This is a great message board and i'm so glad i found it! My fiance and I are planning a trip to Ambergris Caye in late Feb and i haven't booked our rooms yet because i'm so confused as to where to stay. We don't want to spend more than $100/night and would like to spend less if possible. We want to stay somewhere for a couple of days then look around and see if we find somewhere cheaper that is suitable. We heard that it is so cheap but that's not what i'm finding. Most places want you to pay the full amount 30 days before you arrive!! What if we hate it and want to go to another hotel?? We can't! i thought i'd go ahead and prepay for like 3-4 nights (we're planning on getting married while we're there - nothing fancy, just us on the beach with a minister) where we are getting married - then move to another place if we want to so we aren't locked in. We are staying 8 or 11 nights - haven't finalized that part either. Anyone with suggestions?? I have some info from Mata Rocks that looks cool for the wedding/4 nights and also Caribbean Villas. We'll pay more for the first few nights since it's the wedding/honeymoon but the last week, we'll downgrade accomodations as long as it's clean. Can we still go to the beach if our hotel isn't oceanfront? Will the other properties let you cross onto the beach? Do they have public beach accesses like they do in the states?

in my opinion, the best moderately priced hotel is corona del mar....woody and helen are excellent hosts....click on lodging and check out their site....happy travels....kerry

GOING ON OUR 4TH TRIP TO BELIZE AND CAN'T REMEMBER EVER PAYING FOR FULL STAY IN ADVANCE-LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST TIME WE EVEN GAVE AN ADVANCE AND THAT WAS IN PLACENCIA-THIS YEAR WE BOOKED AT SPINDRIFT ON SP AND THEY ARE TAKING ONE DAY ADVANCE 30 DAYS PRIOR TO ARRIVAL- WE PLAN TO STAY 5 DAYS BUT CERTAINLY CAN LEAVE AFTER DAY ONE IF WE CHOOSE- BUT WON'T!!! THEY HAVE A GREAT BAR AND RESTURANT AVAILBLE. YOU MAY WANT TO CHECK IT OUT FOR LESS THAN $100

Try Paradise Resort Hotel at [email protected]. It has no pool, nor a beach. It has a huge yard and comfortable accommodations. We'll be there in February, too. I think it is the second hotel built on the caye. Its mostly thatched. I like the top floor of 5 and 6. Very private, great staff, nice little restaurant. I really recommend it. Congratulations on your marriage!

Conchshell, Hotel del Rio,....look into the smaller places! Unless you need a pool, restaurant...go to the list of hotels on this board, that's how I found Hotel del Rio and Boca del Rio when I first started going to San Pedro. And that is where I live now, in Boca del Rio!

Do they have public beach access there? if we stay at a hotel with no beach, can we just walk to the beach with no problem?

Yes you can. You can walk down the beach for almost ever or up!

Lilly's, Conch Shell & Rubies are all clean & inexpensive. They don't look so great in the ad's, but my experiences have been that they are clean and all are right on the beach, maybe 30 paces away is all. Congrats & enjoy!