Thank you for reviewing our small lodge it helps us learn, grow and keep tweaking our operation until we get it perfect :)

This review is clearly the result of a guest not taking the time to read all the information available and choosing without much research. Wile it does hurt to get criticized for something we feel unfair, this also is a great opportunity to further detail what we are and what we are not, so future potential guests can make the right decision weather they should stay here at Dolphin Bay or perhaps a different lodge might be more to they liking and budget.

I am glad you liked our room and meals but i am a bit confused on the complaint about location, excursion cost and your cocktails. Below i will copy and paste what appears clearly on our website so I am not sure how anyone can complain about something clearly stated and that you should have been aware before you even made a reservation.

1. " the hotel is quite far away"
Dolphin Bay Hideaway is located on the shores of Dolphin Bay, in the small village of Bocatorito on the Island of San Cristobal. We are 20 min. boat ride from the town of Bocas Del Toro, So yes, once again we are a "Hideaway" 20 minutes by boat from town. Guests who choose us want to be away from the hustle and bustle of Bocas.

2."even though 3 alcoholic drinks per night were supposed to be included in the price we found ourselves having to pay 20 dollars extra for our cocktails."

Here is what appears on our site:
Rates are per room up to double occupancy and they include:
- a diverse and very filling breakfast and dinner
- beverages including soft drinks, juice, coffee and tee
- beer and/or wine (with a limit of 3 per person per day)
- transportation to and from Bocas on your arrival and departure
- use of our traditional wooden dugout, kayak or canoe
- dolphin watching tour
- wireless Internet access
- all the coconuts you can drink during your stay

Please note that our rates do not include:
- lunch price-range $5 to $7
- mixed and blended drinks price-range $2.50 to $4
- additional beers $1.50 or wine $3
- boat excursions price-range $5 to $75
- taxes 10% of room rate
- gratuities

So again all this info is readily available on the website and we even send it again for the 2nd time in an e-mail when guests write to inquire about availability. And then once again for the 3rd time there are little drink menus with drink costs in the rooms stating that up to 3 beers and wine is included but cocktails and additional beer and wine is NOT.

3.there is not much to do right around the hotel,

Things to do around our lodge for NO additional cost:
Dolphin watching
Canoeing
Photography
Swimming
Bird watching
Walk through the village
Relaxing - Our Rancho over the water provides a perfect spot for spending the day reading, conversing with other guests or just taking naps in one of the many hammock.

4." so to see anything you need to take tours organized by the hotel - but at almost double the price from what you would be paying in bocas town"

I think i have already answered this question once to a previous complaint and i will just put the same info since it explains it all. Detailed activity list with rates and what they include are available to all our guests before they even make a reservation with us.
If you do compare prices you will realize that we are not charging any more then what you would be spending if you went with another operator from town. Our rates might seam a bit higher if you fail to consider that they include park fees , some include lunch, drinks and all equipment. Tours advertised from Bocas town only cover your transportation and not all the added cost involved in your daily excursion. The tour you participated, if i am not mistaking is the one to Zapatilla that we charge $50. This includes $10 Bastimentos national park fee, a cooler full of soft drinks, water, juice and beer and your lunch at the beach.
The tours from Bocas cost $25 only for the transportation, then you still have to pay $10 for the park, and when you stop for lunch at the restaurant your cost per plate is a minimum of $10 and up to $20 plus add something to drink with lunch and your cost will be the same and/or more.
There are maybe two excursions that might cost a bit more from our location simply because we are twice as far from the destination but even then the extra is about $12 per person, which is small change if you consider that you are probably spending thousands of dollars with flights and hotels on your overall vacation. I per say prefer to spend $12 more but have a personalized and exclusive tour with maximum 8 guests on board verses saving $12 and getting stuffed in a shuttle boat with 20 or 30 other travelers.

It is really hard to please everyone and I don't think we will ever be able to cover all tastes and budgets. Dolphin Bay Hideaway has a selective audience and we are quite aware of that.
We strive to offer clean, comfortable, safe lodging, fresh homemade delicious meals and of course great tour destination for guests that want to experience something different from your usual hotel and resort. There are many great places to stay in Bocas and we feel that we are definitely one of them. I hope future guests will make the right decision in choosing the best lodge for their particular needs.
If our small Eco-friendly, family run lodge is the one you choose we will give 100% on our part to make your stay memorable.

Once again Thank you swedish-traveler1! and i wish you happy travels!