ALL INCLUSIVE / ALL MEALS / CONDO / FAMILY

The room was spectacular, the view and swim up option was great. The only bad thing was they gave us a room near the lobby and kitchen, pretty noisy. But overall, not to bad. Need to be aware of room location in terms of the resort facilities next time. The overall service, restaurant, food, etc. Excellent. The diving-Excellent

- Terry

We loved the resort. It was beautiful; the room, the grounds and the location. Getting preferred package was worth every penny; great room location, mini bar restocked every day plus room service was included. Customer service was fantastic and consistent. Meals were tasty and drinks well balanced. Dive House took excellent care of us. We were matched well on a boat with other experienced divers. Gear was dry and smelled good every day and was set up perfectly. Short boat rides to sites, great divemasters under and above surface. Easy pick up and drop off and they had no issue with me gearing down in water to accommodate me for bad knees and back. There was pretty decent snorkeling in front of the resort. We enjoyed the nightly entertainment and the friendliness of all the staff. We are so going back again!

- Anna

Secrets Aura was a nice place. Room and Food were high quality and availability was great. Dive House staff was efficient and safe. Some of the drift dives were quite quick in that the current was raging on a couple of sites. Would be better if more options were offered -- more night dives, a one tank afternoon dive. If you wanted to dive twice, no time for lunch as you had about 1 hour between morning boat and afternoon boat. A later one tank option would be a great addition. The other big negative is that there is no place to wash and dry equipment on the resort. A couple of the restaurants were exceptional and there are many activities for non-divers.

- Michael

Secrets is quite an upgrade from Sunscape! The rooms are HUGE! The bathroom's tub is the best scuba gear rinsing tub you'll ever have. The food is far superior to Sunscape and premium booze sure doesn't hurt either. It's also nice to have room service available for those nights when you're feeling lazy after a day of diving and napping by the pool. Would for sure book again.

- Sean

We enjoyed our week at Secrets Aura. The all-inclusive structure contributed to a relaxed experience, with only a room number required to enjoy (prepaid) food and drinks. Food and drinks were tasty, but about what you would expect for an all-inclusive resort. A trip (taxi ride) into town, or two, is recommended for variety. Some (adults only) guests seemed to be there just for the unlimited beer-by-the-pool experience, which sometimes got noisy. We enjoyed the rooftop, ocean view bar at sunset, but bring bug spray. Our pool-view room was nice, and the air-conditioning made the warm and muggy climate bearable.  We needed a rollaway bed, to accommodate sleeping needs, and this was provided within a reasonable amount of time. The patio allowed drying our dive gear (although I'm not sure whether this was endorsed by the resort). We were very satisfied with the staff, boats, and rental gear provided by Dive House, the chief SCUBA operation for the resort. Thanks especially to Victor (dive master) and Cruz (1st mate?). Divers meet their scheduled boat at the convenient pier right off the resort beach. Dive House also staffed an on-site kiosk (shack) to facilitate arrangements. Midway through the week the divemaster offered to increase my air tank from the standard 80 cu ft up to 100 ($8 per tank), which helped me keep up with the Nitrox divers, and the occasionally-strong currents. The reef health was great, and better than I expected. Lots of fish, sponges, and corals, and many lobsters, but only a few bigger fish. Water temp was ~82 F our week in July, and visibility was very good. Divers on our boats were mostly well-experienced, although a few needed extra guidance on decomp and other safety measures. We would strongly consider returning to Secrets Aura and Cozumel.

- Mark H.

Very nice resort with many restaurant choices. The room we were in was direct ocean front and great. Drinks were fine but not fancy, many activities and facilities were ok but looks like it may be in need of updating. The weather was terrible while we were there which was the major negative and only was able to dive one out of expected 5 days. Overall still a good trip except for weather.

- Ron B.

The resort itself was beautiful. The beach was wonderful. The staff was friendly and helpful. Our biggest complaint was the food and the options. Most nights just the buffet or one restaurant would be open. There were at least two restaurants that were closed all week. The quality of the food was terrible to the point where we found a local taco shack outside that we frequently visited for breakfast and lunch. Being an all-inclusive we should not have to pay additional money to have quality food, but we felt like we needed to. As I talked to others that were at the resort they felt the same way. The resort is beautiful, our room was fine, the beach is fantastic, but the food is absolutely terrible. If I was given an other option, I would book somewhere else in Cozumel. As far as the dive house, they were top notch; those on the boat, the dive masters were fantastic! I would for sure book other dives with them just at a different resort.

- Shannon T.

Hotel Cozumel and Dive Paradise were gracious hosts. The divemasters, Jose & Martin from Renagado were the best! we did 21 dives during the week, including 2 cenote dives on the mainland, and three night dives right off the dock. Turtles, nurse sharks, splendid toadfish, and morays were in abundance. We highly recommend this dive vacation. P.S.- get the all-inclusive at Hotel Cozumel.

- Greg

Hotel Cozumel and Dive Paradise were gracious hosts. The divemasters, Jose & Martin from Renagado were the best! We did 21 dives during the week, including 2 cenote dives on the mainland, and three night dives right off the dock. Turtles, nurse sharks, splendid toadfish, and morays were in abundance. We highly recommend this dive vacation. P.S.- get the all-inclusive at Hotel Cozumel.

- G.

Overall, the trip was great. Room was average, food was good, pool area was nice, service was great. Pros on room: clean, spacious Cons on room: bad tv picture on most channels, hard bed Diving services were excellent as well as the diving! Saw normal fish, eels, nurse shards, turtles….did see a couple of frog fish for the first time in my life! I would go back to this place.

- S.

Our trip to Cozumel was great. Our stay at the Hotel Cozumel was also great. We really enjoyed our scuba diving with Dive Paradise. The boats, dive masters, and dives were great. The only thing we got a little tired of was the same meals everyday, but we adjusted.

- S.

Our trip to Cozumel was great. Our stay at the Hotel Cozumel was also great. We really enjoyed our scuba diving with Dive Paradise. The boats, dive masters, and dives were great. The only thing we got a little tired of was the same meals everyday, but we adjusted.

- S.

Staff - very good, helpful, courteous. Rooms - average. Food - mediocre Dive Paradise : boats sometimes too crowded, too many slow boats, all the divemasters and crew are great

- Tiki

Rooms were fine. Good for the value. Except for breakfasts, the dining room food was mediocre. As I expected. Hotel service staff was excellent. Dive Masters and crew were excellent. Some days the boats were too crowded. All but two days we were on the slowest boat on the island. Taking 5 1/2 hours for 2-tank a.m. dives was ridiculous. I'd stay at this hotel before and dove w/ Dive Paradise before; so knew what to expect.

- Ron

What an incredible deal! The hotel Cozumel is low profile full super service friendly operation with some of the best available diving on the Island. Dive Paradise. The fast boats put us wherever we chose to go faster than mostly everybody. The staff are all pros and all seem to love their jobs. They set up your gear in a flash and we're right there after an hour plus drift dive. The Hotel food was fresh, local and actually extraordinary for an all inclusive. I don't drink alcohol but my dive buddy did and he kept saying no thank you when they wanted to keep his glass full. Amazing service for an all inclusive! The rooms and grounds are spotless and the underground tunnel to the dive shop and beach is cool and convenient. I guess you can tell I was impressed and I have been diving since 1978 in Cozumel and also been round the world. I also couldn't believe the beautiful condition of the reefs considering the hundreds of divers that daily dive the sites. Glad I returned...go

- T.

We have been to Cozumel several times, but never stayed at Hotel Cozumel. Apple and Enrique from Cozumel assured us that we would love the Hotel. Well, they were right! We had a fabulous time. Checked in to the hotel without any problems. We were helped to our rooms and were able to eat lunch after unpacking and getting settled. Dive Paradise was open late, so we were able to check in there, sign up for the dives, get our dive lockers and put our gear in the lockers and be ready for diving. All of this went according to plan, but the weather did not cooperate. Dive Paradise really worked with the group and assured us we were going to dive on Thursday, which we did. Dive Paradise, once again did an outstanding job. We dove every day and the dives were amazing. I think their fish are on steroids. I have not seen fish that large in a long time. The coral formations were beautiful and the fish life abundant. All of the meals at Hotel Cozumel were amazing and the wait staff was very friendly and helpful. We felt really comfortable at the resort and if we had any questions there was always someone available to help. Everyone had a great time and the resort was amazing. We will be back.

- Cindy

I had a good trip in Cozumel. The first day on the fast boat-which was fast, there was a woman who had zero buoyancy control. We spent the day on 50' reefs. I complained loudly and with much vigor after that. The folks at Dive Paradise gradually got the idea that whatever fast boat I was on, we were going to start the day off with a wall dive-which up until recently was the standard for Cozumel. The last day that I was diving, I was walking down to my assigned boat and on it was the woman with zero diving skills. I had to go back to the office and complain again-they got me on another fast boat with divers that knew how to dive. Unless I made a fairly large stink out of my situation with Dive Paradise-even on the fast boats-I would of ended up doing beginning level diving most of the week. By complaining-which I don't normally like to do-I did dive the better walls though-it just took some work-which I was not planning on. Also, for the week that I was there, they could not get the required 4 divers together for a boat night dive-which I would of liked. Anyway, this is what happened. Let others know that the fast boats-are indeed fast-just not filled with experienced divers on a regular basis.

- Fred

Just keep telling yourself you did not pay for a 5 star resort and you will not be disappointed. We read the reviews before we left and there were no real surprises. The food does get old after 4 or 5 days so if your staying 7 take note: Breakfast-the omelet chef will put anything you want in a grilled egg so there should be no complaints. Lunch- by the pool the chef will put anything you want in a tortilla shell and the steak or the chicken were good. Dinner- If it were great you would probably get fat. This is the only hit or miss meal of the day. We used the time to socialize with others we met diving and to enjoy the all-inclusive free drinks. I don't think the alcohol is poured full strength so find a drink you like the taste of and pick them up two at a time. (Pina-Colado with Banana) Staff was very friendly and helpful and you'll have a few favorites after and couple of days (Ours were Henri and Rodrigo) Paradise Dive: Excellent Operation, great diving, water was 86 degrees.

- Allen

Great dive trip and all went smoothly. We enjoyed the drift diving and were super impressed with the Aldora operation. Our Dive master was Julio who is a IDC instructor and was just a brilliant dive guide and dive technician and who was also owner of the separate tank fill operation. He repaired our gear on the boat on the fly and was able to get my BCD replaced overnight (25 dollars) when my auto inflate button failed. He taught me more about dive computers and decompression models than I ever new or may have forgotten. He was very effective at the big and small things and showed me pipe seahorse which I actually managed to photograph. We were initially put on a larger boat with another group which probably worked out well for the start as we all got used to diving with the 120 steel tanks and the necessary adjustments to our buoyancy. We then got our own small boat so it was the 5 of us Julio and the captain. They took care of your gear every night (we stashed all our gear minus wetsuits in the supplied mesh bags) and would wait for our pick up at the dock at 7:30 to find our dive gear all set up and waiting for us. DEFINITELY worth the 93 per day we paid for the two tank boat dives and 10 per tank for nitrox. 32% for the morning deep dive and 36% for the second shallow dive. Most dives were around 75 minutes and given the depths we were diving in Cozumel the 120’s were greatly appreciated. We dove right to the south end the then just about as far south as you can go. In hindsight we maybe should have stayed with Scuba Club Cozumel as there was a better connection to the ocean although we could not have dove with Aldora. Hotel Cozumel was OK but not great and the food and drinks passable but nothing to write home about.

- Bob

Excellent dive company. Food was good. Service was awesome. Rooms were comfortable and clean.

- Pat

Loved Hotel Cozumel. Dive masters were knowledgeable and attentive. Hotel staff courteous and prompt. Will definitely come back.

- John

We went to Hotel Cozumel and have gone there for several years. I stopped going for two years due to the food was just so so. The meal plan is awesome, but the food is just plain. I went back and the food is the same. Hotel is clean and people are friendly. I would recommend getting the all inclusive but go somewhere in town for dinner. Town is a short walk away. We dove with Dive Paradise. Love the operation, however The manager of the dive shop was not accommodating when we requested specific dive masters, who we have had for years. They found out I was on island and was upset they were not put on our boats. They told me they were off, but in reality they were given off when I arrived. Not too happy about that. I also got pre approved to use a credit card, but had to walk into town to pay. The shop at the resort knew nothing. Wasn't happy either. I will address this with the owner at Dive Paradise.

- Cindy

The hotel and staff were great, I thought. Everything you wanted in inclusiveness & the facilities very cute! Dive Paradise was decidedly different from my experiences 10 years ago over 3 dive trips. Out of 5 dive days, only 2 were worth talking about. I think the service…dive masters, boat crew, guides, were much less skillful than I remember. On at least 5 of the dives, the dive crews 1) took roll call before the dive, but NOT after. During about half the dives, the guide for our group finned far ahead of the divers, who wanted to slow down and see more stuff. Rarely did they re-group or count noses, wait for people to catch up. On the last day, a 2-dive AM trip, the guide was a young kid who chose a route over the sandy plains with little reef life, contrary to the group’s request for a drift over the close-by wall.

- Raymond

I took a group of 14 divers to Cozumel. The accommodations were excellent and the staff at the resort were very professional and friendly. Dive Paradise staff were amazing and very accommodating. We had an amazing time and loved the diving! August was a great time to go!. There was a couple days of rain but overall perfect!

- Tawna

Diving off of Cozumel is always wonderful, and the folks at Dive Paradise were very helpful. The instructors were friendly and master divers who took the time and care to help out the less experienced divers in our group. The staff at Hotel Cozumel were also wonderful, very friendly and kind. We loved all the staff we encountered there. The rooms at Hotel Cozumel, however, are in terrible need of remodeling. The furniture is old, cheap and worn, and the beds are extremely hard. The rest of the resort was fairly nice, but once in the rooms it felt like we were staying in a 1.5 star motel. The adjoining rooms, however, were good for a large family group. All-in-all, it was a good trip for the diving, but there was no luxury.

- Jason

Our family had an absolutely amazing time in Cozumel Hotel & Resort. The staff at Dive Paradise was incredible and went out of their way to help us get comfortable under the water. We saw so many incredible things, learned how to navigate through a maze of coral tunnels, and ended up diving 9 times in 4 days. The whole family is officially addicted to scuba diving and we can't wait to get to Bonaire! :)

- Amanda E.

The group enjoyed most everything. The hotel was quite dated. Food okay and pools were wonderful. The Dive House staff was great and very accommodating. All in all good dive vacation.

- Shelley E.

The rooms need updated, the food was great, along with Staff and Diving!

- Scott J.

We love going to Cozumel with its warm and friendly people. Flights were good and the weather was perfect. Getting to and from the airport was easy. I have to admit that when we arrived at the Cozumel Resort by Wyndham hotel, I was so upset that the resort wasn't on the water, but across the street. However, they have a "beautiful" tunnel that you take to the other side and that's where the water, dive boats, dive shop and lockers are. The hotel rooms were very nice and being worked on to update all the time. The service and food were amazing. The resort has the biggest pool I've ever seen with tons of fun activities all day long and some kind of show every evening. Now for the diving. The dive shop and staff were great, helpful and very accommodating. We were on one of the bigger boats which was very nice and spacious, but on the slower side. Dive masters, captain and crew were all very professional, knowledgeable and helpful. The diving was beautiful, as always, and full of cool fish life including turtles, nurse sharks, morays and the usual critters. All and all, a super vacation. Excellent for a diver traveling with a non-diver. We actually ended up being pretty lazy divers because of the fun activities by the pool. It's almost like we had 2 vacations. The boat dives in the morning and then fun and games by the pool in the afternoon.

- Joyce

Fast boats were not an option, splashed about 10am got back to resort about 1:30pm. $13 park fee p/p/p/day adds up quick. Vegetables always undercooked. Desserts were never good. Breakfast bacon is not on buffet line anymore, it is in backroom and you have to know to ask for it. Minifridge in all rooms now. Coffee pots and coffee kits available on request. Understaffed, some waiters were running to meet guests expectations.  All staff were friendly and helpful. Pool has suffered a long time and is barely hanging on. Pool volleyball always a hit. Was given bottom shelf liquor until realizing this and began asking for by brand. We've always stayed at Hotel Cozumel but might be time to move on.

- Ray R.

Had a great time in St. Lucia. The island is so tropical and beautiful. May idea of a tropical island for sure. We did dive but not all 12. We did a volcano tour which was great and also hiked up the mountain behind Anse Mamin. It wasn’t too bad not having A/C. The only hard part was getting ready for dinner and sweating while getting ready but we decided to go up later and get ready and that worked out well. The stair were a lot but not bad. It was 201 steps to our room from the beach. We did fine with them liking getting the exercise. We were upgraded to a Deluxe Hillside and it was awesome. We had the view of the pitons right from our room. It was great waking up to this view every morning. And for every sweat that dripped every stair climbed, we’d definitely go back in a heartbeat!!

- Judy

It was even better than expected. Underwater was great and the above water was more lush than Hawaii. Also, they put my wife and I in the beach rooms.

- Robert

We had a wonderful trip to St. Lucia! The resort was wonderful. "No" was not in the staff's vocabulary. Love that! Fantastic food that was beautifully presented. The whole experience exceeded my expectations. Our room was fantastic. View of the ocean and the Piton's. Diving was great. We saw seahorses on 12 of our 14 dives. We were able to do a tour of Jade Mountain, the sister property. OMG the rooms were incredible. When we go back we want to stay at least 2 nights there and not leave our room.

- Linda

We had a great time! The resort was everything stated. Dive crew and diving was amazing. The food, entertainment and overall service was top notch.

- Bob

The trip was a great success! The resort, diving and staff all get high marks. The dive staff on our boat, in particular, were fantastic. We saw more frog fish in one spot by the pinnacles that I've seen in a week on other trips. We had afternoon dives included in our package, but by the time we got back from the morning dives and folks went back to their rooms and got cleaned up and had lunch it was too rushed. Next time I would ask for the afternoon dives be closer to 3:00 on the days there isn't night diving. Other resorts, where the food is buffet and the rooms are closer to the dive shop, it's not an issue for a 2:00 afternoon dive. The food was fabulous and everyone (including those with allergies) were happy. A few folks complained about it being a bit hot in the rooms but the staff provided stand-up fans as requested. The vans ran efficiently taking everyone to and from their rooms and the wait for one was never more than 10 minutes (well worth the wait than the walk).

- Joyce

We just got back from a week in St Lucia. Anse Chastanet resort was excellent. Meals were 5 Star! Great/Exceptional service, excellent resort facilities, good excursions and of course excellent dive operation. The staff was exceptional and made sure we were well taken care of. Recommend it to anyone wanting a worry free first class vacation of diving and land activities. No sand flies during our stay and bugs in general were minimal. Be prepared for a good bar tab at the end of the week! We will keep this resort in mind for our future travels and would love to spend more time there again.

- Ted

- Nancy

Our trip to Anse Chastanet in St Lucia was wonderful. We were not expecting much of the diving, but it was very good. The whole team at the dive shop were fantastic and I think Adam and Carmen (managers) are fabulous. They really took care of us. We were the only 2 divers on most days, occasionally there was a 3rd who joined us! The resort is beautiful, although most rooms are up the hill; however there was never a problem getting a shuttle ride up. All hillside rooms appear to be fantastic—ours was. Open air, but very few bugs, and a gorgeous view. The staff could not have been more attentive, from housekeeping to concierge to food service. The food was quite good, and a good choice of restaurants

- Liz R.

The resort is very service oriented. From greeting at airport to return, they are well organized. Check in simple. Luggage taken to room and picked up. Service at restaurants and bars was all good. Loved the different activities available - chocolate tasting, plantation tour, …. At airport transfer it was appreciated that they had water awaiting us outside of arrivals. Multiple vans/taxis used to expedite transfers for our group. Amazing food options. Ranks up there in the top 5 of places I have been. Different options made it nice. The group dinners on first night, Beach BBQ, and last night were all great. Bread and pastry chefs were the highlight and of course anything with their chocolate. Beautiful views from all the rooms and resort. Grounds were all well kept. At the beach loved Mr. Happiness and the daily cool towels, spritzing and popsicles. It was nice that there was live music options provided every day. Scuba St. Lucia is an awesome dive operation. Well managed team. First operations group that communicated well in advance. Really appreciate all the coordination with Callistus. Any requests or needs during the trip he responded to right away. The Miss Babsy boat is a good size boat and easily accommodated our large group. The 3 dive guides provided, Errol, Omo, and Curt were great. Omo is an awesome critter finder. Concierge gear service throughout the week was excellent. Loved the coves and places they took us to during surface intervals. Nice house reef with guide provided for afternoon shore and night dives. Opportunities for Improvement: There is a limited number of rooms that have AC. I would not book during hotter summer months without a Beach Room with AC. Anse Chastenet advertise that they have cool breezes in the rooms on the hills, but in reality they are still warm and stuffy even with open windows and ceiling fans. You have to shut the curtains at night to block the lights and that stifles the breezes. The resort needs to add AC to the rooms. It would be a a major investment but would be worth it. There should be more rooms with double beds. The resort is set up with a single king bed for couples. We requested a few rooms with 2 beds for singles sharing a room. It appeared that this was a room with a king bed and the second bed was an after thought. It was a day bed or smaller bed tucked into an alcove for a child. Better than a roll away, but not much. We asked if they had other options and they said they did not. The placement of the bed was such that there was no airflow and the breezes didn’t reach it. We had to request additional floor fans and an extension cord for the second bed. They need to have better bedding options for groups who have singles sharing a room who need 2 beds. For lunch they suggested and we requested the buffet to have enough time to make it to afternoon dives or activities. The food was plentiful but a bit bland and in some cases overcooked (e.g. fish/pork). Perhaps the buffet was intended to feed more than our group, but they had 5 times the amount of food needed. I would suggest less food options but better quality or have group order from menu in the future. The resort also gave us the option to order off menu (or at beach) for no additional charge. Multiple restaurants for dinner options. However, the food options were more formal. The group all said they would like to have some more simple options for lunch and dinner, like sandwiches or pizza. Or allow people to order appetizers or small bites at bar instead of at restaurant for dinner. Bar service was slow at the beach. Limited staff seemed to be available. While on Jazzy Sunset cruise the music played prior to the Jazz musician started was inappropriate for the group. The music contained language that was offensive to the guests (e.g. use of racial slurs.) This may have locally been acceptable but shocked the guests. They may want to consider music selection for guests.

- Janice S.

Anse Chastenet – very service oriented. From greeting at airport to return, they are well organized. Check in simple. Luggage taken to room and picked up. Service at restaurants and bars was all good. Loved the different activities available - chocolate tasting, plantation tour, etc. Airport transfer – appreciated that they had water awaiting us outside of arrivals. Multiple vans/taxis used to expedite transfers. Scuba St. Lucia is an awesome dive operation. Well managed team. First operations group that communicated well in advance. Really appreciate all the coordination with Callistus. Any requests or needs during the trip he responded to right away. The Miss Babsy boat is a good size boat and easily accommodated our large group. The 3 dive guides provided, Errol, Omo, and Curt were great.  Omo is an awesome critter finder. Concierge gear service throughout the week was excellent. Loved the coves and places they took us to during surface intervals. Nice house reef with guide provided for afternoon shore and night dives. Food – amazing food options. Ranks up there in the top 5 of places I have been. Different options made it nice. The group dinners on first night, Beach BBQ, and last night were all great. Bread and pastry chefs were the highlight and of course anything with their chocolate. Views – beautiful views from all the rooms and resort. Grounds were all well kept. Beach – loved Mr. Happiness and the daily cool towels, spritzing and popsicles. Music – nice that live music options provided every day

- Janice S.

We had a fantastic time. The diving, as always was superb. We love everything about the dive operation. The hotel was fine. Check-in and check-out are very streamlined and efficient these days. I’m sure you know they have upgraded both pools as well as the ocean front and regular rooms. Housekeeping service is much better than it was for awhile. It is dependable and actually leaves you towels unlike a couple of years ago. Our only complaint is that they took out the wardrobe piece of furniture that held hanging clothes and had some shelves in it. Now the only clothes storage in the room now is one 3-drawer dresser and a small open rod over the room safe. They put in a desk instead of the wardrobe which, in my opinion, is a total waste although maybe they are trying to attract more business people??? Food was good. Waitstaff in both in Pure Ocean open air breakfast area and Chibi Chibi are a delight. I love them. Food service in the Chibi was fast at lunch except for one day when they were overwhelmed with lots of what appeared to be unexpected business people. We did not eat there at night except we did eat at the BBQ buffet on Saturday night before we left and it was excellent. We did learn that there is a new manager, as of last week I believe. The manager who had been there for the past couple of years who I believe was responsible for all the positive changes is gone. I hope the new one can maintain all the positive things that have happened.

- Suzanne

The trip was GREAT!!!! Everything went well, no issues.... Good flights, resort was good, food was good, diving was TERRIFIC!!!! A good time was had by all!

- Norma

I wanted to give you a trip report, especially after I said that the Divi resort in Bonaire was sliding again on service. The difference between our experience this past week and just this past January (3 months ago) was marked. As you remember, we had a reservation for 8 nights, the first night in standard room and next 7 nights in deluxe. When we arrived, Ottmar had jiggled things around so that we got into the deluxe room the first night and did not have to change rooms. So nice! Plus, they have a new Food & Beverage manager and he has that place hopping! Food was good and the service and efficiency of getting the food out, especially during the lunch rush was the best ever. We had a great experience with the resort this time so just wanted to make sure I let you know. The diving, as always, was outstanding— both in terms of the actual dives (great viz, LOTS of fish and other critters) and the always wonderful service by Serge and his team of dive masters.

- Suzanne

Bonaire was FANTASTIC! We had a GREAT TIME! Everything at the resort was good, check in was fast and efficient, they sure have improved that process. No complaints on the rooms other than they’re showing their age but according to the new manager they are starting to upgrade them all in March. Diving was good as always, Serge runs a very efficient operation. We had quite a bit of rain through the week which is unusual for Bonaire. I think we only had 2 or 3 sunny days the whole week. With clouds and scattered rain the other days. Oh well, we were still on vacation and the rain did’t negatively impact the diving. So all was good!

- Norma

We had a great week! Everything went off without a hitch, the flights, the diving, the resort, the weather, it was all Perfect! Several people even liked the Ocean-Front rooms better then the Time Share Units, the only drawback they are quite a bit further from the Dive Shop. The Manager, Celine was very attentive and reached out a couple of times during the week to make sure everything was going o.k. and if there were any issues. I was very surprised to hear that Serge from the Dive Operation is leaving Divi after 21 years, WOW! He is going to be a hard act to follow for anyone, they have HUGH shoes to fill to hire someone to take his place. He had that Dive Operation running like a well oiled machine, I hope things don’t change for the worse with his leaving.

- Norma

The dive operation was first class, period. The dive lockers were all replaced last Fall after a hurricane hit the resort and the reef was pretty wiped out at 30 feet and above. Below that, everything was fine. No complants here. If there was anything that could be improved, it's having rooms available when the early morning flights arrive. There is a KLM flight that left just as we arrived at 6:00AM, so between that and the passengers already at the airport to depart on the plane we arrived on, the resort had plenty of empty rooms. However, they do not start cleaning until the regular shift. So everyone had to struggle to live out of suitcases all day. There was no sense or urgency by anyone at the resort to help remedy the situation. We finally were able to get a room at 4:00PM. I did meet a Dutch manager later in the week that was a get-it-done person when we had very slow service in the restaurant at lunch. Unfortunately, not much has changed here in three years.

- Frank

the vacation was absolutely wonderful! 1. The room was very good- we were in an upper level ocv and this time the a.c. vent was not on the balcony, so we got some nice use of it! 2. The service was wonderful--the staff at Divi is always so helpful and good-spirited, and warm. 3. The diving--incredible; no other word for it. 4. We saw our first rainbow parrotfish and also midnight blue parrotfish; also an ocean triggerfish. We had good luck on turtle sightings (4!) and only a few lionfish, thank goodness. we love this island and hotel! If I have one minor negative in the entire vacation it's that loooooong wait for a room to be ready after the red eye. The Divi staff got us in as soon as they could, but 2pm is a long time to sit when the plane gets in at 5a.m.

- Nancy

We had a GREAT TIME! Everything was PERFECT! The weather, sunny & hot everyday! The Diving, a flat ocean and great visibility. (I made 22 dives!!!) I got some GREAT pictures. I got an Angel fish that could be a Skin Diver Magazine Cover shot! The resort was also perfect, they upgraded the entire group! A few of us to Ocean front and the majority in the TimeShare Units. Everyone was VERY PLEASED! They remodeled all the rooms, they are all very nice! They only issue we had all week and it was one we anticipated was the fact that it took quite awhile on Saturday for everyone to get their rooms. They all knew that would be the case but no matter how you try to prepare people when they're tired and cranky from an all night flight, their mood gets the best of them. The resort was full so they had to wait for many people to check out at 12:30, then the rooms had to be cleaned and prepared for us. Some people didn't get a room until around 3:00. I talked to the front desk several times throughout the week and smoothed everything over. A solution would be to have everyone book an extra night (Friday) and that way when they arrive their room would be waiting. For an extra amount you get a room as soon as you get there. Norma

- Norma

I had a great time. The staff at Divi continues to amaze me with their friendliness. I saw so many people there (Americans and Dutch alike) who don't even talk to their servers at meal time. I don't understand that. Housekeeping is cleaning every other day. I did see my next door neighbor had a "please clean this room" sign hanging from the doorknob on one of the off days and I did see the cleaning crew there later that day. I am somewhat famous among my friends for not realizing there is a refrigerator in my hotel rooms. Same story here - it was cleverly disguised as part of the writing desk and I didn't realize it until Thursday. I could have saved myself from drinking some really bad Divi prosecco by knowing that and going to the grocery store and buying the good stuff! The resort had its own testing facility. There was a poster in the lobby with a QR code you could scan that would take you to the website where you could make your reservation for testing. Very convenient. The only unsatisfactory part of the trip were the airport transfers. When I arrived, there were 2 people with Divi signs but they were for the dive groups. I was told that the individual picking up guests not part of dive groups had already been there and left. After a lot of confusion and some calls to Divi, I was told I could get on one of the dive group's buses. Not sure why the people at Divi wouldn't have asked me to catch a taxi and reimburse when I arrive. Had the opposite happen when I left. Nella (?) was the customer service manager at the resort. She heard of my issues with getting to the resort and promised me that the return would be taken care of and a taxi would be called. I saw her while I was in the lobby waiting for the taxi and she said the same thing - the taxi driver would pick me up at noon. The buses for the dive groups came, loaded up, and left. At 12:15, I asked Nella about my taxi. She went inside and was told that someone had arranged for me to go on the bus with the dive groups. Unfortunately, no one told me. So, no taxi. Luckily, she ran to the last bus that had just shut its doors and was starting to leave and was able to stop it. Other than that, diving was good and the resort staff and room were great.

- Becky

This was our 15th visit to Divi Flamingo, and our week did not disappoint! It started with a warm welcome by reception at the resort, the newly remodeled timeshare units are terrific, the resort was in pristine condition! The Divi dive operation is top- notch and our DiveMasters for the week Denise & Ruud were knowledgeable, helpful and a lot of FUN! It was a perfect week of diving, relaxation and fun in the sun! Can’t wait to return!

- Norma C.

We had a wonderful stay at Divi Flamingo. Hotel staff was friendly and accommodating.

- Teri C.

This was our 9th time we dove at the Divi and again we were not disappointed.  The diving was great:  easy diving and lots to see (turtles, eels, seahorses, tarpin, rays, etc.).  Divi Dive operation was very professional and helpful.  We did all boat dives with several dives including night dives right from the resort.  We met Orlando (dive master) whom we had met years before and it was good to see him again.  We ate at the Chibi Chibi restaurant most of the time and the food and service was excellent.  (Mahi mahi was fantastic.)  Our room was very nice and maid service always did a good job.  The biggest concern about the room was the shower.  The water temperature was usually cool and not very hot.  The weather was extremely hot and consequently after diving, we did very little other than to stay at the resort.  I am 77 years of age and have been diving for over 35 years.  Hopefully my age and arthritis won't keep me from continuing an activity I really love.

- Jim S.

We went to Divi Flamingo in Bonaire with a party of 8 for a week beginning March 6, 2024.  Divi met/exceeded our expectations very well in almost all respects.  The dive shop was professional and all of its people were very knowledgeable and helpful in and out of the water.  The dive masters took us to interesting and different places for each dive over five days and always seemed to find unique creatures including sea horses, turtles, squid, octopus, eels, etc.  Our room at the resort was very spacious and clean with a beautiful view of the water.  Breakfast buffet was very good with many choices to get the day started.  There was always cold flavored (citrus or cucumber) water at reception to fill up water bottles and stay hydrated.  My one suggestion would be for the resort to have some area where one can buy light snacks at any time of day.  This would be a revenue source for Divi and also helpful if one needs a little something between meals.  All in all a great vacation and would highly recommend.

- Oren C.

Another great trip

- Elizabeth W.

Everything‘s going well!  Diving’s been good. Everyone here is treating us exceptionally well.

- Norma C.