Which room is best at AKR ?

[mchiapetto]

We are headed to AKR Aug 30 to Sep 6. We have reserved a Key Superior room. Would anyone like to share their thoughts as to where the best room or rooms are at? Is it better to be on the side away from the mainland?
Or is it better to be close to the dock where the boat picks you up?
What are the pros and cons of the different parts of the Key?

Any input you might have would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Mike

 

[dleffert]

We were there a year ago and our family had a fantastic time.

Stayed on the Hill to save a few bucks (the Key supplement adds up with a family of 4) and was a bit unnerved to find that security was posted outside the units all night long.

You know, it's one of those "glad they were there if they had to be there, but wish they didn't have to be there" sort of thing. Had no problems at all, but did find it a bit disquieting.

Next time (and there definitely will be a next time), I'll pry open the wallet a little farther and stay on the Key. Didn't seem so big, btw, that distance to the boat dock would be an issue that I'd worry about.

 

[Doc]

You know, it's one of those "glad they were there if they had to be there, but wish they didn't have to be there" sort of thing. Had no problems at all, but did find it a bit disquieting.

Security is at every AI in Roatan, even some of the guest houses. That you noticed it, as a guest, is more of a negative criticism than anything else. When done correctly, it should be all but invisible. At one of the other "top 3" Roatan AI's, most guests swear there is no security. That is due to selection, training and deployment.

Either way, they are effective at AKR and Honduras. Hiring guards is a minor expense comparatively, labor is cheap. AKR is bisected by a walk through pathway road to a local village... it's only access- thus the increased need for security.

In terms of selecting the room? I would stay in one facing away from the resort (on the "far side" of the Key). Better views of the ocean and a chance of some breeze. It gets pretty still from there and back to the main resort. Due to the tidal changes, the inlet can get a bit stinky at low tide. There is one advantage to staying Hillside- no being run back and forth in the motorboat 5+ times a day.

relax- you'll love the place. As with anything similar, look around careful when you're there. Maybe next time you'll pick a different room!

 

[Cajuncru Diver]

Kind of depends upon your dive plans....if you plan to do a lot or shore diving you may want to stay towards the back of the Key nearer the shore dive shop, however there is no noise problem and staying near the boat dock is very pleasant. The Key is not really that big so don't sweat it. Don't be alarmed by the presence of security personnel even though you will see the very obvious new barb and razor wire on top of the chain link fencing enclosing AKA. Understand there was a problem a while back with some local thugs retaliating for a supposed greivance resulting from a wreck in front of AKR, but that involved the security force and not any guest and AKR has taken all appropriate steps to assure the guest have a pleasant experience at AKR

 

[agwatts]

Go to the west side of the key. We stayed in bungalow #49, it was not air conditioned, as we did not need it in March, but the view is awesome. The sunsets are spectacular.

Enjoy....

 

[DivingPanda]

We were fortunate enough to get the Honeymoon bungalow when we were there a few weeks ago. Right at the NE tip of the Key, facing N - think it was #30. Spacious A/C room with King and an extra bed, private deck with hammock and porch swing. Great ocean views and breezes. It's about a 5 min walk to the water taxi, but nice and quiet as there's no one walking by your bungalow.

We spent our first night in a Standard room on the E side of the key, closer to the mainland - note that the dogs do a lot of barking at night, but I'm not sure you'd notice in a Superior room.

I learned the details of the incident at AKR mentioned earlier. It was secondhand, so I won't post it here, but PM me if interested. We felt safe on the resort - just don't wander into the parking lot/road behind the dive shop at night as it's very dark back there.

 

[mchiapetto]

Thanks for the great tips. Are the over water bungalows anything worth asking for? In other words, are they any better or worse than the rest of the rooms? The "over water" concept sounds very cool but is it really or is it just marketing?

DivingPanda - Is the honeymoon bungalow (#30) an over water one?

 

[DivingPanda]

DivingPanda - Is the honeymoon bungalow (#30) an over water one?

As I recall, the bungalow was right on the edge of the rocky shoreline and the attached deck was overwater. As a result, we always had good stiff breezes across the deck (be careful how you hang up your things to dry! ) All the key superior rooms are listed as overwater or water's edge, so I'm not sure there's a big difference. Incidentally, I think the second photo on this page is probably from #30.

The shore entrance is just a couple bungalows over to the west, and the third photo shows the deck that leads down to the beach. After the great boat dives, though, the shore diving really wasn't much to write home about.

 

[snorkel guru]

I will be there at the same time Aug. 30 to Sep. 6. Lets find the best bungalow and flip a coin to see who gets it.

 

[georoc01]

Sounds like there will be a bunch of us. Should be a good time..

BTW, a friend of mine from Colorado, Mike aka Pup, will be performing that week over at BIBR, www.pupmorse.com .