rdlao7

Hi everyone - We recently went on a long-weekend trip to Nevis and loved the Four Seasons Resort there... does anyone know where we could find listings of any of their residential villas available for rent? I was going to contact the resort directly, but was hoping for any feedback from the extremely knowlegeable crowd here!

Thanks,

Ronna

A_Traveller

FYI - Four Season Villas can only be rented through the Four Season's Resort. You have to contact them directly, either through their website: www.fourseasons.com/nevis/ or by phone: 869-469-1111.

MIM04

Actually you can rent them privately too, and not only through the resort.

There are several sites
www.wheretostay.com
www.nevishouses.com - real estate company on Nevis.
www.caribbeanway.com

GL

Nevisian

rdlao7 - We love the villas. If we don't want to see anybody we stay at our own house with our own pool and sun deck, our own kitchen. If we want to use the hotel facilities it is a short golf cart ride or a lovely leisurely walk through the beautiful grounds to the Great House, Pro Shop, Spa and pools or Beach.

We are leaving Tuesday for the 4S. We like to stay at villa 1501. (We're going 2 weeks this time). It rents for the same as a 2 bdrm suit in the hotel. It's about 1700 Sq Ft. with screened in front and back building wide verandas, a good sized pool deck and medium sized private pool and a lovely garden. We've stayed ther summer and winter. This time of the year we look forward to throwing open the three double veranda doors on the back of the house all day. In the Summer we didn't have to use the A.C. until the heat of the afternoon. (Always close and lock the doors at night - the doors have openable glass panels and wooden louvers.) The back of the house faces southwest and looks over the fairways to the sea. There is usually a nice breeze up on the hill. We cook at least 2 meals a day ourselves. You can do your own grocery shopping or the resort will email or fax you a grocery provisions list and have the villa stocked for your arrival. The villa also has a propane bar-b-que. We've also stayed in the 2 bdrm duplex villas along the first fairway. They rent for about twice the price of a regular hotel room. A two bedroom villa for the cost of two bedrooms. Some of them have a private plunge pool and they do have room service from the hotel. The first fairway is in the valley along the hotel and it can get hot in the afternoon. There are also three bdrm villas along the first fairway and four bdrm villas in Sunset Hill neighborhood. If you want to go all out, there are four bdrm+ villas in the Mahogany Hill area. Those are the ones the stars and big shots stay in. You can also get a private cook and nanny.

The problem about the villa rentals is that even the Four Seasons Nevis web site doesn't advertise them to any great extent. It's like they're supposed to be some big secret. And the best ones, like 1501, aren't even noted.

Be forewarned that all of the villas are privately owned and therefore all decorated and fitted out differently. The resort has strict guidelines as to what it expects to have a villa in it's rental pool so all of them will be up to Four Season's standard. For example, the first fairway duplex we stayed in (1423) had a king bed in the master bdrm and twin beds in the 2nd bdrm. 1501 has a king in the master and a double and a twin in the 2nd bedroom. That works better for two couples or a family with three children. The hotel will bring in roll-away beds for the second bedroom if you need them. Check out the furniture so that it matches your needs.

Whichever villa you choose through the hotel booking and reservations; once you're on island the hotel seems amenable to working with you to find the villa you want, They will move you and/or show you other villas that you might like to request on your next visit.

I suggest calling the resort (it's not cheap: about $2 per minute because you're talking over a satellite) at 869-469-1111 and ask to talk to Patricia in Villa reservations. She's the one who knows.

FYI: the resort has a telephone arrangement with ATT to call the States and Canada less expensively.

iw

Wow! This is our 3rd trip to the island and I had no idea that the 4S had villas to rent. Live and learn!
Nevisian....You are a wealth of information. Thank you!

Nevisian

I might add that if your are taking the late night ATR from San Juan (arr. SKB around 9:00) the hotel will provide a "late night amenity" (food) for you. Request it when you make your reservation. We fly in from California so after 12+ hours of flying with two airline meals and a 25 minute 4S motor launch trip from St. Kitts to Nevis, a cold plate of grilled chicken and mango with pasta salad is very welcome! This applies to hotel rooms, suites and villa occupancy.

Nevisian

By the way MIMO4, You cannot rent a Four Seasons villa except through the hotel. I just checked. We're leaving tomorrow a.m. for a 2 week visit and I thought that I'd check out your claim. The resort can't stop owners who are not in the rental program from renting out their villas privately but they have no obligation to provide any hotel amenities. If a villa owner rents his/her villa out privately the renters are not entitiled to Four Seasons service or use of the resort. That means pool use, club house use and the necessary to a good vacation: daily maid service. The owners who do put their villas in the rental program sign an agreement not to rent outside the hotel rental pool. If you find a 4S villa for rent on a non-4S web site you'd better check out the facts behind it. You may not get what you think you're paying for.

cw

It may be cheaper to rent directly from the 4S and cut out the middleman, but there are agencies that will rent you a 4S villa, with all the bells and whistles that go along with it.

They may go through the hotel, but you don't.

CW

Nevisian

We just got to the Four Seasons today and asked about the rumor that some or any of the villas are rentable from the owners directly through outside agents. NOT true. Travel agents do rent villas for their clients but through the hotel. The cost is the same and the agent gets a 10% spiff. MIMO4, the sites that you give are agents/brokers here on the island. They rent for you through the hotel. The villa owners are under contract with the hotel and do not rent their villas privately. There is no savings to the renter. CW, you can pay a travel agent or a local broker but the agent pays the resort for you and charges you their fee and is paid a booking fee from the resort which you don't get back, do you? In the long-run, booking from an outside agent/broker costs you more than booking direct. If the 4S is the ultimate renter why not start with them? There are also other properties on Nevis available for rent that aren't on the Four Seasons resort.

Also, to all the people who have been suggesting Mango's as an alternative dining place to the Four Season's: Mango's IS a 4 Season's restaurant just beyond the 18th hole. It used to be called "Beachcomber" but the resort took it over after the last hurricane, rebuilt it and opened it for casual, island dining.

A_Traveller

Nevisian - since you are in the "correcting" mode you probably forgot that the Beachcomber actually operated for several years "after the last hurricane" (Wrong Way Lenny) until about 4 or 5 years ago when the land was purchased by the family that runs The Hermitage. There was a long dispute between heirs of the former owner and Hermitage that took a year and several court orders to finally find in favor of the Hermitage. During the court battle the heirs of the former owner operated it as the Beachcomber on a sporadic basis. After prevailing in court the Hermitage owners made some small renovations to the property and operated a restaurant there for about a year until they sold the land to Four Seasons who gutted the building and re-opened it as Mangos.

MarionCK

To Nevisian,

You might want to be a little more gentle with your 'expertise' in responding to MIM04. Her mother lives on Nevis and MIM visits often and her knowledge of Nevis extends far beyond the Four Seasons resort.

It's probably a moot point, and after this I will be mute...but you might enjoy a conversation with a Nevisian about his/her feelings about the 4S.

Marion

Nevisian

Marion - I am a Nevisian too. Mimo is incorrect and should give out the facts as they are. Especially if they affect someone's vacation. There are a lot of differing views on the Four Seasons among nevisian but the economy hasn't been healthier since the resort opened. Many of the Nevisian's who are vocal against the resort just don't get the business of running a business. They're learning now and that's good for everybody.

a-traveler, thank you for the history. Yes, the Hermitage tried to get involved in The Beachcomber but - it is a Four Season's restaurant.

chefjason

Just to put my 2 cents in, It is true that one cannot rent a villa from 4 seasons without first going through 4 seasons. However if you are a "friend" of a villa owner, they can have you stay as a "guest" in there villa at any time. I just so happen to be related to a 4 seasons villa owner and love to make new friends all the time.

MIM04

Sugar Mill Real Estate on Nevis does rent the FS Nevis Villas at the same price the hotel does. One can rent directly through Sugar Mill.

Nevisian

MIM04
Here is the reply I recieved from the 4S villas:

"Certainly homeowners can do some of their own marketing if they wish, however further to the Rental Agreement Contract it does state that the Homeowner agrees that rental of their property shall be managed exclusively by HEF (Hotel Equity Fund V, L.L.C.) and the Homeowners shall refer all possible rental opportunities to HEF.

[the resort] was not aware of the Sugar Mill Estates website promoting rentals and using Resort photos, so he will be contacting [Sugar Mill Estates]. However, some Travel Agencies and Wholesalers such as Caribbean Way, the other website you mentioned, are partners of the Four Seasons Resort and have authority to use our photos."

F.Y.I.: "HEF" is the 4S internatoinal booking office.

DianaD

There is a villa in Nevis that is on the hillside in the rain forest that has a pool overlooking the Ocean . It is amazing and not far from the 4 seasons .

Check it out on line . Seceret Garden ,Nevis
Monkeys come done and eat right off the fruit trees in the garden .

TrojanBMW

Can someone explain the differences between the villas the Four Seasons? It seems like there are different types and locations. I know the distinction with the Sunset Hill and Mahogany Hill homes. Where are the different villas located? Are some villas attached to others, so that they are like condos? Do all villas have private pools? Some villas seem to have square or rectangle pools while others have an egg shape? Also... are the villas recently updated with marble, granite countertops in the kitchens, stainless steel appliances?

Are there any villas that are better... how so? Sorry for so many questions.. just want to know! Haha thanks.

A_Traveller

The villa locations vary throughout the property. Mahogany Hill and SunsetHill as their names imply are on the slope leading up the sides of Mt. Nevis. Mahogany Hill is a gated community area on the northern side of the resort/golf course and the Sunrise Hill area is a few fairways away on the south side - I hope that makes sense. The majority of villas on the resort property are free standing, although there are a few new ones (smaller units - I believe called Palm Grove) that are on the golf course nearer the main resort that are attached 2 BR units. They are designed so they can be rented seperately (2BR) or together as a 4 BR unit. All rental villas are privately owned and while units of the same size are similar in design they all have their own distinctive features, room layout, etc., hence some have oval pools while others have rectangular pools and still others have freeform or infinity edge pools (it all depends on the owners tasts and preference). All are very upscale with granite and/or marble countertops, upscale furnishings, colorful fabrics - all reflecting the owner's individual tastes. All villas are extremely well maintained. As for the "finish" of the appliances, again that depends on the owner's taste - some are stainless steel, some are white, others match the custom wood cabinitry. Don't sweat the small stuff - these are all $1 million to $5 million villas - there isn't a bad one on the property.

Nevisian

Boy this post won't die! That's great. Trojan - Palm Grove Villas are along the 1st and 18th fairways across from the Sport Pavilion and Spa. They are two and three bedroom duplexes and three bedroom cottages. Some have plung pools (an extra cost to the owners so not everybody put them in) The "plunge pools" are 8'x16'x5'deep..just right for a cooling off dip. The gardens are shared property but well planted for privacy. Palm Grove villas are close enough to the resort to warrant room service. The Sunset Hill neighborhood is really two areas. There are two free standing villas in Sunset North above the 6th tee and along the 16th fairway. The two bedroom (1601) is the smallest free standing villa on the hill. It has a pool that is about 12'x14'x6'deep. The three bedroom (1602) is pictured on the 4S website as an example of a Sunset Hill villa. The other section of Sunset Hill (South) is across a ghaut and most of the villas in that neighborhood are 3-5 bedrooms and with there own pool. The private gardens on Sunset Hill are all beautiful and lushly maintained. Room Service is not available from the hotel in Sunset Hill. The kitchens are well outfitted and the daily flatware is silver plate and the china is German to give you an example. 4S will grocery shop for you or you can do it yourself. Grocery shopping in Nevis is a fun experience in itself. A taxi driver will take you around and stay with you if you don't want to rent a car and drive on the left side of the road. Mahogony Hill is about the 12th(?) fairway and at the present time, the highest villa neighborhood and the furthest away from the resort. The villas are 4-5 bedrooms and on larger properties. Most of the big muck-a-mucks stay up there. Whichever neighborhod you choose a four seater gas golf cart should come with the villa rental so you will be able to get around on the property.

Nevisian

Trojan - I just caught an error in my last post. The Plunge Pools at the Palm Grove villas ar NOT 8'x16'x5'. They are more or less 8'x10'x5'. Some of the first ones are even smaller but that's why they call them "plunge pools" You really can't swim in them. There is also a three bedroom two storey design that you might not want to choose. The original two storey duplexes are short on indoor living space and long on outdoor veranda facing the neighboring property. If there are noisy kids in the back yard of the next door unit they can be along side your veranda. The two bedroom duplexes are better situated for privacy.