There are somewhere around fifty villas along the six miles of coast that make up Treasure Beach. They range from simple two-bedroom cottages to large staffed estates, and the difference between them matters more here than it would in a resort town.
We own one of them, so treat this as informed rather than neutral. But the questions below are the ones we would ask if we were booking somewhere else, and most listing sites do not answer them.
Short answer
Short answer: choose by three things, in this order — whether you want staff, which of the four coves you stay in, and whether you are beachfront or hilltop. Bedroom count matters far less than people expect. In Treasure Beach, expect to pay roughly US$100–150 a night for a small self-catering cottage, US$300–600 for a mid-size villa with some staff, and US$600–1,200 for a large fully-staffed property sleeping eight to twelve.
Staffed or self-catering?
This is the biggest single difference, and the one people underestimate.
A staffed villa comes with some combination of cook, housekeeper, groundskeeper and driver. Meals appear, the pool stays clean, and someone local can arrange your boat trip. You pay for the staff either in the rate or as a gratuity at the end, usually around 15%.
A self-catering villa is cheaper on paper. But Treasure Beach has no supermarket of any size, restaurants are spread out, and you will be driving to eat. For a week with a family, the staffed option often costs less overall and is considerably less work.
Ask specifically: is the cook included, or charged separately? Are groceries included? Most villas here include the cook’s labour but not the food.
Which of the four coves?
Treasure Beach is really four coves strung along six miles of coast, and which one you pick matters as much as which villa you book within it.
| Cove | Character | Walk to a restaurant? |
|---|---|---|
| Calabash Bay | The busiest. Jakes, Jack Sprat, most of the activity. | Yes |
| Frenchman’s Bay | Closest thing to a village centre, shops and bars | Yes |
| Billy’s Bay | Quietest, mostly villas, long empty sand | No — short drive |
| Great Pedro Bay | Eastern end, quiet, more residential | No — short drive |
If you are not renting a car, stay in Calabash or Frenchman’s Bay. In Billy’s Bay or Great Pedro Bay you will want a car or a regular driver.
Beachfront or hilltop?
Beachfront puts you on the sand and cuts the walk to zero, but hilltop villas usually cost less for the same size and often have the better view — the coastline curves, so a good hilltop position looks down over the water rather than just at it.
Butterfly Hill is hilltop, five minutes’ walk to Billy’s Bay. That is the trade-off we made ourselves, and we would make it again.
What to ask before you book
Is the cook’s labour included, or charged separately from groceries? What is the minimum stay? Is the staff gratuity built into the rate or added at checkout? Can you see guest reviews tied to verified stays, not just testimonials picked by the owner?
None of these are dealbreakers on their own. But a villa that answers them clearly, before you ask, is usually the one that runs well once you arrive.
Related reading: where to stay in Treasure Beach · booking direct vs Airbnb · book direct