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54 - 59 of 75 reviews
Reviewed June 19, 2009

the byline is "Luxury over the water" the only luxury is the water. Our villa was not clean when we arrived; in fact we did not feel comfortable even being in the villa until I had spent several hours cleaning it. Tooth paste splatters from the last guests, grungy faucets, soap dish, tooth brush holder, sinks, toilet, shelves, even the dish drainer was so full of black mold that I had to wash it before I would put washed dishes in it. The shower was equally full of mold. Many of the amenities one would expect from a place that charges this much money were missing. No rods to hang towels in the bathroom, no rods to hang clothes up in the bedroom, no toilet paper holder, the only two drawers were in the kitchen, nothing on any of the walls, and the villa lacked the "finishing" details that I expected. The bed linens were two sheets and two pillows with cases, and because we stayed more than a few days, we were asked to wash our own sheets and towels (at the laundromat in town). In our three-week (pre-paid) stay we never had housekeeping services.

Date of stay: May 2009
  • Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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4  Thank Carol W
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bocasvillas, Manager at Bocas Villas, responded to this reviewResponded June 30, 2009

These guests rented a house on short-notice and asked for a longterm deal in the off season. I did let them know that the manager would not be in town prior to and for several days at the beginning of their stay when it is important to oversee the readiness of the house and guest arrival, but that I could give them a discount IF they agreed to opt out of our services including transportation. We do always make guests aware in advance of any special circumstances that may affect their stay. I am sorry the villa was not better cleaned without managerial oversight and that is always a struggle, so immediately upon my arrival we did make an arrangement to have the place cleaned to the guests' satisfaction. The guests were provided extra sets of towels and sheets, but did opt out of our normally included services with their payment (we can provide extra towels and sheets, but do not provide laundry service). These guests were not charged for using our transportation service in the manager's absence. It is true the villa they occupied did not have a towel hook. We rent private villas here and normally include additonal services such as transportation and airport pick-up, we are not a full-service resort/hotel.

It is just unfortunate to receive reviews based less upon the house/location and primarily upon the lack of services by request and prior knowledge of rental conditions.

Philip F. Albrecht

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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Reviewed June 13, 2009

My girlfriend and I visited from Tamarindo, Costa Rica for my 72 hour visa renewal. Panama is not paradise, but it´s close. We chose Bahia Reef Villas for its location on stilts over the bay in front of a coral reef, and still only 8 minutes from town by boat. The villa was excellent, with amazing views, quiet and conveniences, including internet. We were the only couple, heck, the only people, here. There are four villas, one is still under construction, but no work is going on, one is for the manager, Philip, and two are for guests. Privacy galore, 300 meters south of Punta Caracol, at less than a third the price. If you love living over water, and a private getaway close to town, this is for you. We used the kitchen two nights, and took the very reasonable water taxi, free two trips a day, the other two nights.

Date of stay: June 2009
  • Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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Thank CostaRicaRobert
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed March 7, 2009

Bahia Reef Villas has it all! The villas are gorgeous, the views are stunning and the surrounding area is beautiful. The four villas are accessible only by boat. They are located no more then 10 minutes from town. Being located out of the town, it is quiet and tranquil. There are howler monkeys, sloths, great snorkeling and excellent swimming conditions. There is a boat that will drive you into town twice a day, which is included in your price. There is a set schedule; however they are really very accommodating. This is a great place to go to relax and unwind!
We were picked up at the Bocas airport and they brought us to the local grocery store right away, which was really convenient. When we got to the villas, we were really impressed. The villas are entirely over crystal clear blue water and the coral reef is at your finger tips. It doesn’t get much better then that.
The kitchens are great and we really enjoyed cooking our own meals, sitting on the big beautiful deck enjoying our dinner and drinks. There is also a bbq that all guests can use, which is a great way to cook fresh seafood that you can buy from local fishing boats. These are eco friendly villas and they did a great job preserving the natural surrounding environment. There is air conditioning in the bed room, which we didn’t use once. The breeze in the evening keeps it very comfortable.
As well, both Phil and Brown are really great and helpful. This is not a resort type place, but they will help you organize whatever activities you’d like to do and offer their advice.
We were extremely satisfied with our choice and we feel that this is the best possible place to stay in all of Bocas!

Date of stay: February 2009
  • Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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2  Thank efmmaway
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed February 26, 2009

Just returned from our 1 week stay at Bahia Reef Villas and were extremely satisfied. Our villa was absolutely beautiful, better than expected. All native wood, simple & modern- everything was nicely done. Lots of privacy, very quiet and tranquil. The staff was fantastic. We heard several howler monkeys, saw all kinds of lizards and crabs, and even had a three-toed sloth staying in a tree that was right behind our villa. The included boat shuttle to and from town worked out perfectly for what we needed. The view was unbelievable and every sunset was gorgeous. We snorkeled right off our dock, saw lots of beautiful coral and tons of fish. Also, we really enjoyed just cooking, drinking and hanging out on the premises for most of the week.

I could not have been more pleased with our lodging choice and will most definitely be returning.

Date of stay: February 2009
  • Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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Thank mathrocckrules
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed February 25, 2009

My husband and I just returned from a stay at Bahia Reef Villas. I could not have imagined staying anywhere else except here. We were picked up at the airport and taken the the market to get food, from there we went to the Villa boat for a 10 minute ride to the houses. There are 4 Villas, they are beautiful. Each is really a 'house' over the water. Full kitchen with stainless steel, granite and great furniture as well as 2 ceiling fans. The bathroom has great water pressure and plenty of hot water. The bedroom has an ac as well as a ceiling fan. The front deck has a lounge area as well as a table with 4 chairs. Attached to this is a dock, great for swimming and snorkling from as well as fishing from. This is not a resort type place, your mostly on your own, however someone is there if some sort of assistance is needed. They provide a twice daily boat ride into town and can also do tours from the Villa. This was in the perfect location for us, close enough to town, but not in it, over the water and really peaceful. There is also a wireless internet conection, so you can bring your laptop if you want.

Date of stay: February 2009
  • Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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1  Thank Midori M
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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