Pelican Eyes... Piedras y Olas Hotel & Resort Hotel Photo
  San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua   Telephone: (505) 568-2110   Fax: (505) 568-2511   Email: reservations@piedrasyolas.com
Real Estate Investments

Testimonials

My wife and I visited San Juan del Sur to visit college friends and became enamored with the people, the country and the area. We looked at land to buy to build a home and at existing home for a retirement/vacation property. We chose Pelican Eyes...Piedras y Olas because of the exceptional design and construction of the homes, location of property, the affiliation with a foundation to assist the local citizens, and the quality of the staff and administration. Not an insignificant factor was that buying a “turn-key” home eliminated the very real financial headaches and emotional heartaches of building and owning a home in another country. The positive cash flow from the rental program has been icing on the cake.

The purchase was a leap of faith yet all of our expectations have been met or exceeded. The home, the landscaping, the capabilities and kindness of the staff are truly unbelievable. Our home, Casa Vista al Mar, is a source of pride for our family and one which we hope to share with friends and family for years to come.

There were more than a few raised eyebrows from people about our making this investment in Nicaragua, but after seeing our photos and hearing our stories, many are now eagerly looking at doing the same. We are encouraging family and any friends who’ll listen to become part of our life at Pelican Eyes...Piedras y Olas Hotel and Resort.

Richard (& Betty) Garrett, Eckert, CO

One of the greatest decisions my wife and I have made in many years was to purchase a villa at Pelican Eyes...Piedras y Olas. At first, we were a bit uncertain about the security of an investment so far away from home and in a country we frankly knew practically nothing about. But over the past year, as we have come to experience first hand Pelican Eyes...Piedras y Olas management, staff, and overall philosophy, all of our fears have disappeared. As the gorgeous home we purchased nears completion, we now fully realize what a treasure we have discovered.

Perhaps above all we have learned this past year that the greatest single asset of Nicaragua is its wonderful, friendly people, and Chris Berry, Jean Brugger, and their staff at Pelican Eyes...Piedras y Olas have had the foresight to understand this. They have found ways to make their beautiful resort both a private retreat AND a vital part of the local community. Most notably, through a foundation funded by profits from the resort, Pelican Eyes...Piedras y Olas makes important contributions to various individuals and organizations in San Juan del Sur . By doing so, they have improved the lives of hundreds of Nicaraguans. For us, a big part of our motivation and enjoyment in becoming investors in Pelican Eyes...Piedras y Olas has been the knowledge that we're helping to pay tribute to these great people.

Nicaragua's other singular natural asset is, of course, its stunning beauty, and our experience is that there is simply no developer in the country more devoted to realizing that natural beauty than Pelican Eyes...Piedras y Olas. When my wife and I first toured the community Chris is building, we were amazed by everything from extraordinarily high construction standards to the meticulous landscaping surrounding each building. There is a reason for this devotion to quality, and it quickly becomes obvious to even a casual observer; his name is Chris Berry. There is simply no important detail about the resort that Chris fails to oversee personally, right down to the tile finishes in the bathroom sinks. This is the kind of management that every owner of vacation property dreams about, especially when that property is far from home.

In summation, from the moment we made the decision to build our home at Pelican Eyes...Piedras y Olas, Chris and his staff have surprised us only by exceeding our expectations. Every concern we have expressed has been addressed, and every question answered. We could not possibly be more enthusiastic about Pelican Eyes...Piedras y Olas or more grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it for many years to come.

Buzz and Connie Dow, Columbus, OH

Our experience has been better than we could have ever hoped. The house is beautiful, even nicer than we expected it would be. The real estate market there is booming, so the property has appreciated. But, most of all, the Pelican Eyes...Piedras y Olas experience -- the staff, the service, the special atmosphere -- would be difficult to equal anywhere in the world. We love that our home is be part of the hotel. We don't have to worry about it, it is rented, taken care of, and it isn't a drain on us of our savings.

Asked if I would recommend a purchase at Pelican Eyes...Piedras y Olas to a friend, I have to say I already have! A friend who had no intention of buying at Pelican Eyes...Piedras y Olas went down there to investigate other property. While staying in our home in Pelican Eyes...Piedras y Olas, he spent days looking at properties up and down the coast. Finally he knew that he had found what he was looking for, a beautiful home in an unique environment. And as he was leaving he purchased his own tropical getaway in Pelcan Eyes.

Karen Dovey, Louisville, CO

We first saw Piedras y Olas from a distance as we explored San Juan del Sur. We climbed a hill in town to get a better view of the bay. As I expected, it was breathtaking. The view reminded me of Portifino in Italy: the way you see it from the city with the boats in the harbor. then I turned around to see what was behind me. What I saw was just as charming. A church tower in the distance and behind it on a hill, I saw Piedras y Olas. A white structure with a soaring white roof and behind it a cluster of white, red tiled roof villas nestled in the trees with acres of green forest behind. That image drew me in.

What we found was home.

That was two years ago. They say that home is where the heart is. What we have here is our heart's desire. We are among friends who not only care about us but have a true commitment to the city, the people and the country. And they are making a difference in this world. That is important to us. The Foundation is one of the main reasons we bought at Piedras y Olas and the other is, of course, what we saw. Quality craftsmanship and construction, a design that definitely appealed to us and management that went out of its way to see that we were happy. We are happy.

Investing and building in a foreign country isn't an easy decision to make. I have to admit that after I returned home I wondered if we had done the right thing. The owners were wonderful, keeping us informed, sending pictures of progress and explaining the delays that were occasioned by the rainy season when progress was slowed. Nine months after we signed our contract we walked into our new home.

Now we come here every three months to enjoy our villa. Every time we arrive we find that Piedras y Olas has grown more and kept their commitment to service and to just keep getting better. We have started our own non-profit here to help the people in the Rio San Juan area. We look forward to the day we can make Piedras y Olas our permanent home.

Mary and Wayne Evitt, Lafayette, LA

There is a term I became familiar with early in my mission adventures in Nicaragua; " networking". It is used to describe vital contacts with helpful, like-minded individuals and institutions. Someone knows someone that can do something in the form of facilitation. This is how I came to meet Jean Brugger and Chris Berry in the Spring of 2000. I remember Chris saying that he was "building a hotel in San Juan del Sur, but that it was not your typical hotel". An overnight visit to San Juan del Sur enlightened me to the broad scope of the project, which includes the Fundacion A. Jean Brugger. I am a teacher and from a family in which education is of the highest priority. It seemed a perfect opportunity to get in on the ground floor.

I felt very safe and secure knowing that Chris was an attorney and working toward dual citizenship. It also helped to know he had U.S. embassy connections.

Absolutely everything I was led to believe would happen with the project has happened, and more. The value of my initial investment has soared. I enjoy being able to talk about "The Foundation" before mentioning the beautiful hillside site of the hotel and private homes; the wonderful food and service in the restaurant and the spectacular views and sunsets.

I now have a beautiful home there to use and share with family and friends, not to mention rental income as well. Quality and attention to detail are evident in every corner of the project. All this said, it is clearly a unique setting in a country with a blossoming tourist industry, where people are friendly and life is abundant. I am anxious to retire and become a permanent fixture there.

Greg Houston, Kansas City, MO

Five years ago, at the suggestion of a friend from New Hampshire, I took a trip to SJDS. I had been looking for a place to settle in anticipation of retirement for some time---the Caribbean, Venezuela, Mexico, Panama, etc. I was surprised by the natural beauty of San Juan, the openness and friendliness of the people (North Americans were not always welcomed where I had been ), and the values in food, drink, real estate, etc.

I was also concerned by many a horror story told by foreigners who have invested in the area only to find that ownership of their land was contested, that construction costs doubled or tripled once the house construction was underway, that completion dates were regularly dragged out months from what was promised, and that the workmanship was shoddy – enough to get most thinking folks on the next plane to Miami.

I don't remember how I first met Chris Berry, but I may have been walking on his land. Chris explained his vision for the development of the property consistent with quality, style, and a minimally intrusive construction plan. Having been in both the development and hospitality industry for years, I found it easy to buy in to his vision.

But--I proceeded cautiously.

Relying completely on Chris's design ability, I ordered my first house with the proviso that I would add an adjacent guest house if I was satisfied with the product. I was blown away. My houses were delivered on time, on budget, and of a quality and style that is second to none.

The horror stories continue in Nicaragua as the land grab continues----but no horror stories here. I built in anticipating or retirement, not as an investment, but quite an investment it has turned out to be----and with the foundation that is supported substantially by Pelican Eyes...Piedras y Olas investing in the education (future) of local children, you can be part of an effort that is making a difference.

Peter Gould, Lincoln, NH

 

 

 

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