Bocas Beach Club & Suites

There were some lovely parts of our stay at Bocas Beach club, but also some really unpleasant ones. The food was great, although expensive, and the patio had a beautiful view. We were welcomed warmly with four cocktails. The hosts were friendly and did their best to work through our problems. Jorge, the co-host, went out of his way to help my girlfriend when she became ill. He’s a great cook and a wonderful person. The biggest problem was the water. There were no showers, the toilet wouldn’t flush, and we couldn’t brush our teeth without bottled drinking water. The island has no central water system, and it hadn’t rained for four weeks before we arrived. The hosts knew about this but hadn’t made adequate plans to keep our tank supplied. For three nights we couldn’t wash our faces or even flush the toilet. There was no trash bin in the room. We asked for one, but it never arrived, and there wasn’t an accessible bin outside either. There were no mosquito nets, so we couldn’t open the windows while sleeping. On our last night, neither the air conditioning nor the fan worked. When the fan did work, it made enough noise to make sleeping difficult. The suite also didn’t quite match the photos, and we felt misled. It was joined to another suite by a glass door covered with a curtain. There was no seating outside our suite, although the patio was available for relaxing. I’ve been coming to Bocas for over eight years. Prices keep rising while quality doesn’t, and in some places it’s getting worse. In my opinion, the cost and quality at this hotel and other hotels make visiting Bocas not worth it.

The room was comfortable, the staff friendly, and the food good. It’s a short boat trip from town or the airport, and I’d stay here again. The water, though, is off more often than it’s running, and the dock is too shallow for a fishing or dive boat pickup.

Bocas beach Club sits above the clear waters of Bocas del Toro and has marvelous sunset views. The music suits the moment, and the atmosphere is relaxed and pleasant. Since finding this bar and restaurant, I make sure to visit. They also have accommodations.

One of my best stays ever, and an experience I won’t forget. The owner greeted us himself, was very friendly, and offered lots of help. The place is amazing, and they even provided a free shuttle and a welcome drink.