OK, before going into the nitty gritty of my review, I must provide disclosure: I've been a guest at SeGate Hotel since the mid 1980's, and for a period of about 15 years, stayed at the property at least a dozen times. My stay of 17 nights, prior to Christmas 2015 and through January 5, 2016, was a visit after a 10 year absence. My last stay in 2005 was when I was seriously considering retiring to Vieques, and was looking at properties.
PHYSICAL PLANT -
Much has been enhanced since 2005, which added to the positive aspects of this visit. All rooms are now air conditioned, and while ceiling fans and floor fans are also present, the AC certainly helps when it is humid and there is little air circulation. Modems now provide wi-fi access, in the past, we literally ran a wire from guest room 6 to the office!
SeaGate's long-time owner, Penny Miller, is an animal lover, and was one of the key people involved with the establishment of the Vieques Humane Society and Animal Rescue back in the last 1970's. In the past, many of Penny's rescue animals roamed the property freely, so it was not unusual for guests, like myself, to befriend a pure bred sato* while a guest. To our disappointment, there was only one dog roaming freely during this stay, and that was Miss Fuzzi. Miss Fuzzi is a rescue of Penny's, and is actually quite famous. She has a book written about her, for sale at SeaGate and on-line, and is very sweet. In fact, after consultation with Penny, David, the book's author [who happened to be a guest while we were there], and Miss Fuzzi, we had Miss Fuzzi paw print a bunch of books, which I purchased and gifted when home.
SeaGate is maintained in an immaculate manner, but don't expect any of the linens, pillow cases, towels or furntiure coverings or pillows in the efficiency rooms to match one another. It's not that kind of place. Everything is clean, spotless, maintained by daily diligent maids, but no match-matchy stuff. The mattress was incredibly comfortable, as were the pillows, which is critical for any stay, anywhere in the world.
Buffet breakfast is served daily in the office, with fresh strong Puerto Rican coffee, juices, local baked breads, cheeses, and locally laid eggs, along with fresh fruit which might have been picked from trees a few hours earlier. A few tables are on a terrace near the office, for dining al fresco, but you'll be joined by many flies, so be prepared. Or, bring the food back to your room. Never got sick from any of the food, and its communal setting provides an opportunity to meet other guests, many foreign.
MANAGEMENT- Penny Miller is the owner, and has been on the island since the mid 1980's full-time. I am biased, but anyone who has visited SeaGate would agree: Penny is a charming, loving, caring person. She goes out of her way to make sure her guests are comfortable, informed, and taken care of during their stay. She used to mange the property with her parents, Ruthye and John Miller, incredible pioneers and leaders in the development of Vieques as unique get away over the years. After their deaths, Penny was joined by her niece Kelly Lennon. Kelly is exceedingly business-like, can be abrupt to the point of being outright rude. I would recommend you deal with Penny on all matters during your stay, it will be that much more pleasant. Hopefully, Kelly will soften her attitude as time passes, or move on to another venture which is more suited to her personality. [Kelly, did you fix the shower yet?]
HORSES: As part of Penny's long-time love affair with horses, she maintains land and stables for about 18 horses, almost all of them available for supervised trail rides. All of the horses are rescues, many of them were born on the property. Most are calm, some are a bit more spunky than others. They are all exceedingly well cared for. If you really don't like horses, and the odor of manure, and the sightings of the horses being led from the compound on the rides, consider staying someone else. Reuben heads up the horse riding, cares for the horses with love and care, and has been at SeaGate since the 1980's. He is a awesome guy, full of incredible stories, always with a smile on his face. He is #beyondcool.
LOCATION: SeaGate is located at the top of a steep hill, about a 15 minute walk from the plaza in Isabella II. Your rooms will likely look over the Fort, mainlined by the Historic Trust, which you should not miss rising during your stay. Most of the rooms had spectacular views of the ocean, and there was not a day when we did not have rainbows to look at. Note, the road which leads up to SeaGate is, literally, a #hotmess. It is littered with garbage, has abandoned cars without wheels parked on one side. Many dogs roam all of the streets in Vieques (I'll cover this in another review), and this street is no exception. It is safe to walk or drive. The municipalty should be ashamed of the condition of this road, but don't take it out on Seagate! read more