I know that I am posting in the Bay Islands Forum so I will probably get blasted for my comments, but I honestly don't consider Roatan as big of a bargain as is frequently stated.
When you look at Roatan's resort pricing, keep in mind that there is a 19% tax added on top of the listed price; although the 2 for 1 at AKR does seem like a great deal. But be advised that the cheapest accommodations at AKR do not have air conditioning. I wouldn't stay anywhere in the tropics without AC, so you may want to consider one of their higher-priced lodgings when making reservations - but again, it is still all-inclusive and 2 for 1 - so it will be hard to beat the price.
But in general, when you factor in the price of airfare and difficulty getting to Roatan and add in the 19% tax - the pricing seems pretty consistent with many other Caribbean areas - but again this is only my opinion.
I have been to Roatan twice, although it has been a long time and things may have changed, and I didn't stay at either of those resorts (although we visited CocoView and did their shore dive). We had great trips and a lot of fun and I don't regret them, but I am not eager to go back. I would not hate going back to Roatan but it's not at the top of my list.
I wasn't overwhelmed by Roatan's reefs because there wasn't as much sea life as I have seen in other areas and the phrase "a good environment for macro photography" comes to mind. But again, maybe we were unlucky during our trips. Our 2 trips were in the Spring and Fall and you are going in summer so maybe the conditions will be different.
But another reason that I don't consider Roatan a great bargain is because of the insects and medical concerns which can add both annoyance and expense. Some folks may not bother, but before we went to Roatan we consulted a travel medicine physician and were vaccinated for Hepatitis A, Typhoid, and we took malarial medication before, during, and after our trips. And you have to be careful about the food and water due to enteric diseases, especially when you leave the resort. Biting insects in the tropics are not a rarity, but the mosquitos and sand fleas can be ferocious on Roatan. You may have to cover yourself with DEET at regular intervals and Dengue Fever is an issue of concern.
And there are places with better shore diving than Roatan, again IMO, St. Croix comes to mind - we had some very good shores dives there and the Fredricksted Pier is outstanding, our memories of the reef were very good - but we did most of them from a liveaboard, I am not sure about the land-based boat dives on St. Croix.
And I have heard that there is good shore diving on Cayman Brac, but I have only boat dived there so I can't say - the boat dives were great. We've had good shore diving on Grand Cayman, too, but Caryman is a pricey location. But if you can find reasonable lodgings and a good dive package it may be worth considering, especially since you may be able to find cheap airfare and the rental car prices are usually a bargain - but the US dollar is only worth $0.80 in Cayman so that's another issue to consider. The North Wall and the East End are the best land-based boat dives on Grand Cayman IMO.
If you want fabulous reefs and walls in the Caribbean, my suggestions are Little Cayman or a liveaboard in the Turks and Caicos to dive French Cay or Little Caicos. Both are pricey destinations but sometimes you get what you pay for, and you can look for specials and often find some bargains. I understand that there are good shore dives on Little Cayman but we haven't tried them.
Anyway, we enjoyed our trips to Roatan and I am sure that you will also, but I am just suggesting that you consider all your options and costs, and make the decision that is best for you. Have a great trip wherever you decide to go!
