Jan's Hotel

We booked this stay four months ahead, but the hotel never told us that construction would be underway. Workers were carrying lumber on the stairs, construction materials blocked exits, and we had to work around it all. It felt unsafe, and the noise started as early as 8:30 a.m., even on weekends. Dust was everywhere, which is hard to avoid during renovations, though housekeeping did their best and the front desk staff were genuinely lovely and accommodating. The booking site's photos don't show the hotel's current state, so booking based on them will leave you disappointed. The location is good, but Caye Caulker is small and plenty of places are just as convenient. This was an extremely disappointing end to an otherwise wonderful trip to Belize.

It was a great location if you're visiting the dive shops, and the property and staff were very responsive. The room had a comfortable bed, clean space, working air conditioning, and a hot shower. They offered free water, and checkout went smoothly even though I was leaving the island at 6:30 a.m. Restaurants farther south were maybe a 6-8 minute walk. It was perfect for what I needed.

The cleaning ladies were friendly and did a great job, the AC was cold, and at least the toilet paper wasn't cheap. Still, I was disappointed by most of my stay at Jan's and wouldn't recommend it. I don't understand the 5-star reviews, because my experience was nowhere near 5-star service. I chose it for my first Caye Caulker vacation after seeing mostly positive reviews, the beach across the street, and a good location. I'd taken day trips from San Pedro, so I knew the island a little. I checked the website's claim about room safes after reviews said there weren't any, and the hotel confirmed there are no safes. They offer ferry or airport pickup and drop-off. When my flight was delayed, I emailed right away because they weren't answering the phone. They assured me they'd still pick me up. At Belize airport, Tropic Air tried several times to call with my arrival time on the island, with no answer. Someone at Caye Caulker airport eventually said no one was available. It was only a $5 taxi, so not a huge deal, but still disappointing. At check-in, the young man handed me a key and said my room was upstairs. I had a 50-pound suitcase and a carry-on, and had to insist he help me carry them up. The door only had a knob lock, with no deadbolt, chain, or peephole. Knowing there was nighttime security helped a little, until I caught the guard asleep on duty three times. One of those times was after I saw another guest buy drugs from a local at the front gate. There was a loud party late one night. I thought it was a group of women who'd just arrived, so I reported it at the desk the next morning along with my other concerns. The young man seemed genuinely surprised. Later I learned it had been his party, and guests in the adjoining room had to bang on the door to get them to quiet down. He was staying there, and the other guests were disappointed too. The beach area across from the hotel wasn't maintained and felt dirty and uninviting. The maintenance guy sat there getting high.

It was my first time traveling solo to Belize and Caye Caulker, and they communicated really well over WhatsApp to arrange my arrival. I felt at home right away and so impressed by how clean the room was and how hard the staff tried to make me comfortable. It was my birthday, and they put out fresh flowers and happy birthday balloons. They even had a basket of sunscreen and bug spray for guests outside reception, something I'd never seen before. Jaime and the others kindly showed me around. The hotel is right by the beach, and I felt very safe. I'd definitely stay here again.