We were returning to Roatan May 2008. Having been there in 07 and bought property we wanted to stay a few different places on the island, Turquoise Bay was the first place. It was chosen for it's location (near our property and far away from everything else), it had a pool and the online pictures looked good. Communication while booking and paying for the room (they take Paypal!) with the friendly and accommodating desk staff was a total pleasure. Our flight was delayed 6 hours and we didn't get to the resort until early evening. We were tired hungry and thirsty. They met us with a welcome cocktail and a nice dinner served in a very nice indoor dining room. When we woke in the morning and saw the grounds of the resort we were very pleased. It is truly a gorgeous setting. The rooms are very clean, a/c, nice bathrooms; the office and indoor and outdoor (and poolside ) dining areas are tastefully done. The young staff were very pleasant and many of them spoke English. They waited on us constantly. The food was very good, breakfasts by the pool were so peaceful and beautiful. The bay is gorgeous, on the beach there are kayaks, (waverunners ICK !) a bar and restrooms. It was a wonderful place to stay. The only downside to the resort is the mosquitos and sand fleas. While not diminishing the quality of the TBR experience, it would have been much better if the beach and building areas were sprayed consistently. We did see the flowers and landscaping around the rooms being sprayed but the beach and other areas were bug infested. We were covered in bug spray the whole time and also covered in bites. Get rid of the bugs and you really will have a 5 star resort.

When our daughter announced that she was getting married and she wanted the wedding to be at the Turquoise Bay Resort in Roatan, Honduras, I just laughed. This was so like our daughter to pick out a spot with which people are not familiar. After much research, her father and I agreed that this would be a very romantic place to hold this most important ceremony.

The planning started in Summer 2007. The frequent back-and-forth emails with the staff at Turquoise Bay were just the beginning. Never once did they say they couldn't do something for us.

And helpful? Helpful (and friendly!) doesn't do justice to the staff that works there: They accommodated our every request and met our every need.

The food was excellent and the drinks flowed whenever we were thirsty. Our room was spacious and the view from it was breathtaking.

We had a remarkable stay at this resort and would recommend it to anyone seeking a quiet getaway with a relaxed atmosphere.

Thanks again to the staff and management of Turquoise Bay Resort. You made our stay memorable!

My wife and I spent a week there in March. It looks just like the pictures you see on the internet; white sand beaches, beautiful water and nobody on the beach. One hour on the beach and you understand why it is deserted - its full of sand fleas! While some resorts try hard to control them, they only sprayed on Wed. Karaoke night when outsiders come. The wait staff were slow but very friendly. The food was fair at best but we got the distinct notion that the chefs hands were tied and the lack of selection and quality was cost cutting due to the lack of guests. The rooms were nice and comfortable and fairly well maintained. We dove there once and that was enough. The equipment was old and the attention to the divers somewhat lacking. You are also quite a ways removed from everything else on the island. I guess if you are a newly wed and are going to rarely eat and never leave your room - this is the place for you! If you like good diving, adventure, to lay out on the beach, good food and a well managed resort - look elsewhere!

My husband, parents, and brother and I just got back from a great week at Turquoise Bay Resort in Roatan Honduras. My husband and I got married there on the beach on April 28, 2008.

The wedding was beautiful and went off without any major problems. Jesus really saved us with his last minute help in getting an officiant, music, and picking up the cake for the wedding. He also enlisted David, a fellow staff member, to perform guitar music during the ceremony at no additional cost. These were all things that were decided in the week leading up to the wedding... and even when we first arrived at the resort!

The staff was more than wonderful. As stated before, the service can be a bit slow, but I think that's because the culture in Roatan is so different than the US. Meals were more about enjoying each other's company and meeting new friends rather than stuffing your face as quickly as you could. My husband and I made sure we were up by 6:30 or 7:00 when we had dives at 8:30 to make sure we had time for breakfast.

Positives:
- The meal and dive packages are very affordable. We rented our dive equipment and were more than satisified with what we got.

- The staff: Marty, Genie, Margie, Leslie, Becky, Jay, Alvin, Samuel, Mr. Castro (can't pronounce or spell his first name!), Jesus, Marianne, and countless others were more than helpful and were very good about answering our many, many questions about them and the island.

- The pool had a deep end and was very clean. Every morning it was cleaned by a maintenance worker.

- The bar on the beach and the service that came with it.

- The rooms were clean, cool, and had private patios. The view of the ocean was amazing.

- The grounds were very well kept and lovely. Ginger flowers, palm trees, and rock pathways really added to the feel of spending a week in paradise.

- The resort was fun without ever being rowdy. The bar and pool area stayed open until at least 10. There were never any problems with ordering additional drinks at 10 and hanging out by the pool well past "closing."

- The beach was large and had many private villas.

Negatives:

- The food was good, but limited. By the end of the week, none of us ever wanted to look at calamari again! If something is not on the menu, do not be afraid to ask for it. Regretfully, we found out at end of the week that we could order side salads, traditional shrimp coctail (not just ceviche), and scrambled eggs.

- The sand flies! Definitely bring with lots of bug spray (with Deet in it, even though it doesn't work for some people). The hotel gift shop also sells something called Cactus Juice, which is bug spray with SPF 20 sunscreen. That was a positive.

- Although the beach was large, the sand was hard and packed. It would have been nice if the volleyball court had extra sand or was raked so that diving when going for a shot didn't feel like landing on concrete.

- Sometimes the mixed drinks seemed a little weak. Stick with beer or request the drinks be made as doubles. However, be sure you try a Monkey La-La! It's a Roatan drink made with Kahlua, vodka, banana and a couple of other ingredients. Very yummy!


Overall, I highly recommend this resort if you're looking for something that's a bit calmer and more affordable than the West End (and the cruise ships and tourists that come with it). It's a great resort and we would definitely visit again.