The property looked fantastic on the HomeAway website, and the rave reviews led us to believe our eyes. But it was even better than we expected. The house is spacious, the view amazing, the facilities top notch. We were five adults—my wife and I, our two children, ages 28 and 26, and our daughter's boy friend, 34. The house afforded privacy when we wanted it, which was rarely, and the shared spaces were big enough that we never felt in each others' way. The kitchen was well equipped, linens and towels plentiful, and Martina, the housekeeper, was on hand every day and prepared a fabulous shrimp stew our last night. WiFi was reliable and fast. There was nothing lacking.
Being situated in Puerto Bahia was another huge plus. The Bannister Hotel's facilities were available. In fact, when my son injured his toe, the hotel called a doctor, who tended it without charge in the hotel's up-to-date infirmary. The Cafe del Mar has wonderful food and a lovely infinity pool—from which, if you wanted to, you could descend by ladder and swim in the bay. Puerto Bahia was serene and beautiful and great to return to after a day on the road to Las Terrenas or Playa Rincon. Samana was a five-minute drive, and big enough to have ATMs, pharmacies, supermarkets, etc.