A nice small resort in a quiet gated community. Jose and Victor were very courteous and attentive to our needs. The food was excellent! They are a few blocks away from the public beach but it is a short walk. There is a small pool on the premises, wireless internet, and they can arrange excursions. Be prepared for the Lifestyles Vacation Club reps to whisk you away for their presentation. You may want to skip that as you will be tied up (not literally but it might seem like it!) all day.

We stayed at Villas Jazmin for two weeks in a two bedroom villa. The first week my husband and I were alone, friends joined us on week two. Contrary to unfavorable reviews, we found our accommodations especially lovely. We've traveled all over the Caribbean, own 4 timeshares and have specific kitchen needs when we travel. Villas Jazmin met or exceeded our needs. The villa had recently been renovated, the tile work was impressive, the quality of the wood furniture was solid and quality. The rooms were tastefully appointed -- flat screen TV's with cable, the master bedroom had a large jacuzzi tub too (no shower, however -- that was in the common bathroom). The kitchen was more than I'd hoped for - full fridge, 5 burner stove with oven, coffee maker. There is wireless internet free of charge. I was told that 4 units had been renovated (I saw a one bedroom unit, and it was done in the same quality as our two bedroom).

The power on the island goes out daily, however the resort has its own generation, so guests will not be inconvenienced or have their relaxation disrupted. I was charged $80/week energy surcharge, which I was initially put off by; however, after experiencing the frequent power outages I was glad to know my food would not be spoiling, my drinks would be cold and that I could have A/C 24/7. Jazmin is the only restaurant in Costambar with full generation, so there's no need to be concerned about food spoilage. Most of the other restaurants would be shut down by US standards. I was concerned about the negative comments that had been posted, but after seeing the resort, I suspect that the negative comments stemmed from guests in the older units which I did look at also. The rooms are adequate but will benefit from improvements. There are plans for additional renovation, so I expect that in time all units will be brought to the same fine standard. The renovated rooms, I was impressed to discover, are energy efficient. The A/C shuts off when you leave the room. Upon returning and turning the A/C back on, it cools down quickly.

The staff was very accommodating, and the owner was incredibly hospitable to us. He wants to ensure his guests enjoy their experience. We ate dinner there twice - it's quite a large menu - and the chefs, Victor and Jose, were glad to adjust the menu to meet our needs. Jenny on the front desk is very welcoming. There is an additional charge of $10 per week for the room safe if you wish to use it; water is $2 a gallon. They provide beach towels at the front desk. There is a pool -- not large as experienced at the mega resorts, but adequate -- that was kept very clean. The tennis court looked good, and we did see people using it. The workout room had little equipment.

The walk to the beach is about 4 minutes. I recommend breakfast or lunch at the Anchor, run by British folks. It's clean and the food is good. You'll enjoy the local chatter too. At the beach you will need to rent chairs unless you walk down to the Catamaran where Paul will let you use theirs as long as you're buying food or drinks.

Would I stay at Villas Jazmin again? Absolutely. I would be sure to request one of the renovated units.

We own time share at Villas Jazmin but always trade and had not returned in 16 years because of other commitments and a huge amount of other travel.
We were astonished and thrilled at all the changes since 1994. Our villa was supreme luxury: Full kitchen, two bedrooms and huge living room/dining room.

Repairs done immediately if a problem existed. Ricardo, Yendy and Victor are superb. The meal plan @ $200.00 USD per person per week is excellent. Excellent food.

Beach a short walk away. Not a lot of entertainment in off-season but if you are looking for peace and quiet, this place will heal your soul. They do take you to Lifestyles and to Ocean World for two excellent buffet dinners and also out for breakfasts.

We are delighted with our stay at this RCI resort.

Barbara Seagram
Toronto, Canada

The staff was so helpfull in everyway. We got the meal plan and the food at the Villas was amazng. Totally worth the price of the plan we also got to go to Lifestyles for some meals the food there wasnt half as good but the presentation was nice. We enjoyed the shows at both places. I would never stay at Lifestyles the sales staff was constantly after us and got very nasty when we werent interested I couldnt imagine a week of that. However at the Villas we asked for a tour of the new Villas they told us the prices upfront and didnt pressure us at all. And the new Villas were beautifull. Out of all the places Ive stayed over the past 30 years this is 1 I would repeat over and over. I had a great time thanks to the staff Ricardo, Yendy, Victor, Armado, Anna and Willie.