We stayed at Paradise Oceanic from Dec. 8-15. And although we booked a room for Paradise Beach though Sunwing, we were upgraded to Oceanic upon our arrival due to renovations. What a pleasant surprise!

Rooms
The rooms at Oceanic were clean and much nicer than most places I'd seen on West Bay in the same price range. The balcony was nice, though not ocean view. But that's not really a big deal unless you enjoy spending your whole vacation on your balcony getting eaten by mosquitos. So for me, the lack of a view is nothing to complain about, especially since this resort sits right on the beach and has a rooftop pool with a breathtaking view. Most of the time we had the whole area to ourselves. Also, the rooms have flat screen TVs with American channels, cold AC, and our room had hot water. The only negatives were that there were no washcloths nor was there a place to sit our soap and shampoo in the shower. Still, not that big of a deal considering that most places on West Bay have only a small fraction of the amenities that Paradise offers.

Food
The food was delicious, typical Honduran food. Several guests could be heard complaining about the buffet, but we had no complaints with the all-inclusive plan. We came to Honduras expecting to eat Honduran food and we were satisfied with every meal. My husband does not eat pork and they grilled a chicken breast for him on our first night at no extra cost. Other than this, each day there was something different on the buffet. There was always some variation of potatoes and eggs for breakfast with various other sides. There was also a good selection at other meal times as well. We never went hungry and only at out twice when touring the island. There were some mentions about bugs swarming around the food. Generally, I avoided any food that was uncovered. And it never upset me to the point of complaining to the staff or manager. However, I saw no problems with the covered dishes. There were plenty. I believed them to be an acceptable temperature and never got sick once. The all-inclusive cocktail selection was more than enough for a hotel/resort this size. Although we bought a bottle of our own premium liquor at Eldons for $17 (yes that cheap) before arriving in West Bay. We then had the bartender mix all of our drinks with the good stuff. The beer was good and cold too!

I don't really have anything negative to say about this place nor the staff. We booked a stay at a 3.5 star resort and got more than we'd expected. I don't think it would be fair to compare this resort to resorts in other locales, so I won't. I found Roatan to be an underdeveloped island with high poverty and few Americans. It's not as touristy as othe typical Caribbean island and the beach wasn't that crowded, even on cruise ship days. That's one of the things that make this place special.

That being said, I'm glad we stayed here. I would stay again. I honestly don't know what would have made many of the guests who were complaining happy. Apparently, Paradise isn't for everyone. We, on the other hand, could not have been more content. We typically do lots of research on trip advisor so we know what to expect before we go places. Whoever is reading this, I suggest you do the same. In our opinion, this resort excels. There's no better value in West Bay. Many places had AC but no tv, or a tv but no AC. Sime had meal plans and some didnt. We simply couldn't beat it.

Now, was Sunwing misleading? Perhaps. The shuttle did not pick us up because, coming from the United States, we flew in on a Saturday and didn't book our flights through Sunwing, only our room. But that is not the hotel's fault. So, I'm not going to downgrade this wonderful resort on account of Sunwing. Those complaints are best suited for Sunwing and not Paradise.

My advice is to do as much research on the Internet as possible so you are in store for no matter where you stay. And, if at all possible, humble yourself and enjoy Roatan for what it is!

We just returned Dec 10/12 from the Oceanic in Honduras. The previous reviewer Brad R has done a wonderful job of describing the resort but I wanted to expound on a few of the amenities. This resort is no place to take a family of any sort. There is absolutely nothing to do - it is the same as going to a small motel that is beachside anywhere. You swim, sort of drink, and dare to eat within the very strict timelines. There is nothing outside the eating times that is edible no matter what Sunwing advertises. A normal dinner plate of fried Plantain set on the bar amongst the flies around 3 pm, never to be refilled, does not constitute "snacks". This description is the same Sunwing uses for the other 15 resorts we have attended and at no time has this been the definition. Again Sunwing is misleading in the description and they are well aware of this but continue on.

Check In :
Throughout the resort, the Staff are excellent - not one complaint with them which is one of the reasons a Mostly All-Inclusive did not turn the trip sour. Upon arrival we were met with a smile and even though we had email confirmation, from the front desk Manager, of a 2nd floor room (mobility issues) we were issued a 3rd floor room. I showed the staff the email from their Manager but he was unavailable that day. Little did I know that "unavailable" was the Management technique employed at the Paradise and it became obvious he was taught it by the General manager as I was to discover. Front desk staff quickly found a 2nd floor room and off we went. The front desk is also where you learn WiFi is $50/week. That seemed expensive but when in Rome......
We had upgraded to the Oceanic Hotel as it was advertised as new and the roof top exclusive bar/ pool seemed like a nice touch but as the previous reviewer already revealed it turns out the roof top option is just that, an option. It is accessible to all Paradise customers so there is nothing exclusive to it. Also, it is never manned anyway so what you have is a 5 th floor pool with no service any where close by. Sunwing ensures it publishes pictures of the pool and eating area as well as a description of the pool but in reality, for all intents and purposes, it does not exist. The rooms are as described but the hot water is barely hot enough to shower with at any time. Complaints to Sunwing and the Hotel Manager, Harry change nothing. They are in the process of upgrading all the Paradise Beach rooms and they have excellent hot water and pressure so why pay the upgrade to Paradise Oceanic?

Bars:
There is one bar at the beach and one by the pool. All bars are closed by 9:30 pm no exceptions. The pool bar has no full time bartender as the pool is seldom used. We sat by the pool one day and were able to wave a staff member down as required but if multiple people were to need drinks this would never work. The beach bar staff, Angel and Ingrid, are extremely nice and do a great job albeit they are a little slow, I believe due to inexperience. It seemed like wherever you went you were always dealing with brand new staff with no experience. No one had more than a few weeks of senority. I don't know where last year's staff got to. The only Bartender that really seem to have things figured out was Isaac. He was excellent and kept asking if your drink was fine etc. The 2nd day there he was let go until Dec 17 due to low patrons. I believe he was sent home due to getting drinks out too quickly. The General Manager is on a huge austerity kick so less drinks per hour served is money in the resorts pocket. The positive is all beer and pop is served from a bottle, no bulk dispensing. At the beach bar there is a chalk board of the 8 mixed drinks you can have in the all - inclusive plan so if it isn't there you aren't getting it. No drink of the day, no speciality drink, nothing but the list and if you want anything like Kaluha it's $5 a shot. Even Cuba has a knock off of Tia Maria but not the Paradise, $5 per shot because it is not on the list.

Beach:
Absolutely Stunning is the best way to describe it. Beautiful soft sand and the Snorkling and Scuba Diving is second to none. The snorkling is 50 yards off shore and goes forever. BUGS - bring spray and you will still get bitten but a lot less. I nevrer saw any one spray the grounds and this is a well rained upon island so you do the math.

Scuba Diving:
On site is West Bay Divers, they are fantastic. Malcolm and Luke run a first rate dive shop. The diving is absolutely awesome and the reef is extremely healthy and beautiful. If you go you must have them take you on a night dive, best ever. Hopefully you will get to see the String of Pearls, amazing!!! The price for diving is extremely reasonable and all the dive masters certainly earn their tips. Thanks Kieran

Food:
Yuck, Yuck, Yuck. I have never seen such a poor selection or temperature of food at any other All-inclusive. Everyone complains about Cuba's food but I would take Cuba over this place anytime. The servers Fanny, Elvidia (?), Hector and Monica were great and did an outstanding job but the food was horrible. None of the meals had a single chef at the buffet. No omelletes, no carved meats and no pasta anything. Eating at noon and not again until 7 is unacceptable for most families and difficult when you've been sunning and drinking all day. Yes there are multiple restaurants up and down the Beach but buying your food seems to defeat the definition of all-inclusive again more like mostly-inclusive. Food temperature has been discussed so beware as I am in day 8 of intestinal issues and counting.

Management:
The general Manager, Harry, was brought in by the owners to increase revenue. I give him 6 months. He is by far the worst General Manager I have ever encountered. Not one single time did he ever introduce himself or even say hello. No asking questions of the patrons, no interaction at all. He walks around in an old Florida Gator t-shirt, ratty old shorts and a pair of flip flops. He is worse dressed than the staff a they at least wear the Resort golf shirt uniform but not him. He hid behind his staff on every turn , if staff said something was not included then nothing changed until you insisted they asked Harry. Harry would allow it but the next day the same issue arose and process started over. This went on every day. At best Harry is a Maintenance Manager not a GM. His focus for the whole week was to get 2 TVs mounted at the beach bar. Don't fix the hot water, the food or the snacks, get those TVs up so we can all shut them off at 9:30. I'm sure the owners will figure this one out once they see the revenue dropping.


Sunwing Reps:
Francine and Estelle are 2 of the friendliest reps you will ever meet. However they are also 2 of the most ineffective reps you will ever meet. Many things are gong to be looked into or checked out however there is never a definitive answer on anything nor is there any change when issues are brought forward. Once again both Ladies are new to Roatan so there is no relationship between them and the resort. It is painfully obvious. I was assured all the issues I brought up were already forwarded on to Sunwing but of course no remedy

This a beautiful Island with lush vegetation and a stunning reef. I would definitely return to the Island but never to the Paradise Beach/ Oceanic until the drink selection improves, the GM is replaced and the food/ snacks are vastly improved. Sunwing knows about the issues at this resort but continues to sell it with a rather misleading representation. I feel they are as responsible as the resort to make changes.

I just got back from a week at this hotel and will give you an honest breakdown below.

Check-In
Very easy and pleasant. The girl behind the front desk had a big smile and an equally big personality. She made check-in and out a pleasure.

The Hotel
The hotel consists of five stories – four stories of rooms and the fifth being the roof top deck. None of the rooms have a decent view so don’t plan on getting a higher floor for a better view, it simply isn’t there. The roof top deck is beautiful and does have a decent view. Unfortunately, it is never used. It is set up to be used as a bar/restaurant; however it didn’t function as such while I was there. Pity! We did make use out of it on our last day by bringing a few beers up from the beach bar and sitting in the pool while watching the sunset.

The Rooms
The rooms are nice and clean. They are sparsely decorated with only a bed, two night tables, and desk. The desk contains a bar fridge complete with two bottles of water, nothing else. This water is not replenished at any time during your stay. If you need more water, and you will, it is available at either bar, most of the time. The room did not have a foldy-suitcase-rack thing to set your suitcase upon. This meant I had to unpack, fortunately, the closet was quite large. There is no clock in the room – I had to get wake-up calls for early morning excursions. The balconies are a decent size with two faux wicker chairs and a table. The bathroom was nice but small. The shower was tiny and at no time had hot water; it was room temperature at best. The water pressure was lousy – I have more water pressure… The toilet paper felt like #30 sandpaper. When you have tummy issues, and you will if you stay here, you will be wishing you brought a role or two from home.

The Beach
The beach is long but only 40 feet wide (I measured it). It is an adequate size, for the size of the hotel during low season. I had no problems getting a chair under a palapa. The beach is full of mosquitoes and sand fleas at all times of the day. I wore Deep Woods Off and still managed to get hundreds of bites. Although unsightly, if you take Benadryl, they won’t itch. Just off the shore is the most beautiful reef I have ever seen. I still can’t get over how much living coral there was. You don’t have to stay at this resort to access the reef as all the AI hotels in this area have access to it.

The hotel has a gentleman on the beach working as security. He takes his job very seriously. If you don't want vendors bothering you, he will ensure that they leave you alone. When you go into the ocean, he watches your belongings like a hawk. I have never felt so comfortable leaving my belongings unattended.

Food and Beverages
Though the hotel and Sunwing claim that this hotel offers an all-inclusive plan, I will assure you they do not. Breakfast was four chafing dishes of crap with very little fresh fruit on the side. It was served from 7-9 am, however if you got there after 8am very little was left and nothing was replenished. Lunch (12-2 pm) and dinner (7-9 pm) were pretty much the same story. The food was brought to the service area cold, and then warmed in the chafing dishes. If you got to the restaurant early you had plenty of food but it was cold – if you got there later, it was warm slim pickings. I have worked in the food safety industry and know that their failure to maintain the food at an adequate temperature can lead to food bourne illness. I suggest it was this practice which was responsible for making everyone at the resort ill.

When I finally tired of fighting for what should be included, I began buying my lunch and/or breakfast at one of the a la carte restaurants. For the most part, the food is reasonably priced and shockingly good. I am shocked because all of the food at this resort comes from one kitchen. Clearly, someone back there is a decent cook. It is a shame that their efforts were not realized in the buffet.

The Sunwing ad suggests you get 1 buffet at the Buffalo restaurant (which no longer exists) and 1 a la carte per week. The hotel staff informed me that a la carte was not part of the all inclusive plan. It was only after complaining to them, their general manager, and the Sunwing rep that they begrudgingly gave me one a la carte. The Sunwing ad also suggests you get snacks. Snacks here are typically a plate of tortilla chips, left uncovered on the beach bar for the flies to enjoy, once per day. No food is served anywhere on the resort after 9:30 pm.

Beverages are 5 varieties of local beer and a slim selection of hard liquor – there is no Baileys or Kahlua or any other liqueur included. The “house wine” which is the only one that is included, and then only 2 glasses with dinner, is some pink concoction which nobody enjoyed. Alcohol is only served until 9:30 pm.

Again I complained to the Sunwing rep about their food and beverage service and she commiserated with me before telling me that one of the advantages of this hotels crappy AI plan is that I can go to other resorts near-by and pay for lunch and/or drinks. If anyone understands how this is an advantage, please let me know as I am still a little befuddled.

The day we left, Sunwing ushered most of the guests out of the hotel at 11 am to catch their 3 pm flight. As the airport is dismal and only a half hour away, a group of us decided to find our own way to the airport. This allowed us extra beach time and some lunch before our flight back. The general manager found us waiting for lunch in the buffet restaurant at 11:50 am. He had a few words with his lunch staff and coincidently, the chafing dishes were not out on this day until after 12:30 pm.

Most of my complaints are really quite minor. I could easily overlook them and would otherwise gladly return. However, to me, the biggest advantage of an AI resort is that you have no worries, if you’re hungry there is always food available, if you want a drink, name your poison and someone will be all to happy to pour it for you. It isn’t the case here. I ate very little buffet food and quickly tired of drinking the swill they pass off as alcohol. I feel like I have been swindled by both the hotel and Sunwing. I will neither return nor use Sunwing in the future.

Please avoid this place, we had a horrible time, starting from the fact that we found a tarantula under our bed and we have 2 babies. The food is disgusting, not worth to pay the all inclusive.

There's not hot water on the shower we had to suffer hearing our baby cry with that cold water. There is no room service everything is closed early.

The cable had a bad signal, you can't even watch a show because it is to blurry.

We left the manager know our discomfort and she didn't even cared.