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Style: Great indoor outdoor living with open plan living areas that merge into the outer terrace and a delightful beachfront garden.
The Beach: Long stretch of sandy beach from Gibbs to Mullins, excellent swimming
The Rooms: 3 bedrooms with en suite bathrooms and a powder room
Key features: One of the beach locations for Barbados rentals, plunge pool (9ft x 9ft), wet bar, barbecue, satellite plasma TV home theatre and CD system, DVD, CD/casette players in bedrooms, fax machine, ADSL internet access and WiFi.
Children: Welcome but limited to a maximum of 3 per booking
Staff: Cook, maid/laundress, gardener and shared night watchman with villa next door |
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Description
Harmony House is set off a tree lined road in the leafy environs of Gibbs, one of a number of holiday homes and residences that are lucky enough to occupy a prime beachfront location on the excellent Gibbs beach. There is an air of coolness and calm to this stretch of St Peter, which has a much quieter feel to it than the busy coastline of St James to the south. Traditionally it was the choice of those seeking a retreat from the more fashionable beaches, and it remains so. A notable feature of this part of the island is that there is not a single hotel along the beaches of Gibbs and Mullins. Instead all you will find are villas and smart homes, though one or two of these could be considered mini hotels in their own right. Although there has been some development within the area over recent years, not much has changed. The only activity takes place around the former Mullins Beach Bar (now Mannie’s Suga Suga), as it has done for decades.
This villa has been an extremely popular holiday choice for all types of people for many years now, being neither too big for just one couple nor too small for family groups. The house is built of local coral stone, with extensive use of the stone on many of the interior walls and for all flooring throughout. When combined with whitewashed walls and white painted or bleached woodwork, including the ceilings, this provides an airy, cool and rather charming ambiance. Harmony House was fully renovated to a very high standard in 2004, with furnishings individually designed and crafted by local Barbadian artisans.
The entrance courtyard has parking for two cars and a coral stone fountain set in tropical greenery. The front door leads into the hallway, off which there is (professionally equipped) kitchen to the left and a powder room opposite. Just beyond the staircase that leads to the two upstairs bedrooms you come to a coral stone archway which gives into an open-plan living room. Set to one side is the formal dining area which has a reproduction antique mahogany dining table which often has a floral display. On the other side is a comfortable sitting area with a seven-seat sofa unit along one wall and a couple of reading chairs, all with white slip covers and scatter cushions with palm prints. White muslin drapes and swags hang above the windows and doorways - a theme carried through the villa. A wood lattice cabinet contains the home theatre system with a plasma TV with satellite connection and surround sound.
Through a set of three arched doorways (louvred doors fold back) is the second living area out on the covered terrace. This has a wet bar and other comfortable sofas. It is lit at night by handmade copper lanterns and candle sconces. Next to it is a second dining area (which you are much more likely to use than the formal dining room). It has a large pickle pine dining table which will seat up to ten. The inner terrace extends onto an outer patio with plunge pool and an alfresco dining area with built-in barbecue. It stretches out to a sunning area. This makes Harmony House ideal for entertaining in the open air. With everything so close at hand, including the beach just a few feet away, it really is the ideal spot for lazy days and romantic evenings.
The garden is delightful. It has a manicured lawn at the centre, and is made private by the surrounding plants and mature trees, through which there are glimpses of the Caribbean Sea. It is transformed by lighting at night. All living spaces, both interior and exterior seem to merge as one, which is one of the nicest features of Harmony House, hence the name. The lawns are set with garden furniture and sun loungers, and the garden leads straight out to the beach, which is considered one of the best on the West Coast.
Back inside the villa, a fully remodelled kitchen with marble floors and granite work surfaces is located off the formal dining area. It has been equipped with professional appliances such as a 6 burner gas range and electric oven, 50lb automatic ice-maker, wine cooler and water filter system.
There are three bedrooms, all with walk-in closets, safe, ceiling fan, air-conditioning and en suite bathrooms. One is downstairs, just off the main entrance. It has two twin beds than can be made up together, a private patio looking out to the terrace, portable CD player and an en suite bathroom with tub/shower. The other two bedrooms are upstairs and share a balcony. Both have en suite bathrooms with glass-tiled outside showers. The Master bedroom has a king size bed, a stereo system and a larger air-conditioned bathroom. The other bedroom has twin beds which can be pushed together and a portable CD player. |
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Beach & Swimming
Harmony House is situated on one of Barbados’ best beaches, Gibbs Beach on Mullins Bay which runs into Mullins Beach and boasts a long stretch of glorious golden sand and some of the best swimming on the West Coast. The plunge pool is 9ft x 9ft and 6ft deep. |
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Sports & Recreation
A range of watersports is available at Mullins Bay. The nearest golf course is Royal Westmoreland about 15 minutes drive away, which has some tee times open to outsiders in the mid morning. Otherwise there are the three courses at Sandy Lane about 20 minutes away. The nearest tennis courts are located at Sugar Hill, about 12 minutes drive away. |
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Locality
Harmony House is located next door to a number of popular holiday homes and and shares a drive with the Waverly properties. It lies just south of Mullins Bay and the popular Mullins Beach Bar (former Mannie's Suga Suga). Speightstown, the island’s second largest town, is a very short drive away (about 7 minutes). Once known as Little Bristol because of connections to Bristol on the West Coast of England, Speightstown still has a feel of old time Barbados about it. There is a small fish market on the seafront, fruit and vegetable sellers known as “hucksters” on the road side, a couple of local restaurants and bars and a smattering of shops, plus a reasonably well stocked supermarket. There are larger shopping malls in Holetown, 10 minutes’ drive to the south.
The nearest good restaurants to the north are the Terrace at Cobblers Cove hotel, Mango's by the Sea in Speightstown, La Mer at Port St Charles and The Fish Pot at Little Good Harbour. To the south try Lone Star. |
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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. A 15% service charge plus VAT will be levied on the value of all shopping bills. Prepayment for your provisional groceries should be made when sending the final balance for the villa. Please see here for Bajan Services general grocery pack list with approximate prices.
Miscellaneous items such as airport transfers, extra beds and baby equipment are also payable in advance (see here for a price list). In the event that Bajan Services can only provide an estimated cost for customized shopping lists, or where the final payment for your villa has been made prior to other requests, you will be required to complete a credit card authorization form.
Please note that rental rates for villas in Barbados do not include ‘tips’ about which you will find advice in the guest information book at the villa. |
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Rates
| | 15 Apr-14 Dec 2008 | 15 Dec-14 Apr 2008-09 | 15 Apr-14 Dec 2009 | | Harmony House 3 bedrooms | 600 | 1,200
| 600 | Rates are quoted in US$ per night and are subject to 7.5% VAT. Minimum stay 7 nights. All rates are subject to change without notice. Separate rates apply for the Christmas & New Year period - prices on request. |
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How to Book
If you wish to book direct, reservations should be made through the local managing agents, Bajan Services Ltd. You will need to send a deposit of 25% of the total rental fee (50% for Christmas/New Year bookings) to confirm a reservation. Payment of the remaining 75% is required 30 days prior your arrival, as is payment for groceries, transfers and baby equipment. If you are booking within 30 days of your arrival, full payment must be made to secure the booking. You may contact Bajan Services by using the WEB LINK or DIRECT EMAIL 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 Bajan Services Ltd and details of their services please see here. |
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UK Tour Operators
If you wish to book through a tour operator or travel organiser that features this property, please follow the link.
See List of UK Tour Operators
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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 take approximately 50 minutes and should be paid for in advance with the final payment for your villa. 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 a beach bar and Speightstown can be reached by public transport, 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(s) to be delivered to the property approximately 3 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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All the information on this page comes to you free of charge. Please remember to mention DefinitiveCaribbean when you contact Bajan Services Limited for your Barbados rentals or Stoutes for your Barbados car rental requirements .
Thank you for your interest. |
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