Review - Caroni Bird Sanctuary and Guesthouse
Recently Aria and myself were talking about the many beach themed hotels and resorts that are opening, and Aria remarked that SL is missing a good tropical themed hotel or resort.
As a result, It was good to come across the new Caroni Bird Sanctuary and Guesthouse.
Created by Nailah (nailah.carlucci), it was inspired by the wetlands in her native Trinidad and Tobago. It's quite small, but really nicely done, and though currently free, Nailah is looking at turning it into a nightly rental couple's retreat.
Overall look and feel
According to Nailah, there's a direct RL connection with the Caroni - "I'm from Trinidad and Tobago and I live close to these wetlands. There is a lot of wildlife and a lot of flamingos and our national bird, the scarlet ibis. They flock together and it's really beautiful - a sea of red, so I thought it would be nice to display it here."
As a result the Caroni includes a guesthouse with a downstairs communal area, a small, attractive pool, and an upstairs with a guest room, bathroom and small spa.
There's a nature reserve in front of the Caroni with birds, butterflies, and a lake (Nailah told me there is a small reef there, though I personally ddidn't check it out), with plenty of places to sit and hang out.
It's really well designed and landscaped, and quite a lot has been put into a small space without making it seem cramped.
There are also little touches and details you won't see elsewhere, for example the (working) chess set in the games area is a Masai chess set.
Overall - 4.5 / 5
The rooms
There is only one room, which is why this is a perfect place for couples to rent out over a night or weekend. As mentioned, though the Caroni is free right now, the plan is indeed to make it available for rent.
Personally I think that makes sense as first of all you buy privacy and exclusivity as a couple, and it's also only fair that Nailah recoups some of what she put in.
The room has a bed, a sitting area, African artwork on the wall, and a giant bird mural on the far wall, which you will also find in the bathroom.
The bedroom is quite simple, but then this is not a normal hotel or resort and so needs to be seen in the context of the rest of the rest of the guesthouse.
Overall - 3.5 / 5
The facilities
This is not a big place, but still there is a fair amout here. There is a small pool and bar, a large indoor living room and a games area. The games, which as mentioned includes a Masai Chess set.
The nature reserve includes cuddle spots, a swim area, and a small reef you can dive to.
Overall 3.5 / 5
The animations
The bedoom has a Bazar Maldives Adult bed, while the bath in spa is from Apple Falls. There are Nerenzo adult loungers by the pool.
The water area / lake behind the villa has swim animations
Overall 3.5 / 5
Other considerations
Is it adult? Yes
Lag. I experienced very little managing 15fps on ultra on a macbook pro
Prices. Free for now, that will change, we will add the prices once Nailah decides on them
You can rez poses, there is an auto return system in place
Overall
In many ways it's a shame that the Caroni isn't spread over a full sim, as it would really work, and it would be something a bit different for an SL Resort. However, the bottom line is that Nailah has created a beautiful retreat that is highly recommended for a couples getaway.
