Guestbook - Sample Comments
January 2023
Jolly Good!
Everything at Elton and Jayne's place was as advertised. Communication was great. Weather was great. Hiking was great. Antigua was great. Driving a rental car less than great (left side of the road, potholes everywhere). And the speed bumps wore us out (not E and J's fault obviously). The North Beach is close by and wonderfully quiet...a night time dip in the moonlight was special. Just a great time.
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Tim & Jane, Toronto, ON - Canada
July 2023
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Great Villa - Excellent location.
Great communication with the owners since the day we booked the property. They provide a lot of information about the property and what to do around the island. We were received by the Shari, the property manager, with beers on the fridge, crackers and cheese, chocolates and fresh local fruits on the kitchen counter. She answer all our questions during our stay. The property is located in area that you have to access thru a security gate. A lots of services around including a supermarket, coffee shops, restaurants and more. Also in the same area a beautiful beach. Did I said that the property is well located? Plenty of beaufifull beaches at 15-20 minutes by car and also at 20 min of the main village/city, St. John's. The property is really confortable, two bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, a terrace on the main bedroom and a patio on the back with a BBQ. We had a really nice time at Barbuda. Thanks Elton, Jayne and Shari. We are looking foward to come back!
Yeudiel & Maria, Dorval, QC - Canada
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August 2023
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Stayed a week
The rental was beautiful, and the place was even more so.
The house was very well equipped for a vacation, we enjoyed our stay there.
Shari was our coordinator during our stay, and she didn't hesitate to step in and answer any questions we had.
I highly recommend this host, as well as villa 5/5!
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Yasmine, New York, NY - USA
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June 2022
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Beautiful
The property owner made sure we had all the information needed to have before we arrived, Shari, his property manager was excellent with information and checking in. The villa was well equipped with everything needed. The location was perfect with grocery store pharmacy and restaurants. We had the beach to ourselves most days. We rented a golf cart from Jolly cart rentals, Wayne was superb. The only issue was the mattress was a little hard for us, but we are super picky on this. Overall excellent
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Amanda & Mark, Worthington, MA - USA
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July 2022
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Enjoyed July
We had a wonderful stay at Elton’s house. The location is superb, just a 5-mins’ walk to a lovely beach and a longer one to another more equipped beach with sports facilities and beach bars. The house is absolutely gorgeous and perfect for a family holiday. We immediately felt home there and would love to come back one day! We absolutely recommend it!
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Max & Frederica, London - UK
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March 2022
Pelican View is a great location and homebase to explore Antigua.
1. Villa - The Villa is exactly as described. It is very clean and comfortable and has all of the amenities for a prolonged stay. It was quite comfortable for our family of 4
2. Location- Jolly Harbour is a nice location in Antigua. It is about 30 minutes from the Airport and from St. Johns. The harbour has a grocery store and a number of nice restaurants on the water. So it make for a great homebase to explore.
3. Beaches - There are 2 beaches in Jolly Harbour. The North beach is walking distance from the Villa. This beach is usually quiet with very few people. This beach has lots of shells and is great for sunsets but the sand and water is not as nice as other beaches. There is the Jolly South beach (a long walk) or a short drive away. This beach is the one with great sand, lovely water, umbrellas and water sports available. There is also Fryes beach and Darkwood beach a short drive away which are lovely
4. Activities - We really enjoyed Stingray city, Antigua Reef Riders snorkeling on Cades Reef, Scooter Snorkeling in English Harbor on Galleon Beach, Live reggae music outside while watching the sunset at Shirley Heights and lots of different beaches. Antigua is a lovely island and the people are very friendly
Elton is a gracious host. He communicated regularly and in detail prior to our stay and has a very nice detailed book about Antigua in the villa. Check-in was easy through a keypad locked key box making after-hours check-in easy. Their onsite manager, Shari, who lives a few Villas over who was helpful with information.
Overall, we loved the place, the location and the Antigua. I would definitely stay here again and would recommend it highly.
Maulik - Gainsville, FL - USA
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May 2022
Stayed a few weeks
I spent a month at the Pelican View and loved it. Fabulous beaches, great friendly people, a protected and monitored community, great restaurants and bars and all round perfect atmosphere. Elton and Jayne were great hosts and the villa is all that was expected and then some. Clean, airy, quiet and great view.
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Mike - Toronto, ON - Canada
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May 2019
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Antigua family vacation - Jolly Harbour
We had a fantastic time staying in Jolly Harbour at Elton's property. Elton was very friendly, accommodating and even took the time to phone us prior to our vacation. The home was clean and had absolutely everything we needed. We were even greeted with a welcome package that had some nice items to helps get us started (including wine :)) Our family was very comfortable. The patio had a beautiful view of the waterway and the other homes nearby. We found that we didn't require air conditioning downstairs as we were able to get a nice breeze with just the patio doors open and fan on. We stayed with our two children ages 10 and 5 and the second bedroom with twin beds was perfect!! Jolly Harbour is an ideal location to stay with many amenities at your finger-tips. We enjoyed South Beach and visited North Beach as well which we found to be much quieter (ideal for privacy seekers). We would most definitely book this property again and highly recommend it to anyone travelling as a couple or family! Thank you Elton!
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Rachel & Jon - Maple Ridge, BC - Canada
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February 2019
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Comfortable & Clean!
Wow! Very glad we booked this villa. Elton was very quick to call and chat about any questions we had prior to booking which is part of the reason we booked here. Plus all of the positive reviews. The villa is clean and very comfortable. The kitchen has everything you need if you are planning to cook meals. We found the bedrooms comfortable, linens crisp and clean. Beach towels were great, we used them everyday. There are two beach chairs in the front closet which we found after a couple of days and were perfect. We used the air conditioning in the bedrooms only at night but they also have ceiling fans in the two bedrooms as well. We were not in the villa during the day but when we returned, simply opened the doors, turned the fans on and beautiful breeze. I love the location of the villa. We weren't sure prior to booking if being on the "north finger" would be too far from the grocery store, restaurants and main beach but so glad we were there. Its less busy and much quieter. It's a 5 min walk to the North beach which is great for a morning swim and evening sunsets. We rented a golf cart the entire week and is a must if you are in the north finger (unless you've rented a car). Plenty of parking in front of the villa. Its too far to walk to the grocery store for sure but rental is easy. For fun, we did the Wadali catamaran day tour around the whole island. Very nice, the lunch on the island we stopped at was great and the snorkeling at a coral reef, just amazing. Of course, we went to Shirley Heights as recommended by Elton. We went Thursday night as opposed to Sunday (I hear Sunday is very very busy). The view, music and food was great. My husband and son also made it out on the Reef Riders boat rental along with snorkeling (two hours for $80 ea USD). We spent most of our time on Jolly beach during the day. We found a nice quiet spot at the end of the beach where there are a few trees for shade. No one was ever there. We walked down the beach, past the all inclusive resort and I was so thankful I was not there and had our own little "home" to go back to. So to summarize, so happy we booked this villa and will return for sure. Only next time for at least 2 weeks (or more!!). Thank you Elton and Jayne!! Love your piece of paradise.
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Michelle B - Oakville, ON - Canada
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May 2018
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We had a lovely time staying in Elton's Villa at Jolly Harbour. Elton went above and beyond to make sure we had all the information we needed and offered suggestions for local transportation and things to see and do. Driving directions from the airport to the villa were outstanding and very appreciated! Villa was quiet and well equipped and very comfortable. We had a fabulous time and would highly recommend! Thank you for making our first vacation to Antigua exceptional!!!
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Lori D - Eden, UT - US
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January 2017
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The information pack provided was superb and especially the driving instructions from the airport to the villa. We hired a rental car at the airport and drove with no problems whatsoever - and that was after an 8 hour flight from the UK. The villa itself is about a mile from the main commercial centre, with its bars and shops - about a 20 minute walk or a 5 minute drive. Would it be better to be closer? Well maybe but I guess it would be a lot noisier. As it was the only sounds we heard were the pelicans diving into the water for fish, the little birds coming to our breakfast table for crumbs and next door's fishing yacht (once a day, if that).
The villa has a well equipped kitchen, lacking nothing in terms of cooking utensils, crockery, cutlery and pots and pans. The kitchen units were a little "tired", but its a vacation villa not a luxury condo. There is a comfortable lounge/diner with TV, DVD & ipad dock. Wifi speed was acceptable rather than mega quick, but we still managed to watch tv shows over the internet.
The terrace/deck is plenty spacious for four people and has table, chairs and loungers and is right over the water! Even better the terrace faces east and so gets the cooling prevailing easterly winds, and shade in the afternoon. Phew! There are two en suite bedrooms that are spacious and comfortable, and plenty of towels were provided for showers.
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The master bedroom has a large terrace facing east but no chairs or loungers were available on this terrace. A pity but no big deal. The aircon and fans were both acceptably quiet and effective - during the day we didn't need the aircon as the easterly breeze and the ceiling fan were quite sufficient downstairs.
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For beach days the owner provided fold-up beach chairs and beach towels. It was a pity that there were no beach parasols provided as many of the smaller beaches had no loungers or shade and so weren't suitable for pale Brits who sizzle even with factor 50!!! Having said that I looked around and couldn't see any for sale. However the fantastic, quiet North Beach is a 5 minute walk away and there is plenty of shade under the trees, marvellous sunsets and thousands of beautiful shells - far better than the more commercial South Beach.
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The villa has a "rustic" feel to it. Think plaster applied with a trowel rather than fine skimmed - and this is complemented by the owners' art collection which is best described as vibrant vernacular and very Caribbean. We had a great stay, you will too!
Tudor D - Northhampton - UK
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August 2016
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I really enjoyed myself there. Everything was perfect. It wasn't too far from the family we were visiting or anything. No complaints about the villa at all. The south beach was awesome, fell off the jet ski and everything. It was worth wild. Two things did happen which you guys couldn't control. One night I left my sneakers out, because I didn't want to track mud in the villa. The next morning they were gone. The other is the taxi stand in the complex. I made an appointment to be picked up the day I was leaving, they never showed. Luckily a nice person was driving and I stopped them, and they were on their way there. They took me and my friend all the way to the airport. Very nice people. Other than those two occurrences, I had a very relaxing time. Wish I didn't have to come back. Best part was nights on the patio and mornings on the patio. Thanks again for everything.
Brian G - Douglasville, GA - US
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May 2016
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I just wanted to send a note of appreciation to you regarding our stay last week at your villa. We hit perfect weather for the entire week and had only a brief shower on our last morning at the North Beach. Somehow that seemed okay with all of us and was a sign that time was up. Your accommodations were perfect as usual even for five of us. The men spent a considerable amount of time fishing of your pier and we met with some success: Mutton Snapper, Snook and an incredible number of Tarpon that would have nothing to do with being brought in. My daughter's boyfriend Perry had the experience of a lifetime when a sizeable Tarpon took his hook near the pier and jumped three feet out of the water in front of him. The man can scream pretty loud I learned! We had the neighbours engaged in conversation after that moment as well.
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We ate well, cooked mostly at home using your BBQ, and sample a good amount of wine and Antiguan Rum. The only downside was doing all those dishes but that was the price of paradise. On my dish shift I managed to break two of your wine glasses by the way. I would be happy to reimburse you if you wish so let me know.
Finally, the trip really allowed us to get away and bond as a family unit which happens less and less as the kids grow older and lives become more busy. For that, I am also very thankful and your little piece of paradise was the perfect venue.
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David Y - Saskatoon, SK - Canada
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April 2016
Forgive me for being so remiss in not getting a note off to you as soon as we got home. I can’t believe it’s been almost a week since we have been back from your beautiful island.
We did so enjoy your lovely villa. The resident pelican kept us greatly entertained with his antics and diving for this breakfast and dinner!! You have a beautiful place and we were just so pleased when we walked in. It felt like home! JoAnn was johnny-on-the-spot and couldn’t have been more welcoming. She provided goodies and was ready to assist in any way she could. I am only sorry that we didn’t have time to get to know her or share a glass of wine.
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The people at bargain motors were wonderful even though we had a few problems (a blown tire because of a nasty pothole, and someone swiped us in St. John) They were eminently fair and we were delighted with their service. We rented a golf cart as you suggested which was absolutely essential for the entire time we were there and then we rented a car to explore the island which we did with gusto. What a beautiful spot it is.
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We did do the circumnavigation of the island for a day on Wadadli Cats and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We didn’t get in the snorkeling we had hoped, but that was minor. We swam at the small beach nearby the villa at least twice a day and almost always had it to ourselves.
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We enjoyed a few meals out and especially liked Miracles and Akropolis. Jolly Harbor is a great place to be as it has everything one could want and is not overwhelming. As you anticipated, we certainly fell in love with Antigua, and we do hope to return one day.
All the best from both Phyllis and me, and again, our sincere thanks for making our Antigua vacation such a success.
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Marcia and Phyllis - Elkton, MD - US
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March 2016
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Thank you for a most memorable stay at your villa in Antigua!
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We have thoroughly enjoyed our vacation. The welcome package was very helpful and appreciated (after an atrocious flight with WestJet - our first with this carrier), as was all the information you have provided.
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We are happy with not being able to rent a golf cart, as we got to see the most beautiful beaches ever - Frye's Beach being our favorite, followed by Valley Church Beach). We did watch the sunset both from the North Finger Beach (Lorelei's favorite) or from the South Finger Beach. We did also visit the Darkwood, Jaquoi and Turner's Point but we didn't like them as much (overcrowded).
We have not used the AC much, as Antigua is a marvelous island with no humidity (or very little) and we did not use the barbecue.
We did a couple of restaurants and we liked everything in the resort - best resort in our opinion due to its location, supermarket and beaches.
The villa is most accommodating with everything handy - the shower outside is a very good feature. The beds are super comfy (the cotton linen is a fantastic feature). Being in a gated community gave us the option to walk at night without having to worry about our security, our only regret is to have to leave after only one week.
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Thank you again and we hope to come back soon (actually we hope to be able to leave as a party of three due to airline's overbooking - it is the March Break in Ontario).
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À bientôt,
The Grauers - Concord, ON - Canada
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September 2014
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Just thought to write you a few lines about our stay at your villa. Please feel free to publish this review anywhere you see fit.
First, we'd like to tell you that the house was amazing. We found it very comfortable, well arranged and in a very secure area.
We were very impressed with the balcony/patio setup right on the water. Sunrises were beautiful in the morning. I also would like to add that I found the shower outside the main door very practical and useful. Also, the house was very well furnished with all the amenities required, making it feel like home even more.
In general, we loved the island. The beaches were stunning and it wasn’t hard to navigate around. Although some of the places on the island were closed due to the slow season we got to spend more time at the beach, which we love. We found the locals to be helpful and very friendly. The Jolly Harbour complex seemed to be a prime location on the island and it was very nice staying there, we enjoyed all the bars and restaurants inside the complex.
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Personally, both Enisa and I would like to thank you for all your help and advice on what to do. Your care and attention to detail for the people who stay at your home made our trip even more special.
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Enisa and Nador - Toronto, ON - Canada
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January 2014
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La posizione della casa era perfetta, tutto come da descrizione. Pulita e spaziosa, noi eravamo in 4 (tra cui due bambini piccoli) e siamo stati molto molto bene! Il proprietario è molto disponibile e cortese. Lo consiglierei sicuramente! Nelle vicinanze c'è un grosso supermercato, tre ristoranti e la bellissima spiaggia di Jolly Beach
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"The position of the villa is perfect, all as described. Clean & spacious, we arrive as 4 (2 small children). The owner was very courteous and available, certainly gave good advice. In the neighbourhood there is a big supermarket, 3 restaurants and beautiful Jolly Beach."
Luca - Lesignano Bagni, Parma - Italy