Roatan: Inn of Last Resort??

[Harley1962]

Does anybody have ANY experience with this place?
Specifically, dive operation, accomodations, food etc...comparisons to Coco View, Anthony's Key Resort, etc...

Possibly looking to go there over Xmas- New Year's.....

Thanks in advance!
HB

 

[CA Wreck Diver]

Does anybody have ANY experience with this place?
Specifically, dive operation, accomodations, food etc...comparisons to Coco View, Anthony's Key Resort, etc...

Possibly looking to go there over Xmas- New Year's.....

Thanks in advance!
HB

I stayed at the IOLR for a week this last July and had a blast! While it is not the 'plushest' resort, it is a lot of fun. The staff is great, the food is good, and the diving is fantastic. Basically, this is not a 5-star resort but it is very good and we got a much better price than we could at any of the other resorts. If you end up going please pm me - I have a book that I promised I would send to Captain Ed (one of the dive boat captains) and I would like to make sure it gets to him, I have heard horror stories about mail delivery on the island.

 

[scubaotter]

Does anybody have ANY experience with this place?
Specifically, dive operation, accomodations, food etc...comparisons to Coco View, Anthony's Key Resort, etc...

Possibly looking to go there over Xmas- New Year's.....

Thanks in advance!
HB

Hi HB!

My husband and I along with four friends spent 9 wonderful days at Inn of Last Resort over Memorial Day.

I can't say enough nice things about the rooms, service and food but, I will try

Melissa and Vern are the day managers. Melissa will do everything possible to ensure you have a great time from beginning to end. She will make sure your bags are taken to your room, you have a cold drink in your hand less than 2 minutes after you arrive, etc. She is great for setting up tours of the island on the last day as well.

The Inn is comprised of four buildings with a square courtyard in the middle. The main lodge is where you eat all of your meals except for one cookout held down by the lagoon. The food is good and plentiful. Breakfast is cooked to order. Lunch and dinner have several choices. If you have any special requests let them know and they will be happy to accommodate you.

The diving is perfect but, that is the reason you are going right! The two boats are about 40 feet long and about 10-12 feet across. These boats were made for diving. Andy, the owner, does not like to put more than 8-10 people on each boat. There are some decent pictures of the boats on the website. The boats provide an upper sun deck or you can stay on the main level in the shade. The dive masters are helpful but, let you dive your own profile. If you have a specific site you want to go to let them know and they will arrange it. Average dive times were an hour.

There is a lagoon on the side of the resort where you can snorkle and do a nice shore dive. If you want to do a shore dive all you have to do is let the dive shop staff know and, they will bring you your gear and tanks. The staff will take the equipment back to the shop when you are finished.

I can't say anything about CCV or AKR as I have never stayed there but, I would not stay anywhere else other than Inn of Last Resort. The entire staff made you feel like family instead of a tourist. We met one couple that were on their ninth trip to the Inn. The last night we were there the owner told the couple that their next trip, their tenth, would be free. How is that for customer appreciation?

Have a great time!!!

 

[Doc]

I can't say anything about CCV or AKR as I have never stayed there but, I would not stay anywhere else other than Inn of Last Resort. The entire staff made you feel like family instead of a tourist. We met one couple that were on their ninth trip to the Inn. The last night we were there the owner told the couple that their next trip, their tenth, would be free. How is that for customer appreciation?
Have a great time!!!

I've tried all 31 Flavors, and I like Rocky Road the bestest.

CCV has the only real shore dive on Roatan, it is essentialy handicapped accessible, it is on it's own private island, the diving is 24/7. You go there to dive, nothing else.

CCV has had a long standing known policy of "the 10th trip is free" for maybe 20 years.
I believe they have given away 150 free trips. See: http://www.cocoviewresort.com/CoCoNuts.htm

For general comparisons between the major AI resorts on Roatan, including IoLR, BIBR, CCV and FIBR, just do a quick search on this ScubaBoard resource. This has been discussed once or twice before.

I'm going to get my "27th scoop of Rocky Road" this December.

 

[docmartin]

CCV has the only real shore dive on Roatan, ...

not quite, as fantasy island has the exact same shore dive from the other side of the narrow channel.

 

[Doc]

not quite, as fantasy island has the exact same shore dive from the other side of the narrow channel.

I've done the shore dive from both.

They are not the same shore dive in any sense.

The channel may be narrow, and CCV is on one side of that channel. FIBR is at the far inland end of that channel. Waaay far. See http://www.cocoviewresort.com/ccvwall.htm

What little "shore diving" that is done from FIBR is done via a skiff where the divers do a back roll over the Prince Albert Wreck (in the middle of the channel out in front of CCV). After their dive and then a lengthy swim back through the murk along the aircraft cable guide to FIBR, they can egress at the FIBR Gazebo, leave their tanks and then traipse back across the resort to store their gear.

From my observation:
Very few FIBR divers make the dive from the shore itself, maybe 2 a week? (Other than the occasional check-out dive). Evening skiff drop-offs, maybe I see 3-5 divers a week, most times none. They sometimes moor one of their boats over the PA Wreck for a night dive, CCV divers simply wade out and go diving.

Other than that, you're right, it's the same dive.

 

[HowieDean]

I have stayed at CoCo / Fantasy / AKR - "My best buddy in Roatan "Greg Johnson" is a dive master at AKR" - None of them is a plush as a mid range resort in Mexico - But that's not why you are going to Roatan now is it.

The Inn is a comfortable very clean air conditioned place to stay - the food is good

The staff is beyond belief - after your first day there you will feel that your are one of the family. Vern and Melissa will jump through hoops to make sure that anyhting with in there ability to provide is provided.

You will be very close to the best dive sights - Spooky Channel, the two big recks the Agulla and the Odessy, Bears Den, and the sandy sights in front of West Bay " I've seen more big stuff off of West End then anywhere on the island.

The Dive staff will take VERY good care of you - they will wash and rinse your gear - change your tanks - and go way out of their way to make sure you are comfortable, safe, and have the best time possible.

I have been going to Roatan for the past 6 years I have spent about 10 weeks out of the past 2 years at the Inn and wouldn't think of staying anywhere else on Roatan.

If you want to get away from the rat race, relax, do some really good diving and not feel crowded or part of a herd - the Inn is the place to go.

 

[Doc]

I have stayed at CoCo / Fantasy / AKR >snip< the Inn is the place to go.

Bravo, well said. It's nice to hear an opinion from a broad experience base.

 

[HowieDean]

Since I went to all the trouble to type it - thought I might as well share it.

The question was about paying the extra to do the Agressor or staying on the island.

The whole apeal of Roatan, at least in my mind, is to get away from the crowds,the tourist traps, and the cattle boat dive operations. I still think The South end of Plancar and Maricibo in Cozumel is the neatest diving around, but the last few trips I saw at least 50 divers every time I was down. To be honest the visibility in Roatan is never better then 80% of Cozumel, and on bad days can it be poor. The last year the larger fish just haven't been around.

It really sounds like you might really consider the Agrersser - I've never been on it, have seen it at it's dock and on the reef. It's begining to show some age but still seems like it's pretty nice.

We have sailed out to the Mounds, and the Cayos Cochinos islands and I'm pretty sure they go to both places, both of which are fantastic - They don't get near as much traffic and there aren't locals out there fishing the reef like Roatan and Ulta.

I have talked with a couple of DiveMasters that work on the boat and the seemed like really nice guys who knew there stuff... They said that most of their divers dove 5-7 dives a day - or as much as their computers would let them.

That being said here's my take on the land options.
My first trip to Roatan was to AKR it's by far the biggest operation on the island - Big new fast fiberglass boats - They have recently started doing day trips to the remote places I've mentioned above, don't know if they charge extra for them or not. The acomidations and food are basic and you will stand in line to eat. There will be alot of people around.

Second Trip was to CoCo view - it was about 1/2 the size it is now - acommidations about the same as AKR,
DIVE till you drop - Really nice shore dive and you can do as many as you want.

Next 4 trips were to Fantasy - by far and way the nicest place - 2 beutifull beaches - good food - the rooms are about like a LaQuantia - which is fantasic by Roatan standards. Shore dive is a little more involved as you have to get the dive shop to ferry tanks to the Gazibo and you have to follow a couple of summerged cables to get to the wall and the wreck.

Last couple of years we've spent allot of time at the Inn of last Resort - The place just kind of felt like home the first day I walked in while driving around the island one day. It's just so laid back and everyone goes out of their way to try and make you feel at home. Their shore dive is kind of a pain as you have to swim out of their lagon through a very shallow cut in the reef. Once you are out it's a really cool site.

The inn and AKR are about a mile apart on the North side of the Island not far from WEST END. The dive sites are, in my opion, far better on this side.

I would highly recomdend that you email all of the place you are thinking about and deal directly with them - you should be able to cut their posted rate as much as 50%. Taca and Contental both fly every Saturday from Houston directly to Roatan - Know that Taca also flies out of Miami. Houston trip usually runs between 450 and 550 - but some weeks it can go as high as 1200 - I'm going on Nov 6 and returning on the 13th for 530 - If I left here on the 13th and came back on the 21st it was 1125, go figure.

If you decide to stay on the Island I would strongly recomed you contact AKR and check on the Day trip thing - If it works out I would reluctantly say that would be best - If the day trip doesn't work out - I'd have to say The INN is the place to be.

If you end up at AKR find Greg Johnson and tell him Mr. Howard said to take good care of you - He's a super guy

If you end up at Coco tell Macheal Johnsosn - Greg's sister - the same.

If you end up at the Inn just tell anybody that HowieDean sent you and you won't have a care in the world.

Hope this helped.
Let me know how it went.

HowieDean