8/10 – Gut
Devika B., Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
24. Feb. 2017
Lovely getaway
My husband and I recently returned from our 10-day stay at this Mont Vernon property. We have rented vacation properties on Airbnb many times with a great deal of success. I saw this one on VRBO and decided to try it. At first the owner was very good at responding to my inquiries in a timely manner. As our vacation neared, I was beginning to worry because my latest questions had gone unanswered. The day prior to our departure I was able to get ahold of him to make arrangements for the final payment. We were told that a woman named Irina would be at the hotel to meet us. We arrived at the hotel and no one was there to meet us. After borrowing other people's phones (no one works at the lobby desk) and finally arranging a phone plan allowing us to make local calls from my phone, we managed to contact the owner who assured us that Irina would be arriving soon to let us in, and that if she did not, then the unit was open and we could go in. Eventually, after no one arrived to greet us, we made our way to the unit. This was not a confidence inspiring start to our holiday. That said, the unit was clean, breezy, bright, and comfortable. The door does not stay shut unless it is locked. We found a piece of cardboard stuck in the bottom to keep it closed. The property is built into a hill and there are many steps and ramps to navigate down to the beach. The sea at this end of the bay is a bit rough but a short walk down the beach the water is lovely and calmer. Lots of choices along the beach for lunch restaurants (Leanndre's was our favourite!). These places do not serve dinner so we decided to have lunch out and dine in. We decided not to rent a car and hired taxis to take us grocery shopping and to Grand Case etc. (The outdoor grills in Grand Case are fabulous!). We took the small boat over to Pinel Island one day to swim and have a fresh lobster lunch...that was wonderful. I like to cook and managed okay with the two-burner stove top. There is no oven in this unit but there is in others we understand. There are plenty of towels and bedding. Thankfully we took our own spices, toilet paper, Kleenex, soap, food wrap. We went to St. Martin to enjoy the sun and the sea and despite the rocky start, we enjoyed it very much! When you are in that glorious water it is hard to believe that it is the Atlantic Ocean and not the Caribbean Sea.