First I want to address what everyone wants to know - the smell. The first day we arrived, the poo gods were not with us. The area had a very distinct smell of sewage. Our first thoughts were, "It better not smell like this all the time." Well, it didn't. In 5 nights, we only smelled the poo twice, immediately after checking in (lasted a few hours) and one evening for about 30 minutes.

The hotel staff has to be the nicest on the planet. After one day, EVERYONE remembers your name. I was greeted by my first and last name every time I walked into the office.

Our first night was in a Superior Studio, which was nothing special to write home about. It was a nice clean, cozy room with a large bathroom and steps to the pool and beach. It also had a slight ocean view. The second night, we were upgraded to a 1-bedroom suite for no reason. That is the way to go if you want some room! The suite was very large, with a full sofa, full-size fridge, bar, blender, two TV's, separate bedroom, three A/C's, etc. Our suite was facing the pool, so the view of the beach was minimal. I found the beds to be as comfortable as any non-luxury hotel in the U.S. (remember, this is not a luxury hotel).

We had quite a few drinks during happy hour (2-for-1). The beach bar is pretty small (about 10 stools), but there are tables nearby, and it was never very crowded, except during the sunset. The upstairs pool bar was never crowded (but not as breezy as the beach bar). Drinks run about $4 for a Balashi beer and about $5.50 for frozen drink. The frozen/mixed drinks are NEVER skimpy on the alcohol (2.5 ounces each). We went to a grocery store and bought soda, beer, wine, rum, snacks, and two bottles of water (just fill them up with tap water) to save a little money. (Tip: Buy a bottle of liquor at the duty-free place in the airport, about half the US price).

The beach was awesome. It was NEVER crowded, and we were always able to get a "hut" and chairs with no effort at any time of the day. The water is crystal clear, with no waves. The famous (and now damaged) divi divi tree is right there. There are jet-ski rentals right there, but you could almost never hear them, because the wind was blowing away from the beach (unlike on the east coast). There are quite a few Europeans at the beach, so be prepared to see some topless sunbathing. There were very few children in front of the hotel.

Overall, we had a great stay and would recommend the place unless you are going to go into a fit if the winds change. The staff goes above and beyond. If it wouldn't have been for the occasional poo smell, I would have given the place five-star rating. Almost everything else met or exceeded my expectations.