Island Villas | Island Villas

October 16, 2014

Barbados Historic Properties: The Story of Sam Lord’s Castle

If these walls could talk… Many Barbados properties are filled with stories of drama and intrigue from years gone by. One such property on the island is the infamous Sam Lord’s Castle, a beautiful Georgian mansion in St. Philip. Built between 1819-1820, this Barbados historic property was home to the controversial rogue, Samuel Hall Lord – a notorious figure in Bajan folklore. It is alleged that Lord was appointed Trustee for his family members in London before disappearing with all of the money. He resurfaced on the island of Barbados where he used his new found wealth to build the impressive mansion, Sam Lord’s Castle. Known for its battlements, marble…

September 19, 2014

Barbados Historic Properties: The Charm of the Chattel House

This week our tour of Barbados historic properties continues and Island Villas is stepping back in time at Tyrol Cot. After our walk through the impressive main house, we venture in to the Chattel House Museum, a collection of structures depicting traditional Barbados properties from the 1800s right up to when slavery was abolished in Barbados. The term chattel house dates back to the days of the plantations when plantation workers lived in moveable structures, modest wooden buildings that could be lifted as needed. They were moveable because the land did not belong to the workers so you had to be prepared to move at a moment’s notice. An…

September 11, 2014

Exploring Barbados Historic Properties: A Visit to Tyrol Cot

The island of Barbados has a rich history and vibrant culture beckoning travelers from near and wide to our shores. Visitors to the island are encouraged to stop at any of the Barbados heritage sites that tell our unique story and provide a glimpse into the history of this piece of paradise. This week we take a tour of Tyrol Cot Heritage Village, a stunning architectural achievement that is the creation and property of the Barbados National Trust. The main house, Tyrol Cot, stands out among other Barbados historic properties as this was the home of Sir Grantley Adams, leader of the Barbados independence movement. The house is an interesting…

August 25, 2014

Barbados’ Property Market Boom

Barbados properties continue to attract significant interest from overseas investors. Recent reports from local real estate experts, Island Villas, indicate that sales in the last 12 months have grown by as much as 25%, a welcome boost to the Barbados property market. The most popular properties for sale fall in the multi-million dollar range, however, the island has a wide range of offerings for different budgets. As the only independent boutique real estate company with international experience on the island, Island Villas has a diverse portfolio and it is expected that sales will experience a further boost in the coming year. Barbados’ popularity is due in part to the island’s…

August 21, 2014

Island Villas Driving into the Future with Megapower

Local real estate company, Island Villas, has teamed up with Megapower to promote the use of electric vehicles in Barbados. “As a company that works within the tourism and hospitality sector we believe that it is our responsibility to incorporate more energy efficient and environmentally friendly practices into our daily operations,” says Richard Eames, Managing Director of Island Villas, “We support the efforts of Megapower because not only are they introducing the zero emission Nissan leaf to the island, they have also constructed a large solar panel recharging centre providing owners free clean energy.” Speaking at the unveiling of Island Villas’ new Nissan Leaf, Richard also highlighted the great…

July 21, 2014

Battaleys Mews: A Real Estate Success Story

The year is 2009 and Barbados, like much of the world, is in the throes of the economic recession. Sales of real estate have slowed and many developments on the island are struggling to attract interest from investors and visitors alike. One such development is the attractive Battaleys Mews, a community of luxury townhouses situated steps away from Mullins Beach. At the time of construction Battaleys was hailed for its spacious rooms, modern kitchens, plunge pools on the patio of each unit and other unique details that made the development stand out from others on Barbados’ Platinum Coast. As the economic situation worsened Battaleys Mews went into administration and the…

June 5, 2014

Island Villas Celebrates World Environment Day 2014

June 5 is World Environment Day and the IV team is proud to reinforce its commitment to going green. Since establishing its Go Green campaign several years ago the company has successfully incorporated many eco friendly practices into their daily operations. Some of our successes to date are: The installation of recycling bins at the IV main office, at the Lantana resort, the Battaleys Mews development and other properties The use of eco friendly cleaning products in all IV properties The installation of LED lighting Promotion of a paperless office – encouraging the use of e-billing and limited use of paper The installation of energy efficient air conditioning units…

June 4, 2014

What about a Barbados ‘Babymoon’?

Every expectant mother deserves a luxury vacation that includes sun, fun and not having to lift a finger except to ask for another foot rub. Barbados ticks all those boxes – just ask Rachel Bilson, one of our favourite celebs and a longtime fan of the island. Rachel and her longtime love, Hayden Christensen, were spotted lounging on the beach in Barbados shortly after it was made public that she is indeed pregnant with the couple’s first child. Following Rachel’s lead we wanted to figure out what exactly makes Barbados the best spot for a ‘Babymoon’. Here are our top 5 reasons: 1) Nothing says ‘Happy Momma’ like a…

June 2, 2014

Terrific Top Gear in Barbados

F1 cars, drifting, racing and all of the thrills, spills and excitement of a day at the track. That was the talk when popular BBC Programme, Top Gear, rolled into town. The Barbados Top Gear Festival was a HUGE success – after all, how often do you get to see 2 LEGENDS, the one and only Lewis Hamilton, in his V8 Mercedes F1 car and the street sensation Ken Block, in his Rallycross Ford Fiesta, going head to head? We still get goosebumps just thinking about it…WOW! Other highlights from the weekend included The Stig, classic Top Gear moments and the Red Bull Rallycross drivers. It was AMAZING and Barbados was…

June 1, 2014

She Said YES! A fish cutter leads to a ring in Barbados

So it’s been a while since the IV team has added to our blog. What does this mean? That now we have even more updates and exciting things to fill you in on. Barbados is BUZZING and the IV team is readier than ever for the summer #IVcountdown #stay&play To kick things off let’s start with a bit of romance, excitement and a whole lotta LOVE. The IV team wants to send CONGRATULATIONS to NY Post reporter, Stephanie Smith, and her partner, Eric Schulte!!! 300 Sandwiches lead to a ring in Barbados. Stephanie is the creator of popular blog 300sandwiches.com. Three years ago, Eric uttered the now famous line, “Honey,…

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