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Smiths Gore Villa Rentals is the villa rental arm of a real estate company based in Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. It has a small portfolio of excellent holiday homes, which vary in size between two and five bedrooms. They are based mainly in Tortola – with a handful on other islands - and all take advantage of the superb views and settings around the BVI. Smiths Gore Villa Rentals, which handles villa management and long term rental as well as short term holiday lets, is part of Smiths Gore (Overseas), a real estate company that has been operating in the British Virgin Islands since 1965. It is the longest-standing estate agent in the island and a key player in the British Virgin Islands real estate business.
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KEY FEATURES...
| A portfolio of excellent villas up to five bedrooms, mainly on Tortola, also Virgin Gorda. |
CLIENT PROFILE...
| Mostly US visitors, families and couples |
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Smiths Gore Villa Rentals is based in Road Town in Tortola, the capital of the British Virgin Islands. Its offices are in a very attractive red and white wooden creole building set into the hillside above Main Street. Called Britannic Hall, it was a BVI government building and for many years was used as a doctor’s surgery. You may have no reason to visit the offices as everything you need to know will be explained to you on arrival by a member of their staff. On the other hand you might if you were interested in purchasing property or a villa in the BVI, as real estate is of course is another key part of the Smiths Gore business.
With regard to its villa rental business, Smiths Gore has a small core of a dozen or so villas that it (manages as well as) rents out and it has call on other villas in the BVI if these do not fit your immediate need. The villas in their portfolio are of a high standard of comfort and style and they range in size from two to five bedrooms. It’s also worth noting that because of the layout of small islands in the BVI and the extreme attractiveness of the terrain, the villas are also in spectacular positions. Many of Smiths Gore’s villas are set high on the hillsides with a view to an offshore island or perhaps a whole seascape of islands. The sunsets over the sea are often particularly spectacular.
Tortola has a long tradition of private holiday homes, which have grown up in several areas around the island, particularly near the western end. There are many houses on the hillside in Belmont above Smugglers’ Cove (one of the island’s loveliest beaches) and above Long Bay. Heading around the western point of the island there are villas looking west towards the USVI and there are others on Frenchman’s Cay, for example Jacaranda. Further east along the north shore of the island, there are many houses on the hillsides around Cane Garden Bay and beyond. Most of the ‘facilities’, the supermarkets and other shops, are on the southern shore of the island but they are within easy reach. Virgin Gorda also has many BVI villa rentals (Smiths Gore represents just one superb one there at the moment, Sol y Sombra on Little Trunk Bay). Elsewhere, you will find that if the smaller islands are developed at all with private homes, then there may be a handful of villas that have been built by individuals.
It is important to know that in Tortola only certain villas have staff beyond basic maid service and the standard of management and presentation may not be what it could be. You can be reassured of standards, though, by going through a reliable company such as Smiths Gore who will make sure that the house is in proper condition. Booking your holiday through a tour operator or wholesaler in your home country will also provide an additional level of reassurance.
The villa rental side of Smiths Gore is headed up by Alicia Penn, a BVI national. The hands-on side of the villa management business is overseen by Rachel Bilbo, an Englishwoman who originally came to work in the sailing business and who has lived in the BVI since 2002. There are also a number of housekeepers, gardeners and maintenance men that work for the company.
As well as the reservation of the villa, Smiths Gore offer a number of services to help you get the best out of your BVI villa rental. These include meet and greet on your arrival, which is followed by a briefing about activities and day trips on the island where you are staying. They can help you provision your villa in advance – it is done through the supermarkets on island, which have experience in provisioning the many yachts that operate out of Tortola. Smiths Gore can also fix babysitting, a chef for the evening or the duration of your stay, or spa treatments. They can also help you arrange a special occasion through their contacts on island. They will leave a 24 hour emergency contact number with you in case of problems.
In addition to renting villas out on short term rental, Smiths Gore offer long term lets, to the many business people that come to work in the islands and the snowbirds who come to enjoy the better weather over the winter. The company also manages around ten of the villas that it offers for short-term rental (and others that are not available for rent). This is often for owners who have bought their house through the real estate side of the company.
Of course villa rental often goes hand in hand with property ownership anyway and this is how Smiths Gore actually first became involved in the villa rental business. The company has operated as a estate agent on the island since 1965, buying and selling all sorts of property, from undeveloped plots for private ownership, through villas in developments (currently very popular) to actual hotels. Smiths Gore is the longest standing real estate company in the BVI. It is part of an international property company, Smiths Gore (Overseas), which has other bases in London, North America and the Far East. The company was formed in 1845 in the UK and was traditionally involved in land management (it still manages over a million acres). |
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Staff
The director in charge of the villa rental business is Alicia Penn, who is from a long-standing Tortolian family. Rachel Bilbo handles the day to day, hands-on management of the villas and oversees their preparation for rental. Both are based in Britannic House in Road Town. Other staff look after the houses and tend the gardens and pools. In Virgin Gorda one person handles real estate sales and the management of villas. |
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Services
Reservations
Alicia Penn and Rachel Bilbo handle the reservations and will liaise with you as a direct client or as an overseas operator/wholesaler or agent to ensure that clients get the right property for their needs. They will also make all the necessary arrangements prior to the clients’ arrival. These include airport meet and greet and a general briefing. They can also attend to any special requests you may have. These things will be charged to your account accordingly.
Grocery Supplies
Smiths Gore can help you with provisioning your villa in advance of your arrival by putting you onto one of the many supermarkets. With such a large yachting industry, the supermarkets are quite accustomed to this and they do the job well.
Villa Management
Smiths Gore manages a handful of villas whose owners have put them onto short term holiday rental market as well as a number of villas on long term let. They oversee the cleaning and repairs, pay the staff and arrange their work permits, and where relevant, they handle the marketing as a BVI rental property. |
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Meet & Greet
If you are booking direct, Smiths Gore will greet you on arrival on the island, either at the airport or at one of the two ferry terminals, West End or Road Town. From there you will be taken by complimentary taxi to your villa. If you have collected a hire car at the airport or straight from the ferry dock, then the taxi driver will lead you to the villa. Once you have reached your villa a representative will come to meet you and explain everything that you need to know about the house itself and about the island.
If you are booking through a travel organiser, particularly if you are booking a flight inclusive holiday from the UK or Europe, it is likely that the travel company’s on-island representative will be at the airport to meet you. This service and your return airport transfers should be included in the cost of your holiday. Please check at the time of booking. |
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Check In/Check Out
Priority is always given to preparing the villa for incoming guests and unless you make specific alternative arrangements at the time of booking, the check out time is 12 noon. If villas are not booked back to back, however, there may be the chance of some flexibility.
As most flights arrive in the afternoon, check-in time is generally 4pm. If your arrival in the BVI is earlier than this, please make sure that you tell your travel organiser or Smiths Gore so that suitable arrangements can be put in place. |
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Departures
Guests are responsible for their own arrangements to get themselves back to their point of departure from the island, though Smiths Gore would be happy to book a taxi for you if you wish.
If you have a hire car, you can choose to return it at the airport or ferry dock (make sure the luggage will fit, or order a taxi to help you out) or have it collected from the villa prior to your departure. If your travel organiser hasn’t already made the transport arrangements to take you back to the airport, Smiths Gore would be happy to book a taxi for you. |
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Booking Conditions
For full rental terms and conditions including details on payment policy, cancellation policy, damage deposits and liability etc, please see here to download information. A signed copy of the form is required by Smiths Gore for all rentals.
Since accidents can happen, we recommend that you take out a travel insurance policy that gives you full protection for damage to Third Party property. For further advice, please see here. |
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Portfolio Listing
DefinitiveCaribbean features a representative selection of the BVI villa rentals that are available for rent through Smiths Gore, which you may book directly, or through tour operators/travel organisers that have an agreement with the company.
See here for a complete listing of the BVI rentals that we feature. For a full property review together with photographs and rates, please click on the name:
| Sol y Sombra, British Virgin Islands
An exceptionally fine, four bedroom beachfront property built in a contemporary West Indian style using regional hardwoods and the indigenous stone of the Baths (it is set on an excellent beach). Easy living in very stylish indoor/outdoor space that centres on an impressive pool area, some oriental influences. Also excellent sea views. | | Quantock House, British Virgin Islands
A very smart four-bedroom house set high above the north coast of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. Quantock is well furnished in classic style with lots of polished wood and splashes of bright colour. It has a fantastic view over offshore islands down to Jost van Dyke and Sandy Cay. | | Sade, British Virgin Islands
A popular five-bedroom villa enclosed in pretty gardens within easy walking distance of the excellent Smuggler’s Cove beach on Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. Sade, decorated in a bold scheme of peach and olive, is a modern, very comfortable three- storey house that is ideal for a group of friends. | | Jacaranda, British Virgin Islands
A very comfortable and friendly-feeling four-bedroom holiday home set high on the hillside at the West End of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. Jacaranda has classic Caribbean style with some light touches and a fantastic view over a seascape of islands. A lovely family villa. | | Seven Peaks, British Virgin Islands
A striking three-bedroom villa with lovely views over Cane Garden Bay in Tortola. Seven Peaks (named after its seven lilac peaked roofs) stretches along the hillside in a series of linked pavilions, which have plenty of traditional Caribbean style, using natural wood and some gingerbread trim. Inside it has elegant tropical furniture and interesting artwork. | |
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