Things to Know About the Jamaican Villa Staff
When looking for your next vacation rental accommodation, whether it’s a villa or cottage in Jamaica, I’m sure you’ll spend a lot of time checking out the property closely. These may be some of the many questions you will ask yourself:
Do you have the required number of rooms and are they big enough?
Can I swim laps in the pool or is it just to cool off?
Is the sea view shown on the website really what I will see when I relax on that sun lounger on the terrace?
How far will I have to go to buy groceries?
All important questions to be sure. But are you forgetting a very important aspect of your vacation rental in Jamaica? Let me tell you what happened to me this morning.
After my morning cup of Blue Mountain Coffee that I drank while watching the sun rise over the bay at Silver Sands Jamaica, I headed out for a walk and some exercise. I love mornings at Silver Sands, so calm and peaceful. I passed Rum Jetty’s cabin when Errol, a former fisherman, was taking some guests snorkeling on the coral reef. And I said good morning to a young woman who was doing some yoga stretches on the way to Blue Moon Villa.
As I was returning to the Endless Summer Villa, Kate, a regular visitor with whom I had a long conversation the day before, ran out of Casuarina Cottage and said that she wanted to tell me something that she had not emphasized before. She and Ted were coming to the end of another pleasant stay at Silver Sands and were very happy with Claudette, the cook and housekeeper, at Casuarina.
Kate then told me that when they return to their grandchildren, they will most likely return to La Casa de las OrquÃdeas. She was quick to add that they were very happy in Casuarina and that it was perfect for just her and Ted. But when they have a larger group they would go to The Orchid House because of the staff there. Kate then spent a lot of time telling me how wonderful Dionne and Margaret were. In addition to good food and a clean and tidy house, the staff was very attentive to the grandchildren. The praise for the staff was overwhelming.
I hear these stories about the great staff at Jamaican villas and cottages all the time. So I wasn’t surprised. However, as Kate told me about her previous experience at The Orchid House, it became clear that what she really found valuable was the fact that there were two cooks who worked a morning shift and an afternoon shift, so all meals were prepared and served when the guests wanted them. In most homes, there is a cook, and if that person works an eight-hour day, then dinner will either be very early, or it will be prepared and left for you to heat and serve.
Now, many guests don’t have a problem with that. But Kate and Ted obviously felt that with a larger group, they didn’t want to have to do that and would rather have the staff do it for them and fit their schedule. Why do guests on your vacation have to adjust to follow the staff’s schedule?
It’s not the first time I’ve received a report like this. Kate is not alone. In fact, guests who have also stayed at Primrose Path, Santa Margherita, Rum Jetty, and Endless Summer Villa have raved about how well the two-cook system works.
So when you choose your rental in Jamaica, you need to ask about the staff. What hours do the staff work? How many of them are there and what do they do? Will all your meals be prepared and served at your desired time, and will the staff clean up the kitchen before you go home? Is childcare available?
But don’t just ask the rental agency these questions, check out the accommodation reviews yourself. What have past guests said about the staff? Do they write reviews that reflect warmth and caring when they mention the staff?
And very, very important, does the Jamaica rental house you are interested in have many repeat customers? If guests keep coming back for more, you can be sure the staff has a lot to do with it. Think: would you go back to a lovely house in a perfect setting if you were not well served by the staff? I did not think.