This is my first trip to Ambergris Caye and I think I've narrowed it down to staying at either the Banana Beach hotel or Aqua Marina Suites, Does anyone have a preference? Where is Aqua Marina Suites located on the island? Is there a good map of the island anywhere? Any information would really help out, THANKS!

Hello Mike,
Well my preference is Banana Beach. It is about 3/4 mile south of town. It has two pools, suites and hotel style rooms, fresh beach towels daily, the beach is very well maintained and the staff is excellent. The just opened a restaurant and martini bar in December and they also have a breezeway bar. All your tours can be booked at the travel shop, on site. There is a local store across the street.
Jackie
jackie@belizeanparadise.com
www.belizeanparadise.com

Hi Mike,

Here I go again...what do you want? That's the key to your question. Both places are Condos and more people. I vote for my pet, a laid back Belizean experience, Paradise Resort Hotel, just across the way from Aqua Marina. Holiday Hotel also gives you more of a feeling of the old Belize, although it is very sports oriented, so if its peace you want, that's not the place. They do have a nice escabeche on Sunday. Yum!

Hi again Mike,

Oops forgot to say. Both Aqua Marina and Paradise Resort Hotel are at the near north. Banyon Bay is not that far out to the south, but it will take more of a walk to get into town. I like the town restaurants. Jambel Jerk has great coconut curry shrimp, Ambergris Delights..great fried fish, Sweet Basil (about 1/2 mile past the Boca Del Rio - heading North)is nice when you get sick of Belizean food (hard to believe, but it does happend. Devinos and Cafe Picasso were nice surprises this year, especially if you are fond of pasta (and meat at Devinos). Do check out Lagniappe, if you like Cajun food. Just reopened, was North, now across from Fido's. Really good gumbo. Yum. Miss it all already!

Banana Beach is a condo. They've been trying to sell apartments for years now without much luck.

hi, i just got back from banana beach. it had very clean "hotel" rooms. big bath. a nice balcony and a table for two to eat at. its at the south end of the island. a golf cart would be very helpful there. it cost me $68.00 a night and was well worth it. the restaurant was good. $5.00
u.s for breakfast more for dinner.

Spent a week at Banana Beach in February, loved it. My girlfriend and I highly recommend it, and she is a travel agent. Infact she just booked some clients there. The staff was imensely helpful, and having the travel shop availablemade for a fantastic vacation. Hope you chose Banana Beach

Tony

Hey bettabelizeit, that was a pretty nasty post, what's your beef with the Banana Beach people? Are you one of those jealous morons who hate it when other people are successful because they work hard and make their customers happy? If you are, bad luck. Judging by the praise Banana Beach gets on this message board you've got a lot of misery coming your way.

Banana Beach has a mixture of suites with kitchenettes and standard hotel rooms. Not all of the rooms face the water, some are courtyard. The beach is held back from the water by a seawall, which is not all that unusual in San Pedro. It has two decent sized swimming pools, though both are courtyard pools.

Aqua Marina Suites, are all suites, all balconey's face the water, though some have much better views than others. Actually, the mainfloor suites don't really have a view. Last time I stayed there, it was under different management and called the Fountain Blue. I found the suites to be quite nice, though there had been some "new building" type problems. I understand most, if not all of these, have been remedied. The pool is quite small but pretty and there is a new bar on the pool deck. However, there is loud music playing night and day. That would drive me crazy.

The beach out front of the Aqua Marina Suites, isn't much wider from the grounds to the water than that of Banana Beach but it is also used as a public walkway, so to my mind, not that great of an area, for sunning buns.

I prefer the location of the Aqua Marina Suites in relation to town, restaurants and activities.

Banana Beach by far!!!!! I would not stay anywhere else. Yes, they have suites, which are my favorite but the regular hotel rooms are very nice also. AFter all, how much time do you really spend in your room and at Bananas the rooms are clean and nice for the time you do spend there. Yes, I've stayed in both. The staff is great, location is nice, grounds are clean and safe and if there is a problem the owner will rectify it with no problems. Yes, they have suites for sale but I definately would not say that makes for more people there. I stayed there the end of May last year and I usually had the beach pretty much to myself. Even over the holidays at Christmas and New Years I would not say it was crowded by any means.
I will be there April 21-May 6th for my 4th time. I spend a good deal of my time in my work staying in hotels so I definately know a decent place with decent staff and I truly don't think you would be disappointed with Banana Beach. Feel free to email me if you have any other questions. Good luck.