My husband and I stayed at Turquoise Bay Resort (TBR) January 23rd to the 30th. We were originally booked at the Media Luna, but after all of the poor reviews we requested that Sunwing move us to TBR. We are so glad we made that choice.

Our main reason for visiting Roatan was for the SCUBA diving. Subway Watersports which is located on the property run an excellent dive operation. They are extremely organized, on time, with excellent dive masters and boat captains. At the beginning of our week we were assigned an area (numbered) where our equipment would be stored. We were also assigned a spot on the dive boat and each day our equipment would be set up for us. The valet service was a nice treat! Osmond our Dive Master and Max our Boat Captain were an excellent team that took amazing care of us. We did some good diving and were pleased overall. Please remember to tip your Dive Master and Boat Captain because they make very little money and rely heavily on the tips. They certainly deserve every extra penny you pay them. Rule of thumb is 10% of your dive package to each (so $30, not much for North Americans).

The food at this resort was excellent. We didn't eat a bad meal. Some days you ordered off a menu and other days they had a buffet set up. The staff were excellent. We were lucky to meet a couple that had already been there for 2 weeks who gave us the heads up on a few things. First, put at least 30% deet on before your sunscreen. Reapply if you get wet. The bugs are bad and if I had one complaint it would be the bugs, but that isn't anyone's fault. The other helpful piece of advise is that after the supervisors leave there is one particular staff member who will try to charge you for premium alcohol (i.e. Baileys). We were warned to just say "give me an alternative" or ask for a receipt. It happened to my husband when he asked for a martini, and the exact person we were warned about told my husband it would cost extra. My husband told him to keep his drinks and said "I guess you don't want to be tipped this week". Suddenly our martinis were free. We never tipped him once.

The rooms are sufficient. We had a room in block 5 through 8. We had an end unit which was nice and quiet. Our friends were in a middle unit and said that there were adjoining doors which made the noise quite bad between rooms. I'm glad we were fortunate to be put in an end unit. My only complaint about the room was that is was getting tired. A fresh coat of paint, and even wiping the walls in the bathroom would make a big difference. We had a lot of ants and critters in our room, but it is expected given the climate, and the fact that doors all have huge gaps allowing all sorts of things in. There is very little storage space for your clothing and only 6 hangers in the closet! The bed was comfortable and the showers were nice and hot with good pressure. What else do you need?

So all in all, I wouldn't hesitate to return to this resort. The biggest thing holding us back is that there are many other places to dive that we want to explore, and the BUGS!!

Bring at least 35 $1 U.S. bills for one week so you can tip the woman who cleans your room (do it every day as staff changes), the men who carry your luggage (at the beginning and end), and the wait staff for each of the three meals and for the bar from time-to-time. Sometimes the front desk has enough $1s to provide change.
The food was wonderful with many great selections of fish, chicken, beef, pork, soups and so on.
The resort is lovely and the staff are wonderful.
There are mosquitos, sand fleas etc. so bring at least one can of bug spray with 30% deet. I sprayed but still got bit but not as badly as others who did not have spray.
We agree with the recent positive postings. We were there a week and had a great time.
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Absolutely wonderful resort if you want to recharge your batteries. This is a very quiet and secluded little resort. There was approx seven couples staying at the resort. Approx 25 minutes from the airport. Check-in was 5 minutes. Staff were friendly and rooms were spotless. Food was excellent for an all inclusive resort, with ala-carte every other day. The dive shop was well equipped and the dive masters made you feel very welcome and relaxed. It was our first dive experience and thanks to Kim and Ed, Shan and Dr Tom it was a great experience.

The ferry to the mainland was uneventful and enjoyable.

If you want nightlife and crowds etc. then may I suggest you go to West Bay.

Rooms 1 thru 12 are the best! the rest are beautifully furnished rooms but not much of a view. 1 thru 12 are the older part but have balconys looking out over the ocean. If you have done your research on the Hotel you would know it was the only hotel half way up the north coast and with only 26 rooms should tell you its not a hopping wild and crazy place. lf your looking for a quiet relaxing vacation with sun sand and diving and snorkeling then this place is just that. Some days you will be the only ones on the beach while the dive boats are out. The snorkelling is a good 15 to 20 minute kayak paddle out to the reef that will wow you, The water is crystal clear, and the reef is alive and healthy. Star fish are in an abundance, on our last day two young ladies paddled to the reef for a last snorkle in the late afternoon and enjoyed a good 20 min. playful swim with a ray that stayed right with them. What a send off to go home with. The food was great, the wait staff would get you whatever you need , all you have to do is ask. The dive shop was top notch and wanted you to tell them where you'd like to do your next dive if anyone had a prefferance. This place was like going to your cottage for a week with benefits. For 45.00 U.S. each l hired a taxi who took us to the zip lines in Garafuna Park in West Bay, was waiting for us when we finished , drove around the area stopping constantly for photo opts. into West Bay where we had lunch and asked him to join us then he waited and visited with his friends while we roamed West Bay and shopped. Waited while we visited two hotels to talk with them regarding upcoming wedding plans . When we where done he took us back to the hotel after searching for a pharmacy so l could get some medication . We had a great day outing and someone else drove l think that was pretty reasonable. Sand fleas or no see ums, yes they are here. Although this was my 3rd trip to Roatan and the first time they have bothered me, insect repelent and an oily suntan lotion helps to keep them at bay. Some people had no issues but then others where eaten alive. Just like here with the mosquitoes ! BE PREPARED FOR THEM ! Yes l would recommend this place to anyone looking for quiet relaxing vacation , or to someone who just wants to dive dive dive.