Harbour Village Beach Club

Harbour Village is one of Bonaire's most well-liked hotels, and with good reason. For the most part, things here have a level of polish that we didn't frequently encounter during our time on Bonaire in 2016. Still, The reception area at Harbour Village is a simple, nautically themed room with a porthole mirror on the wall, paintings of aquatic life, wicker furniture with plush cushions, and a monitor live-streaming video of fish swimming around the resort’s house reef. The latter is key, as this resort fully embraces its prime seaside location with gusto. Bonaire is surrounded by coral reefs that often start just off shore, and Harbor Village makes their house reef available for guests to dive and snorkel. Additionally, the rum punch served upon check-in makes for a nice, laid-back welcome. 

The grounds are lush and full of tall palm trees, blossoming flowers, and trellised walkways overgrown with manicured plants that temper Bonaire’s scalding afternoon sun. The resort’s man-made sandy beach stretch the width of the resort and its two pools are rarely crowded, and the marina is often full of powerboats and sailboats. In fact, it’s not uncommon to see jaw-dropping yachts docked on-site. Despite being one of the island's more upmarket properties, the overall vibe is quiet and tranquil, and guests tend to be diving enthusiasts. Families of all ages are also common, and children are frequently seen splashing in the waves or building sandcastles on the beach. Weekends can be a little more upbeat, with live music in the restaurant that draws locals and hotel guests alike.

Harbour Village Beach Club is located on the north end of Kralendijk, a five-minute drive past the colonial old city, which is full of restored and repurposed buildings like Fort Oranje (a restored 16th-century fortress), as well as shops and restaurants. The city’s waterfront boardwalk -- where fishermen often unload their daily catch -- passes through downtown and is dotted with even more restaurants and bars. There are some closer options for eating as well, and restaurants within a two-minute drive of the resort include an Argentinian steakhouse, Italian, Japanese, and Surinamese/Indonesian cuisines. The nearest grocery store is a five-minute drive from the resort.

Lac Bay, with its steady winds and shallow depth on the island’s north shore, is a mecca for kite-boarders and windsurfers -- it's a 15-minute drive from the hotel. Flamingo International Airport is a 10-minute drive away. It's also the best place to rent a car. Continue south on the same road to the airport leads to the not-to-be missed massive seawater-evaporation ponds and football-field sized mounds of dried salt that are a 25-minute drive from the hotel. This area is also where historic former slave huts can be glimpsed, for a peek into Bonaire's darker past.

Harbour Village’s rooms and suites are all fairly similar from a style perspective, with a look that resembles an upscale home in the tropics. Thankfully, while that motif could feel dated, here it looks relatively breezy and fresh (even if some rooms can be a bit dark). Lots of white, light earth tones, and warm wood make up the decor, though romantic details like mosquito-net canopies over the beds add a dash of personality. Beige marble tile floors and dark granite surfaces complement the hardwood furniture, and rooms are tastefully hung with mirrors and Caribbean-inspired wall art. Upgraded suites are decorated in colonial plantation style, with rattan and teak furniture.

All rooms are spacious, with even entry-level Courtyard View Rooms coming in with 434-square-foot floor plans (40 square meters). Suites range in size from the 480 square feet (45 square meters) to the massive 3,200-square-foot (297-square-meter) Kasa de Playa Beach House, which has four bedrooms. Amenities and sizes range widely between rooms and suites, but all have flat-screen TVs, air-conditioning, free Wi-Fi, bug zappers, safes, and Nespresso coffeemakers. Many Suites have full kitchens with Bosch appliances that include microwaves, convection ovens, electric ranges, full-size refrigerators, and dishwashers. All rooms have patios or balconies, some of which have views of the water.

The swankiest offerings at Harbour Village are the Beach Houses, with travertine floor tiles, full-size kitchens with granite counters, Miele and Sub-Zero appliances plus a washer and dryer. The Beach Houses can fit up to nine-people and requires a minimum seven-day reservation. Bathrooms in general include makeup mirrors, hairdryers, Gilchrist & Soames products, and bathrobes. They include pedestal sinks in most rooms plus walk-in showers, though certain bathrooms -- like those in the Beachfront, Premier Suites, and the Beach Houses -- have rainfall showers plus separate clawfoot soaking tubs. 

Most guests are drawn to Bonaire for its diving and after returning from a dive trip, Harbour Village has one of the island’s best beaches. It's a real blessing, as most of the island’s beaches are rocky or coral. Nearly as long as football field and nestled between the restaurant and diving boat pier, the man-made beach is punctuated with tall palm trees and has cushioned lounge chairs and cabanas. Those interested in diving and snorkeling can use the hotel's dive shop, and the house reef is just offshore -- it's well-liked by previous guests.

The resort has two pools. The large Kasa Koral pool is surrounded with green lounge chairs, tables, chairs, and green patio umbrellas, while the Spa Cascade pool has a waterfall. Services at the spa include manicures, pedicures, and massages. The hotel gym is outfitted with a great array of modern Cybex machines, treadmills, free weights, rowing machines and more, and is next to the Dance Room -- a studio with a mirrored wall and beautiful hardwood floors often used for yoga classes. Keep in mind that the gym isn't air-conditioned.     

La Balandra Bar and Restaurant, the resort’s ship-shaped restaurant named after a Spanish galleon, serves up international cuisine and has happy hour specials plus free live music on Saturday nights. Food does get mixed reviews, though, and it can be pricey -- unfortunately, that's par for the course on Bonaire. Certain bookings include a daily continental breakfast, a free wine and cheese platter upon arrival, and two complimentary half-hour massages. Everyone receives a free dinner upon arrival. The Harbour Village lounge has walls decorated in photos of turtles, eels, and colorful fish, doubles as a game room and has a pool table, foosball table, huge flat-screen TV, and a book exchange. There's also meeting space and the free hotel-wide Wi-Fi. The marina can be used for those who have their own boats as well.