Bougainville Bay Hotel

We booked a sea view apartment for 4 nights and were disappointed from arrival. The resort seemed severely understaffed, with one receptionist handling everything. In the first apartment, the blinds wouldn’t open, so we couldn’t see the sea. The second had a balcony door that was stuck shut, while the third option was in an empty wing where we were the only guests on the floor. The corridors were dark until the receptionist turned on the lights as we walked, which was frightening with children. We accepted the second apartment after being promised the balcony door would be repaired by morning, but it wasn’t. Then we found that the bedroom heating didn’t work in cold weather, and the only solution was the receptionist’s personal portable heater. We asked to cancel the remaining 3 nights, but this was refused. We were charged for 1 full night plus a 30% cancellation fee, even though the problems came from the resort’s failures. There were safety issues too. The reception floor was wet and unattended in the rain, and my son slipped twice. The staircase to the apartment had no proper side enclosure, which was dangerous with a toddler. No customer service or accountability, and real risks for families. Please avoid!!!

We only used the SPA services, and despite some flaws, the experience was positive. We contacted the hotel on Whatsapp during rainy weather and got a fairly quick reply. The SPA was busy, so we waited around half an hour, but the price was affordable and we didn’t mind. The changing rooms are extremely cramped, there were quite a few people inside, and shelves for personal items would help. The disposable slippers provided at the entrance felt useless and even dangerous. Still, the service and price/quality ratio were satisfying, and the hotel’s design is quite unusual.

We stayed as part of a group celebrating New Year. The rooms were cleaned perfectly and the staff were very polite. What let the hotel down was the food. For this category, the selection at both dinner and breakfast felt too limited and wouldn’t suit everyone. Some meals were spectacular, while at other times there were only a few choices. The hotel is close to the city center, and walking there is pleasant. I’d still definitely recommend it.

The view is nice, but the stay was a big disappointment. The reception staff didn’t seem happy to talk, and we were told we couldn’t go upstairs or take photos because it was closed. There were no spas and no real facilities that we could see. We also couldn’t find a kettle when we wanted hot water, and there wasn’t one in the room. Bath robes were missing too, although they brought them after we asked. The robes were so tight that neither of us could fit comfortably when we tried them the next morning. We expected much better service from this place.