During our stay at Costa Bonita we called it a "ghost town." There weren't too many folks around. It was a very quiet and peaceful place. The staff was friendly but not overly outgoing. As far as the guest population I would say it was predominantly older people. There were some families, no college kids, and I think my husband and I might have been the only young couple there (we are both 30). This is definatly not a party hotel. While I was definatly not looking for a party hotel there didn't seem to be anything going on. The signs said that the resteraunt was open all day and that the bar was open from 11AM-10PM but everything was shut down by the time the sun went down and we could never figure out when the resteraunt was open. The door was always shut. Our first day there after a long day of traveling we had no pesos and were desperate for food. We finally just barged our way into the empty resteraunt. They were happy to serve us but until we opened the door they appeared closed. There was never any problem finding a spot at the pool, plenty of chairs. It was always very quiet and serene. No loud music, no screaming people, very few children, I think our last day there was the first time we really saw children playing loudly in one of the pools. The beach also was easy to find a spot on. They only have a few palapas so if you want shade you do need to get up early or hang out at the pool but there is a lot of space on the beach just by the nature of the miles of empty beach in Mazatlan. And there was a nice employee at Costa Bonita while we were there getting people beach chairs and the pads that go with them.
The strange thing about this "ghost town" is that at night in our room we could hear everything echoing in the hallway. Even though there did not seem to be many people there we could hear everything in our room. It was definatly not sound proof. The room we had was very near the entrance however.
We had booked a junior suite. We had two full size beds which were tiny. My husband is very tall and he definatly didn't fit. The beds were also incredibly hard and uncomfortable. Also they charge you for everything. They change the towels every four days and if you need towels in between they charge you $6 (American). You have to do your own dishes or they charge you $6 (American) which is fine but we had no dishwasher and we had no soap and no sponge for us to wash them ourselves.
It is very possible that these things are provided in the regular suites as they do have dishwashers in the bigger suites.
I would say that Costa Bonita is the perfect place for someone who is looking for a very quiet vacation and likes to go into the town (which is very easy) for the things that this hotel doesn't provide that most hotels do. Our stay there was not at all marred by the little things that we disliked.

The suite is what I am really giving 5 start to. The overall resort is a 4star. If you want a quiet location away from the time share guys and all the vendors, then this place is perfect. You never have to worry about the water pressure or getting hot then cold water in the shower. The pool is usually quiet and the beach is fantastick with miles and miles, to take peaceful walks on. The bus stops right in front of the hotel and cost 5 pesos(approximately .50 cents usd.). A cab to downtown is $6.00 usd. Basically if you are looking for a quiet holiday, this is a 4 plus star and most suites a 5 star. If you like to tourist and more party atmosphere you would probably rate this a 3plus star.

I think that those that give a lesser rating is because they are not being told what to expect. For example, the distance to downtown, and that this resort is not a party place with loud music, and pool games. These condos are privately owned and therefore they feel they should be entitled to some private areas just for them. This area is basically a hot tub, a small library with table and chairs. Otherwise the public enjoy everywhere else.

There is a small fee if you want to use the gym. The restaurant is average, but there is a restaraunt a right next door that has happy hour all day, and great food. There is also a beach front restaraunt a 15 minute walk down the beach where there is live entertainment on certain days, and a great view. This is a perfect resort for someone looking to come for longer stays, or just looking for peace and quiet. We loved it, and we stayed 2 weeks at Royal Villas(I rate as a 4star), 5 days at Estrella Del Mar(I rate as 4.5*), and El Cid El Morro(I rate as 3*- the shower is either hot or cold, with terrible pressure, which makes it very difficult to have a nice shower.).

I have to say that I wasn't expecting much when I went to Culibra but what a suprise. I needed a quiet getaway and was tired of the standard commercial resorts in the Caribbean so I went online and found a great package for Costa Bonita. I liked the photos of the property and thought I'd take a chance. Well I must say, it was delightful. The staff was so nice and friendly upon check-in. They were laid back but efficient. The acommodations were nicely appointed with all the comforts of home. And the view of the bay from my balcony was spectacular. Our favorite part of the resort was the pool area with its swim up pool bar. And the new restaurant, which just opened that week was excellent.

We rented a jeep and began exploring the island. It was beautiful and unspoiled. We also went to Flamenco Beach and immediately understood why it is rated as one of the top ten beaches in the world. The beach alone was worth the trip. It is absolutely beautiful, uncrowded and unspoiled. And the water was crystal blue. Sheer paradise.

The downtown area is charming with its little shops and excellent restaurants. We had some of the best meals we ever had anywhere there. And best of all, the prices were very reasonable.

For anyone looking for a different Caribbean vacation, we highly recommend Culibra and Costa Bonita Beach Resort. We plan to tell everyone we know how great it is. And we will be back often to enjoy this little gem.

spent 2 weeks in march at subject and found it very isolated from any activities with poor bus service and expensive cabs. Accom. was good but facility was dominated by resident owners who resented private renters and made you feel anything but welcome. Poor restaurant was seldom open and when it was, offered minimal menu choices at high prices. Bar is never open. Staff tried their best to be hospitable but could show no flexibility as to use of on site facilities restricted to residents.Beach was great but hoarding of palapas which went unused was common and led to many disputes. No service on beach. overall a bad experience.