Head to head
Azura Benguerra IslandvsDreams Playa Esmeralda Resort & Spa
Scores at a Glance
Azura Benguerra IslandDreams Playa Esmeralda Resort & Spa
Overall
9.2
7.2
Beach
9.4
7.0
Food
9.1
6.8
Service
9.3
6.7
Rooms
9.2
—
Luxury
9.1
—
Romance
9.6
—
Scores out of 10 — higher is better
Quick Stats
9.2
Overall Score
7.2
5-star
Star Rating
5-star
4.7 (127)
Google Rating
4.2 (378)
Rates TBD
Price / Night (pp)
Rates TBD
No
Adults Only
No
—
Kids' Club
Yes
Near coast
Beachfront
Oceanfront
Mid-size
Resort Size
Grand
40 min
Airport Transfer
90 min
All Scores
9.4
Beach
7.0
9.1
Food
6.8
9.3
Service
6.7
9.2
Rooms
—
9.1
Luxury
—
8.2
Family
8.0
9.6
Romance
—
9.4
Quiet
—
8.9
Adventure
—
8.7
Wellness
—
Vibes
Yes
Romance
Yes
Yes
Quiet
Yes
Yes
Adventure
—
Activities
Yes
Spa
Yes
Yes
Water sports
Yes
Yes
Kids
Yes
—
Diving
Yes
—
Nightlife
Yes
Azura Benguerra Island
- 2 restaurants & bars
- Full-service spa
- Butler service
- 40 min from VNX
Dreams Playa Esmeralda Resort & Spa
- Guests 18 and over get free access to the neighboring Secrets Playa Esmeralda, which adds adult-only dining and bars
Pros — Azura Benguerra Island
- Beautiful and uncrowded Bazaruto beach setting.
- Private-pool villas and dedicated butler-host model.
- Strong food and service reputation for a small remote island resort.
Pros — Dreams Playa Esmeralda Resort & Spa
- Strong family amenity set with waterpark, splash zone, kids club and teen programming.
- New-build room inventory with swim-out options.
- Beachfront setting in a less-developed Dominican resort zone.
Cons — Azura Benguerra Island
- Remote transfer logistics and a high nightly price.
- Limited nightlife and no walkable town scene.
- Some excursions and premium drinks are not clearly included.
Cons — Dreams Playa Esmeralda Resort & Spa
- Early Reddit and TripAdvisor-style guest commentary flags service, food and room-service inconsistency.
- Beach swimmability appears less reliable than the marketing photos suggest; some guest sources mention rough water.
- Accessibility and elevator/reliability concerns need more verification before scoring higher.