Avis Great Escape-Private Staffed Villa on Jamaica's Southcoast

The "Great Escape" is a lovely place for a vacation. Far off the beaten (touristic) path, quiet, peaceful, with a large Pool and a lovely seaside terrace. Shane is a great cook, we enjoyed those meals so much.

The house was a great place to wake up every morning. The views, the private beach and the pool were all great. We spent our nights on the beach side veranda looking directly at a perfect sunset. The house was clean, area is safe and would stay again. The owner was responsive and easy to coordinate with. Shane the property manager is a good guy, easy to work with, great cook and very help full. Thanks for the make the stay with my dad and friend memorable trip.

and the beach house across the street is icing on the cake. You couldn’t ask for better sunsets, Red Stripe in hand! Mark was super easy to communicate with at all times. Shane was a great cook and conversationalist. He can seriously arrange anything you’d like to eat or do. He was kind and flexible with our early check in and grocery trips. Pansy left the house clean and smelling good each morning and Neville even took us on a tour of the yard with fruit trees and explained some of their uses. The kayaks were extremely fun and we spent hours hanging out on the small beach and snorkeling just offshore. The pool is huge and was always cool for midday swimming. The AC works perfectly in the bedrooms and each one has a TV. I worked a bit in the evening and didn’t have any trouble connecting nor any Wi-Fi speed issues. Shane arranged a boat ride to the Pelican Bar where we had fresh snapper with rice and peas that was heavenly. It’s definitely worth a trip with Captain Ted. Treasure Beach proper is a short ride away with shopping and more great food. Recommend Smurf’s for b’fast and Diner Delight for lunch. Calabash was our favorite of the idyllic beaches and Callaloo had nice souvenirs. Our last day we stopped by the Christmas Eve Market and caught a lovely rainbow over the yard after a short afternoon shower as we said goodbye to a wonderful trip.

From pick up at the airport to seeing the smiling faces of the staff which are fantastic! It's just an overall amazing experience. Nothing more relaxing then sipping a rum punch on your own beach waiting for the boat to pull up and take you down the Black River for lunch at Sister Lou's for crab and a cold Red Stripe. Quick stop at the Pelican Bar and you'll realize your in paradise. The pool is perfect for afternoon cool downs and the property is very well maintained. Mark is always quick with responding to questions and makes things easier then you can imagine. Highly recommend if you are looking for your own little piece of heaven for a week or two.

This was our 1st vacation rental & while it wasn't perfect, we would definitely do it again! Mark (the host) is very responsive & answered my numerous questions quickly. The staff - Shane (property mgr/cook), Pansy (housekeeper), Neville (grounds keeper) are all wonderful, friendly people. Mark & Shane were accommodating for our late arrival (7pm) and late departure (2pm). Shane is a good cook & didn't even let on when I asked for something unfamiliar. He also went grocery some for us every 3 days or so. There aren't any keys, but locked gates with keypads to access both the house & the beach side club house. You're in the country, surrounded by nature, so there are bugs and other wildlife. The bug spray we brought didn't help lol. The house is close to the road. Even with the shutters closed and the a/c on, you can hear the trucks & motorcycles. The pool isn’t heated & needs to be repainted but it’s lovely to have a large pool to yourself. The deck/patio area is huge & we dined outside for all of our meals. Even though there’s a breeze, we should have taken a fan outside to divert the mosquitos. Pros - It's a large space all to yourself. It's your own private resort! All bedrooms have a/c that works very well & their own bathroom (not ensuite, but not a big deal IMHO). The property is wired for sound! We used the wireless speakers by the pool and the beach. The beach club house is very cool!!! With a bedroom (that has a/c & tv), bathroom & bar! There’s even a portable speaker if you want to take it down to the water. This makes the property unique and ideal for a group of friends or a few couples. Sunsets from the club house are beautiful and it’s fun to watch the birds fishing! Cons - The beds were hard for us. I would have liked to have gotten more sun & spent more time on the beach. At the time we were visiting (Jan), the sun wouldn’t reach the pool loungers until 12 pm & beach side, there was a tree partially shading the sun. The tides were high during our visit, so there was no beach to enjoy. The tide would eventually recede, exposing some wet sand. Mark had advised the beach varied in size. Can’t blame Mother Nature and we made the best of our stay by the pool. If you’re looking for the Ritz or Sandals, this isn’t it. If you can look past the tiny flaws, it’s simply amazing! It was the perfect first experience for us. Thank you Mark for hosting us and thank you Shane, Pansy & Neville for taking care of us!

We stayed at Great escape from 9/12/22-9/19/22 for our honeymoon. The property is well kept and the staff is amazing. We spent our days lounging at the private beech or on the pool deck. Mark our driver was timely in airport transfers and taking us to excursions. The house staff was kind and Shane was absolutely wonderful. He arranged excursions for us as well as cooked the most fabulous meals. We felt like we made wonderful friends. We cant wait to go back in 2023 for our anniversary. Mark ( the owner) was also easy to communicate with!

The property and staff are absolutely amazing! From the beautiful and secluded grounds, wonderful food, authentic hospitality, and cultural adventures....we had a true Jamaican experience! We travel quite frequently and this is one trip that we will never forget. We are looking forward to our return!

This is our second time at Great Escape. I didn’t think it was possible for it to be better than the first time (2015), but it was. I love the staff, the house, the beach, the location. As I said five years ago, this is the Jamaica you won’t find in a resort. It is wonderful.

The property was lovely. A large patio, pool and private beach. And a skilled cook who loves preparing meals. We enjoyed breakfasts and suppers, we went exploring during the days . The beach waves were awesome. Who could ask for more?

Beautiful, well-equipped and with very helpful staff.