Shortens Guest House is reminiscent of California in the 1960s and the substantial gardens are an interesting mix of restrained tropical abundance. Tall trees strewn with bougainvilleas, palms (trees and scrubs), green grass, white stucco, covered porches, and a pool conjures up the picture of tall, cool drinks and bathing suits. Being wintertime, what we actually experienced was breakfast and afternoon tea taken out on the verandah in the true English fashion. The local’s accent is even tinged with a bit of British.
As delightful as the exterior was, our guesthouse was a disappointment. Small, cramped, and smelling of mildew, we only spent enough time to wash up and sleep. The English influence continues inside the room with chintz curtains, floral chair cushions, and a coverlet on the queen size bed. A tea setup is provided, but I had to be careful not to topple it getting out of bed. A small alcove in the corner, next to a built-in wardrobe, had a table, mirror, and stool which I soon covered with my toiletries and put made that side of the room off limits to my husband who could not comfortably negotiate the space anyway. His side was crammed with two chairs and a small table. He moved the chairs out to the covered porch, kept the small table for his toiletries, and our larger suitcase took over the space the chairs had occupied. Our small suitcase was stashed in the wardrobe.
The bathroom did have a large tub, and since we were sore from a vigorous hike two days before, the tub was heaven-sent. There was also a shower, but very little space around the sink, hence using the tables in the bedroom for our toiletries.
Shortens Guest House is a bed-and-breakfast guesthouse and the food made up for what was lacking in the room. The friendliness of the staff was another plus. Desmond and Wayne are the managers and greeted us warmly, offering sherry in front of a roaring fire in the evenings and tea in the afternoon.