Barbados Accommodation Part II - Booking a Villa

Further to my First Thread on Bim accommodation I think we are going to go with a Villa.

I have to admit I have only booked a Villa once in Tenerife on a Golf course, real nice but remote and from what I can remember it was a stress free process.

What are the pitfalls I should be looking for? I have found the following villa at $500 a night via a Company called Luxury Retreat in Montreal. There is a 7% tax and if you were to cancel you would loose some of your deposit.

I am going to be booking on an Virgin Black MBNA Amex (for the points of course)
but could book on an Amex Gold. We also have travel insurance.

Am I missing anything, assume this is not covered under Abta etc but booking with Amex provides some protection?

Your thoughts and tips would be helpful.

PS - If anyone else is going to Barbados in December in PE/Y, I will have a few Lounge Invites going y)

I've not booked a villa, I'm a lazy cow on holiday (and at home) so want to be waited on hand and foot.......that aside, I would guess your credit card would give the normal protection, but perhaps not for substandard accommodation (god forbid) or similar. I'm sure you might get some recommends on here.

We are in BGI in late November coming home early December, so I can't even wave to you from my sun lounger.

Just seen your original post.
I have a friend who has a property company in Barbados.
I haven't use it myself yet.....but he is a really good guy and it might be worth looking at his website.
http://www.cipcaribbean.com
His name is David Coombes.

Still struggling to book anywhere - am going to try your friend now (HandM2)

thought about using airbnb?

As I have never booked a Villa before, perhaps I am being a little too careful?

Biggest worries so far are pool/plunge pools but I guess they can ben fenced off for Kid Safety

Balconies - again safety for Kids - so need to find at least downstairs living areas

So an update, looks like I have finally got there

Week 1 and 2 booked via a local agent (Karen Whitaker) at the Blue Moon villa on the west coast. Seemed to be the most child friendly villa as pool is fared to the side, most of the other Villa companies either did not get back to me or gave options but not taking into account kids, pretty pure all round.

Week 3 booked at Rosedale in Worthing via Airbnb, place has a great history, owned by Americans who live in London, very quick process and may even consider putting our house on it!

Also a bit of advice for Barbados travellers, you can skip the lines at the airport inbound by pre booking Fast Track, 50 dollars (US) each, probably not the best value but saves that long line! Maybe UC pax should get that as standard?

Don't forget if anyone is travelling to BIM in early Dec that I have a few lounge invites.

50USD for fast track? Wow, I'd rather spend that on rum! If you get off the plane first the queue isn't normally too bad. I think the fastest I have done is 40 mins from landing to hotel and I've never used fast track in 24 visits!

Probably $50 per adult is overpriced but unlikely that with 3 little ones in tow that we are going to be at the front of the line even being in Upper! (No Jet Bridges either) I am sure last time the wait seemed like over an hour (probably wasn't). Good shout about the Rum though, I'd better check that we will get some Rum cocktails as part of the fast track

It does depend on the arrival times of the flights at that time in the afternoon as there are a few due in around the same time and if one is delayed or early it can make a big difference. SO much better now they have the single snaking queue rather than the individual ones for each desk like they did years ago - I always got in the queue with the slowest immigration officer!