FIrst, I will say that ALL of the people that work at this resort are very friendly and kind. We stayed here for a week to be in a destination wedding and the staff was great. We also went out on the catamaran's sunset sail and the trip was beautiful. The crew and captain were friendly and helpful, kept pouring drinks for the drinkers, and were happy to be social while they worked.

Here are the challenges we encountered which aren't too bad, but you'd want to be prepared just in case.

1. We traveled with a 3 year old, so the resort assumed that my husband and I (both close to 6 ft tall and I'm pregnant) would prefer to sleep in a twin bed than a Queen or larger and put a huge day bed in the room. THere were no options for kids like a simple roll away. The resort is steps from the beach and was beautiful, but the hotel room was like a Motel 6, so bring anything you need. We were uncomfortable sleeping the WHOLE TIME. Also, some of our friends that were there were in a room with a broken air conditioner and in 88 degre weather, it was pretty miserable for them. We were on the 3rd floor, which was nice and quiet, but it's all stairs, so be prepared for the workout.

The food was all a little salty at both of the restort locations and it costs about $9 per person each way to get anywhere else on the island by taxi. So consider the location if you want to do more than just stay at the resort and snorkle. Keep in mind also, the beach here is a little rocky, so take some water shoes if you are really going to spend a lot of time in the water or your feet will get torn up.

Also, EVERYWHERE on the island, sunscreen is about $20, so make sure you take your own. Along with bug spray.

My wife and I decided to go to the Bolongo Bay beach resort last minute for our 25th anniversary . Very nice place and I see why people keep going back. To be honest I was taken back when we had dropped a few other people off at other resorts and then pulled in to ours(backside view). But within 15 minutes of our checking in we knew we were going to be happy . Food was real good and to be honest some of the people we dropped off at the other hotels came here to eat because they heard the food at Iggies and The Lobster Grille was much better than their hotels food. The cruise they offer are great saw many turtles and the sunset cruise was great. i have traveled to a few carribean islands and do alot of snorkling . I do have to say right off the beach out to the rocks on the left may be some of the best fish i have seen . Saw turtles , spotted rays and so many fish. We were in the middle 2 times of fish which we could not count and the colors were amazing. The staff were more then helpful and did not have any problems with any of them. We met some very nice people and all of them say they would definitly go back. As someone with some customer service background I find the staff very helpful, they may not be as fast paced as we are in the states but they are there . With that said sometimes the vibe you give off is the service you may get . Beach is nice and yes there is a few small rocks but nothing to complain about. As for the warning for the spiny urchins ,it is to let you know they may roll in but we did see any. The staff at both bars (Rachel)(Alex)are there to serve you and will make you whatever you may desire(lime in da cocunut). We will definatly return . As for other trips to do while here, ST Johns is nice , shop downtown . Take a cab ride or van ride around the island. We heard the trip to the British island s is nice also.

We just got back, from our week long stay. We had a BLAST! This resort was simply amazing & a little piece of heaven. I would recommend going in the off season anywhere from may-oct. It was so quiet and not crowded at all. We even were upgraded to a beach view room which needless to say was gorgeous! The room is pretty outdated and the shower is beyond tiny!! You can barely move, but the view made it all worth it! We didnt have the all inclusive plan, but we were sorry we didnt. We spent a fortune on drinks & food & a couple we met did have the all inclusive & said it was so worth it. It isnt the typical buffet all inclusive - you have your choice of anything from 2 very delicious restaurants. Try the hot buttered rum pancakes at Lobster Grill. Do yourself a favor & get a banana daquiri from STEVE at the pool bar!! He is AWESOME! His drinks are beyond delectable and he is sooo friendly & funny. He told us a bunch of tips on things to see and do. Joanne in the cute little gift shop was also wonderful with a ton of information! They were both so very lovely. The resort also lets you use all non motorized water sports free of charge which was a plus. We snorkeled a few days and got to swim with beautiful sea turtles and even saw a sting ray. Please note that the resort sits on the Caribbean Sea side, not that atlantic ocean. It was pleasant, however getting into the water you have to walk across a ton of rocks, so bring water shoes or just bare through it! Take part in the booze hunt it was very fun! Cabs get a bit pricey going back and forth, but renting a car is a challenge considering they drive on the opposite side of the road. Also they will try to push " tropic tours" on you -- I do NOT recommend! We drove around in the sweltering heat stopping to see plants for at least 2 hours and we were promised Trunk Bay, but didnt get to go. Instead we were taken to salt pond beach, not worth the $110 per person at all! Take a ferry over to St. John and explore yourself! I would however recommend taking the snorkeling tour through the dive shop right next to Bolongo. Only $55/person and they take you to a shipwreck, buck island, and a turtle tour. Oh and Coral world park is not worth it! Very small, not much to see and pricey with entrance cost and taxis to & from. All in all the vacation was great, very low key & we can't wait to return!

I spent a week at Bolongo for my mothers wedding. The rooms were nice but not over-the-top. The Lobster Grille had great food, especially breakfast, but the service left room for improvement. The beach is a little short and right by the hotel it usually gathers seaweed but down by Iggie's bar the beach is nice. walking the beach is especially nice at night, with good lighting and secluded spots, hammocks, etc. If you are looking for something high end, go for fisherman's reef. If you are looking for a laid back, relaxed, more authentic experience this is where you want to go.