Standard rooms are a good size and are well appointed. Rooms have either one king bed or two double beds and all have individually-controlled airconditioning, TV, refrigerator, AM/FM radio, minibar, tea and coffee making facilities, irons and ironing board, hair dryers etc. I really enjoyed the ambience and quality of fixtures. A friend was staying in one of 16 executive suites, each with a private balcony, and these take you to further heights of luxury.

There are several restaurants (cheap meals are available at the casino Courtyard Café), a large pool, a spa, tennis courts, gymnasium and tropical gardens. 24-hour room service is provided and the Quarterdeck (a bistro and bar with a large outdoor area overlooking the marina) often has live music. The casino, which is in the same building as the accommodation, will be an attraction to some but it can be successfully avoided if you so wish.

Breakfast is served in aqua, a restaurant overlooking the pool deck. The buffet is outstanding and we both later confessed to overeating. We also tried the a la carte lunch menu and easily found something light and satisfying. There is also a huge buffet dinner or full a la carte menu at night but we had already eaten enough for the day.

Foreign guests staying at the same time as us appreciated the foreign currency exchange facilities, the business center where you can send and receive faxes and emails, and the ATM. We were impressed to see that the hotel had multilingual staff to help non-English speakers. I was impressed also by the masseuse who worked on my tired muscles after I spent a long day on the reef.

Guests are a mix of business people, local vacationers, and international visitors. The ambience is smart but laid-back. Gleaming polished floors and stainless steel contrast with cool wall colours and sparkling views from the huge picture windows. You see both business suits and swimsuits in the lobby. Neither seems out of place.