What Our Guests Say

My wife Debbie and I along with seven adult friends stayed for a week at Villa Vidorra (October 3rd through October 10th, 2015). We all would eagerly return tomorrow and are in fact planning our next trip to Villa Vidorra! The Villa is unbelievably beautiful and accommodates up to 16 people easily. We had nine adults and the Villa worked perfectly. It is new and so beautifully appointed. The staff is friendly and the food is awesome. The cost is extremely reasonable. Chris Jones (the owner) dropped by and made the trip extra special. I have nothing but high praise for Villa Vidorra and would unconditionally recommend it to anyone. It is located on world class Soliman Bay near Tulum, Mexico. Villa Vidorra is a world class villa located on a calm, peaceful Caribbean bay that anyone would enjoy. We will return as often as possible.

Andrew H

We just returned from Villa Vidorra. I travelled with my husband, daughter, son in law, their two children (aged 2 and 4), and two girl friends. Upon arrival, we were met by the Villa owners. They explained all the comforts available, and introduced us to the staff. During our stay, we were fortunate to have a group of five wonderful professional people there to make our stay perfect in every way. There was the chef, Manuel (a real chef, not just a cook), an assistant chef, a bartender Luis (who did all sorts of things, not just prepare drinks), a gardener/handyman, Ricardo, and his wife, Susie, the housekeeper. I can not emphasize enough, how terrific the staff was, and how they worked twelve hours a day to make our stay memorable. First, the food they prepared was fresh, fabulous, and beautifully presented. The breakfast fruit platter was a work of art, and our cameras were always brought out to record their beauty. Every evening after dinner, I would meet with Manuel to pay for the food, we had eaten that day, and plan the menus for the next. One thing the staff did at Villa Vidorra, which I never had the luxury of before, is they did all the food shopping, and brought fresh provisions daily. This saved valuable vacation time, because we did not have to go to the grocery. In retrospect, I wish I would have asked Manuel to prepare fish every night. He made the best lightest fish dishes I have ever enjoyed. Manuel’s uncle is a fisherman, and when we wanted lobster for dinner, I gave Manuel two day’s notice, and his uncle provided. Not inexpensive, but definitely worth it. There was always fresh guacamole, a variety of salsas, and homemade tortillas chips. Oh, lest I forget, the cerviche is a must. We had it twice for a light lunch. Our little grandchildren will eat almost everything. But, sometimes, they made them a special dish, like a quesadilla, if they thought the adult food might be pushing the kids. Speaking of the children, every morning around eleven, they would ask Luis for their snack, a virgin pina colada. He would make two little glasses, and they would feel so very special. If they asked before eleven, he would tell them, they had to drink water, till eleven. The staff were all wonderful with the children, and seemed to sincerely enjoy having them there. The staff arrives around 7:30, and leave after dinner, around seven. I wish we could have eaten a little later, but I can understand, that is a long day for them, and would like a little time with their families. Villa Vidorra is exactly as pictured. It was extremely hot while we were there, and only the bedrooms are air conditioned. This is universal, in Mexican rental homes. I do wish there had been more and stronger fans. However, it is not a problem in cooler months, when the cool breeze blows through the doors and windows. The upside of the weather was that the pool, and ocean, were warm, and easily enjoyed. Seaweed. The Mexican coast has been inundated with seaweed. We would use the path to go into the ocean to snorkel or float. The Bay, in front of the Villa, is very shallow, and it is easy for everyone to walk into the sea. As has been mentioned in prior reviews, it is good to take water shoes, to avoid stepping on uncomfortable coral. Extras__We had massages while we stayed, and they were done in the upstairs area, where you could feel the ocean breezes, and hear the birds and waves, heavenly. My daughter went on a two tank dive, where she had a private dive master, and thoroughly enjoyed. My two friends went on a tour, arranged through the homeowner, to the Coba ruins, and were very pleased. Sometimes, we asked Susie to wash some clothes, which she gathered in the morning, and returned in the afternoon. BTW, all you need to pack are shorts, shirts, flip flops, water shoes, and bathing suits. Every one was reluctant to leave the fabulous home, so, for the most part, we didn’t. I am so glad we did not go out to eat. I am sure Manuel’s cooking would surpass any other options. Villa Vidorra is such an incredible experience, we wanted to enjoy every moment there.

The Stray’s
Memphis, Tennesee

It’s going to be hard to say something positive that hasn’t already been said about this house, but I’m certainly going to try. My friends and I have been doing large vacations for around a decade now with each one trying to out-do the previous one. Two years ago we rented a private home on Isla Mujeres which we thought would be hard to beat. Villa Vidorra was leagues better than the trips we’ve done before.

What made this trip so stellar? It was a perfect combination of an impeccable setting and the team of staff and owners that will do whatever it takes to make sure you have a flawless vacation. Let’s start with the location. Villa Vidorra seemed to be a little off the beaten path at first but it couldn’t be in a better spot. Solomon bay is a shallow calm bay absolutely teeming with life. I spent days snorkeling, paddle boarding, and kayaking the pristine, calm, clear water and saw new sights every day. I saw sea turtles, eels, tropical fish, and rays. When you get tired of swimming, you can relax on the beach or nap in the small palm grove that separates the house from the beach and is sprinkled with hammocks and day beds. Should you make the hard decision to leave the house for a day the house is within 10 minutes of the best kinds of adventures. Tulum is close with gorgeous ocean-side ruins and small shops and restaurants and the whole area is pockmarked with cenotes of different kinds for fresh water snorkeling and cave swimming (if you don’t know what a cenote is, look it up!). Playa del Carmen is about 30 minutes north and is full of anything else you’d want to do. A little further out is Coba, 45 minutes away for those of you who want to climb the largest Mayan pyramid you’re allowed to climb.

Now with the location being covered, the reason it was so hard to enjoy the great area surrounding the house is because the staff will treat you so well you’ll never want to leave! We were greeted by the owners and the staff who had a freshly made drink in hand for each of us. We were given a brief tour of the property and then asked what else they could help with. The owners have a full library of providers for any service you can think of. They had tour guides, boat captains, masseuses, etc. From the start they acted as our own personal concierges to ensure our stay was perfect. Then, the on-site staff took over. The chef and his assistant sat down with me every evening to talk about the menu for the next day. All our requests were done with an immaculate flair that had us not wanting to leave the table. The real stars of the show were the meals where we gave him free reign to make whatever he wanted. Trust him, he’s a professional for a reason and will not disappoint you. I love exploring local restaurants but could hardly pull myself away from their cooking to try other places which I don’t feel bad about that at all! Lastly, words cannot describe how fantastic it is to have a private bartender to serve your group. He cranked out all of our requests with both quality and speed. He helped us procure our highly desired Extra Anejo tequilas too. If anything was missing, they would make sure the gap was filled by the next morning. We even gave him a radio so we could call drink orders in from the beach but it was hardly necessary because we were frequently checked on.

In closing this was an unforgettable vacation for the 13 of us. We all stayed happy and healthy and left completely stunned at what a success this trip was. I only hope we have the opportunity to return sooner than later.

David W
Cincinnati, Ohio

You can read over and over about how great everything is at Villa Vidorra, and all of those reviews are accurate. The villa is amazing, the pool area is amazing, the “jungle” area is amazing, the beach is great for relaxing and for kids to dig and play in the sand. We traveled with eight adults and four kids, ages ranging from 20 months to 64 years old. Everyone had a wonderful experience. I believe the key to Villa Vidorra’s charm is not the Villa but the people inside. Manuel is a great chef providing memorable dishes. His secret “orange” salsa blew us away. It became known as “awesome sauce” at the table, as in “pass the awesome sauce, please” and “this tastes amazing without the awesome sauce, but i put some on anyway”. He broke out his “go to” specialities like chicken mole, chilequles, and the lobsters bigger than your head. The food was much better than I expected. Louis the bartender is a master of his craft. It took him one day to figure out everyone’s favorite beverage, after that point they would just “appear” out of no where. The rest of the staff were all very accommodating and helpful. The owner stopped by numerous times to check on things and he even took my son and I to the hospital in Tulum after my son experienced an ear infection from snorkeling. I can’t say enough about the people at Villa Vidorra. Here are some tips that we learned that may improve your overall stay (if that is even possible). We hit Akumal for snorkeling with a guide and while we did see many turtles, squid, stingrays and fish I found the reef outside Villa Vidorra to be way better and the water was much much clearer than Akumal. We saw stingrays, octopus, and many different beautiful fish right outside our back door. The only thing missing were the turtles, but we spent hours snorkeling at the Villa. We hit two different cenotes including the famous “dos ojos”. I found that cenote to be more “scuba” than snorkel. It was nice but definitely more for scuba. We hired a nanny from tulum to help with the kiddos and she was simply amazing. I will provide contact info if anyone is looking for a nanny. We had yoga class each morning in the front yard. It was a great way to start each day and the instructor was great. This was the third Villa in Mexico that we have rented and it was the best in every way. I tend to avoid returning to the same place twice due to the belief that there are so many different places I want to explore but Villa Vidorra is so good I may break that rule. Thank you Chris, Chuck, Barbara, Manuel, Louis, and everyone else for a fantastic trip.

The Walds
Chicago Illinois

I rented Villa Vidorra for a trip with family and friends (four couples, and a two and half year old) for my birthday. I am a Luxury Travel Advisor and I researched every possible option in the Caribbean and Mexico before selecting Villa Vidorra. I usually stay at properties like Belmond, Rosewood and Four Seasons, so I was looking for something of equal caliber. Villa Vidorra did not disappoint! The staff were beyond amazing – so kind, considerate, and attentive to everyone’s needs. The food and drinks were out of this world good and we had a wide range of dietary preferences and restrictions that were easily accommodated. The owners, Barbara and Chris, were great to work with and very responsive. The location and amenities are absolutely perfect. Everyone was able to enjoy activities and time together, as well as plenty of space to relax on their own. We can’t wait to return. Thank you for sharing Villa Vidorra with us!

LuxuryTravelWorks.com
Southborough, Massachusetts

Villa Vidorra is truly an amazing and welcoming place for small or larger groups. We were a group of nine adults and five kids and it exceeded all of our expectations. The kids played in the pool and on the beach all day and the adults could play, swim, relax or nap anywhere they wished.

The house is well-built and well-maintained and the owners and staff are very accommodating. The staff made sure everyone was happy from the minute we woke until they left for the evening. Barbara arranged a tour with a local guide that blew our minds (Virginia at Riviera Adventours) and answered al of our questions and needs outside the house. The kitchen staff created a menu based on our likes and dislikes and every meal was delicious.

This villa is situated on a quite corner of Soliman Bay that is ideal for swimming, snorkeling, beach walking or just relaxing on the beautiful beach. We were all sad to go and are already planning our next visit to Villa Vidorra.

Amanda P
Greenwich, Connecticut