All my planning, a new camera and housing, all for naught! Serge, the diving manager at the DIVI, spent several hours after the shop closed helping me retrofit a charger that got my dive flood light working again, and he saved the photography portion of the trip! The diving was fantastic. Unfortunately my dive flash charger malfunctioned after the first dive. We dive from the boat, they make it so easy, and we enjoyed 21 dives in 8 days, including three spectacular night dives right off the main dock at the hotel. It has been a couple years and we were looking to get back to see some of our favorite dive spots. We could never have anticipated such a great week! We've been going to the DIVI Flamingo off and on for more than fifteen years now, and it keeps getting better every time. I'm definitely coming back to this one, even when not on business travel (this resort made me forget I was on business travel). The location is hard to beat: between Kralendijk (walking distance) and the airport (far enough from it not to be bothered by the planes which you can still see landing in the distance). Don't miss the manager's free rum punch event on Fridays, which attracts both hotel guests and locals. There is a daily happy hour at the beach bar (granted, the beach is tiny) with a nice little pier reaching out to the sea to watch the green flash (sunset effect). There are two pools that I saw some people use, either to swim or to hang out at in the evening, but why bother when the ocean is right there? The on-site open-air restaurants were great and served a mix of local and international cuisine, with daily themes. There is resort-wide wireless Internet (free), with decent coverage throughout, and also meeting facilities (above the dive shop). I saw many flight crews staying in this resort. The beds have new therapeutic mattresses that let me sleep like I hadn't in quite a while. The room was clean, had modern facilities including TV, a fridge, a room safe, and a coffeemaker (for coffee and tea, both provided), iron + ironing board, and a small seating area. You guys really rock! I stayed in an oceanview room close to the Flamingo's Nest terrace. The general manager Sara Matera deserves all my compliments, as well as Michelle (local arrangements), Melissa (food & beverage), Otmar (front desk), and all the rest that I can't name here. The staff handled all requests with professionalism, grace, and patience, and is accessible. They helped me rebook flights at the last minute. The staff made arrangements for me for island visits, restaurant reservations outside of the hotel (a must, as they get filled up fast on weekends), snorkeling and diving trips (including to Klein Bonaire), and pointers to nightlife (including the party bus) in and around Kralendijk. accommodating a flight crew needing rest at the last minute), from the beginning to the end of the stay. The staff was extremely helpful, even in an overbooked situation with several crises (e.g. This resort has charm and character, unlike those "sterile, anywhere hotels" that we all know. However, I could easily get over this setback based on the location. The only setback was that the restaurant takes a LONG time to make your food, and the barstaff seems more concerned with serving drinks than bringing food out in a timely manner. We met some wonderful people staying at the hotel, and are interested in going back for a week's visit. The atmosphere was extremely pleasant and the site was beautiful. This hotel has great snorkeling just steps away from your lounge chair, w/ rental equipment in all sizes for about $12 per day. Although we did not stay overnight at this hotel, we enjoyed the restaurant and bar, the beach/jetty areas, and the snorkeling. We walked about 15 minutes from the port to this hotel, and were pleasantly surprised by the amenities. We had plans to meet Renee, a snorkel guide, on the island and she suggested a quick walk to Divi Flamingo to relax before our tour. Our group stopped in Bonaire from noon to 6:30 PM on the Princess - Caribbean Princess ship.
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