I always have, and from the advert, you could easily see that they do, too.
Reef House Resort has always suffered from “economy of scale”. There is a “tipping point” of the minimum number of guests to retain overall profitability. In the early days of Roatan, RHR and the great number of similar sized resorts were workable, certainly better than letting a large house lay unused. No longer.
Due to increased fixed costs of operation, such a business can no longer exist serving 12 guests and maintaining huge line items like a dive operation. The future of similar dive resort micros is undeniable unless they successfully market a perceived uniqueness (that costs money and a suspension of disbelief), or that they switch, at least, to an of-premises dive op. Many new Roatan dive “resorts” are following this model.
But- there is a difference. The new dive resorts offering external contracted dive services (the best known is Subway), is that they have sufficient undeveloped land to later increase their room count by reinvestment building. RHR has reached its physical limit of expansion (from Day 2) Twenty plus years ago they missed a financial window of opportunity to buy out their neighbors, Combine an aging U.S. based, non present ownership with a decline in tourism (9/11), that was the irrevocable path that they selected. Someone will soon buy the property for a private home likely after it lies in disuse for a time...maybe that phase has begun~ what with the marketing of it as a once-a-week party spot- it's positive cash flow and you get live music. Depends on when they hit the "off" button- as it is a very tiny place.
This was one of my top five of Roatan, and why not? It was one of the first! The boats were always marginal, but the DM Davit made it work, even if held together by spit and string, even after sinking their huge investment of a cabin cruiser. The Manager Mike had a good hand, but due to unavoidable declining overall profitability, Stateside ownership decided that they could do without him. It was predictable.
RHR used to be a place that I would recommend with a very few cautions, now, more than a needing a couple of straight out warnings. I do not know about the loud music, but if you want to get a feel for Caribbean Dive resort travel of the early days, back when it had a totally different vibe that simply can not be explained- only sensed- get on down and do RHR before it joins the long lines of the disappeared.
Sleep when you’re back home, it’s highly overrated. Go now,
