Aqua Viva Suites

Stayed in one of the one-bedroom apartments at Aqua Viva suites while visiting for a a week's diving holiday with my son last October. The apartment was clean, spacious and well furnished for our needs. It also led onto its own terrace and there is a small pool located in the garden. They have a great diving package deal with VIP Diving located right next door which includes unlimited air and also came with a rental car for our entire stay. Great for getting to dive sites and generally getting around. The staff were very friendly, helpful and willing to go the extra mile for their customers. We accidentally left some things behind in our room at the end of our stay and they very kindly sent them home to us - brilliant service! If you're looking for somewhere to stay for your stay in Bonaire I would highly recommend Aqua Viva Suites

Aqua Viva suites feels like the perfect medium between renting a house and staying in a hotel. I loved that I did not see or hear many people (even in the common spaces). The property has hammocks and a pool which were unoccupied every time I went to enjoy them. Make sure to stop by a grocery store to get some coffee and fresh fruit because you are on your own for breakfast. However, the rooms come with plates, cups, silverware, and refrigerator/freezer so that you can make light meals. It’s delightful to drink my coffee out of a mug while in the privacy of my own room! The location is convenient to the airport, dive shops, and restaurants. I highly recommend Aqua Viva!

The treatment we received here was 5 stars. The owner of this establishment has to be one of the kindest, most humble person I know. We had last minute reservations. He met us at the airport, took us on a small tour of the area, made motor scooter accommodations, recommended places to eat and get snacks..just an all around nice guy. The rooms were clean and comfortable. I would definitely recommend and go back again!

Aqua Viva Suites was a very lovely little place. Very clean, the owner very friendly and accommodating. He was very helpful in many ways, helped me obtain a rental car when I needed it. Nice large room with living room and kitchen. Very clean and pretty little swimming pool. Excellent soundproofing, never heard people in the rooms next door, didn't even know they were there until you chatted with them outdoors. Great AC when needed. Great location, 2 wonderful delicious restaurants a few steps away. If you are there for SCUBA,. VIP Scuba right next door and a great friendly SCUBA place. Very professional and friendly and helpful. I think most people staying there either do SCUBA or fish, my sister did SCUBA, but I didn't, and I had the pool pretty much to myself all day, as all the other guests seem to be gone all day. That was very nice. The only 2 challenges I found, and this is me. I share this only because these things are important to me. I am very particular about my bed, and this bed needs serious updating. Either a topper pad, or a new mattress altogether. Very low to the floor (I know some people like that, but I don't) and very little padding. I slept very poorly, but again, that's probably just me, and I was not feeling well also. Also, the temp of the shower was just slightly above lukewarm. I like a nice hot shower, this definitely is not that. I spoke to the owner about it, and he told me they have to keep the temp at this level for safety purposes. He told me what that temp was, which I guess is "normal", I didn't know quite what the number he told me means, I don't know centigrade, but it was not hot at all. I travel a lot, and I have never been in a place with such lukewarm shower water. I guess it doesn't matter that much when you are in 80+ degree weather. But, I love a nice hot steamy shower, even in hot climates. This was definitely not that. If that doesn't bother you, then its no problem. I happened to catch a cold on the plane coming, and wanted to warm up in a shower with not feeling well, especially at night, but it was not to be. I had to wait until the next morning and sit outside in the warm sun to finally feel warm. Of course, that is no fault of the place my being sick, but it would have been nice to have had either a warm shower or bath, or even a more comfortable bed when feeling unwell. However, the place delivers exactly what it says it does. A lovely stay. Pretty. clean. Very kind and accommodating owners. It was not their fault if I felt unwell, and I didn't even share it with them. Nothing they could have done anyway. Every thing I asked of them, they delivered. It's a great place to stay for people out and about this wonderful little island. Bonaire itself is fantastic! My new favorite island, whether you are a SCUBA person or not. I will be back.

I spent a week in July at Aqua Viva Suites, which I selected because of its location next to VIP Diving and because of the reviews, which glowed about the wonderful hospitality of owners Miguel and Daysi, who pick guests up at the airport, take them back, and make them feel welcome during their stay. I love staying at small inns with excellent customer service, so Aqua Viva sounded ideal. I was not disappointed by the property’s loveliness. Palm trees studded with coconuts were planted throughout, an a mango tree heavy with fruit grew just outside the office. A freeform pool with a whirlpool, lounge chairs, and a pavilion with seating and tables were available for guests’ use. The owners’ son, Michael, informed me that I’d been upgraded — wonderful! — and showed me my suite: suite 2, just steps from the pool. It had a private porch with seating, a small table, and a folding drying rack for wet beach towels, swimsuits, and diving gear. Pane-glass doors with blackout curtains led to a cozy den furnished with a couch, table, and flatscreen TV. The kitchen area featured a dining table with chairs, a full-sized fridge, microwave, coffeemaker, toaster, sink, large countertop, and cabinets stocked with glassware, dishes, utensils, and cookware. The sleeping area featured a queen-sized bed, a dresser, and wardrobe, with a nook equipped with a luggage rack. The bathroom featured a full-sized tiled shower and was stocked with plenty of ribbon-tied towels, a half dozen shampoo bottles nestled on a bed of shells, and soap. The suite also had air conditioning and three ceiling fans, plus plenty of lights, and tropical colors and decor. The perfect oasis for an island stay! Bird watchers can view a variety of birds from poolside: green-shouldered parrots, tropical mockingbirds, bananaquits, and hummingbirds all frequented the palm trees and perched on the stone fence separating Aqua Viva from VIP Diving next door. Divers have VIP at their fingertips, with the Sebastian’s Reef dive and snorkeling site just over a block away. Beach goers have a 1.25-mile walk south to Te Amo Beach, a sandy stretch perfect for snorkeling and swimming, with food trucks on site. The Flamingo Airport is a mile away, as is Avis, and Aqua Viva has a parking lot for guests’ vehicles. Downtown Kralendijk, with its restaurants, boutiques, historic buildings, marinas, water taxis to Klein Bonaire, and seaside walkways, is less than a mile’s walk north. Sebastian’s and Joe’s, two popular restaurants, are less than five minutes from Aqua Viva, and Macho Scooter Rentals is across the street at the Van der Valk resort. For those with a car, 10 minutes’ drive south takes you to the start of Bonaire’s amazing southern dive sites… and to the Donkey Sanctuary. Aqua Viva is indeed perfectly situated for guests wishing to explore the island, dive, or simply enjoy a relaxing beach or poolside getaway. However, there are some drawbacks. For starters, it is more AirBnB than hotel. There is no

The wonderful hospitality began before we even arrived on the island, with host Miguel offering to meet our flight and also setting up our suite to have a separate bed for my son. Miguel continued to check in with us throughout our stay, and it was always a pleasure to come back to fresh towels and a tidied home away from home. Looking forward to staying at Aqua Viva again next year!