Mermaid Eco Resort

What was included: We took the all inclusive honeymoon package for 2 nights which included breakfast, lunch, evening snacks and dinner. We could choose a special dinner on any one of the nights. The experience: Our visit was on February 2025 and to begin with, I did not find the resort as advertised on their website. We did not have access to the river as shown on their website and the area was fenced due to a bridge construction right next to the resort. As expected there was constant construction noise even late at night. We were given tokens to access a swimming pool which was situated a 5 to 10 minutes drive away in Mermaid Beach Resort (which is a different resort). They did not have boating provisions within their resort but offered to manage one for us outside their premises for a payment. The room was small and cosy but the bedsheets were old and worn out. Although they were prompt with their room service and changed the sheets but only to replace them with a newer set of torn and worn out sheets. The meals were meat based (except the special dinner) which was a little disappointing because we were in Cox's Bazar and naturally expected some seafood options. It took us 5 minutes to explore the entirety of the resort and there wasn't a lot of options for activities. It does not have access to the beach and the river access was cutoff due to construction so it's not the best option if you are hoping to be out and about. Lastly, it took us more than 3 hours to get to the resort from the airport due to traffic. It was the weekend which might have been why it was so bad. Of course, this is not the fault of the resort but something to keep in mind. The staff was super friendly and were always available. The special dinner was really beautiful and I would like to appreciate the effort they put in. For the times when there was no construction noise it felt peaceful and calm. Would I go back? No! Not for the price I paid and because it felt like they did not let us know of the renovations going on within the resort and that a lot of their facilities were not available. Also for the fact that they have a non-refund policy, not even partial once payment has been made. My overall experience was okay and given the reasons above and my experience, it is a 2 star from me!

We tried to book directly with the resort by email but they failed to respond so then resorted to booking via a 3rd party booking site. Unfortunately this resulted in our initial booking of a 2 bed family villa (Crab Dreamer) for 2 nights becoming a 1 bed studio villa (Green Morning) and 1 bed bungalow (Pink Ice Sugar) for the first night and then transferred in to our original booking for the second night. Whilst we were informed of this overbooking prior to arrival by email and by the heartfelt apologies expressed by staff upon check-in; and that Green Morning was given to us as an upgrade (and very nice it was too!); and the sum of the 2 x 1 bed were greater than the 2 bed in value terms - it was somewhat inconvenient not be able to unpack for the first night and split our family comprising of 2 adults + 2 children between the 2 residences in different parts of the resort. Moreover we felt that Pink Ice Sugar being an attached bungalow provided very little noise insulation between the adjoining villa’s bathrooms leaving very little to the imagination lol. However we liked and would definitely recommend Green Morning for couples and / or honeymooners for its space, luxurious bathroom, privacy and close proximity to the restaurant. Our second night at the Crab Dreamer was everything as described on their website (although we could not find the day room?!) with a private garden and close proximity to the reception desk. The complimentary breakfast was nice with a vast array of both hot and cold items, and for the first night we’d ordered dinner from the A La Carte menu. The food was OK but a bit pricey for what it was and by local standards. Unfortunately the 2 desserts that we wanted were unavailable but the Calamari Rings (800BDT) and Pizza Bolognese (1300BDT) were particularly nice. There is also a 4 x set meals which present much better value for money but the wording on this menu suggests that they are only available for lunchtime. Not true! 3 are available for dinner too! We opted for the Coral Station Restaurant at nearby Inani (400BDT each way by CNG) on our second night which was fantastic and highly recommended! We would have liked to have explored their sister Mermaid Beach Resort for a future trip and understood there to be an hourly boat shuttle from Mermaid Eco to Beach but alas this is now no longer running?! The only excursion now offered is an hourly private boat trip around the lake (3000BDT) and another out to the sea (5000BDT). Kayaking is also offered by an independent company a short walk away off-site beside the bridge but time did not allow us to explore this option further. I’m guessing that in coming to an eco resort you’ll be wanting to switch off from the outside world but if (free) wifi is essential for you then the signal is best around the reception desk and restaurant areas. So 3* from me but could have been 5* if the above issues were overcome. Overall we enjoyed our stay here, with some nice touches such as

Mermaid Eco Resort is a very nice destination for nature lovers. Such a magnificent resort with amazing natural beauty!! We are a Filipino family and as foreigners we felt very safe here in Mermaid Eco Resort. We have booked "Lake Osho", a riverside studio villa and from it's balcony we enjoyed a great view of Rezu canal. It's something that me, my wife and my 2 kids all four of us loved the most❤️ Our cordial Thanks to Mermaid Family especially Mr. Zia Uddin who helped me with booking and gave the exact villa that my wife wanted, this Lake Osho villa ❤️. This is a well deserved pleasant villa for us nature lovers, it has AC, balcony and an outdoor shower which we loved the most. The eco resort is very neat and clean, resort staffs are sober well mannered and the kids loved the gift of 'Fruit Bucket' from them to us! Thanks, didn't expect it❤️ Here to mention, guests can go down to the side of Rezu Canal and touch the water or even swim, we did! The staircase going to Rezu canal can be found just beside the cafe area. The view of Rezu Canal from Mermaid cafe is simply AMAZING ❤️, and beside the cafe there's an open platform where easy chairs are at place just on riverbank, we loved watching the sunset. It was the best thing we experienced in this resort so far. We will definitely come back in near future, we are loving this Mermaid Eco Resort

Although we didnt stay here but we went in for dinner one night. It was by far one the most excellent meals of my life. The food was coocked to perfection and the service was outstanding. We had two servers that night Mr. Mong and Mr. Robi, both were great especially Mr. Mong. Mr. Mong made some amazing suggestions about what to order and he even got us an amazing seafood starter which was not on the menu. Really amazing service. The ambiance is also very relaxing and nice. We had a really great time. If you ever go to Coxs Bazar and have time to only do one thing then just go to Mermaid and have dinner, it will be completely worth it.

Although the location is a bit far way from the buzzing popular beaches, the serenity brings peace of mind. Its always decorated with fresh flowers by the very supportive staffs who take great pride in serving the guests. We stayed for 2 nights and loved the calmness of the entire area. Its very secured and well maintained. The cappuccino in the complimentary buffet breakfast was a very elegant touch. Fresh fruits are provided every day which is very admirable. The only downside is the extremely high price of food inside the resort. With a very few restaurants nearby, planning meals especially at night may become a tricky affair.