Nananddoug
July 10, 2024
The Resort At Marble Hill hosted the return of diving for my husband and myself. We had not been in the water for a few years and were a little anxious about it. Diving was the primary reason for choosing this location. And it did not disappoint. The diving staff was great. Edward was our primary divemaster and he was knowledgeable about the dive sites and did a good job with managing the equipment-both the change out and the storage. The dive sites were easy to get to with short boat rides and a return to the dock for the surface interval. The corals had showed a little bleaching - don't know if climate change or overuse is the culprit there. The boat was small, but comfortable for small groups, but we didn't get any safety briefing about the boat. Were there life vests? Fire extinguisher or radio to shore? We needed to bring our own water if we wanted it on the boat, but is was available on the dock before, during and after the dives. The rooms are pretty nice. We had a sea view casita, with a nice closet (no closets in the rooms w/plunge pools, nice bathroom, but the lanai had only one hammock and a table with stools, so couldn't really lounge around on the deck. You might not want to anyway because of the bugs. They are fierce and plentiful and will cover you in bites quickly. Strong bug repellent is a must and the hotel didn't have it readily available. The dining room is small and I imagine if the hotel is booked, guests will have to eat on the patio (remember the bugs!), which wouldn't be ideal. I am a T1 diabetic and have a very limited diet. It took some back and forth, but the chef did his best to accommodate my special needs, even asking me for a shopping list of things I might want. Finally, the real problem with this resort is the terrain. The resort is built on a hill and the hill is steep. The pathways are inconsistent. Some wooden walkway areas, but a lot of paths covered in rock. The rocks are not stable, especially after a hard rain (which we had) as many of them wash downhill. When there are steps, they too are inconsistent. The risers and steps are not uniform and there are too few handrails. It would be impossible for guests with mobility issues to get around. The second problem with this resort is the lack of beach and resort pool. On the website, it lists "Pool with view", which we misinterpreted to mean that there was a resort pool. Technically, there are pools with views, but they are private bungalows with a plunge pool. It appears that the resort is on a path to improvement. They are expanding their dairy and garden, in order to become more ecological. They are building a beach, but as yet it is unusable. You can hike through the underbrush or kayak over to the beach, but it is not very accessible. They are expanding their brewery to include a distillery. It's work in progress, and I think it will get there, but it's just not quite there yet.