Arkie Diver:
Can anyone out there make a comparison between the two resorts for us? We kind of hurried up and booked it before we had a chance to talk ourselves out of it. I appreciate the help.
The difference? FIBR is the resort you went to, IoLR is the one that you are booked into.
FIBR is a resort that offers some diving. It's a nice, general interest resort, as much of a diverse entertainment facility as might be possible on Roatan. Think of it as a Honduran Club Med without any G.O.'s. They run their dive-op in a similar fashion, also with a similar European style of presentation. The preceding was not a "throw away" comment, it is absolutely descriptive of a style of an AI resort/Dive Op. Not judgemental, just know what it is.
They offer some evening diversions, bands, dancing, etc., as well as a perfect, lovely, man-made beach that has pretty-well devestated their house reef. Occasionaly their pool is operational. They have TV in the tile floored a/c rooms and rather pokey dining room service. Some folks find it relaxing in its attempt at Bay Islands elegance.
It's hard to not view everyone else in our world as not being the same as we are ourselves. As I sit here on SB, my perspective is often "dive-dive-dive". Not everyone shares my narrow mentality. Non-diving spouses, or just a lower need for bottom time influences vacation choices. If I were looking for a little bit of everything, I would pick another island entirely, but if I felt the need to dive Roatan, there would be few better choices than FIBR if I needed to accomodate for non-dive activities. The shallow diving of the South side's nursery walls is unique in the Caribbean.
IoLR is different in many ways. It is on the North side, the diving is typical of what you will see in the Caribbean. Go to IoLR to dive. If you want other entertainment, you will find the quick trip to the nearby West End area to be a quick and easy cab ride. IoLR rooms are beautiful, a/c and built of island wood. They also feature served meals, and the speed of their service is more geared towards the "sit & eat" attitude of Americans.
Their dive-op looks smaller, because it is. There are less people on premises, but I have no doubt that a greater percentage of them will be on-board and diving (vs FIBR). It is run very well.
FIBR is an industrial operation run as a foreign owned business. IoLR is a hands-on operation by management that is long term and connected with the island. One is not better than the other necessarily, but I know what experience I'd rather savor. Life does not have to be a well oiled machine- I enjoy seeing some of the island's quirkiness as it challenges the local business oweners. Just sit back and relax- enjoy the island circus. Equal amounts of stuff can go wrong in either resort- and will! Just be observant and learn about current "island culture", something everyone seems to be in search of- yet they're always looking in the wrong direction.
IoLR will be a certain way, but you can depend upon it for
consistency, versus the wild fluctuations (read SB posts) that you will see at FIBR.
In the final equation, there is a whole lot of information here on SB that will describe both resorts quite well. Comparing them is difficult. Apples and Pears, if you will.
Bottom line, though~ You have already booked... what was your question?
Go, have fun. See a "different side" of Roatan~ a different side in
many ways.
