Henry Morgan Beach Resort

The first thing you’ll notice at Henry Morgan resort are the vibrant, saturated colors. The lush grounds are full of palm trees and a rainbow of blossoming flowers. Guest room buildings are painted in bright pastel blues, violets, and yellows. The rustic wood lobby, with its vaulted ceiling, colorful, overstuffed love seats has turquoise, orange, and blue walls. Look a little closer though and almost everything’s tired and slipshod: sloppy paint jobs, chipped paint (especially by the pool), cracked wood, and stains. Even the new construction is chintzy. Overall, the resort’s vibe is laidback and mostly quiet during the day. When cruise ships are in town, the beach fills up with day-tripping cruises and guests are crammed onto the golden sand like sardines. Things pick up at night with dancing and music -- there’s an activity team that does a great job of energizing guests and getting them on the dance floor. Henry Morgan attracts mostly Canadians on package tours, although we did see quite a few Latin American couples and families. 

Henry Morgan’s located in West Bay, on a fabulous beach with amazing snorkeling on coral just off the shoreline. Within a three-minute walk of the resort are a pizza, sushi, Argentinian, and fine-dining establishment. There are also many bars within a five-minute walk of Henry Morgan. A five-minute walk from the resort is an ATM, convenience store, and a small pharmacy. West End, the island’s culinary and nightlife heart, is a 12-minute drive from the resort or an adventurous half-hour trek along a rocky coastline. There’s also a three-minute water taxi to West End that leaves from a dock next to the resort. Other island activities include a zip line canopy tour (a five-minute drive), dolphin experience (an 18-minute drive), and an 18-hole golf course (a 52-minute drive). Coxen Hole (a 28-minute drive) is the island’s commercial hub with banks, restaurants, supermarkets, and an outdoor market. Ferries to Utila leave from West End and require a 12-minute taxi followed by a 40-minute ferry. The jetty for ferries to La Ceiba in the Honduran mainland is a 34-minute drive followed by an hour-and-15-minute ferry. Juan Manuel Galvez International Airport is a 30-minute drive from Henry Morgan. 

Rooms at Henry Morgan are a mix of Suites, Villas, and Standard Rooms. They’re all spacious (some are multi-floored and huge), but sadly, all are rundown or shoddily constructed. Standard Rooms have king four-poster beds with bright Guatemalan comforters and mosquito nets, exposed beam (or vaulted) ceilings, and flat-screen TVs with cable channels. The bleach-white walls are decorated with a full-length mirror and framed maps of of the Caribbean Sea or the Bay Islands. Villas have modern accents like plush couches, hourglass-shaped sconces, full kitchens, and big walk in closets. Expect continually running toilets, wood vanities with the varnish worn off, rust, and doors that won’t stay open. All room types have flat-screen TVs with cable channels, safes, and balconies with hammocks. Irons and ironing boards are available to borrow from the front desk. Wi-Fi is not available in any guest rooms at Henry Morgan. Bathrooms are a mixed bag. Most are simple with granite counters and stand-up showers. They include soap, hair conditioner, and hairdryers. Suites have glass-brick stand up showers, porcelain sinks, and tile floors.

Henry Morgan has a beautiful palm-lined oceanfront on West Bay Beach, set with plastic lounge chairs and a beach volleyball court, but not much shade. The beach also gets extremely crowded when cruise ship day-trippers are at the resort. The freshwater pool is located near the beach and also has lots of loungers. TGI Diving, the resort’s dive center, is a full-service SSI dive shop with daily dives, and dive certifications ranging from open water to to dive master.

The resort’s buffet restaurant gets solid reviews and serves up international and Honduran cuisine as well as themed dinners. There’s a beach-side snack bar that serves Honduran food during the restaurant’s off hours. There’s also an oceanfront restaurant that’s not included in the all-inclusive package. The resort’s bar is in the lobby and serves low shelf liquor and mixed drinks, and Stroh beer. And unlike most other Roatan resorts, there’s no all-day coffee or tea station. Coffee must be purchased at the on-site Wine Bar/coffee shop, which is also a full-menu liquor store. Free purified water is included with all stays but during our visit, the five-gallon bottles were empty and requests for refills were were ignored. 

The resort’s gym is big, but in terrible shape with a broken window and rusty equipment. It has dated Precor weight machines, free weights, stationary bikes, and a Nautilus treadmill with a dangerously shredded belt. Hotel freebies include kayak rentals, water aerobics, dance lessons, Zumba classes, parking, and a free West Bay walking tour. Henry Morgan’s nighttime activities get great reviews and include karaoke, music trivia, music folklore, beachfront fire shows, and there’s also a nightly beach party.

The activity desk can assist in arranging tours, car rentals, and taxi services. The resort has its own generators, but we heard multiple reports of power outages -- which are common for the island. There’s a fee to use Wi-Fi and it’s only available in the lobby.