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We were planning a 7 day stay in Placencia at the Soul Shine Spa.

We received a call last night from a friend who told us that he had heard that several guests and the resort had been robbed and that money, passports, luggage, etc. had been taken from the guests.

Can anybody confirm or deny this for us....we don't want to change our plans if this is just a hoax.

Thanks

We just got back from a few days in Placencia. We didn't stay at the Soulshine, but some friends did and they really liked it. I didn't hear anything about robberies etc.

I found this comment on another board about Belize. I have had no personal experience with this place and do not know about the poster's reliability.

We stayed at Roberts Grve in Placencia which was very nice. We decided to go to Soulshine resort and spa "on it's own privates island" for a massage and dinner at their spa. Well, the private island is a piece of land on the lagoon! with no beach. The "spa" is a cement room with a thatch roof, a massage table and two bathtubs (not hydrotherapy). The surroundings were totally disappointing, we decided not to stay for dinner to say the least. BIG FALSE ADVERTISING!!!

I stayed at SoulShine in June and found it very nice. I had heard all the mixed reviews and was frankly expecting much less than what I found. Very nice place, 5 large spacious cabanas with microwave, coffee maker, A/C, guest bathrobes, private porch, etc. True there is no real sandy beach, but there is water and docks all around. Hammocks, kayaks for guest use, beautiful spa/massage studio with many types of treatments, excellent massage therapists (I signed up for a "salt glow" but ended up having a long massage due to a power outage from storms during the night.) They offer yoga & other fitness programs although not much equipment in the "gym." The food was very good (had breakfast & 4 course dinner (homemade seafood ravioli - yum!) Sat on one of the docks one night and watched tons of fish jumping all round so I would guess the fishing is good! I thought it would be really buggy & hot since it's not on the sea side but it wasn't at all. Very breezy and pleasant. I was impressed. Haven't heard of any problems with theft but it might have happened after I was there (if it happened). It is on a small private island so they would have to be some pretty crafty (and seaworthy) theives if it's true.

There has been some very nasty comments about Soulshine on this & other boards - that's part of why I wanted to see it & stay there myself. I think the owners living on site now has made a BIG difference. I recommend it.

Feel free to email me for more info.

~Barb www.barbsbelize.com

Thanks for the response guys

Seems I have two who approve of Soul Shine and one with a bad experience.

We are scheduled to depart in 3 weeks and will continue to monitor this board for any additional input.

We don't have reservations, just planned to drop in as this time of year appears to be wide open so we can change our plans on a moments notice.

Thanks Again

Just remember....our definitions don't always matter.....

Thanks Grace but if I can't get info here where else can I get it other than first hand.

At least this way we are trying to get info.

My shilling's worth:

Since Barbara, who knows Belize hotels very well, had a pretty good experience at Soulshine recently, I'm willing to take another look at it.

I would say, however, that past marketing by Soulshine has been misleading, to say the least, and close to smarmy. It's been positioned as this "private island" resort, when in fact it is just on a chunk of land 30 feet across a channel on the back side of Placencia, across from one of the busiest bars on the peninsula, Sugar Reef (formerly Lagoon Saloon). I think a lot of people would think it's an island in the Caribbean when it's not.

Certainly the feedback we've gotten on it, and what I've seen posted on the Internet, is "mixed" -- at best.

It also was actively for sale for a couple of years -- don't know if that's still the case or not.

In the past, I've felt it would be difficult to give even a lukewarm recommendation to Soulshine given the many excellent alternatives on the peninsula which are on the Caribbean with a beach and with a proven track record of value and service.

--Lan Sluder
Belize books and publications by Lan Sluder:
Belize First Magazine (http://www.belizefirst.com)
Fodor's Belize & Guatemala Guide (new 4th edition coming this summer)
Adapter Kit: Belize (the first and only comprehensive guide to living, retiring, working and investing in Belize -- a best-seller on Amazon.com)
San Pedro Cool (the first and only visitor guide to Ambergris Caye)
Belize First Guide to Mainland Belize
UpClose Central America
Belize Book of Lists

Hey Lan, do you know what's going on with Kitty's Place? I heard it was for sale (maybe has been for awhile), stayed across the road at Craboo Landing when in Placencia in May and loved the flowers/birds/beach at Kitty's.

Regarding Kitty's Place - yep, it's for sale. I'm working with Kitty on that. Since this message board is not for selling real estate, I won't do a marketing pitch, but if you want to buy it, or know somebody who does, please contact me at:
<[email protected]>
As for whether the possible sale affects how you will experience a stay at Kitty's Place, you will still have a great time there. Elena, the new manager is bright and caring, there are active plans for continued upgrading and marketing. Craboo Landing consists of private homes owned by Kitty, Ran and family. They will be available on a continuous basis too. We spent last weekend at Kitty's Place and (as usual) LOVED it.
The beach is wonderful and the food was better than ever.