Zephyr Kaelin
Iniciante na praia
This was the perfect place for my husband and me to stay. The location was ideal, featuring a private beach and a unique, multilayered rancho-style hotel. Just to be clear, this is not a standard hotel with elevators, so it may not be suitable for older guests who would need to navigate stairs on foot. However, it was perfect for us. We stayed on the second floor, and the hotel staff kindly carried all our luggage upstairs, leaving us to only carry ourselves.
The highlight was the on-site restaurant right by the beach, which meant we didn't have to venture far for meals unless we wanted to explore. The restaurant quickly became a favorite of mine, offering decent options for lunch and dinner. While I'm usually not impressed with breakfasts outside because I prefer my own cooking, this can vary from person to person. Their pastries were really good, and they offered a fresh catch of the day. We were fortunate to enjoy an unexpected catch—lobster—straight from the sea, which Chef Gabriel turned into a superb dish for us. It was a special treat for our honeymoon.
Gisele, our waitress, was incredibly attentive and made our dining experience even better. I absolutely loved the restaurant, which was set on a small pier resembling a pirate ship. I found myself there at least once a day, just to set foot on that "pirate ship." They also provided beachside service, allowing us to order drinks and enjoy our beach time in swimsuits. We will definitely be going back there.
You can't beat staying in a condo within a resort! We enjoyed all the comforts of home while being just steps away from a private sandy beach, where I encountered more wildlife than anywhere else on the island (including two octopuses, huge eels, sea cucumbers, spotted drum, lionfish, scorpionfish, conch, massive tarpon, flounders, puffers, angels, anemones, and parrotfish). Additionally, we had daily housekeeping, room service, beach service, a spa, a dive shop, boat trips, and a souvenir/sundry shop at our disposal.
Another fantastic feature is that 100% of the beach chairs, tables, and hammocks are shaded by dense palm trees, and even during peak hours of spring break, only 20% were occupied. There was always a table available at the restaurant, which offered great service, an excellent breakfast, a good lunch, and a passable dinner. Plus, there are plenty of great dining options within walking distance. With ample parking in Bonaire (even downtown) and driving on the right side, you can easily reach almost anywhere in 15 minutes.
This has now become our second favorite lodging of all our travels. The only downside is the laundry situation—there are no washer-dryers in the beachfront condos (even for a fee), and while they do offer laundry service, it's not included and requires filling out a form (we had a one-day turnaround). Our favorite place (Tulemar in Costa Rica) offers the same amenities (except the wildlife is on land) but includes laundry service in the price, where you simply leave your clothes on the bathroom floor, and they return them clean.