Kiki Witz

The staff were welcoming and made us feel at home. They kindly tried to meet every request we made. The Hibicus Cottage wifi worked okay. The location was convenient, 45 minutes from the airport, 15 minutes from the Belize Zoo, 20 minutes from cave tubing, and five minutes from Belmopan. A heads-up about arrival: let them know what time you’ll get there, especially if it’s after 5:00 pm, when the office closes. Hotel offices often close at 5:00 pm in Belize, unlike in the U S A, where someone is usually at the desk late into the evening. WhatsApp is a good way to reach the hotel during office hours, and every hotel we stayed at in Belize used it. It’s expensive, though I didn’t find anything that came close to American standards for a hotel.

The remote setting could be peaceful, but I didn’t have a quiet stay. This is not for a business traveler. Internet in the rooms barely worked, so I had to go to the dining room for somewhat decent service. Hot water would cut off while we bathed, then icy water would blast from the pipes. My coworker had only cold water for his first two days. On my second-to-last night, I was woken around 12.30 am by extremely loud, obscene dance hall music from a party held by a young relative of the owners. Women were screaming and people shouting, with the music blasting toward my room. It gave me a migraine for two days. There was no hotel staff to help, and I had to put up with it for hours. The party started in the dining hall and later moved to the pool area. Nobody in my group was warned, and we all had to endure the noise at an ungodly hour, though I got the worst of it. The attempted compensation was a $15 breakfast. I won’t stay again or recommend it.

We loved our stay at this beautiful, peaceful resort. The pool area was great, there was lots to walk around and explore, and it felt very safe. Our Hibiscus bungalow was clean, with room service available when requested. The food service was excellent and flexible; each day they checked whether we planned to have breakfast or dinner there so they could prepare. They were very accommodating, and I’d recommend the place to people from Belize, the USA, where we’re from, or elsewhere.

The cabins and bungalows were clean, spacious, and charming, with fresh towels and sheets. The pool was wonderful even at night, and the helpful staff made this a good option near Belmopan, just a few kilometers from town. Road noise was the problem for us. Many cabins sit close to the main road, and the rooms aren’t soundproof, so we could hear cars and those damned motorcycles inside. It can be stressful. Try to get a room farther back on the property, where the noise is less noticeable, and bring earplugs. When we stayed, breakfast wasn’t available and nobody told us ahead of time. We got up at 7:30 a.m. to find no staff at the hotel, so we had to drive into town to find food. Not a great start to the day.