Ken

Host Response

Dear Mr. Sarj Bains Thank you for your feedback and review. We are very sorry for the inconvenience caused by the island-wide power outage that occurred part of one of the days during your stay. Our goal is to make sure our guests have an amazing experience during their tropical Belize vacation. The power outage, as you are aware, affected the entire island and parts of the mainland on the Wednesday during your stay that lasted for 15 hours from 10 am to 1 am and for 1 hour and 15 minutes on Thursday night. The hours of the outage have been verified and documented by the electric company and confirmed with the neighbors. You contacted our caretaker Sunday morning to let him know the air conditioning was not working in the downstairs bedroom. He drove up immediately, diagnosed the issue and had another unit brought out and replaced it. It turns out it was damaged from a power surge when the power came back on from an earlier outage. When power outages occur, it can cause some electrical issues in the home, and it zapped one of the brand new air conditioners we had installed in November. There are a total of 6 separate air conditioners: one in each of the four bedrooms and one in each of the living rooms. The air conditioner in the living room cools the entire floor, but we also installed one in each of the 4 bedrooms so that you have more control over your comfort on warmer or cooler days and evenings. I am glad we were able to replace it so quickly for you. The outlet in one of 4 bathrooms could not be fixed during your stay as we needed to order a GFI switch/outlet which takes two weeks to get to the island, and of course we ordered spares. We would have gladly provided you with an extension cable if you were unable to access the other 3 bathrooms for hair drying or other needs. If you would have kindly contacted us regarding a request for a refund, we would have gladly found a way to fairly compensate you for the day without air conditioning. Airbnb's written policy is to not hold owners responsible for issues not within their control, such as area power outages or weather-related issues, so they would not have been able to help you directly. We have been responsive to your group’s questions prior to booking, after the booking, during your stay, and Patojo provided a complimentary golf cart for your group’s luggage transportation. Power outages on the island are semi-rare occasions, but they can happen anywhere in the world due to storms or pressure on the power grid. When this happens, our guests can take full advantage of enjoying the beach, taking excursions, a kayak paddle to the reef, snorkeling out front, or driving the golf cart on a day trip north to Tranquility Bay, or enjoying the refreshing pool. We sincerely apologize if the map of the location home on the island which shows our home is seven miles from town wasn’t on the listing wasn’t descriptive enough, and thanks to your review we will provide more clarity. It takes 30 minutes by golf cart to get to the north end of town. The road to town is 3 1/2 miles of paved road and 3 1/2 miles of unpaved road. It is a gorgeous, nature-filled drive with ocean views on one side and lagoon views on the other, with countless resorts, restaurants, bars, and markets, and shops to enjoy along the way. For those guests who enjoy spending time at Secret Beach, it is the same distance from our home to get there as it is to get there from town. When choosing a location to stay on the island, there are those who prefer to get away from the noise and hustle of the town and prefer the sounds of nature and watching the butterflies migrate, the ospreys flying overhead, and the sounds of the local mockingbirds. We have lightning bugs almost year-round in the foliage in the front, back, and side yards, and you see them in the early hours on less windy evenings. Our guests tend to book our newly built pool home specifically to enjoy a much more private, quieter, and peaceful atmosphere at 1/2 of the price of comparable places closer to town, with far more wide-open space and a brand-new private pool with rafts and floats for our guests to use. For comparison, there are a total of 4 private homes with a private pool that sleeps 12 on the entire island, and all of them are much more expensive and some are quite a distance from town. Villa Tortuga is the only home that has separate floors with 2 fully stocked chef's dream kitchens so that your group can enjoy their own living and dining space if they choose. Some of the advantages of being in our location is the closeness to the reef for easy access to kayaking and snorkeling, and the locals know that some of the best fishing is right off our local area docks. From town you would need a boat to access the reef as it is quite a distance from shore in rough conditions. A bonus feature of our location is the free use of the marine park out in front of our home, whereas south of us requires a marine pass for a small fee. Also unique to our area north is the coconut plantation next door, Tutos, which happens to have the nicest beach on the entire island. You will find as many coconuts as your heart desires right on the beach, and we have provided a tool for our guests to easily open them. We recently planted 30 fruit and nut trees so our future guests in the coming years may enjoy freshly picked produce. Villa Tortuga is truly the serene paradise that most guests are looking for in a family vacation home. We appreciate your feedback, but unfortunately, these are issues beyond our control and have done our very best to provide a well-appointed home and quickly handle any issues that may occur during your stay. Ken and Teresa Thank you