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Style: A gracious Barbados villa with lots of character and an air of relaxed formality, requiring an appreciation for traditional good old fashioned Barbadian hospitality and fine objects. Suit anyone keen on doing lots of entertaining
The Beach: Approximately 5 minutes drive to the beach and a cabana at Sandy Lane Property Owners’ Beach Facility
The Rooms: 4 bedrooms with en suite bathrooms
Key features: A home for Barbados villa rentals with a difference, 2 acres of mature gardens, inviting pool area. Swimming pool (25ft by 15ft), golf practice net, TV & VCR in every bedroom, CD player, barbecue, baby grand piano and cabana at the Sandy Lane Property Owner’s Beach Facility.
Children: Welcome
Staff: Butler, cook, maid, laundress, gardener and night watchman |
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Description
Happy Trees is tucked away behind a wonderful mature sweet lime hedge, one of a number of luxury villas on the Sandy Lane Estate, the most exclusive place to be on Barbados. It is close to the best of the West Coast – the beaches, the sports and recreation, the restaurants, shopping and the night life. The villa is set amongst two acres of well established gardens which, as the name implies, has its fair share of trees. Some of them are pretty impressive and offer some excellent shady spots to retreat to. There are a number of fruit trees also, which provide the cook with the fresh ingredients for homemade sorbets and ice cream - mango and sour sop, plus there are banana trees, Barbados cherry, lime and avocado. Happy Trees is situated in one of the earlier areas of the Sandy Lane Estate to be developed, which occupy the lower regions of the original golf course.
Built mainly of coral stone, Happy Trees has been lovingly added to by its present owners and is full of great character. Very much a home. The villa is crammed with memorabilia from the present owner’s interesting life, which include some extraordinary antiques. The entrance is guarded by two life size black jaguars and leads to the foyer where you will find an impressive 18th century Italian marble topped console with gilt legs and a large 18th century brass jardinière, all rather grand looking. To one side of the foyer is a comfortable, casual sitting area furnished with green painted rattan and opposite that is a more formal sitting room with a white baby grand piano (kept tuned for guests to use) in the corner and an array of valuable antiques and mementos. Sliding shutters pull back to reveal a formal dining room which features more collector’s items including a 17th century oak dresser with display of pewter. The dining table can be extended to seat up to twelve people, and there are numerous sets of glass and tableware to allow a different table setting each night. Glass sliding doors lead out onto a terrace which is used for more casual meals and normally used for lunch. Steps lead to the rear garden, which is laid with lawn and has masses of room, and is especially good for children to run around in. A golf practice net has been set up to the back of the gardens.
On the opposite side of Happy Trees is the well appointed pool area, which features a good size pool with surrounding coral stone sun terrace, inset with palms, with a furnished pavilion for relaxing in and a separate dining patio for poolside lunches alfresco. There is a shower room and changing facility located in the garden nearby.
This gracious home has four bedrooms which are located opposite the swimming pool. Two bedrooms have private patios, and all have twin beds, air-conditioning, ceiling fans, televisions and en suite bathrooms with tub/shower. The master bedroom has a sitting area and walk-in dressing area to the en suite bathroom.
STOP PRESS, December 2009 - Happy Trees is under new ownership and will not be available for rental until planned renovation work has been completed. UPDATE, April 2010 - work has yet to start and a completion date is not known. |
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Beach & Swimming
The swimming pool at Happy Trees is chlorine free and uses a more natural method to keep the water clean, based in rock salt. The pool measures 25ft by 15ft and has a depth of 4ft to 7ft with steps to the shallow end and a ladder also. The beach by Sandy Lane Hotel is located approximately 5 minutes away by car. Happy Trees has a cabana at the Sandy Lane Property Owners’ Beach Facility, where sunloungers are provided. The swimming from Sandy Lane beach is some of the best on the island, however at certain times of the year there can be a swell with some undertow, so do make sure to look out for the red flags which warn against swimming. |
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Sports & Recreation
There is a golf practice net in the garden. The Sandy Lane golf club, tennis courts, and dedicated spa are located within 5 minutes drive of Happy Trees, as are a range of watersports from Sandy Lane Hotel’s beach. There is a fitness club at Warren's, approximately 10 minutes away. The nearest polo field is at Holders Hill approximately 7 minutes by car. |
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Locality
Set on an upper ridge of the area surrounding the original Sandy Lane golf course and therefore very convenient for keen golfers, there are also tennis courts nearby and of course the world famous beach at Sandy Lane, where there is a beach cabana at the Property Owners’ Beach Facility. Five minutes drive will get you to the heart of St James, including the nearest shopping district at Holetown. Here you will find the Cave Shepherd Plaza and the larger West Coast Mall. These contain a supermarket, bank, photo centre, duty free shops, video rental, and various shops and boutiques. Also close by is the Chattel House Village, a series of traditional-looking Caribbean cabins selling souvenirs, the 24 hour Sandy Crest Medical Centre, and a market stall where you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables. The town also has a gas station (as petrol stations are known locally) which has an in-store mini-mart and an outlet of KFC, both open until late evening. Holetown, the place where the English first landed in 1625, later settling it in 1627, is also a local Barbadian community, with Police Station, Post Office, Parish Church, bank, pharmacy, clinic, fitness centre, school and so on.
There is a host of restaurants within 15 minutes drive along the main West Coast Road in either direction from Happy Trees. You might consider the famous Cliff Restaurant, about ten minutes away to the south - also look out for Scarlet, Daphne’s and Calabaza in this direction. Heading north beyond Holetown you could try celeb favourite the Lone Star, about 15 minutes north, or the Fish Pot. There are any number of restaurants in Holetown itself, including The Mews, Café Indigo, Olive’s and The Tides as well as an excellent patisserie, Flindt’s and several pizza parlours, cafés, a beach bar and some fast food outlets. There is also good nightlife in Holetown with lively weekend gatherings in 1st and 2nd Street, where the restaurants and bars stand shoulder to shoulder, with some providing live music. Drinkers tend to spill out into the street to mingle, creating an easy-going ‘street party’ type of atmosphere. The current ‘hot spots’ are The Mews, The Elbow Room, Spago’s and Lexy’s. |
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Useful Hints
Ask your travel organiser or the management company (if booking direct) for initial food and drink supplies to be laid in for your arrival. The cook will then prepare a welcome meal. Thereafter, staff will shop for you during your stay if you wish to delegate this chore, but a 10% service charge plus plus VAT will be added to all shopping bills. Rental rates for villas in Barbados do not include ‘tips’, about which you will find advice in the guest information book at the villa.
Please note that if you are allergic to dogs the villa does have them, however the dogs are locked away when there are guests. |
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How to Book
If you wish to book direct, bookings should be made through the local managing agents, Realtors Ltd. You will need to send a deposit equal to 25% of the total rental fee to confirm a reservation and payment of the remaining 75% is required 6 weeks prior your arrival. If you are booking within 6 weeks of your arrival, full payment must be made to secure the booking. You may contact Realtors by using the WEB LINK or DIRECT ENQUIRIES facility at the top of this page, or if you wish to telephone them, please click on TELEPHONE CONTACT to reveal the number. For a review of Realtors Ltd and details of their services please see here. |
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Airport Meet & Greet
If you are booking direct ask the villa management company to send a taxi to meet you at the airport. Your airport transfers are paid for locally and take approximately 40 minutes. Alternatively, if you would prefer to be taken care of from the minute you arrive at the airport, with a range of services that can include limousine transfers, a Concierge Service is offered by St James Travel & Tours
If you are booking through a travel organiser, it is likely that their 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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Getting Around
Although most things are relatively close at hand, a hired car is strongly recommended for all private villa holidays, unless you prefer staff to call taxis for you as required. A car will be useful if you want to dine out at night or do lots of sightseeing and particularly when it comes to shopping for groceries. Book car hire via your travel organiser or direct with Stoutes Car Rentals and ask for your vehicle to be delivered to the property approximately three hours after your scheduled time of arrival on Barbados or the following morning. Vehicles can be returned at the airport or be collected from the property at a pre-arranged time on your departure day. |
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