Delfins Beach Resort; any feedback?

[ijdod]

I appreciate your post. I looked at the restaurant menu online and while interesting it did seem pricey. I think we will have dinner at the Brass Boer one night, but I am too cheap to indulge in more than one night of fine dining while on vacation. We will probably balance things between grocery shopping and eating on patio along with casual dining in town.

The restaurant has a separate, less expensive menu for breakfast and lunch. I could not find any reference to this on their site, so we went there expecting the full menu for essentially a midday dinner (This is also how De Librije works for lunch from actual experience, hence our expectation). The lunch menu was a bit of a surprise. We chose the 'Boer Burger'. While certainly good, it was small and fairly expensive. (70$ before tip for 2 burgers, 2 wine, 2 cokes and water). The whole experience just failed to live up to our expectations.

Staff & service were mediocre, and well below what you should be able to expect at this price level.

Would you mind elaborating more on the missing points? Were they in reference to the rooms or grounds?

It was little details, mainly the grounds, as we could only see the buildings from the outside. Lack of signs (they had a sign where their food truck was, not where their high-end restaurant could be found). Some wooden finishings were already coming loose. They had grass sections bordered by gravel, but the turf literally looked like it was just put on top of the gravel. It all looks very new and soulless (but this is common for new developments), but it had that feel of looking nice mainly because it was new, not because it was actually nice.

There was one negative review on TripAdvisor which seemed authentic. They mainly complained about the resort opening without having everything ready(i.e. t.v.'s, tables,closets etc). They also complained about the lack of shade or chaise lounges by pool. A couple of days later the negative review was deleted. Anymore Tripadvisor is like a train wreck. You look at it, then encounter self loathing afterwards for doing so. I was hoping that after the scandals of Tripadvisor eliminating the bad, or less than flattering reviews(mainly in Mexico) were over. Obviously not the case.

I noticed that one, but it was hinted that they were in negotiation with their tour operator. Perhaps removal of the bad review was part of a settlement agreement. I do tend to look at the bad reviews for places I visit, but I try to read between the lines. I've seen people give poor reviews for absurd reasons. What I really hate is the rating inflation with such sites in general. On some sites, 3* is good (not excellent, but pleasant enough experience), put it often feels like a bad review amidst all the 5* ratings for the local snackbar... (Edit: I also noted that depending on how to search in Tripadvisor, you may not see al reviews. They can be filtered by language, and this seems to be the case by default in some search results).

 

[drrich2]

They had grass sections

That bit struck me. The one time I saw grass on Bonaire, it was a week where there was a very unusual amount of rain for some days, and surprisingly, a decent amount of grass sprang up in places.

So, I take it they're going to waste (in my opinion, likely of no interest to them) desalinized water maintaining an environmentally incompatible grassy lawn section? Maybe it's just me, but I find that off-putting. Wonder if they'll fertilize it, and if the fertilizer will find its way to the ocean & contribute to algae? Hope not.

Richard.

 

[ijdod]

That bit struck me. The one time I saw grass on Bonaire, it was a week where there was a very unusual amount of rain for some days, and surprisingly, a decent amount of grass sprang up in places.

So, I take it they're going to waste (in my opinion, likely of no interest to them) desalinized water maintaining an environmentally incompatible grassy lawn section? Maybe it's just me, but I find that off-putting. Wonder if they'll fertilize it, and if the fertilizer will find its way to the ocean & contribute to algae? Hope not.

Richard.

In my experience of living on the island for 3 months, the environmental awareness here is surprisingly low, given the status of the marine park. Mostly it's all short term gain rather than long term. Wastewater is still a huge issue for instance, especially given the population growth on the island, with only 13% or so being connected to the water treatment plant, and that number typically doesn't include the newer developments...

 

[morecowbells]

Returned on the 18th from a week of wonderful diving in Bonaire. I was surprised how many private messages I received with inquiries of this resort. Sorry about the lengthy review, but I wanted to make sure I covered all bases and being a new resort with limited reviews, I wanted to give an accurate assessment of our week at Delfins.

Resort: A mixture of two and three story buildings divided up into compounds. Landscaping was authentic to the terrain, topography and climate of Bonaire. There were shrubs, palm trees with rock and pebble ground cover. The resort is designed to maximize ocean and landscape views with limited parking lot intrusions. Unlike many lodgings in the Caribbean, there is no noise from bars, roosters, cars etc. The units are tucked away from any noisy distractions. The swimming pool lives up to the pictures and descriptions. The water is on the chilly side (by American standards) but still refreshing. There were plenty of lounge chairs and the surrounding grounds were clean and immaculate. There is a small swim up bar area which is shaded. Near the pool were both his and her bathrooms. They were well kept and convenient. At first, I was apprehensive about the resort allowing day passes to visitors from the outside (I think these were cruise ship passengers). Fortunately, it did not impede availability to beach or lounge chairs. By the time we returned to resort from diving, most of the visitors were gone. Most of the lounge chairs around the pool were in direct sunlight. It would be ideal to see some umbrellas or other shade providing options. The bar was in a small area with overhead roof. Service was prompt and friendly. Selection of mixed drinks was good. It would be nice to see more beer options and craft beers. We only had lunch at the restaurant. Food was delicious, but on the pricey side. Restaurant seemed busy as reservations were strongly urged.

The beach is rocky and entrance can be somewhat challenging. There were plenty of comfortable lounge chairs and shaded areas facing the ocean. We were visiting the island during some rainy and windy weather. I packed bug repellent, but never used it. We had absolutely no issue with mosquitoes or sand fleas at resort. The ambiance around the beach is the big draw with this property. The sunsets were magnificent and the constant ocean breeze kept us comfortable. The music from the bar was a soothing new age genre (think of music at aquarium) at a soft volume. This was a welcome change from resorts which play THUMP! THUMP! at their bars. This resort is not intended for the party, club scene. It is focused on nature and serenity. The non- intrusion of noise made it ideal for catching a snooze on the beach.

Rooms: We stayed in a three bedroom, three bathroom panoramic suite which was located in a compound in the middle section of the resort. While not oceanfront, it did provide ample ocean views. Every room, including living room and dining room had air conditioning. The a/c units were quiet and kept us comfortable. The design is a myriad of mid century modern and outdoor themed retreat minimalist. The kitchen was fully functional. The cook top is a convection style. It would be ideal to have directions or a cheat sheet on operating unit in English. We did have a small paring knife, but no other sharp knives or sharp utensils. A bread knife and a couple of steak knives would have come in handy. We never purchased coffee pods at resort. Since we were a party of four, we packed a French press for our coffee needs. Bedding was on the firm side. Some bathrooms had electrical outlets, others had none. The wardrobe closets were puzzling. While rooms were large, they could have easily accommodated larger, more practical sized wardrobes. My biggest complaint about the rooms are the louvered windows. There is a screen and some wooden louvers, no glass pane. In order to get any light into the room, one had to open the louvers which defeated the purpose of running the a/c. There are some people who enjoy sleeping with their windows open, listening to the birds, rain etc. I am not one of these people. I am a light sleeper, I like glass panes and prefer to keep windows shut while sleeping.

Diving: The onsite dive shop, Dive Friends was well run and very convenient. It was a perfect design for divers. We would pull up our truck, load/unload our gear and tanks. There was a clean, secure locked area with plenty of hangers for gear storage. It could have not been more convenient or ideal. Everyone at the dive shop was friendly and helpful. The geniuses at Delta lost our luggage for a few days. We rented gear from Dive Friends. It was good quality, no frills and well maintained. During our visit there were some rough waters. The shore dive in front of resort was rough and difficult to enter and exit. During calmer weather, it may be a good dive.

While Delfins Resort has some flaws, the pluses far outweighed the negatives. Ordinarily I would give it 4 out of 5 stars. However, the tipping point for me giving it 5 stars was the friendliness, professionalism and helpfulness of the entire staff at the resort. The front desk went well above and beyond their jobs.

 

[Trailboss123]

Returned on the 18th from a week of wonderful diving in Bonaire. I was surprised how many private messages I received with inquiries of this resort. Sorry about the lengthy review, but I wanted to make sure I covered all bases and being a new resort with limited reviews, I wanted to give an accurate assessment of our week at Delfins.

Resort: A mixture of two and three story buildings divided up into compounds. Landscaping was authentic to the terrain, topography and climate of Bonaire. There were shrubs, palm trees with rock and pebble ground cover. The resort is designed to maximize ocean and landscape views with limited parking lot intrusions. Unlike many lodgings in the Caribbean, there is no noise from bars, roosters, cars etc. The units are tucked away from any noisy distractions. The swimming pool lives up to the pictures and descriptions. The water is on the chilly side (by American standards) but still refreshing. There were plenty of lounge chairs and the surrounding grounds were clean and immaculate. There is a small swim up bar area which is shaded. Near the pool were both his and her bathrooms. They were well kept and convenient. At first, I was apprehensive about the resort allowing day passes to visitors from the outside (I think these were cruise ship passengers). Fortunately, it did not impede availability to beach or lounge chairs. By the time we returned to resort from diving, most of the visitors were gone. Most of the lounge chairs around the pool were in direct sunlight. It would be ideal to see some umbrellas or other shade providing options. The bar was in a small area with overhead roof. Service was prompt and friendly. Selection of mixed drinks was good. It would be nice to see more beer options and craft beers. We only had lunch at the restaurant. Food was delicious, but on the pricey side. Restaurant seemed busy as reservations were strongly urged.

The beach is rocky and entrance can be somewhat challenging. There were plenty of comfortable lounge chairs and shaded areas facing the ocean. We were visiting the island during some rainy and windy weather. I packed bug repellent, but never used it. We had absolutely no issue with mosquitoes or sand fleas at resort. The ambiance around the beach is the big draw with this property. The sunsets were magnificent and the constant ocean breeze kept us comfortable. The music from the bar was a soothing new age genre (think of music at aquarium) at a soft volume. This was a welcome change from resorts which play THUMP! THUMP! at their bars. This resort is not intended for the party, club scene. It is focused on nature and serenity. The non- intrusion of noise made it ideal for catching a snooze on the beach.

Rooms: We stayed in a three bedroom, three bathroom panoramic suite which was located in a compound in the middle section of the resort. While not oceanfront, it did provide ample ocean views. Every room, including living room and dining room had air conditioning. The a/c units were quiet and kept us comfortable. The design is a myriad of mid century modern and outdoor themed retreat minimalist. The kitchen was fully functional. The cook top is a convection style. It would be ideal to have directions or a cheat sheet on operating unit in English. We did have a small paring knife, but no other sharp knives or sharp utensils. A bread knife and a couple of steak knives would have come in handy. We never purchased coffee pods at resort. Since we were a party of four, we packed a French press for our coffee needs. Bedding was on the firm side. Some bathrooms had electrical outlets, others had none. The wardrobe closets were puzzling. While rooms were large, they could have easily accommodated larger, more practical sized wardrobes. My biggest complaint about the rooms are the louvered windows. There is a screen and some wooden louvers, no glass pane. In order to get any light into the room, one had to open the louvers which defeated the purpose of running the a/c. There are some people who enjoy sleeping with their windows open, listening to the birds, rain etc. I am not one of these people. I am a light sleeper, I like glass panes and prefer to keep windows shut while sleeping.

Diving: The onsite dive shop, Dive Friends was well run and very convenient. It was a perfect design for divers. We would pull up our truck, load/unload our gear and tanks. There was a clean, secure locked area with plenty of hangers for gear storage. It could have not been more convenient or ideal. Everyone at the dive shop was friendly and helpful. The geniuses at Delta lost our luggage for a few days. We rented gear from Dive Friends. It was good quality, no frills and well maintained. During our visit there were some rough waters. The shore dive in front of resort was rough and difficult to enter and exit. During calmer weather, it may be a good dive.

While Delfins Resort has some flaws, the pluses far outweighed the negatives. Ordinarily I would give it 4 out of 5 stars. However, the tipping point for me giving it 5 stars was the friendliness, professionalism and helpfulness of the entire staff at the resort. The front desk went well above and beyond their jobs.


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Great report @morecowbells -- very thorough and helpful-- thanks for taking the time and effort to post!

 

[scubadada]

How's the house reef? I'm spoiled at Den Laman and Bari Reef.

 

[morecowbells]

How's the house reef? I'm spoiled at Den Laman and Bari Reef.

Hard to tell to be honest. The weather made the water choppy during most of the week. When we dived the house reef, the visibility was not prime. Under better conditions I think it could be a nice dive.

 

[Trailboss123]

How's the house reef? I'm spoiled at Den Laman and Bari Reef.

My wife and I dove it-- It is nice, but Bari reef is definitely better and the challenge with the house reef at Delfins is that it is weather dependent due to its proximity to lighthouse point.