Xbalanque was a great stay! I give the resort a 4.5 out 5 and have broken down my review by the following areas. I know its long but believe me well worth the read. I would highly recommend staying at XBalanque and would seriously consider coming back when the time comes.
ACCOMMODATION: This resort has wonderful accommodations. Very modern and design oriented. Full kitchen with modern appliances, very “condo” feeling, which was perfect for us as we stayed 8 nights. We stayed in the main building on the beach, and I would highly recommend the top floor suites. They are 2 bedroom suites, both rooms with king beds. We rented both top floor suites and was very convenient to have everyone in the same place. The grounds are well manicured and are constantly being pruned and cared for. Oh, and they have pet Parrots on the grounds too (don’t worry they are in a big cage and can be fun to meet).
AMENITIES: The resort is not large, more of a private condo feel, with a pool area (not a lap pool), outdoor hot tub (but not fully functional as jets don’t push hard enough for bubble), small bar and restaurant. They offered plenty of towels and do offer soaps, shampoos, etc. If you’re going to Roatan you’re probably going to Scuba Dive, this “Amenity” is really what drives the island itself. XBalanque has a great relationship with Quality Time Divers (review to come), who were great! Being beach front allows you to chill in the calm waters in the evening, all while having a cocktail in one hand. They have great offerings with “Christine” a local Yogi who’s amazing. You can do Yoga on the roof, or on the pier!
FOOD & BEVERAGE: Being that it’s a small resort, there is only one place to eat and drink, all facing the beach. Having eaten on most of the West side of the island, I can say that although the menu is small, the food is quite good! Top of the list for us when it came to food! Something to note, not all the items on the menu are available. Sometimes they run out of items, so keep an open mind. Also, the hours are really contingent on whether or whether not you or the other guests are staying for dinner. They’ll typically ask if you intend on coming back for dinner. If not, they’ll close the kitchen down early. We loved their breakfast smoothies! Again, keep in mind that it’s small place (not necessarily a “Full Service” Resort) and may not have certain items but they will get them for you for the next meal if requested. They said you can order food to the rooms, but of course, you’ll need a telephone number to do so. Probably just better to go done, but we did order “room service” once. Also, there is not a “Full Bar” so they don’t have certain liquors, such as Tito’s Vodka which seemed non-existent on the island. Think basics; Absolute, Grey Goose, etc. Wine selection is also minimal, but that is throughout the island. We often found ourselves asked for specially made drinks, on a whim, whey they graciously obliged.
SERVICE: First let me say that this is a small island, it’s not the hustle and bustle of city life, so people on the island are chill, relaxed, stress free. At XBalanque the service was good, and some people were stars! Marcos, or as we called him “Don Marcos” pretty much knows everything about the island and is very well known on the island. EVERYONE knows Marcos. He’ll probably be picking you up from the airport, just look for the sign “XBalanque”. Genesis, at the front desk really stood out to us. She was very attentive, hospitable and very savvy on ensuring everything was okay during our stay. XBalanque should be pleased to have her on their team. I work in the hospitality industry myself, and would hire her hands down. She was there for us. The guys at the restaurant & bar, Randy & Clinton were so kind to us. Randy was very accommodating with our special drink requests. Clinton has such a kind soul. Patsy is the owner with a residence at the resort. With all due respect to Patsy, sometimes having her around felt as if someone was ‘watching’. It certainly wasn’t an overly negative thing but perhaps if she wasn’t in the common areas we would feel more “at home” instead of in someone else’s home. Again, it wasn’t a bad experience as she is very sweet and we had great conversations. Sometimes as a guest, you just don’t want to have the owners looking down on you. Please don’t take it the wrong way, the stay was still wonderful! Just remember that everything on the island is slower. With no offense to the team there, I just feel like the service level could be elevated just a bit more. We found ourselves asking for certain things like waters, food timing, asking for certain things more than once. If the team can anticipate in advance a bit more then I would have given 5 stars. We were there for 8 days, so they should have known that we always want water. It’s the small things, BUT AGAIN, we truly loved meeting the team and getting to know them. All such great people!
LOCATION: We thought the location was perfect. Everything you do on Roatan is by water. XBalanque is right in between “The West End” and “The West Bay”. Both of which are areas of some populous. One is a bit more resort-like and the other, far more casual bar settings. In our opinion, we didn’t want to stay in either section, so being in the middle was perfect! PLUS, the dive sites were so close to us in either direction. This was KEY for us as diving was the main intent of the trip. As you drive to the resort you feel like it will be secluded, but not so. By day, the water taxis are always available and by evening, the resort calls you a taxi, no probs.
TIPS:
1,BUG SPRAY WITH DEET IS A MUST! Patsy warned us ahead of time and I’m glad she did because you will need this on your body at all times. Rest assured you will still get bitten but please PLEASE do not forget the bug spray.
2,Bring Cash ahead of time – Everyone takes USD and credit cards are accepted at most places. Remember to tip in cash.
3, Stop at the Grocery Store
4, There are no phones in the rooms, so getting Genesis’ mobile is of benefit so you can WhatsApp her with anything you may need.