It's hard to add much new information to the numerous excellent, detailed reviews about Tranquility Bay. So I thought I'd just give my take on the experience as a whole, which might help some decide whether to stay here or not.
With all the 4 and 5 star reviews, one might assume that TB is a luxurious resort with attentive service. It's not. But it is a solid choice, primarily because its location cannot be beat, literally. This is the one place to stay at which the reef is close enough so you can actually snorkel without taking a boat trip. For people like me, who mainly want to snorkel and relax, this is the place to stay.
But you do need to adjust your expectations to avoid disappointment. Let's start with the rooms. The overall look of the cabanas is charming; you've seen the pictures. I only saw the inside of one cabana, #7, where my wife and I stayed. It is in need of some TLC. The screens are warped, leaving gaping holes for insects to come in. The cabinets/walls/etc are old and are showing it. The lighting is very harsh, which makes it not-so-cozy at night. There was only one free-standing lamp, so we would move it from the bedroom to the living area for some better mood lighting. Anyway, you get the idea. The overall feeling is comfortable and casual, but I think that "luxury" would be a bit of a stretch.
On to the service. There were small issues, like asking two different staff members where the paddles were for the kayaks. We were told by both that the paddles should be in the kayaks-- they weren't. OK, no big deal, we eventually went over to the dive shop and found the paddles in there. We had to ask twice for our laundry to be picked up, and then we had to remind them to bring it back once we realized that they had forgotten. We did do a snorkeling excursion to see the sharks and rays, which was quite good, though our "guide" was a man of few words, so I'm not sure if perhaps we would have seen/learned more with a different guide.
The restaurant. Service in the restaurant was uneven, though always friendly. The food was actually pretty good and reasonably priced, though the portions were a bit small. After a day of kayaking and snorkeling, I could have eaten two portions of that delicious Belizean chicken stew. The "key lime pie" was no such thing, and the coconut pie wasn't very good, but other than sub-par desserts, we thought the food was above average. The flies were an issue whenever the wind wasn't blowing through the restaurant. I would recommend an oscillating fan when the wind isn't blowing to keep the flies at bay. Though I disagree with the reviewer who thought this was due to dirt/food remnants. The restaurant was clean; it's just that food smells good to flies. What are you gonna do? The main problem with the restaurant was the atmosphere at night. The lighting is very harsh. Just substituting some softer bulbs for the harsh ones would go a long way. It just wasn't a place we wanted to sit for very long, which is why we had two of our three dinners at Sueno del Mar (a 10-minute walk south from TB). The atmosphere there was much cozier, there are no flies, the service was very attentive, and the food was quite good. If you do have dinner at TB, I would recommend sitting at one of the tables on the deck outside. The lighting is better, plus you can see the rays and barracuda while you eat, as they are attracted to the lights underneath the deck. That was very cool to watch.
Bottom line: TB is worth it. Just relax your expectations and enjoy the beautiful beach, excellent snorkeling, and solid food.
- Tranquility Bay Hotel
- Hotel Tranquility Bay
