My wife and I used to vacation regularly in Mexico 25 years ago, but recent experiences left us less than satisfied. When planning this trip as a Bachlorette Party for my daughter, she suggested we consider Belize. After a few contacts with diver-friends of mine, it was apparent that this is a great location to visit. The next step was "Where"? We have always liked to try to find the unique places when we travel - big, crowded resorts are not our preference. When we discovered the C.I.L. website, I think we stayed on it for a couple hours. All the accomodations sounded great, the attitude of the owners was welcoming and friendly, and the breakfast option was a clincher. Through several extremely helpful and informative e-mails with Cindy and Renita (C & R), everything was arranged for our party of 8 and we were on our way.
Based on the concept that (almost) all we do in our rooms is sleep, the rooms are "adequate" (read "small" by U.S. standards). My wife and I lucked into the nearby Garden Room at an adjacent property (thanks again, C & R), which is a very nice studio room. The kids got the regular rooms, but we heard no significant complaints. One note to the upper-bunk sleepers - after a pub-crawl-night don't forget to turn off the ceiling fan before you go to bed!!! OUCH!!!
Breakfast is very good. We especially loved Renita's "local" versions, since our eating-out rule is "never order what you can get at home". One exception - the french toast is awsome, and certainly much better than anything at my home. My wife loved the coffee so much, that was the only souvenier she brought home (that's the only thing I don't drink, so you have to take her word for it).
For planning your activities each day, C & R are great for a no-stress way to do anything you want. I don't have any idea if the prices they got for us were the best available, but each experience they set up for us was first-rate. Each one (snorkeling, cave-tubing, zip-lining, sunset booze cruise, biking the north beaches, etc.) was escorted by fun, knowledgeable and professional guides who made the experiences the best ever for our whole group. Every recommendation for food and drink locations in San Pedro were excellent and reasonable. Who would have thought I would eat the best pizza in my life in Ambergris Caye?? When I ran out of cash (my fault, as usual), they were able to make a bank run for a refill and add it to the bill with no fuss. Just tell them what you want to do or what you need the day before, and everything will be arranged by the time you come in from dinner. They worked out several special requests for us with no problems that we were aware of.
This trip was so much like our "good ole' days" travels from years ago - relaxed, non-stop fun without a worry or care for five straight days. The only bad experience was having to leave. If they ever need a handy man and replacement cook, my wife and I would sign up in a heartbeat.
We will definately come back, and all our friends are already sick of hearing about how much fun we had without them.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for:
An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
People with disabilities, Great pool scene
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun, Outdoor / Adventure