In Hopkins, I agree with d-jon -- Hamanasi is terrific.
For Mexicana50, in Corozal Town and environs below are some of my picks. However, as correctly noted in another thread, there is no diving around Corozal. People there go to Ambergris Caye or to Mexico for diving.
--Lan Sluder
Belize First
www.belizefirst.com HHH Casablanca by the Sea, Consejo Village (Mail: P.O. Box 212, Corozal Town); tel. 501-501-423-1018; fax 423-1003; e-mail
[email protected] ;
www.cbbythesea.com. If you usually end up needing a vacation from your vacation, consider this little inn at end of the road in Consejo Village, about 7 miles north of Corozal Town on the bay. Corozal Town is a delightful place with not that much to do, and Consejo Village (Consejo is Spanish for advice) is Corozal in slow motion. At Casablanca, owned by Americans John and Beverly Temte and managed by Belizean Ervin Wade, there's almost nothing to do, which at a certain time in one's life is just the thing. There's no pool, so you don't need to feel guilty about not getting in your laps. There's no beach (though local residents swim in the bay), so you don't have to worry about getting the perfect tan. There are no phones in your room, and the TV, the last couple of times we were there, got only a few fuzzy Spanish language channels from Mexico (though Casablanca does promise satellite TV and HBO.) You can just sit under a little palapa on the bay all day long and read, or retire to your room, as you please, and relax on a comfortable bed. At night, watch the twinkling lights of bustling Chetumal, capital of Mexico's Quintana Roo state, across the bay. All the rooms feature saltillo tile floors and custom-made furnishings. The carved mahogany doors, though showing a bit of wear from the sun and salt, are museum-quality. The 10 rooms (the hotel recently expanded), if on the small side, are tastefully furnished and attractive and all have air-conditioning. Some have queen beds, others two twins. Rates around US$60 to $75 double in-season, US$45-$55 June-August.
HHH Tony's Inn & Beach Resort, South End (P.O. Box 12), Corozal Town; tel. 501-422-2055, fax 422-2829; e-mail
[email protected] ;
www.tonysinn.com . For 30 years, Tony's has been a popular stopping place for visitors passing through from Mexico. Of the 24 rooms with private baths, the "Deluxe Plus" digs are the way go to here - they're big, with cable TV, king or two double beds, tile floors and some of the coldest air-conditioning in Belize. The standard rooms aren't A/C. The old "Y Not" beach bar has been replaced by a classy new bar and grill by the bay, though it still has a thatch roof. Tony's has a marina and all the usual hotel amenities. The hotel claims a beach, although it's really more of a patch of ground with imported sand. Rates US$50-70 double in-season, US$10 less rest of year. Tony's, with Hok'ol K'in (below) are two hotels in Corozal that can be heavily booked anytime, in part due to their popularity with mission and tour groups.
HH+ Hok'ol K'in Guesthouse, P.O. Box 145, Corozal Town; tel. 501-422-3329; fax 422-3569; e-mail
[email protected] . Hok'ol K'in (a Yucatec Maya phrase for "coming of the rising sun") is a nine-room motel just across the street from the water. It's run by a former Peace Corps worker/teacher, Marty Conway, and her Belizean partner, Francisco Puck. There's no air-conditioning, but most times you don't miss it thanks to the stiff breeze from the bay. The restaurant serves inexpensive breakfasts, burgers and snacks. Unusual for Belize, one room is wheelchair-accessible. No TVs in rooms, but the guest lounge has TV, VCR and a small library. There are private baths, but used tissue goes in trash cans, not toilets. The hotel offers inexpensive and interesting tours, including one that visits local schools. It enjoys a high occupancy due to business from medical missionaries and other groups and from Europeans. Owners have recently put the hotel on the market (asking US$925,000), but no immediate changes are expected. Rates: US$40 double year-round.
HH + Smuggler's Den, Consejo Village; tel. 501-614-8146; e-mail smugglersdenbelize.tripod.com or
[email protected] . If you want to get away from it all, with nicely done cabaña accommodations near the water, Smuggler's Den in Consejo could be the perfect ticket for you. The bungalows here have stucco walls and a thatch top, with fully equipped kitchens and private baths. There's even a small human-assisted beach, along with a bar and restaurant. We're told the restaurant serves some of the best prime rib in Belize and gets really busy on weekends. Rates around US$40. About 7 miles north of Corozal Town in Consejo-turn left just before you get to the village.
HH International Cozy Corners Guesthouse (aka TJ's), 2nd Street North (P.O. Box 283), Corozal Town; tel. 501-422-0150; e-mail
[email protected] . Formerly just a neighborhood eatery, TJ's Restaurant, the American and Mexican owners here expanded into a small hotel operation with three good-sized guest rooms, each with private bath, air conditioning and tile floors. There is a small swimming pool in front and attractively landscaped gardens in back. The guest floor also has a large commons area. Rates around US$45. The guesthouse has been put on the market.
H+ Hotel Maya, P.O. Box 112, Corozal Town; tel. 501-422-2082; e-mail
[email protected] ;
www.hotelmaya.com . This 20-room concrete hotel across the street from the bay toward the south end of town is definitely not deluxe, but the rooms we've seen are clean, all have private baths and cable TV, some have A/C, and there's a pretty good restaurant, serving Mexican dishes, on site. Rosita May (pronounced "My") runs it. About US$25 double for a basic room with fan, to around $50 for an upgraded room with A/C and TV. It's located across the street from the bay, between Hok'ol K'in and Tony's.
H + Marvirton Guest House & Lounge, # 16, 2nd Street South, Corozal Town, tel. 501-422-3365, e-mail
[email protected] . This budget guest house in downtown Corozal has eight rooms, four with private bath. There's no A/C but rooms have ceiling fans and cable TV. The 1960s vintage house has been charmingly renovated by the Belizean couple who own it, Anthony and Virginia Bradley. They provide what they note is a family atmosphere. A pool, tiny but doubtless big enough to do the job on a hot day, is in a garden area behind the house, next to the restaurant and lounge. Rates are reasonable - US$25 single or double in rooms with shared bath, a little more with private bath.