Over ten years ago, we stayed at sunset beach hotel, between Sand Dollar and Harbour Village. We enjoyed the large beach and the snorkeling. Does anyone know what happened to this property - has it gone bankrupt, been rebought? Does it have a new name? Thanks!

Sunset is completely abandoned...windows broken out...weeds overgrown... I understand there have been numerous negotiations to buy the property but no serious takers.... what a shame...it was a great piece of property with a lot of opportunity.... another classic example of what happens when the "government" takes over and tries to run things.

It also burned out. The beach went with Lenny. It went bankrupt before those things, under government ownership, as Gregg said.

The nankrupty was not under gov. ownership. It was part of the holdings of a private individual and Interbank in Aruba. Recently, there has been some stirring on the proerty but nothing has happend so far.

Michael,

I understood that the property was, and is, owned by the government and that the individual was managing it under contract to the government, making what I said technically correct but not fully representative of why the bankruptcy happened.

Thanks for your replies!! Wow, how sad about Sunset Beach hotel and their beach - it was great. I quess Sunset Beach is not an option obviously for our vacation. we think we still want to be in the same area as Sunset Beach was, we like that area, the snorkeling is great, or was. I hope it still is after the 99 storm? I had heard that the snorkeling sites were hurt worse than the diving sites.

So assuming we stay in that area, Looks like we are chosing between some of the hotels in that area, like Harbour, Captn Dons, Sand Dollar etc. What is this Eden all about - does it have a web site? Ideally we would love another hotel like Sunset Beach with a beach and right near the beach snorkeling, but Plaza Resort sounds way too ritzy for my taste. If we give up on the beach maybe - where should we stay? Any ideas about this Deep Blue B&B, is it walking distance to the beach? Thanks tons! Jen

In 1997 I think, we stayed in a 3 bedroom house right next to the Sunset Beach Hotel. It was called Sunset Villa #6. Does anyone know if it was torn down or does it still exist? Is this the property that Eden Beach is on now? When was Eden built? I was just curious. We sure enjoyed our week there.

Yes! I too am confused on Eden Beach - is it near the old Sunset Beach Hotel? Thanks, Jen

Eden is right next door to the site of the Sunset Beach Hotel.

Speaking of Harbour Village, is it really open and what's up there??

Annie

Jennifer,

I suggest you consider Divi Flamingo...it has a small beach very convenient to the rooms. Ask for a "time share" room. These are efficiency units with frig, stove etc and are adjacent to the dive shop. There is a restaurant on site and easy walking distance to town.

There is good snorkling in front of most resorts.

Greg, I have seen the Divi, it is nice, but maybe less peaceful somehow and less beach than some others?. But I wonder about the beach at Eden or Buddy Dive, it sounds great to have some sand! So, you think the snorkeling is better at Divi? Thanks, Jennifer

I didn't like the time shares at Divi at all and I own one! Dark and dingy and no TV and a lot of things were broken when I stayed there in July. I moved over to their hotel part and liked it much better. Smallest beach I've ever seen!

Quick segue back to Sunset Beach:

- It was closed done by the government back in October of 1999 at the request of the tax office and local utility company, among many others, because of substantial unpaid amounts due. The largest creditor was Interbank, an Aruban bank with, at the time, a branch on Bonaire.

- The property was put to auction sometime in 2000 in order to see if someone was willing to pay enough to satisfy most of the creditors. There was not, and Interbank ended up bidding (I think US$4 million) and buying the property, mostly from itself.

- There is still a lien on the property by the government in excess of NAFl. 1 million.

A blend of politics, surliness, and other unhappy items have prevented any bids of acquiring Sunset Beach from coming to pass since.

I think that's it in a nutshell, with facts mostly right.

Back to your regularly scheduled discussion...

Jake

PS The Villa next to the hotel is pretty derelict now too. That's not the same as "Sunset Villa" (http://www.bonairelodging.com/sunset) which is run by someone else.

Jennifer,

Buddy Dive is a nice place to stay but they have no beach...all rock.

There are no "large" beaches in Bonaire; especially since the demise of Pink Beach and Sunset Beach. Most are postage stamp size. If you want to spend time on a larger beach, take the water taxi to Klein and spend a day at NoName Beach. Plaza has a nice beach but take your hiking shoes.
Divi is definately not 5 star. Thehotel rooms have been renovated and include T.V. (if that is important). I would prefer the timeshare even if I didn't own one because of the proximity to the pool, dive shop, beach, and docks. I like to fill the frig with beer and other delights. Since we don't spend much time in the rooms, darkness doesn't bother us. On advantage of the timeshare rooms is that they have a screened in porch. I don't know of another resort that has that feature. I'm sure you will enjoy no matter where you stay.

Mercy, which unit do you own? lets trade notes, I was there in July also and will be back in 3 wks

Jennifer,
Eden Beach is right next door to the old Sunset. Essentially the one beach runs into the other along the shore. The beach does not extend into the water, however. There is a coral plaque shelf a few feet past the water line with a quick dropoff to ten feet or so and then a further dropoff beyond that. Lenny damaged the coral, but there are lots of fish. We enjoyed snorkling on our last day there in 2001 when we couldn't dive. Saw a school of small squid there. Eden also has a nice pool near the ocean and is attractively landscaped. There is a beach bar called Bongos (unaffiliated with the resort) at the beach where you can buy food and drinks (parties at night). There is also a GREAT dive operation called Wannadive Bonaire run by two very nice and helpful young men, Bart and Roeland. Eden's manager, owner and employees are also very friendly and helpful, and it is reasonably priced. The condos are a bit spartan by American standards, but are clean and have daily maid service. We stayed in a two bedroom one two summers ago. There were two bedrooms with two baths upstairs and a kitchen, living room and half bath downstairs. We stayed at another property on our trip this past summer (due to a package deal with airfare) and, although the furnishings at the condo were more comfortable, the overall package (beach, proximity to pool, landscaping, beach bar, dive shop) was simply not as convenient/pleasant. We will more than likely go back to Eden on our next stay. My only criticism of Eden would be a request for more comfortable furniture in the living area. By the way, it does have a website: www.edenbeach.com

Hope this helps.
Ben

fyi...regarding Ben's good description of Edens

Bart (Wannadive) is the former dive shop manager at Buddy Dive who contributed significantly into making Buddy Dive one of the best on the island. Bart decided several years ago to strike out on his own. Rouland was also a dive master at Buddy Dive... Both are great characters...

Gawd do I miss the Sunset Beach Dive Center... Front Porch, the sunken tug, Moray Lisa, bathing in the rinse tanks, rinse my gear in the hot tubs, the KLM stews sunning on Playa Leche. Ahhh those were the days my friends.

Weren't they truely the glory days!

KLM crews and stews now stay at the Divi...it is a lovely site to see (as my son-in-law will attest). :-)

We tried the Front Porch dive in front of the Sunset a few weeks ago and it was pretty much nothing. I think Lenny wiped it clean. Also, we could not find the Tug Boat, maybe it was washed away to another location? Can anyone with more experience there confirm this suspicion?

Thanks for your notes. We have decided to stay at the Sand Dollar, and the pier is supposed to be done any day now. The Eden buildings that look out at The old sunset hotel scared me away from there. Sand Dollar was also running a special with one free night, trying to get back business from the renovation of the pier. We will have fun I'm sure! Jennifer

John,

As I recall, the tug is at about 80 ft directly out from the former location of the pier. I doubt if Lenny moved it at that depth. Look for the big green moray

Lenny didn't move the tug. I've seen it since Lenny where Gregg has described it.

Nobody has ever done a dive briefing like Walt III.

The surge caused by Linny moved the tug down to about 90fsw.

John your "nothing" dive is still a spectacular trip. Next time start your dive near the remains of the old pier, head down on a slightly left hand direction and the tug will appear (or use the outmost mooring line and decend directly). Hang around the tug (BIG moray, HUGE southern lobster to name only a few). when your computer tells you to come up a little, continue your dive to the West (Sand Dollar). When you get to the coral slide continue your ascent diagonally back to your start. There is almost every imaginable juvenile, occasionally a LARGE barracuda and of course the massive green moray. Night dive are even better !!!!

Ahhh, so its deeper than I expected. OK, next year we can try it.

When we have stayed at Sand Dollar, (we have a condo there) we have snorkeled over to Sunset Beach. There are still lots of fish around where the old pier was and some rosy razorfish in the sand areas. Its not a long snorkel and I do it without fins sometimes. the snorkeling is great in that whole area by Bari. Lenny did a job on the coral above 40 feet, but the fish are still there.