Condo #22 @ Beachside Villas

The villa was clean and had the basics for cooking and cleaning. Check-in was easy, and the pool was clean and refreshingly cool. With all the trees by the entrance and along the walkway, the place had a forest-meets-beach feel. There were mosquitoes or sandflies, though.

We were really disappointed. We booked a couple of months ahead, but the room looked nothing like the pictures. We were in number 27, which we called “murder hotel.” The property is for sale, and we could see why when we arrived. It was dark, though that's something we're used to since we've arrived in Belize at night on our last five trips over the past two years. The concierge doesn't live there and wasn't around when we got there. There was no fresh drinking water, and we didn't want to drink the water from the top. The pool was the only thing that looked like the pictures. There were animal droppings beside one side of the bed, and the stairs to our room were so rotten that we worried we'd fall through, even though we're not big people. There was no room service or guest service, and no one else was there, not even other guests. I couldn't give it less than one star because that wasn't an option. Don't book or go here, and don't even talk to the people. We travel to Belize often and have stayed in many kinds of places. We're not snobs, but we expect to get what we paid for, and we definitely didn't.

We spent four days here and did enjoy our stay, especially sitting by the water. The rooms were basic, about what the price suggests, and could use some TLC. A bathroom faucet dripped constantly, and the sound echoed all night. Still, the place was clean, and the local property manager was great and available when we needed anything. Overall, we enjoyed it.

The villas were clean and comfortable, with a small kitchen area that worked well for us. We liked the beachfront and dock, which were great for swimming and relaxing, and the pool was a nice place to cool off after time in the ocean. We rented a golf cart to get to Placencia, though Quarter Deck is a cute, walkable restaurant nearby, and the food was outstanding.