa Manager kept constant contact with the guests over the next few days, and on one occasion the Guest did indicate seeing some dead bees. On the evening of June 19th, a call was received from the Guest indicating that the bees were back. Within 15 minutes, the Villa Manager was at the property to personally investigate and identify the point of entry, so that it could be reported to the bee keeper. An area in the ceiling was identified as the possible entry point for the bees. That area was sealed as a temporary measure, until the following morning, when the beekeeper was scheduled to arrive. The next morning the beekeeper returned and the bees were eradicated, since they were finally able to locate the hive, through a trap door in the ceiling. The bee situation was certainly quite unfortunate and this was communicated to the guests on several occasions, along with apologies for any inconvenience caused. As the reviewer highlighted, this issue was dealt with in an expeditious manner by the Villa Manager. ??Power On the evening of June 16th, the island experienced an island-wide power interruption. Fortunately, the villa was equipped with an automatic stand-by generator, which provided alternate power to the villa within 10 seconds of the power interruption. An hour after this occurred, a call was received from the Guest, indicating that the generator was making sounds and the lights were flickering. Within 20 minutes of the call, a visit was made to the villa to investigate the report. It was revealed that the generator had gone into shut-down mode because the two fuel tanks, supplying LGP gas to the unit, were depleted. There are four 100 lb tanks at the villa, and two are in use at any one time. The two empty tanks were switched over to the two full tanks and generator was re-set and restarted, resuming the power supply to the villa. During this interruption, the Villa Manager called the guests to ensure that they had located the battery powered lanterns, which are stationed in every room of the villa, as well as advising them that assistance was an the way. This was confirmed. It should be noted that very few properties on the island have a back-up generator. This is mainly because the island’s power supply is very stable, with very few island wide power cuts occurring. It was the owner's decision to install a generator for the convenience of their guests. It is quite unfortunate that the guests have complained about this situation, when they would have been one of two properties in the neighbourhood with alternate power, as well as the use of back-up of lanterns, during this 3 hour timeframe. ?Pool Pump This is the first time we are being made of this comment. During their stay, no calls were received regarding the pool pump not working. Since becoming aware of this comment, the pool technician and housekeeper were asked and neither of them recalled any discussion with the guests pertaining to the pool pump not working, or any other issues with the swimming pool. The pool is equipped with a Pentair 3 HP variable speed pump, which is known for its low decibel levels during operation. Perhaps, the reviewer is basing her comment on the lack of noise or the jetstream on the surface of the water, but at no time during their stay was the pool out of operation. Unless the guests rectified this “problem” on their own, we can safely say that no-one under our employ was responsible for this “fix” and the pool’s chemical content and clarity were within acceptable standards throughout their stay. Late Check-out It is believed that the request for a late checkout, and the expectation of compensation, are the real reasons for this review. On June 26th, the Guest called the Villa Manager, well within 24 hours of their departure, requesting a late check out. At that time he was reminded that the check-out time was noon, to which he replied that he was aware, but wanted some extra time at the villa. He was told that this would have to be taken up with the Property Manager, who is responsible for all bookings at the villa, and he would receive a response shortly. Later that afternoon, a call was received from another member of this party, enquiring about the request for a late check-out. During this time, he was told that unfortunately, his request could not be accommodated because there was an event at the villa on the evening of their departure and the housekeeper will need sufficient time to clean and prepare the villa after their departure. Immediately after this conversation, a call was received from this reviewer, indicating that she overheard the last conversation with her husband. She indicated that they had made a request for a late check-out and they had to stay on past noon, because their baby ate at noon and she did not want to disturb her eating schedule. She was told that an effort was already made to see how their request could be accommodated, but unfortunately they could not be accommodated for the reasons already given. She kept insisting that they had made a request for a late check-out. The Villa Manager then requested that she provide evidence of this request, since she could find no records in the files to support her request. She was further told that wherever possible, late check-outs are usually accommodated and if their request was made prior to, or even on arrival then this would have been noted and actioned accordingly. She was then notified that if her request were to be accommodated at this late stage, there would be a cost implication to the owner, since additional staff would have to be brought in to get the villa prepared in time for the later event. She became quite irate and insisted that they were being kicked out of the villa at noon, and this had never been done to them before. She then argued that if they were willing to pay more money, then they would be allowed to stay. At no time during this conversation was any request for money, pertaining to an extension of their stay, discussed. During this tirade, the Villa Manager advised the reviewer to forward any documentation to support her claim for a late check-out, since she insisted that the Guest had made the request. On his return to the villa, later that night, the Guest called the Villa Manager to say that the reviewer was mistaken. There had been no request for a late check-out, but he was asking for this request because they did not wish to leave so early since their flight was later in the afternoon. He then asked if he could leave their luggage in the garage, while they departed the villa at noon to go to lunch, and return at a later time for their airport transfer. The Villa Manager indicated that she would get back to him the following morning, since she would have to consult with the Property Manager. He did not accept this response and insisted that he speak with the owners of the villa. He was informed the next day that the owners did not wish to have responsibility for any luggage left unattended at the villa, and would prefer that all luggage be removed during check-out. He kept insisting that it was a bad decision and all over the world people are accommodated with late check-outs and luggage and he would write the Property Manager on this matter. The Property Manager received an email from the Guest on the morning of their departure, June 17, and a response was dispatched confirming that a late check-out could not be accommodated on this occasion and neither could their luggage be kept. The reasons why the request could not be accommodated were also indicated in this email. ?The Manager At no time during their stay, was a call not taken or returned. On the day of their departure, a call to the Villa Manager was missed because of a pre-scheulded meeting and his call was not taken at the time it was made. At the end of that meeting he had already departed, and a return call was therefore pointless. With regards to only speaking with the hierachy in the house - any calls received by the Villa Manager, were made by the primary Guest and no other guest at the property, except for the evening prior to their depature. Calls which had to be returned were returned to the primary Guest, as he made all calls and, with the exception of the housekeeper, seemed to answer all calls to the villa. Any conversation about the guests’ stay at the villa was relayed through the primary Guest, and no other member of his party. We are happy to know that the reviewer did take the opportunity to recommend and comment on the service received by the housekeeper, Amanda, and we will be sure to pass on the compliments. With regards to the offer of compensation, what the reviewer has omitted to mention was the fact their rental was discounted by 25%. In addition, we provided a complimentary transfer to and from the airport, as well as a complimentary car rental for the duration of the rental. It is unfortunate that the reviewer has decided not to stay at Villa Horizon again. However, despite our best efforts, we acknowledge that it is impossible to accommodate each and every one of our guests’ requests.

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not TripAdvisor LLC.

“A luxurious villa that meets and exceeds your every wish.”

“Wedding!”

“A real treasure”