We had a brilliant stay at Villa Romans. This was our first family holiday abroad: me, my self-employed workaholic wife and our energetic 6 year old. This place was perfect for us.
We were greeted by the Villa's owners, Xisca and Toni, and with a combination of their English, my six words of Spanish and the Google Translate app (which is a marvel), we were settled in quickly with some basics and treats waiting for us in the fridge.
The villa was spacious, clean, tidy and modern, the kitchen modern and really well equipped (the photos are a good reflection), and the views from every window spectacular. The bedrooms were great with a super king in the main bedroom, two singles in the second bedroom, with a third roll-out bed for those with more adventurous parenting goals. Both bedrooms had air conditioning units, along with the living space. The bedrooms and living room had shutters and blinds, and all of the doors and windows had fly screens, so we were gloriously bug-free throughout our stay. Of course, with a six year old, the WiFi and smart TV was important too, which worked seamlessly throughout our stay. There was plenty of 4G signal too, for fans of international roaming!!
The outdoor spaces were amazing, as suspected from the pictures. This villa is in a rural area, but a short distance from Sa Pobla, so the tranquility was amazing, other than the odd passing tractor, a bit of local traffic during the day, and an hour of field-ploughing one afternoon. The pool was kept beautifully clean by Toni each morning, which was good, as there were a few invaders during the day, with the odd ant or wasp landing in the pool. The net was always on hand to fish the odd one out.
The pool area was partially sheltered by the conifers, and a substantial umbrella covered the sunbeds. For the sun-worshippers among us, there were more sunbeds on the lawn. A built-in barbecue, and sun terrace with tables and chairs (which got the sun all day) made for a great setting.
The amenities were brilliant. An outdoor shower next to the pool, and a utility room next to the pool with a toilet, shower cubicle and washing machine made life much easier as you didn't have to drip your way through the apartment if you needed the loo. It also meant we didn't have to come home with two suitcases full of washing!! The addition of the half basketball court (and ball) was brilliant too. I think I got more fun out of this than my son.
The plot which the villa is set in is massive, with some fruit trees, an olive grove and what looked like a small vineyard. No maintenance was done with these during our stay (so no disturbance), but it was lovely to see the land being used to grow local produce. The plot was totally secure, with electric gates and fencing all the way round, so felt very safe for Charlie to run about to his heart's content.
I wouldn't have wanted to walk to Sa Pobla as we stayed in late July where it was a cloudless 30 degrees each day, but it was definitely walkable. It was a quick and easy drive to two supermarkets on the edge of the town, and the main square just a short distance away. Parking was easy as there was plenty of on-street parking (which was free) just a couple of blocks walk from the main square.
Xisca recommended that we go into to town on Wednesday evening, as a couple of the tapas places cater for the whole square for a big party with live music, which was great, and the recommendation for 'Bar Casa Miss' was spot-on (definitely worth going back for their normal menu, which we did too).
If you are looking for a quiet, family-friendly escape, look no further. We had to step-up a price category from what we'd hoped to spend to meet my wife's long list of demands, but they were met here. A lovely villa, with a short drive to the beach, its own private swimming pool, quiet, with easy access to local bars and restaurants, and somewhere that was fresh and modern. All the boxes were ticked, and on the rare occasion we had any issues, a quick WhatsApp message was followed by a rapid response and a visit from Toni.
We would happily return to this villa, and have only good things to say about the hosts, who were warm, kind and eager to make our stay as comfortable as possible. To keep my son entertained and my wife relaxed without work is a difficult task, but this place made it easy.
Thank you!