Reviews from our community
5 reviews
3 hotel reviews
8 helpful votes
We absolutely loved the Reef House, everything you need when you are on holiday at this home has been thought of! We loved the outside fire pit to watch the sun go down in beautiful Vanuatu. I would recommend this place to anyone wanting a piece of paradise that is secluded, stylish and so comfortable. Thanks to Glen and the team.
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| Friends getaway | Families with young children |
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- Was the property as advertised?
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- Did the property offer wi-fi/internet access?
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6 reviews
5 hotel reviews
6 helpful votes
We are from NZ and try to get away to the islands once a year. We chose Reef House due to its excellent reviews and it is a stunning residence.
We have two young kids and the place was perfect for accommodating them. The outside fireplace down on the beach is incredible. We will definitely be staying here again!
| How easy was it to book the property? | How helpful were the directions to the property? |
| How easy was key pickup/access to the property? | Overall condition of the property |
| Bedding & mattresses | Kitchen & utensils |
| Bathroom cleanliness | Other facilities & amenities |
| Service |
| Friends getaway | People with disabilities |
| Older travelers | Families with young children |
| Large groups | People with pets |
- Was the property as advertised?
- Would you recommend the location of this property?
- Was it a good value for the price paid?
- Did the property offer wi-fi/internet access?
- Was your security deposit returned on time?
2 reviews
5 helpful votes
Myself and a group of friends travelled to Port Vila for a Island holiday and stayed at The Reef House for 11 nights.
Upon being picked up from the airport by Glen's friendly team we were taken to The Reef House and as soon as we walked in the front door we were blown away by the view!
All the rooms were spacious and had great beds, and the bathrooms were also awesome.
The living room was a great place to kick the feet up after a day of adventuring and watch the footy! And the big opening louvre doors were also great to open up and have the ocean breeze coming through!
The Kayaks were a blast and there are plenty of reef shoes and snorkel gear for everyone if you forgot your own! The backyard is nice and big too, so you can have your own space on a day bed or on one of the hammoks.
All in all i can't say enough about how great the reef house is and how good Glen and his team are!
We loved our stay and will be back again!
53 reviews
10 hotel reviews
63 helpful votes
Disappointing on many levels.
Until we arrived we had no idea how remote the property is. A bus fare of AU$25 to $30 each way to Port Vila adds up after a while, and with only 1 quite expensive restaurant within walking distance it was either pay $50 a day in transport or hire a car. And driving the 4 km of incredibly bad potholed dirt road out to the house was challenging to say the least.
The property itself was not up to scratch for a premium rental. Very tired and showing a lack of maintenance. Kitchen cupboard doors sagging and unable to close, window shutters were broken and would crash open giving everyone a fright, dish washer top rack is seriously broken making it unusable, lights on the outside paths are broken and remained so after promises they'd be fixed. Plus no plugs in sinks in any of the bathrooms (makes shaving tough).
The last two days we had no water - ended up having to use a bucket to scoop water out of the pool to flush toilets. Most of our party left and chose pay an additional 2 nights accommodation elsewhere to shower and have flushing toilets. Every time we asked about the water the only answer was "it will be back on soon".
And just to make everything a little more weird, one of the neighborhood dogs has learnt that tourists have lots of food. We lost all our breakfast pastries and bread first night, stolen by a dog out of the pantry and then had food taken from the kitchen on following nights. Very clever animal - one of our mob watched him open the closed door early one morning, so we had to close and lock the doors every night to keep it out.
A lovely door, plenty of room, beautiful outlook, but certainly not up to scratch for the money we paid.
many thanks for the review. At first we were unsure if you actually stayed with us but realised you were our only booking this year through an agent who hasn't told you most holiday homes in vila are between 15 to 30 mins from Downtown Port Vila. We are one of the closer ones of course. Im sorry you expected something different and it appears a hotel in town may have been more appropriate.
I never heard from you during your stay nor any communications subsequent so was most surprised to read your review and am sorry the property was not suitable for you.
Bus fares are from $2.50 into Port Vila per person. An entire mini bus for up to 10 passengers is $25. Access to town has never been raised before.
Im unsure what the issue you had with the water is but we have an artesian water supply and its never failed us. Ill check with the house staff but have no record of any issues.
The property had a full maintenance check up with several additions since Tropical Cyclone Pam. I will let the previous reviews speak for themselves as to the standard of accommodation we provide. From time to time we will have some usual maintenance to be done which we attend to between breaks in our busy season where gaps in bookings allow.
Im sorry you have had an unwelcome visitor to the kitchen. They must have been some great french pastries but again, I have pointed this out to Wendy and Anna, our fab house girls, that this occurred and to be on the look out for an unwelcome pastry thief.
Again, apologies if The Reef House was not to your your liking. I will talk to the travel agent about ensuring guests they book are aware of where the holiday homes are.
Thanks again for the feedback, we welcome all feedback and appreciate the time you took to write a review.By all means if you are back over here, feel free to contact me personally via email or phone, its much easier to put something right when we know about it.
Tropical regards
Glen
2 reviews
2 helpful votes
Wonderful location on a sheltered bay, great snorkelling straight out the front. Wonderful facilities with excellent, friendly house staff and babysitters. Luxurious accommodation. Renting a car makes things a lot easier but not too far from town. Absolutely recommend, we will return for sure!
1 review
2 helpful votes
The open plan style of the house made for a wonderful community feel but there were also plenty of areas to quietly read or relax away from others. The house was cool and comfortable, the kitchen was well stocked - importantly with a great coffee machine - and magical Wendy cleaned and tidied up after a large group with no fuss. The luxury of coming back from a day out to find everything clean and tidy, with our dirty clothes washed and folded and waiting for us was something I could very quickly get used too! I can't remember when I have had such a relaxing holiday. The nearby restaurant was great with excellent food and I highly recommend the Mmmmmm cocktail which went very well with the fresh and tasty meals.
It was a little disconcerting to have a little hermit crab join me for my shower but it made for a great memory once I realised he was less interested in me than I was in him.
| How easy was it to book the property? | How helpful were the directions to the property? |
| How easy was key pickup/access to the property? | Overall condition of the property |
| Bedding & mattresses | Kitchen & utensils |
| Bathroom cleanliness | Other facilities & amenities |
| Service |
| Friends getaway | Older travelers |
| Large groups | People with pets |
- Was the property as advertised?
- Would you recommend the location of this property?
1 review
1 helpful vote
As a group we visited the Reef House for our first time this May/June. The house is fantastic - it really made the holiday. For a group of friends it proved to be the perfect venue. Relaxing, and enjoying our "time out" was made easy. The staff also were fabulous. Highly recommend it.
| How easy was it to book the property? | How helpful were the directions to the property? |
| How easy was key pickup/access to the property? | Overall condition of the property |
| Bedding & mattresses | Kitchen & utensils |
| Bathroom cleanliness | Other facilities & amenities |
| Service |
| Friends getaway | People with disabilities |
| Older travelers | Families with young children |
- Was the property as advertised?
- Would you recommend the location of this property?
