We were the last guest to stay at the Salamander Hideway before it closed on May 31st. We had booked our trip over six months ago before the hotel was sold so when we heard that it was closing at the end of May we were really concerned. As well, we saw a few of the last reviews which were not very positive. We arrived in San Pedro Wednesday the 23rd and were greeted by Owen who helped get all our luggage to the boat for the trip to the resort. We were greeted by Hans at the dock and he tooks us to our cabana and gave us a very good overview of all the things that were going on and what we could expect during our stay. Our stay meet our of expecatioins, the food was excellent, the staff very friendly and willing to provide us what ever we asked for. During our stay there we other couples at the Salamander and they too expressed how enjoyable their stay was. We could not have asked for a better time. Hans help set up our diving with Belize Academy of Diving a local dive operation and they too were excellent. Mike, one of the staff was generous with his time and took our son on some local fishing adventures. The beach was raked each morning and the overall grounds at the resort were immaculate
Hans and the entire staff were very helpful and gracious during our stay. We left with great memories of the Salamander and its staff!

We are writing this review having returned to work following a wonderful honeymoon, both wishing we had never left Salamander. Our experience there was perfect, wonderful food, great location, obliging staff and great company.

Firstly we would like to thank the manager Hans. His relaxed 'nothing is a problem' attitude was first evident when American Airlines left us out of synch with our flights in Miami, one brief phonecall later and everything was back on track. From then on he made us feel very welcome, even after I beat him consecutively at backgammon. Ok, not that often but sometimes!

We would also like to thank The Boat Captain Owen for keeping us entertained while he learned to juggle, keep up the good work chap.... and for mixing the perfect lime juice!

The food was plentiful, very tasty and authentic (not a fast food place in sight - hooray!). We were fortunate enough to be treated to a spur-of-the-moment cookery lesson too, that hopefully my wife has remembered!

The Cabanas are simple, unfussy and the no-lock policy is something to treasure, a far cry from the lifestyle we are used to in London. The thatched roofing gives a wonderful sense of character and the little balconys are a great place to sit and watch the clouds (or rather blue sky!) go by.

The reef is only a few minutes paddle away for a great snorkel or if youre more adventurous, the Padi Diving is awesome, Lemon Sharks, Sting-Rays, Eels and a plethora of fish.
Apparently the lagoon (out the back) is well worth a trip too but we never managed to drag ourselves out of the hammocks long enough to see it!

If you are looking for discos and partying then this is not the place for you. Although, we did manage to make a significant dent in Hans's red wine cellar, assisted by various other guests and hopefully now have some new friends dotted around the globe. (Hangover permitting!)

Thanks to all for making our honeymoon such an unforgetable two weeks!
Adam & Louisa

I suppose it all boils down to 1) expectations, and 2) a person's character. In other words, if you expect Salamander to be a resort with every accommodation usually provided in 4 start hotels, and if you have a finicky character...Salamander is not for you. On the other hand, if you expect seclusion, simplicity, and a natural setting, and if your character leans toward appreciation for the most basic things in life, Salamander IS for you.

My husband and I just returned from a week's visit to Salamander and for us the small resort was perfect. The entire vacation, full of rest, snorkeling, kayaking, exploring, and eating, eating, eating, is one my husband and I will not soon forget.

Thanks to Hans, Owen, Mielee, Winfield, Mike, and the two FABULOUS cooks! You all worked so hard to make our vacation run smoothly and we appreciate everthing you did for us!!! A a big hug too to Cato and Sandy. Woof!

I wish Salamander the best of luck in its future, although I hope it doesn't give in to the demands of those Europeans and Americans who want luxury in place of simplicity. For those visitors, let them go to the high rise 4 star resorts, while you remain a special and unique place that respects the land and sea and provides such a wonderful staff. Thanks again for a spectacular vacation!

I had the great fortune of staying at the Salamander Hideaway this May with my boyfriend. We spent four days and nights at this very special resort where we ate wonderful food, snorkeled, biked, walked, photographed, took a lagoon tour, lounged, and ate some more.
It is in a very isolated region of San Pedro - which is part of the reason we chose it. We were hoping for a great place and a great vacation. Our high expectations were surpassed. It was truly a special experience. The host, Hans was personable and funny. The cooks/chefs were surprisingly gourmet. The "man-about-lodge" (Mike) was not only a pest expert, but a knowledgeable naturalist as well. Mielli, who helped Hans run the place, was charming and made a mean (OK, so MANY mean Pina Coladas). It is an eco-lodge, and the staff are clearly cognizant of the meaning of conservation. However, they are also sensitive to the comforts of their guests. We are the can't-go-to-sleep-without-reading types, and when we stumbled into Owen, the boat captain, we requested a stronger lamp to read by and one was provided immediately. In the middle of the night, when we were scared by a UCO (unidentified crawling object) Mike came over with nary a grumble to help us with our "emergency". My boyfriend left a sweat absorbing bandanna at home and Hans gave us one of his own. I am a vegetarian and special meals were fixed for me. I had the best broccoli there I have ever had in my life. As part of the "eco" aspect, there were fewer towels in the rooms then one finds in many hotels. With the heat/sunscreen goo/etc we felt the need to take frequent showers, requested more towels, and were given them immediately.
We got a package, which seemed more then reasonable to me, that included boat pick-up to and from San Pedro, drinks in San Pedro, a beach front cabana, all meals, unlimited fruit plates (I was welcomed into the kitchen to select my own fruits), use of good 21-gear bicycles (I'm a cyclist, and a picky one at that), use of good kayaks, a boat trip out to the reef area, a lagoon tour by Mike and dog Sandy, and probably other perks I'm forgetting to mention.
In short, I thought it was fantastic, with great food, a personable staff, a gorgeous environment and good "extras". As with anything, it is not perfect for everyone:
-It is not "slick", (which is a plus to me, but not everyone) .
-It is remote - if you want to go to San Pedro every night, it is a poor choice.
-The toilets are in the room, not separated by full walls (the first day I kicked my boyfriend out, then, quite frankly, I stopped really caring and so did he). If this is an issue for you, and everything else sounds good, remember, if you kick them out of the cabana they can sit on the porch and gaze at a lovely ocean.
-There may be -(GASP!)- a bug in your room at some time. I live in a 1740 stone farm house, so I'm used to critters, but if this is going to ruin your vacation, don't go here - it's your vacation and you should spend it how you like!
All that said, I want to reiterate - it was a magical vacation for us, and we are grateful to the staff and the lovely British tourists we hobnobbed with while we were there - and, last but not least, lovely Sandy, the dog.