Karibea Domaine De Sainte Marie

“Delightful seclusion”

I came across the previous review after booking this rental via Homeaway and was rather alarmed and feared we had made the wrong choice. The complex was built originally as a hotel but is now either lived in permanently ( the majority, I think) or as holiday homes or rentals like this one. I don... more

I came across the previous review after booking this rental via Homeaway and was rather alarmed and feared we had made the wrong choice. The complex was built originally as a hotel but is now either lived in permanently ( the majority, I think) or as holiday homes or rentals like this one. I don't think it has been "developed". It's a question of what's important to you. It was fantastic to have the pool to ourselves every morning and to be able to do proper lengths. Yes, there are cracked tiles. Access to the bungalow is up a path between two other ones, the wall of one of which is indeed quite close to this one, but not so it bothered us. Once on the spacious deck of this bungalow you're facing vegetation, complete with your own humming birds in the tree. We are not especially beach people and we don't like very touristy places.The little beach was okay, though certainly not as splendid as some in Martinique. We found this a very good base for exploring the whole island - the north is stunning. Most small towns do not appear especially prosperous, so there was nothing unusual about Ste Marie. A short drive away there's a wonderful restaurant. The hosts were very welcoming. It was peaceful and comfortable. http://www.abritel.fr/location-vacances/p668382?utm_campaign=HAUK_TRV_RES_HASC_replied_PPS&utm_content=propid_text_o_lprop&utm_term=20150409&utm_source=SYS&utm_medium=email#photos

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“Not the best value for money”

This is not a hotel but a holiday complex with private owners. We have mixed feelings about this holiday community and the bungalow (no 331) we rented privately from David and Véro via the French Abritel site . Due to 'Franglais' communications via email our host had misunderstood our arrival ti... more

This is not a hotel but a holiday complex with private owners. We have mixed feelings about this holiday community and the bungalow (no 331) we rented privately from David and Véro via the French Abritel site . Due to 'Franglais' communications via email our host had misunderstood our arrival time and as darkness fell we were left in limbo standing in a car park until a very helpful couple came to our rescue and contacted David, who eventually arrived and was very apologetic for the mistake. The bungalow is part of a holiday & year-round community where the permanent residents obviously look after their bungalows while some of the summer rentals and the communal areas are in need of significant maintenance. The swimming pool water was clean but the surroundings were suffering from dangerously broken tiles, fittings, lamps and a partially demolished 'bar'. There were steps and a locked private access gate to the public beach below the complex, but the beach was very disappointing. Naturally, being on the Atlantic coast it is not as inviting as the west/south coast beaches, but on this holiday we preferred to use the pool. Our bungalow had all the amenities as advertised and was reasonably well maintained but the external photos on the http://www.abritel.fr/location-vacances/p668382 are very selective and show photos taken years ago before the area was fully developed together with views from the owner's bungalow, not the one for rent, nor do the photos of the pool show the the problems highlighted above. We considered this to be a great disappointment and misleading - not an honest description of the property. The bungalow is in fact, wedged between two neighbouring bungalows with a steep slope into the back garden of one and a paneled fence onto the patio of the other. The steep entrance steps to our bungalow were uneven and badly damaged - definitely not for anyone with mobility problems (mentioned in the description) but even able bodied have problems! The patio was quiet and not overlooked but the sea view has been restricted by development. The owners, who lived in a bungalow situated above ours, were very pleasant in every respect although communication was limited to 'Franglais'.(English is not widely spoken in Martinique and you must take this into account when planning your holiday.) Sainte Marie town is about a 20-25 minute walk or 5 minute drive from the Domaine. The town has a Tourist information office with very helpful staff, but it is a small and not very affluent town with only the Saint James distillery, the natural isthmus 'Tombolo' and a large church as main points of interest. Apart from street stalls and a selection of shops there is one Franprix supermarket. All in all we had a relaxing stay and used it as a base for exploring, but would not return to Sainte Marie. We found the beach at Trinite a few miles away on the Caravelle peninsula to be far more pleasant and the southern and western areas offer more for the traveler. I note that the French Abritel website shows 5* reviews for this rental - something that influenced our decision to rent, but with which we cannot agree

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