Welcome to Lakeside Beach Villa: Puerto Rico Vacation Rentals

The villa was great. My friends wowed when walking into the spacious and nicely decorated property. The manager and the cleaning lady were both responsive and helpful. Our stay was very much enjoyed, especially by the kids.

Xuetao Hu, North Carolina, December 2008

Photos by Xuetao Hu–taken on the beach outside the property.

I want to heartily recommend Alma Bair’s Beach Villa house if you are looking at renting a place in Puerto Rico. I did an extensive search of homes that would accommodate my family for a Puerto Rican vacation. I contacted 50 different available places and narrowed my selection down to five. I then made a trip to Puerto Rico to check out each of the rental homes. By far, Alma’s property stood head and shoulders above the rest of the places that I saw.

Let me tell you why I say this. First, the house is located in the beautiful Dorado Beach area which is a half hour drive from the Luis Munoz Marin Airport. The house is beautifully architected in the Spanish styling. It is a gated and guarded community and the guards walk around not only during the day but also at night. We felt very secure. The guards were also very friendly.

There is one large master bedroom and two good sized bedrooms each with their own full bathroom. This was perfect for my family as it allowed everyone the privacy they needed and sufficient space to get ready for a night out or a walk to the beach. I enjoyed my early mornings on the patio with a cup of coffee and local pastry while I watched the sun rise and just spent quiet time reflecting. This is how a vacation should be.

The patio of house is right in front of the pool where we spent time every day. A short walk down a path and through a keyed gate and you are on the beach. The beaches in the Condado and Isla Verde areas can be rough but the beach that is accessible from the house was much calmer. Having access to the Dorado Beach Hyatt facilities was also very nice as it is right next door to the housing complex. We also had time to use the properties tennis court which is nice and we were the only ones playing. There also is a ping pong table but we did not have time to use it.

The dining room table is large and we had room to seat 12 people at it. My wife is from Puerto Rico and her family came over to celebrate a birthday with us so the space was convenient to accommodate all of us at one table. The kitchen came in handy as it not only allowed us to save money by preparing our own breakfast and occasional dinner but also allowed us to chat around the kitchen as we prepared our food.

As for site seeing, most tourist locations are a short drive away. We were able to visit the Caverns of Camuy, the Arecibo Observatory, the Morro, Old San Juan all of which are within 30 minutes or less from the house.

I have traveled to Puerto Rico on business and on vacation no less than a dozen times and I would have to say that this past vacation was the best by far thanks in great part to the wonderful accommodations available at Alma’s house. We will utilize this again in future trips to Puerto Rico and I highly recommend it to you, except for the week that we would use it. Enjoy.

DRA, Illinois, December 2008

“Just a note to let you know we returned safely from Paradise on Tuesday. Thank you very much for your extended hospitality through the Nor’easter! It is hard to believe that the full moon shining on the sea is the same moon we see here!

Your villa is beautiful – I love your furnishings, wall sconces, and great ceramics and glassware!

We had a great time with Tropical Trail Rides at Jobos Beach, and found a wonderful, casual restaurant nearby called Happy Belly’s, which I mentioned in your guest book. We also found the Magna Villa Panaderia near Wendy’s on 693 to have good, reasonably priced breakfasts (though of course you don’t get to walk along the beach to arrive there)! The kids loved Johnny Rockets, and we enjoyed Su Casa and Zen Garden too.”

JL, Massachusetts, February 2006

Our vacation was extraordinary.

First of all - your beautiful, spacious, comfortable home. From the lovely terra cotta floors to the tile details to the generously stocked kitchen and refrigerator - it was wonderful. We came in thirsty and tired and immediately got refreshed and were off and running within an hour. It was so kind of you to let us have access to your supply closet. It was such a treat not to have to run out to the grocery immediately and be able to find a snack for everyone. We replenished it with great joy and thanks.

Secondly - the setting is a vacationer's paradise. We had a early dinner at the Cerromar timeshares the first day in the open air restaurant right off of the beach. What an introduction to this beautiful island. Our college kids checked out the resort and decided it was a definite for the next day. So, late morning Thursday they saunter over to the beach with their $25 each to be told 'No - no need to pay - come and enjoy' - which they did every day. Endless hours on the lazy river, battles on the courts (beach volleyball, pool volleyball), daily comparisons of the best hot tub experience, and of course the beautiful beach and the warm waters of the Caribbean. It couldn't have been better. (Dan and I proffered that since three of the four college students were 'bathing beauties' - and the person taking the money a male - they were given the VIP treatment.)

Thirdly - the Villa itself - the wonderful porch; the fountain with the constant soothing sound of water; the pool; the pool house with ping pong; the putting green and gorgeous tennis courts - all used daily by the Raibley Bryden entourage.

And all of this....and we were seemingly the only ones there - hardly ever saw anyone except the grounds people and security. What a great place - we LOVED it.

Fourthly - Hector - what a gem of a person. He was waiting for us at the airport and took us to the Villa as well as a wonderful day in the rain forest. He was kind, caring and very willing to share his local knowledge and information with all of our curious guests. Thanks so much for putting us in contact with him. He loves you guys. He said he has never met such sweet, nice people. We all concurred.

Thank you is so inadequate to express what a wonderful seven days we had. We are rested, relaxed and rejuvenated. Thank you for a life time of wonderful memories.

Love,

Rebecca - Massachusetts
Winter 2007

“ I wanted to express what a terrific stay we had as your guests in Dorado. Such a spacious & comfortable villa was an excellent setting for a relaxing winter retreat. We enjoyed the proximity of the swimming pool and the playground, and felt like we were the only guests there. The children loved to watch the ducks march past the patio.”

PM, Massachusetts, February 2006

Puerto Rico was great. Something to do for everyone. Walking on the beach in the warm rain. Shopping in Old San Juan. Great photo opts there , too. The architecture with it's beautiful tilework and balconies is wonderful! The trip to the rain forest was a favorite of us all (we have 3 boys and they are still talking about it! Look for the giant snails on the trees). Finding the waterfall was an added treat and a must do (bring water shoes if you have sensitive feet like me). Another wonderful thing to do is to take a catamaran / snorkeling trip. The name of the group we went with was East Winds. The boat was clean and the food was delicious. Lots of interesting and colorful fish that we have never seen before. Afterwards we went to Loquillo Beach which was a great beach for the wave / surfer enthusiast. And of course, just staying on the beach at the villas was a great way to spend the day. Plus access to the Hyatt's waterslide and lazy river (lined with tropical plants and palms) makes you feel you are somewhere very special. We all returned very tan and very relaxed.

Thank you Alma & Allan!

The Hathaway's - Connecticut
August 2007

Just wanted to let you know we're back and we had a wonderful time. What a great place you have there! Beautiful and peaceful. We had great weather - only one rainy afternoon which still did not impede my husband and his brother's golf outing. We loved the water park at the beginning and end of our week. We had a lovely walk through Old San Juan and El Morro. We took a snorkeling excursion to Culebra we enjoyed it so much that we turned it into an overnight visit.

Again, we had a perfect vacation and loved discovering Puerto Rico. We probably wouldn't have ever ended up there otherwise - now we'd love to return- there's so much left to see!

RH, Massachusetts, March 2006

Alma,

We had a terrific stay at your Lakeside Villa in Dorado, Puerto Rico. I have to say that we didn't want to leave at all. We enjoyed the pool area, the access to the beach was just a few steps away, the back terrace was very spacious and it was perfect to spend quality family time and enjoy a nice conversation. If you want to spend quite and relaxing time, this is the place for it. There was no need to leave the villa to grab a bite. We came with groceries and prepared meals. There was plenty of space for everyone. We will definately come back again in the future if the villa is available.

Again, you have a beautiful spot in gorgeous Dorado, Puerto Rico.

Regards,

Arnaldo and Amarilis Claudio, Florida, July 2008

Hi Alma,

We really enjoyed our stay in your beautiful villa. It is really a piece of paradise. We will definitely be back and I will refer it to all my colleagues.

Thank you

AT, New York, August 2008