spent 10 days in wonderful Mirihi (see report) and decided to spend the final 6 at Lily Beach so I phoned them and they sent over a speedboat for us. They told us it would be a one hour journey in each direction and charged $386. Twenty minutes later we were at the Lily pier which worked out at $19.30 a minute!
The reason I say this review is tricky is because I, like the resort, find it hard to define exactly what it is and who it caters for. Some things (like the DWV) are 5 star and others (like much of the overall product) is 3 to 4 star. There is no way to describe the various types of guest either which caused some interesting atmospheres and exchanges! You got everything from noisy drunks to posers to ordinary nice folk. The all inclusive as well was spot on in parts but with big holes in others.
So basically I loved a lot and could not stand the rest. Weird I know so I will try to explain.
The problem comes if you take their claim of being a sophisticated 5 star all inclusive and critique against that with the following:
You cannot get room service breakfast and the restaurant stops serving at 1000.
If you have any room service it is not only full charge but you get no discount for your full board.
Can you really have mass catering buffet style meals and call it 5 star especially when it has average food?
Do 5 star places allow people in wet costumes (including one fat guy wearing speedos) to sit topless in their restaurants? Surely standards need to be maintained.
Do 5 star resorts have people in pedalos and banana boates cruising past your water villa?
A big resort like this needs strong inspiring management. This place had invisible management except when we left when they stood on the peir and said nothing to anyone bar themselves.
We initially thought many of the staff were surley and unhappy. It was only when you treated them like human beings that we discovered they were great. It seems that they get treated badly by some types of badly behaved A.I. guests and there was clearly no motivation from management. Their living conditions are also supposed to be poor against other islands.
The main toilets serving both main bar and restaurant had no air conditioning. It was horrid especially when guest had over-indulged with A.I. drinks.
I could go on about the worst ‘Directory of Services’ that told you nothing. Apparently they provide a buggy pick up service but never told you. Same with the library, news sheets, mossie killers etc. Numerous pages on spa treatment and little on what you really need to know to enjoy the resort.
WHY have I hammered them so? Because they have set themselves up as something they clearly are not.
NOW FOR THE GOOD SIDE.
If you can take the above with a pinch of salt (or join in) then you can have a great time watching it happen around you. There is never a dull moment and it is better than television.
The villa we had (320) was fantastic in every sense and we loved our stay in it.
The reef a few fin strokes away beautiful and full of fish. You could see a lot on the shallow side and swim over huge drops with bigger fish on the other.
The A.I. was very good (except for the room service issue) however be aware that if you get fed up with the big buffet place you can only have one A.I. meal in the full service orestaurant during your stay. Any others and you pay the FULL amount with no allowance.
So that is why WE loved and hated it. You read other reviews and you might think it was a different place to what I am reporting on. The fact it is two resorts they have tried to make into one and call 5 star is confusing. The sooner they split the water villas, the Aqua bar and Tamarind restaurant from the rest the better. That way you would get two excellent different types of resort without pretentions. Any questions? Please ask.
PLEASE NOTE THAT SINCE THIS REVIEW THE HOTEL HAS HEARD MY COMMENTS AND RESPONDED TO THEM