Bocas del Mar

Having visited this great location two years ago I was so excited to be returning for a relaxing great value stay at one of my favorite places. Sadly it didn’t turn out that way. Service was awful the entire week and the food was pretty mediocre compared to my last visit. Value for money was none existent as prices had skyrocketed and they seemed to want to charge for absolutely everything top dollar. Our final night we provided the restaurant with a significant amount of freshly caught Tuna. Some of the belly (around 2 kilos) we specifically asked to be prepared for sashimi and the rest (around 3-4 kilos) we asked for the chef to prepare a couple of dishes of his choosing. Well we had some sashimi (no wasabi to be seen) that was around 0.25 kilos and asking for more we were told initially that the remaining belly was not suitable for sashimi. I called BS as I regularly prepare my own fresh tuna belly sashimi but they were adamant. Then we were Presented with a mock poke - dry And with odd ingredients and nothing like the sesame oil and freshness that is normal in the dish - so that was disappointing and finally the piece de resistance a main prepared and cooked so badly that 50% was inedible being so ridiculously overcooked. I spoke to the manager to gently express our disappointment and there was every excuse put forward but no responsibility taken. Then the bill was presented and yes there was a charge for the inedible food. Manager (Ignatius) and I had words. He was frankly awful refusing to take any accountability for the dreadful state of the food and actually telling us that others were served the same ( presumably ours) with no complaints. That was my final straw. I explained in no uncertain terms that despite what other diners were prepared to put up with I could not and would not accept that any part of the dish or our treatment was acceptable. I explained that my son is a chef and he would rather commit harakiri than ever allow that sort of awfully prepared food leave his pass. As if the food wasn’t enough, the pool is in sad need of a major overhaul and the rooms, whilst pleasant are looking a little tired. I feel both sad and ripped off and unless something changes we won’t be back. Such a shame.

My family and I had a wonderful stay at Hotel Bocas Del Mar. The location is absolutely stunning, the resort was beautiful and the guest house we stayed in was clean and comfortable. The service was excellent and the food at the restaurant was delicious. The highlight of our stay was probably the island hopping tour. My children absolutely loved snorkeling, going to the beach and seeing the dolphins. They were also big fans of the pool. I cannot recommend it highly enough to anyone who is looking for a relaxing getaway. Thank you to all the staff for all your hard work and making our stay so amazing! We will definitely be back!