My wife and I took our first trip to Bonaire as relatively new divers. We wanted to stay at an upscale resort, understanding that Bonaire is not St. Bart. We were found that the property itself was more than we expected. It was really well designed and maintained. The rooms were large, very well furnished with very large clean bathrooms. My wife really liked the great shower, bathtub, and amenities, (robes, toiletries, etc.).

However, it is clear that the property far exceeds the guest service. Where is everyone? The cleaning and grounds staff seem do a good job but reception and bellman service were really amateur for a “resort” with rates as high as they are. The whole stay seemed to be self-serve. We went on a package deal but it took quite a bit of asking at reception to figure out what was or was not included for meals, dives, etc. Furthermore, we essentially had to give ourselves an orientation to the property and the dive operations.

Checking in an out was a circus. The morning after we arrived,after essentially checking ourselves in the night before, the reception staff seemed to have no idea what the dive shop was doing when we inquired about dive times, orientation dive, etc. Worst of all, there was no coordination or real interest in helping us figure it out either. We had to go to the hotel next door, Eden Rock, to rent our gear and get the required Bonaire dive orientation since the dive masters were “tied up” all day and the woman managing the dive shop seemed to be inconvenienced by our questions. See a theme here.

That put us one day behind on diving in a five day trip. (We never did get all out pre-paid dives in.) In addition, we found it puzzling that the dive shop was really not interested in providing PADI classes. We had wanted to take Peak Performance Buoyancy and Nitrox but just ran into too many scheduling roadblocks. It may be that they get so many experienced divers that they are not well set up to give training. On the other hand, we did like the dive masters and dive boat once we figured out the system. It just seemed to take so much effort. (We were actually impressed with the Eden Rock dive operations next door.)

To give you just one example of the poor service, I bought some good Dutch beer at the large grocery store in town to enjoy back in the room after a dive. I needed a bottle opener. None in the room, reception had no idea where to get one so I went to the bar and asked to borrow one. One of the waiters lent me hers but I had to bring it back immediately. They should be embarrassed I had to traipse around asking for something so basic. Reception, this is your job.

We really liked Bonaire and will definitely go back. However, we’ll try one of the other resorts. The rooms may not be as nice but at least we won’t be paying for services we never got.

What is there not to say about this place?

The atmosphere was amazing! Palms and Trees, and Shrubs all culminated together to create a feeling of refresh. Every day, you saw something new and more beautiful! The palms lined the beach to create picturesque spots with unparalleled views of the ocean! the hotel also has 24 hour security with a security gate that you need a code for the enter the property. The management usually tells you this code. It also has a clubhouse with pool tables and books.

The rooms were exceptional! alof of people make a big fuss of mosquito nets over the beds, but we used them and during our entire trip, did not find one mosquito. After about 30 mins of sitting inside of it, it is almost not there and you grow quite comfortable with it. the tv has many many many american stations including ABC, NBC, CNN, TNT, USA, cartoon channels for the kids, and many movie channels. the bathroom was also quite large and had a separate vanity. all of this included two storage closets and many droars and towels for the pool and beach.

The pool is quite small, but is still large enough to have a splash and get wet. It has a nice deck with lounge chairs and umbrellas. i am someone who usually likes the pool WAY more than the beach/ocean, but here, the beach/ocean was where i spent most of my time.

The staff was Fantastic! The managers were extremely friendly including Sytsey (seet say) ( i probably spelled it wrong.) He was very friendly, welcoming, and willing to help you with any troubles you would have. He would greet you when you would walk by, see if you need anything, and if everything was okay. The staff really gets to know you about half way through your trip.

The food was Great, but just a little too international. Their breakfast and Lunch menu were VERY good and had things like burgers, salads, pancakes, english muffins etc. the dinner menu included things that seemed a little odd, but they were still very very good. and if those dinner items don't seem too tempting, the island offers EXTREMELY EXCELLENT RESTAURANTS MINUTES FROM THE HOTEL!!!! such restaurants included Donna and Georgios, Capriccio, Bobbiejans, and many others.

The main town was great also. It had many island type shops and also many high end shops and was still asmall distance from the hotel.

The beach was white sandy and crystal clear water! Fish frequent the sand bar where you can stand just about 10 to 15 feet offshore. The restaurant also sits on rocks that you can swim around and see many many many marine life. The scuba diving here at the hotel is also amazing and the dive sites are truly unlike any other.

The spa was also amazing and very relaxing and calm. Offered an array of treatments!

All in all, this hotel really is 99.99 out of 10. everything was above and beyond our expectations and we really can see ourselves going back in the near future.

and for any information on Bonaire, i found the following site very helpful. Just sign up for a free account and any questions you want asked will be answered by people who have been to the island. the site is bonairetalk.com

Well, i hope anyone who reads this will decide to take this trip!
IT IS WELL WORTH IT!

This was our 6th time staying at this wonderful resort. We discovered the best rooms for divers, 112/114, two bedrooms and a lovely sitting area, we asked for a coffee pot and each day it was refreshed with coffee and sugar/cream. The dive shop is just across the way, Alphonso and Nolly will make your dives enjoyable. Food was excellent, and the people are very friendly, gave us restaurants to try, suggest Wil's Trop Grill, very innovative and also newly remodeled It Rains Fishes, some of the older restaurants are relying on their reputation. Fewer taxi cabs, more and more people are renting cars, we come in by private plane from Canouan, and had to have someone call a taxi for us, Harbour Village provides service, but we came in much earlier than planned. Flights are hard from tiny islands, but more and more airlines are making this a destination,. We think this island has been "found", divers know about it, but we saw more and more beach folk who didn't dive or snorkle at all. And more families, small children love the beach, fish come almost to the shore. If your a shopper, go to Aruba, if you want a more quiet restful place try Bonaire and this resort, if you are a diver, you are in heaven. We stayed two weeks and loved every minute. Now we are off to Casa de Campo for 6 weeks of golf. We have been wintering in the Caribbean for 6 years, only a few resorts do we go back to, this is definitely one of them. To some it might be pricey, but for us, it has great value. We will see them again next year.

My wife and I recently spent 8 nights at the resort in a 1-br beach villa room at the resort, and it truly exceeded our expectations in terms of space, luxury, attention to detail, and friendliness of the staff. The beach is carefully groomed daily, and the water is crystal clear. The dive shop is first rate, and the on-site dining was also very satisfying. The one challenge was flying to Bonaire as most flights arrive either very early in the morning, or later in the evening. Delta has recently entered the market with a once a week Saturday departure from Atlanta which addresses this issue, but some additional help could be useful. Do not fly into San Juan on one airline and have to transfer to another airline(American Eagle) as you may be denied boarding that flight due to weight restrictions, and as there is only one per day that leaves at 7:00 P.M., you could lose a day of your holiday in Bonaire.(Passengers flying American from the States that were given boarding passes all the way through to their final destination of Bonaire escape this problem.)