(I would like to note something….if you check out the TripAdvisor reviews for Placencia hotels (don’t forget to check the b&b listings and the specialty lodging listings!), you will note something important – they are mostly ALL good! Placencia is known as a clean, tourist-friendly place. ALL the places I mention here, are places I would happily recommend as being clean, safe, and tourist friendly. There are very few if any “bad places” and I don’t even know of any!)What to expect from….
$25-65 per night
(Prices in US dollars. Almost all hotels, excursions, and real estate prices are in USD and everything else you see is usually BZ dollars,unless noted. Why? Because the tourists are the ones utilizing these things for the most part!)
One of the fun things about travel in developing countries is staying on the super-cheap at hostels. We have those here, and they have good reputations. There are mostly younger 20-somethings, backpackers, or interesting ex hippie types. Some of these places include Lydia’s Guesthouse, Anda Di Hows, Manatee Inn, Palma Guest House, Julia’s Guest House, some of the Sea Spray rooms, or SailFish. All these places have a few things in common – they are going to provide you with basic, clean accommodations. Some have shared baths, or shared rooms. Why are they so cheap? There is a reason – for the most part, there will be something that keeps their costs down. For example, they may not be near/on the beach, or they don’t provide any luxuries, including things like beach towels, maid service, any outdoor seating where you can enjoy the beach, no a/c, cable, etc. Most do have WiFi. Most are going to be very basic in their aesthetics – most are cabin-like, with wood walls, basic Mennonite beds with simple mattresses and bedding, and quite utilitarian. You are probably not going to get picked up at the airport or have someone helping to arrange excursions. Some are near loud bars, which is not always a negative for some people.
Images from this price point:
$65-150
At this price point, there can be great disparity in what you can expect. At the lower-cost end, places like Sea Glass Inn, Michelo Suites, Sea View and Serenade; at the higher end, Paradise Resort, Heaven’s Gate, Ranguana Lodge, Easy Living, and some Sea Spray rooms. These will be closer to a 2 to 3 star hotel in the US. All are clean and provide a good, basic experience. Some things that tends to separate the lower from the higher end in this category are location, aesthetics, and services/amenities shipped in from outside the country.
The services might be great, but the place might be a couple decades old, without recent upgrades or updates. There might be pretty basic amenities, or they are a hike to the beach. All offer something really worthwhile – but worth noting that for SOME travelers, you may read on the reviews that things were missing that travelers had expected to get. These are ones you may have to comb through to see if they have something that is really important to you – these are not likely to have “all the things” – such as a pool, along with recent renovation, great beach area, free kayaks/bikes, cell phone in room, or a multitude of luxuries. Most do have a/c at this price point but worth double checking. Another item worth noting is that there is a great difference between a 2 bedroom at $150 and a 1 bedroom as $150 – your 2 bed at this price point is likely to be pretty basic, but a $150 1 bed, you can expect there to be more goodies.
Images from this price point:
$150-$300
Here is another interesting divide, that might be the most confusing for a traveler. What am I actually getting with my extra $50-100 a night for a 1 bed place, for example? Is it worth it for me? We will look at some comparisons here.
Rooms around the $150 range are a bit more rare in the village, including Casa Palma, Village Inn, and Miramar, and then when you go above that, you include Caribbean Beach Cabanas (that’s us!), Laru Beya, Mirasol, Belizean Nirvana, Mariposa. Go up a bit more to around $250….Robert’s Grove, The Placencia, Belize Ocean Club, Sunset Point, and then when you go above that…..$350+, we are at Turtle Inn and Chabil Mar. (I know there are many others, but I had to pick some!)
Images from the $150 price point:
Casa Palma outside:
Inside Casa Palma kitchen
Images from the $150-$300 price point:
Images from the $350+ price point:
Some points to consider to make your choice…..
—–At the lower-cost end of this price point($150), feel pretty confident that you are going to have a nice experience. Again, if there are any deal breakers for you, you may want to comb the amenities. Why pay $200 when you can pay $150? In Belize it comes down to a few factors. Size/upgrading/aesthetics/age of room, location, and amenities – especially those that must be brought in from outside the country. Those that are charging around $200 are going to have checked ALL those boxes (the ones that are doing it well).
—–At $150, you may be either outside/not walking distance to the village; some are lovely but do not have a/c or cable, but make up for it by being beachfront. Some may not offer on site management or complimentary kayaks/bikes/paddleboards etc. Maybe they have a great beach but don’t offer beach towels or cushions. Expect for some things to be great at this price; though, you may walk away saying if it only had…”insert need here”…it would have been perfect.
—–At $200 a night for a single room, you should be getting a very special experience. There should be very few things that you have to think about that you are missing. For example, you should expect complimentary pick up at the airport, with a welcome drink, perhaps a welcome basket, towel animals, fresh flowers, a nice intro from a manager with a good binder/guide in the room to help you acclimate; it should be a prime location (beachfront!), with many complimentary amenities like ALL the beach fun, floats, tubes, chairs WITH cushions, and some special attention from staff such as drinks, snacks, or events at the place to add a special touch. This paragraph encompases the difference between a room in Placencia at $175-$200 vs. $150.
—–If you are more of a basic needs/DIY person, you will be more than happy at any of these. If you are on a special occasion, or want to have the experience of not thinking about any need not being met, want the ability to have a romance package offered, walk out to the beach and have the cushions waiting for you, be able to work with an on site manager to schedule your excursions, be somewhere where you can walk everywhere, not have to pay for any extras because they come with the rooms (bikes etc), and you want to feel pampered and comfortable without wanting for anything, then I would consider the $175-$200 rooms – there IS a difference.
—–AESTHETICS – Another difference that matters to some people and not to others is the environment and aesthetics. In Belize, things corrode QUICKLY. Upkeep is literally a full-time job, and it is quite apparent when it is done well. You will see places that are constantly upgrading their place to keep it fresh and new, and others will have reviews that say things about mold, rust, or clogs. Just like a tired hotel in the US, there is something that is very refreshing about staying in a place that looks and feels new and fresh. This can make a big difference in your experience of a place. Also, are you the type that say, wants a private place to lounge and read? Don’t book a place with a tiny veranda or only public space, or who don’t provide beach loungers with cushions. Do you need direct beachfront? You may want to consider a smaller microresort with more beachfront private rooms. The effort, money, and resources at keeping places fresh and new makes a big difference in price points.
—–AMENITIES – This is one of the key “invisible” factors that you may not know you are missing until you don’t have it. For example, higher end places here will provide local cells for guests in their rooms; they will have modern, fresh furniture, art, kayaks, bikes, flat screens; things will match and look “right” – very pleasing to the eye. The towels and sheets will be high quality, the decor will be luxurious, the plates and cookware, shampoo, etc., will be higher end and well thought out. Places that are charging closer to $200+ will have brought all of this in from outside the country. Belize is not a country of manufacturing, and the duty on goods brought in is astronomical. It is a long and laborious process to ship and replace things, and this is an expensive commitment a hotel makes at the higher end prices. You will know it right away if you step into a room that has been sourced with local goods vs. a room sourced with outside goods (see images above!). Go into the hardware stores on the peninsula and you can see what the stock is that a hotel can choose from, if they don’t bring in outside goods – it is often very inexpensive goods from China, or mismatched pieces that are the odds and ends of full sets. It is a challenge of running a hotel in a remote location, and why the prices at some places may look high to those who expected to have more “developing country” prices.
—–LOCATION – This is one of my personal dealbreakers when it comes to a hotel. I personally need to be in walking distance to the heart of things. It is the first thing I look at when searching for a hotel; others will purposefully look for a place that is remote. In Placencia, our peninsula is 14 miles long. Some of the really nice resorts can be up to 14 miles away from the village, which takes a good half hour to get to. But, land IN the village is at a premium, so there are no sprawling resorts in the village (which is a huge positive to almost everyone!) One of the lovely things about the village is the ability to walk to the village, where it feels safe, and you aren’t stuck in the resort the whole time.
Placencia has several higher-end places (above $150) within the village, and those are Caribbean Beach Cabanas, Mirasol, Belizean Nirvana, and Sunset Point. These are 4 places (yes I did include ours, shameless, but an honest assessment!) that provide more luxurious or higher end accommodations. The resorts mentioned earlier (Robert’s Grove, Belize Ocean Club, etc) are between 5-14 miles outside the village, and offer standard resort fun times. The prices of these 4 in the village are about the same. To briefly compare, as I often send guests to the other three when we are full:
Sunset Point – gorgeous apartments, most are 2 bed, they have a pool and a very tranqil atmosphere. They allow kids but they are not on the beach.
Belizean Nirvana – a great place with all beach facing large apartments, free breakfast, they allow kids, cozy little beach, no pool, but great on site managers and charming rooms. It is a bit of a walk from the sidewalk, so you walk through some local housing on the way.
Mirasol – only 3 units, but very nice, large, with a small pool. They also allow kids, and are right in town so it might be a bit more noise.
Caribbean Beach Cabanas – we have been building and upgrading, and will reopen Nov 1st with a pool and a range of brand new renovations to bring about a microresort experience for guests. We have the smallest rooms of the 4 places – more studio apartment style, but the largest private outdoor space/verandas. We are also adults-only, so those with kids or who feel they need a large indoor space would want to consider the other three.
You can walk to all the village fun, bars, and restaurants from all of these.
$350+
Finally, for the highest-end guest experience, there is Turtle Inn and Chabil Mar. These are relatively close to the village, not quite walkable unless you are quite hardy, but a quick bike ride in. They are both lovely experiences and they are larger than what can be offered within the village. Prices start around $350-$450/night at Chabil Mar, up to around $450-700 for Turtle Inn. What separates these from the four I mentioned above, including us, are that there are on site restaurants and bars, and they are on a larger piece of land. There are more staff to service guests, and they provide a very high-end resort experience.