Paya Bay Resort — Hotel in Isla de Roatán

A group of 12 of us stayed at Paya Bay last week for my wife's 40th birthday celebration. We had a really great time together in a beautiful setting. Paya Bay is a great spot for a big group of family or friends to gather in a topical place but there are some things to consider as you do your research. Here are the pros and cons based on our experience:||Pros: |-The food is wonderful! Fresh and local you have so many choices. We loved all of the seafood offerings and the fresh smoothies each morning.|-The staff are so kind and helpful. Everyone at the resort was so lovely and they made us feel welcome all week.|-The setting of Paya Bay is beautiful. It is on the more remote part of the Island on the east end. If you are looking for quiet and more rustic versus the resorts and cruise destinations of the west end than this is a good fit for you. It is located off a dirt road about 45 min from the airport. The resort offers free airport transfers which is a big plus.|-The hilltop and cliff rooms offer lovely views of the ocean or cove. The rooms are rustic and simple and come with AC and a ceiling fan and balcony.|-The trails and property of the resort are fun to explore (bring walking shoes for this as flip flops are hard on the rocky trails). The trails wind all over the point, through the jungle and offer lots of rock formations, foliage and secret lookouts to check out. We had fun exploring the coves and palapas dotted about. |-The main beach has lots of seating and shade. They also have a plunge pool with a waterfall and beachside bar/palapa. |-They have a lovely hilltop yoga pavilion with amazing views of the bay. Many of our friends took advantage of this peaceful spot.||Cons:|-In our package we were given 3 boat trips to the reef for snorkeling but we never got to go due to rough weather and also some troubles with the boat captain. Make sure you ask about this prior to going as Roatan is known for its snorkeling and we never got to go. A big disappointment.|-Bring bug spray!!!! The "no-see-ums" or small gnats are brutal and really bit us up a ton. |-the resort needs a facelift in many areas. We understand this is a developing country and staffing is scarce but the bathrooms and facilities are pretty rough and the grounds need a lot of TLC. The day after a big storm on the beach, there was a ton of seaweed and we had to spend our time raking it up in order to sit. The other paying day guests had to do the same as there was no staff available. Again, we understand staffing issues, but raking sea grass and trash from the beach just to have a place to sit was not really on our vacation list.|-during our stay we had several power outages due to downed lines along the road. This was not the resort's fault of course but they didn't seem to be prepared when there was an outage. The kitchen staff were using candles and flashlights to make dinner and one of the outages lasted until 2 in the morning so the rooms were super hot and uncomfortable. Again, totally understand that this happens but maybe a generator is a good plan? Or some other remedy for the staff and guests to cope during prolonged outages? Note: when the power goes out so does the water (pump) so no showers, toilets, etc. Just something to keep in mind.||All in all, we had a great time because we made our own fun. We brought games and enjoyed our birthday celebration with dancing and great food. The resort put on a lovely New Years Eve celebration with a wonderful dinner and DJ. Despite the weather, bugs, power outtages and no boat time we made it a great week and enjoyed the company of our friends in a beautiful place.||If you are okay with a more rustic setting and can roll with some ups and downs this is resort could be a great fit for...

Paya Bay Resort is a delightful family-owned and operated clothing optional resort nestled within mangroves, palms, and other mature trees. The resort has a rustic feel but is clean and adequately furnished. While we were there in early November 2023 several of the bungalows were having their bathrooms gutted and renovated. My understanding is that Paya Bay Resort can handle a maximum of 30 guests. The resort owns a boat and will take you to a local dive shop or out snorkeling if time permits. The snorkeling is decent nearby, and of course the diving off Roatan is excellent, although we heard reports of significant coral bleaching. ||The vibe is peaceful and relaxed. Since the resort is rather small, there is not too much of a social scene, although moments of social interactions do present themselves if that is of interest to you. There did not seem to be any programmed activities, but there were frequent day visitors.||The staff is very friendly and we were on a first-name basis after a couple of days. All of the food was excellent and obtained mostly locally, as far as we could tell. The Internet connection was very fast and we were able to make Zoom calls and watch movies without a problem. In general the cell phone coverage was excellent. ||The clothing optional beach is small and relatively clean, with many chairs and adequate shade. There are also many other places to sit and enjoy the ocean, with and without a breeze. The site known as Buccaneer Landing is great for watching the sunset each night. There are several short hiking trails and a labyrinth. High above the water there is a beautiful, large yoga pavilion with a panoramic view that is available for massage and your own yoga practice if a class is not going on. Clothing is optional on most of the property, but is required near the rooms and in the dining area. I have seen some reports on here about a significant number of bugs, but we did not have much problem with them except for the few trails of ants.||There is no doubt that we will return to Paya Bay Resort when needing a warm,...

We loved our first and second stays here (May 2022, Nov 2022) and we're going back again (Aug 2023)!!!! We have 3 non-negotiable items that must be met before I book a resort: easy access to scuba diving, all-inclusive (I hate getting nickel & dimed, just charge me up front and be done with it!), and some option for nude sunbathing. Paya Bay checks all three boxes. I recommend the cliffside bungalows, go to sleep and wake up to the sound of the waves crashing at the base of the cliff beneath your balcony. If you're looking for a big glitzy resort, this isn't the place - its charm is of a different sort. The grounds are very quiet at night, and the hummingbirds and iguanas are everywhere in the morning. My DH describes it as "shabby-chic," and he means that is the very best possible way. This is not Vegas; it's a small boutique resort that doesn't demand four changes of clothes daily and a collared shirt at dinner. It's a relaxed, casual atmosphere around the clock. The guys at Tropical Island Divers were friendly and safety-conscious, a short 10 minute boat ride away from Paya Bay's dock. Each day was breakfast, two dives in the morning, back to the resort for lunch, and an afternoon laying on the beach, baking my buns. The menu isn't extensive, but it's plenty diverse to keep you happy across a week-long stay, and Winnie the cook is fantastic. One night, I order a mint lemonade at dinner and it was a long time coming out, and when Eric set my glass down he said, "Sorry! We were out of mint and I had to run down to the garden!" That's the kind of attention you can expect...