From Charming Beach Cottages to
Fully Staffed Villas for Rent in the Caribbean

LA COLINA
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
 5+ Bedrooms with Bathrooms En Suite (Sleeps 12)

Located in the most beautiful part of Punta Cana, La Colina is a treasure – on every level. It was designed for one of America’s most esteemed decorators and her husband, who is an equally renowned antiques dealer. Working with their architect, the owners fused their love of Palladio and of southern houses, where main living spaces are often on the piano nobile (2^nd floor). The result is a luminous and classically proportioned two-story house made of coquina and hand-troweled stucco. Every inch – inside and out – is visually glorious.

Stone columns covered in creeping fig and draped with lavender petrea lead to the graveled and lushly planted entrance courtyard with a large fountain against one wall and a pair of graceful circular staircases leading up to of the two deep porches on the 2^nd floor. Together they flank the 30’ x 50’ living room, which has Monticello style triple-hung windows on both sides. Opening to a height of 8 ft., they allow the almost constant Atlantic tradewinds to flow through the high-ceilinged room and for ocean views. Hidden off to one side of the house is a spectacular Palladian style guest house and a heated pool with broad steps at each end, which was designed to be large enough to reflect this graceful building in its water. Surrounding both houses are wonderfully laid out exotic gardens connected by stone paths. Though the décor is beautiful and full of great objets, the house is very cozy. It is proof, as one of the owners said, “Comfort and chic can coexist.” And at La Colina, they do in spades.

As the owner’s travel schedules have increased, they are unable to spend as much time as they would like at La Colina and so, for the first time, this fantastic house is available for rent. Several friends, who have stayed there, agree other than to play golf or swim in the ocean, there is no reason to leave the property. Guests are met at the nearby airport and from then on, they do not have to lift a finger. The superb staff of five, which includes an excellent majordomo and cook, is as meticulous to detail as are the owners. Making La Colina even more wonderful is that all meals and evening hors d'oeuvres, which are served in various locations around the house and grounds, and all drinks are included so guests really can focus on total relaxation and having fun. The majordomo will even drive guests in the La Colina’s SUV and 6-person golf cart. Across the road from the house is a small sandy beach and there are larger ones nearby as well as tennis courts and a world-class golf course designed by P.B. Dye.  For residents of this tropical paradise, who include a very chic clothing designer and his philanthropist wife, an internationally famous singer and a former ballet superstar, this small and very secure enclave is a true retreat.

Ground Floor

• West porch with a sitting area and dining table seating 10
• East porch with a sitting area and 2 dining tables for 6 each that can be pushed together
• Powder room
• Kitchen and pantry
• Library with a 50” flat screen TV and lots of DVDs
• Office with a computer with high-speed Internet access and fax
• Lavender bedroom with a four-poster canopied king-size bed and bathroom with a tub and shower
• Yellow bedroom with Biedermeier twin sleigh beds set in the center of the room, rare early 19^th c. wallpaper panels and bathroom with a tub and shower

Second (Main) Floor (accessed by interior and exterior staircases)

• East porch with several sitting areas, a table for 4 and a view across the garden to the ocean
• West porch with a dining table seating 10 and sitting area
• Large living room with two sitting areas with French doors and triple-hung windows on both sides
• Bar with a fridge and icemaker
• Powder room
• Master bedroom with a canopied king-size bed, French doors opening to the porch, dressing room and large bathroom with a tub and separate shower

Guest House

• Loggia with a sitting area
• Small kitchen with a sink, fridge, icemaker, and 2 burners
• Powder room
• Green bedroom with a canopied queen-size bed and bathroom with a shower
• Pink bedroom with a canopied queen-size bed and bathroom with a shower

Studio Cottage (2^nd floor accessed by a coquina staircase with a thumbergia covered archway)

• Large, airy room with a beamed and pitched ceiling. At one end is a table, easel and painting supplies and at the other, a sitting area with two twin day beds. French doors open to a balcony with an ocean view. Separate w/c with a sink and separate tub. This charming room is best for teenagers or a nanny and child.

Amenities
All bedrooms have air-conditioning, telephone, screened and louvered French doors and bathroom en suite; computer with high-speed Internet access; fax machine; satellite TV; DVD with over 400 movies; ceiling fans in every room; herb and vegetable garden for fresh produce; pool/beach towels and i-Pod sound docks

Staff
Excellent and very nice staff of 5 indoors and gardeners. Pablo, the majordomo, speaks English fluently and has been with the owners since the house was built.

Notes

• There are 3 adorable and happy dogs who live at the house. They roam around the walled property by day and Pablo takes them away in the evening. They don’t pay much attention to guests and don’t enjoy the pool. However, should guests prefer, the dogs can be kept in the staff house.
• The house is available for either Christmas or New Year's week but not both.
• Other than something to read on the plane, no need to bring any books as the house has the best collection of biographies, novels, memoirs and great “coffee table books.”
• Two things guests love: each morning Pablo walks through the gardens with a basket collecting fresh eggs from the free-range chickens for breakfast and when guests are in the room above the kitchen, in the morning oranges are squeezed manually rather than using a noisy electric juicer.