I’d love for this to be a solid five star review for a lovely, peaceful place on a gorgeous stretch of Caribbean beach… but it’s not quite that.
This is NOT AN ADULTS-ONLY hotel. Despite that claim all over their website and and Expedia, during our four days there, there were lots of kids of all ages. We were looking forward to a quiet getaway and booked this place for a lot more than other places… and quickly realized that children *are* allowed in the restaurant, the pool, and the beach. Apparently, just no one under 16 (actually ~15) can stay in the rooms. OK, except these areas were central to the hotel – most of the rooms are built around the restaurant.
We give serious thanks, though, as they did move us to a private bungalow area near the beach, which was great. It was nothing but the ROAR of the surf and amazing bird calls, all while we lay in hammocks and sipped cocktails! Overall, the place is so lovely! The food and drinks are fantastic, the rooms (even without a/c) are a little rustic but lovely. We saw so much wildlife – sloths, poison frogs, lizards, beach crabs, etc.– and the site is right next to this perfect stretch of dark sand beach with some *serious* surf.
It was a slice of heaven, and we’d even consider going back, though there are other great places in the area. We especially want to thank the staff who were superb – especially Diana, who is THE BEST and set the stage for the best of this place. Our last few days at Banana Azul were simply EXCELLENT.