What's the big attraction of Resorts?

[mjh]

I cannot speak for others and we have only stayed at two resorts AKR and COCO View. When I posted my trip report I tried to give "impartial advice" if I gave the advantage to COCO View it was because IMHO they earned it. Even given some bad experiences I do not bash the operation I just say, "here is what happened, you judge". I find 99% of the people on this board do the same, Bay Island Diver you were doing fine until...

"This board isn't the place for honest impartial advice - it’s an advert for coco view".

Join the 99% and leave this type of sentiment out of your posts.

 

[mjh]

FYI a link to that Trip Report\

http://www.scubaboard.com/t66281-coco-viewutila-lodge-reportpics-long.html

 

[DiversMom]

The only reason I would stay at any resort is so others in my family could also be comfortable there, even if they weren't interested in diving. My wife, for example, has no interest in diving. My extended family includes several divers, but generally if we get together there will be even more people coming along who don't dive. That's one of the things that resorts can do is provide a comfortable place to hang out and other things to do for people who aren't there for the diving.

I don't dive and the daughter's boyfriend doesn't dive. The three of us usually stay at independent hotels. We found plenty of things for non-divers to do on Roatan without having to stay at a resort. I guess it depends though on what the non-divers like to do.

I personally don't like canned entertainment or dolphin shows nor do I require a swimming pool or a beach. I'm into photography so a the availability of a collectivo or rapidito when we want to go some where was a bonus. We weren't restricted by a resort shuttle schedule nor did we have to have the resort call one for us. The daughter's boyfriend and I both like to fish. Making arrangements for island tours and fishing trips also did not necessitate a resort concierege.

Having non divers in a party should not be the sole criteria for chosing a resort over an
independent hotel. There are plenty of ways for non divers to occupy their time without having to depend on a resort to plan activities out. I guess it just depends on how adverterous and independent minded the non-divers are.

 

[Zebra mussel]

What is such a "hassle" about finding a place to stay,eat and socialize in West End? Just walk down the street and the choices are all laid out for you. You can find lodging which is quiet,food that will accomidate anyones taste and plenty of inrtersting people who may or may not happen to be from your same socio econimic or cultural background. Ive done it at least a dozen times and never found it to be any hassle at all. As far as doing 6 dives a day......Roatan man you are absolutly correct. It cant be done by doing things ala carte. 4 is basicly the maximum and maybe 5 if you can find a nite dive,with 3 dives a day being the norm. As far as West End being a Sodom and Gomorrah of "glassy eyed DMs" I think this is an extremely unfair judgement. Granted,there are a lot who party all nite long,but there are many who dont. Ive noticed over the last 10 years or so that the demographics are also changing. It used to be all backpackers....now there are substantially more middle aged and upper middle aged people(like myself) and families. (Im not including cruise ship days...thats a whole differant issue). I feel those who trash the DIY style of visiting/diving in Roatan are painting an unfair picture. If you are looking for 3-4 dives per day,good food of your own choosing,interesting people and choices about who you dive with for the same amount of money or substantially less,dont discount independant travel to Roatan. AI have their own merits,some of them extremely appealing,but I always felt like I was a captive audiance. By the way,one one of my last trips,I took my spouse and a nieghboring couple with me for their first time. All are non divers. They found plenty to keep themselves amused and LOVED it. There is lots to do other than dive if you want to do it. Right now Im sitting here in the frigid Upper Midwest wishing I was back there. Only a couple more years untill I retire and can spend a lot more time there......Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[DiversMom]

What is such a "hassle" about finding a place to stay,eat and socialize in West End? Just walk down the street and the choices are all laid out for you. You can find .

Ditto what you said.

As far as another posters comment about only having to make one phone call to take care of his AI resort vacation. Gee...all I had to do to plan my DIY vacation was one phone call also. What hassle? DIY is as many or as few hassles as the vacationer wants to make it.

 

[mjnansen]

I think there are many different ways to travel and that AIs have a lot to offer for some people, or for people who may want a base to look around and learn more about a destination the first time. I am not a big fan of AIs and don't feel they offer me what I want in a vacation, but I understand that whats right for me is not right for everyone else (and thank goodness! I wouldn't really want everyone else in my way! )
I know CoCoView must do a good job, there are way too many rabid fans for it not to! However I have to agree that sometimes this board seems like an advertisement for CCV. Just look at any posting with questions about Roatan- no matter what they are someone has to start talking up CCV- it's a wonder they ever have any room for new divers! There is more to Roatan than CCV, but maybe we need a CCV area of this forums (like the OLY one under photography- Dee?) Then people who want more information about just CCV or people who want to write about how great they think it is can do so without overwhelming the rest of us who chose not to join the Coco cult.
Roatan is undergoing a lot of changes right now. We go quite often and it seems that everytime we go there are more buildings, people and things to do. One day soon it will no longer be a quite little island that only divers and backpackers have heard of. Last year the cruise ships brought 50,000 tourists to the island. Next year it will be over 225,000. With the damage to Cayman people are starting to look for places a little further out of the hurricane path- property values are skyrocketing and new projects are being announced on a constant basis. I'm not saying that Roatan has developed like other places (Cayman, Coz, etc) just that it is on that path and starting to pick up a little speed as it heads in that direction- You probably won't see those $5-8 rooms/hammocks for much longer!
Anyway- Roatan has many things to offer no matter how you like to travel!