Van der Valk Plaza Beach & Dive Resort Bonaire

The food was extremely good. The accommodations were very nice. The beds were comfortable but the bedding was not. There are no sheets, Instead it is a duvet with a covering which is too much bedding for the lowest temperature setting. A sheet would be preferable. Checkout is 10; however if you happen to leave your room at 9:30 you will be locked out and it will cost you $50 to have your key reprogrammed. Crazy!! And, extended stay costs $25/hr. To get fresh beach towels, you must walk to the reception desk - not very customer friendly as the reception is nowhere near the rooms or beach.

Beautiful location! The resort is under renovation but it did not affect our stay at all and we cannot wait to see it once it is complete. Snorkeling right off the beach is amazing, the food and drinks were diverse and delicious (especially the sushi, the chef is amazing!) and the pool is beautiful with plenty of room to spread out. The staff was kind and happy to help with any questions we had or anything we needed. Normally, toward the end of vacation, I am so ready to get home but I did not want to leave.

All-inclusief was great! New part of the Hotel is great! The upcoming renovation makes is even better! Only There is No entertainment! Only eat, drink, sun and sleep! nothing to do in the area in the evening. Shops inKralendijk itself was also closed after 1800. For the elderly (especially those with reduced mobility) entering the sea is not possible because of the rocks end waves. There is no possibility to hold on to a railing or the like. There was a staircase to the water at the old restaurant, but it is remote and there was no bar there. It was all closed!.

My wife and I have traveled here in 2016, 2018, and 2024. This will be a long but comprehensive review that will cover April of 2024. Our first impression of the Resort in 2016 and 2018 was ok, we could see great potential in the resort. As the years have passed and we returned in 2024, the improvements to the Rooms, Restaurant, Diving facilities (still in progress), pool and New Apartments is a great start. My concern that I have is with Customer Service at the restaurant. Our vacation was planned for 2 weeks. Almost every night at dinner my wife and I had to get the waiter’s attention just to order drinks. Mind you, it is a buffet style dinner, so the only thing we could not get is water or other drinks. On more than one occasion we had to call out to get the attention of the servers to order drinks, and the response we received was one of “I’m busy or a rude look” even when the restaurant was not busy and most of the time they were standing/ talking or just walking around. Towards the second half of our trip, during dinner, I stopped asking for assistance and started going up to the bar to order our drinks. While standing there the servers would approach me and ask me what I needed and they would bring it to our table, but a few moments earlier I had the hardest time trying to get their attention (this happened more than once). At this Resort, you would think to have more than one cocktail at dinner. But no, you had to call them over again just to ask for another glass of wine. At that point I just got fed up with it and went to the bar to order another drink. One evening at dinner, we noticed an elderly couple trying to get the attention of the servers, after 5 minutes they gave up. I was annoyed at this because the servers just walked past their table several times. So, my wife and I called out to them in a loud voice and informed them that the table had been trying to get their attention. The couple were very appreciative of this and said thank you. On that night, it wasn’t the only occurrence. On the next few nights, most of the guests were getting up and standing at the bar so they could order their drinks. Once again, the servers would approach them and ask what their order was and ask where they were sitting, and they would bring their drinks to their table. As the week was winding down, we heard more and more guests say, “They are on Island Time”. It was a running joke that I kept hearing. During most of our stay, after guests were done with dinner, the staff would walk past dirty tables and not clean them for the next set of guests coming in for the evening. Side note: please be aware that Dutch is the primary language here, speak slowly and clearly or you’ll get something you were not expecting. Even if they nod or say yes, it might be helpful to repeat your drink order. A bright note to this whole story, I feel compelled to call out by name some of the staff that attempted to keep up with the rush of people coming in, taking

What a great resort. We have been twice to this resort and already have booked a return trip for June. Diving was fabulous. All the dive staff are incredible. Special shout out to Spider and Chantal. The resort had recently opened their new restaurant. Wow what a great addition to the property. Really added a great and beautiful area. Top notch. The buffet had many choices everyday. If you couldn’t find something wonderful to have, it’s your own fault. Sushi every night. Assorted fresh fish made to order. Salad, desserts, fruit. Could go on and on. Just an amazing added value. My only suggestion would be to start lunch at 12;00 or 12:30, for those diving at 2 pm made it a rush to eat and relax. The beach bar is avail before 1 for lunch but having the buffet earlier would have been a bit nicer. Our room was spacious and clean. The staff though out the resort are wonderful.