Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville

2nd time at this hotel and unfortunately it will be the last. We returned as although we could not swim in the sea (due to the brown fur contamination from the nearby river and jelly fish) everything else was fantastic. I was notified six weeks before our departure that the hotel had been taken over by the Hyatt Group, which we mistakenly thought would make it even better. We had a room a few along from our one from last visit which was fine. The biggest negative was the food quality and choice, the food in the buffet was often just warm. Our favourite restaurant last time was the Le Gourmet Restaurant, which this time around was the worst, ruining my birthday. The hotel has introduced a new system for booking the a la carte restaurants which was causing a lot of people to get very annoyed. Apparently as soon as you book and have a reference you can log onto their website and pre book the restaurants - even months in advance, so if like us you are unaware of this you can't get a reservation. The staff were less friendly and not as happy as our previous visit with the exception of the staff on the quiet pool bar.

So we went the same time last year and had an amazing time with no complaints, but this year it felt like we were an after thought for British guests. There was low occupancy and on our second night the hotel decided to close the evening buffet and rotate the à la carte restaurants and push the adult only guests to the family restaurant. It was a move that was enough from multiple guests to complain. The hotel seemed non plus which was quite poor. Secondly WiFi was changed overnight without notice and again many made the visit to guest services the next morning. Both of thd above could have been avoided with ‘communication’ prior to the actions or even at check in if tour operators were not made aware. I appreciate that it was low season, but we paid a lot of money during our British summer time to book this hotel again and ultimately did not receive all of the products or luxury we pay for. The hotel and complex is fabulous and the staff on the front line gave the best service the whole of the two weeks we were there but those who make the decisions failed the British contingent on this occasion. This has made us rethink a third visit next year and will watch with interest to see things go before making that decision.

Best vacation ever, and that’s saying a lot because we travel south 2-3 times a year. First time at Bouganville and did not disappoint. The service was impeccable. Every single customer service or hospitality staff was polite and professional, bending over backwards trying to accommodate us. We had a poolside king room that was just as expected- very nice with a lovely view of the quiet pool. Housekeeping, the best we’ve ever experienced. Our maid cleaned and restocked our room so well we kept increasing the tips. The food and options to eat were impressive . The grounds are beautiful. Loved both the party pool and quiet pool. Never a problem getting fresh towels or loungers. Beach was great, mind you we are lounge on the beach people and only dip our toes in the surf. Each à la carte restaurant was great. The Los Dalias buffet was fantastic, but I do agree with other reviewers about the lukewarm food temperatures. We had the opportunity to enjoy a couples massage at the spa- it was wonderful. We did experience a problem during our stay but the resorts manager Patricio looked after it personally and rectified the situation more than adequately. For that reason, we know with 100% certainly that we will make a repeat visit to this resort. Suggestions for resort TV- no channel guide available, either built in to the satellite service or a printed copy by the bed. And for an adults only resort, there’s no corn channels like at other adults only resorts we’ve been too. Sometimes adults want some spicy content if you know what I mean. Pool Bars- scanning a QR code for the drink menu with your cell phones means you are risking dropping your cell in the water. Please consider just putting the drink menu out in writing. The lobby bar has a printed menu so the pools should too. Internet- free wifi was spotty and very slow. I did a ookta speed test and it was 8.7 mbps. Anything under 25 mbps is slow and so this issue should be looked at. I doubt the premium wifi would have been any better because I’m sure it’s running off of the same routers and wifi extenders. Suggestions for Guests Mini fridge- keep the cabinet door open so your fridge will cool drinks better. Fridges need air circulation to work their best. Drinks- bring a 20 oz Yeti mug, a bit of dish soap, and a sponge. Get your large coffee in the morning, wash your mug in the bathroom sink, and drink whatever you want the rest of the day. Beach Party is Saturday night, bring a white outfit. Tips- tip the staff generously. They work very hard to make you are happy. This resort was a 10 out of 10, highly recommend for us.

Amazing experience. I really enjoyed my stay. The food, the people,the shows; everything was amazing!

2nd time back to Bougainville wonderful people and wonderful friendly staff can’t wait to come back