If you want to feel at home, go to Michelo Suites. In your own studio you can cook, sit or ly in the hamoc out on the porch or do your internet thing, without fear that laptop or purse will be stolen with their superior burglar protection. Harbour Place, the residential part of the village where they are, is at 250 yrds from the beach, 300 yrds from the shops and 500 yrds from the bars and restaurants (no nightlife noise). In their coffee shop you can enjoy delicious egg plates, sandwiches, salads and pastries and above all the company of the owners of the place, which allways find time to talk with you. Super clean and bug free, that's rare in Central America.

Everything was excellent , had it been beach front, it would be perfect !

My fiance had flown down from Los Angeles to surprise me on a Christmas vacation with my family and it was an overall wonderful experience. He proposed on a beach, around 1-2 minutes walking distance from hotel. The suites had kitchenetts in them where my mother was able to cook for the family keeping the costs down, thereby allowing us to go snorkeling and other fun activities. I hightly recommend this hotel.

Stayed February 2010 - escaped the Vancouver Olympics and stayed the month and used it as a base to explore Belize.

A well designed unit to stay. Comfortable, clean, secure, and cool - and we did not use the air conditioning. Very nice shower unit. No personal safe though.

It is very easy to maintain and a short walk from the beach or to the stores (Be aware the lack of quality and prices when compared to Mexico). It is a shame there are not similar places in in other parts of Belize or the Yucatán Peninsula.

A suggestion would be to build a 2-storey addition, across the road, on the vacant land beside the church as it would be nice to have units on an upper floor.

Minor distractions:

1. Belizeans are friendly until the get behind the wheel of a car/tax/bus/golf-cart or motorcycle/scooter when they turn into madmen/madwomen. As the Suites are beside the only road; this means there is a fair amount of traffic noise. If this might bother you, ask for the north-east unit (#3?) where our friend stayed.

2. There is an agreement with one of the hotels, up the peninsula, to drop off and pick up guests, once a week, in the parking lot. Be prepared for many rude jerks walking into your suite thinking they have the right to trespass as well as standing on the patio, smoking. Never, ever, leave your hammock hanging on these days or it will be used by these inconsiderate, noisy, jerks. I'd suggest you be away these days - exploring, on the beach, or doing a day's sail to the Cayes.

3. Internet fees. Ask about it in advance as, for work purposes, we paid for a month's use and it turns out it actually is free for anyone.

4. The door does not actually go to the bottom of the floor so bugs will come in at night unless you spray the floor in front of the door and the entry 'step' area outside the door with insecticide.

Suggestions for Belize:

1. If you are planning on exploring the country, ignore what the guide books state and rent a car in Cancún and drive down. ADO is a great bus-line but Belizean busses leave a lot to be desired and as they stop and take all passengers, not matter if there is room or not, bus-rides can be slow, long, tedious, and dusty. Very dusty. Michelo Suites is a great base to explore from.

2. Never travel by bus on Friday, Saturday, Sunday as everyone is going back to their home villages from work or back to work. Always allow an extra 2+ hours for longer travel.

3. If you are Canadian, or near a branch, open an account with the Bank of Nova Scotia (ScotiaBank) as branches are throughout the Caribbean and there is a branch in Placencia. This way you may avoid having to carry wads of cash around with you and just use your ScotiaBank card to access your account plus there is no currency exchange fees and you get the exchange at full bank rate. (Mexico ScotiaBanks now have fully bilingual screens on their ATMs/ABMs)

4. Skype or other such services. The Belizean telephone company, illegally, it seems, blocks these to force you to use their outrageously costly phone services. Your Canadian plan is probably cheaper than anything they offer. Set up a VPN (Virtual Private Network) before you go. You'll save a bundle if you must phone home as you then can use Skype and that ilk. If you are an American, it seems your plans ensure a cheap rate for you to phone back - or so we were told by every American we asked - but Skyping via a VPN is cheaper.

5. For cheap and fresh fruit and things like chicken, make an agreement with one of the Mayan women who, regularly, come to Placencia as you are guaranteed quality, at a cheaper price than at any of the stores, and doing something good for the Mayan family you are buying from. Also buy from the truck as it is cheaper than the stores. The Korean store, towards the end of the road, on the right, is helpful and friendly. He brought in LaLa yoghourt from Mexico for us, at least once, if not twice, a week. It is worth the walk dealing with him.

6. For fluids, ensure you speak to Michel, and ask the name of the store, just past the ScotiaBank branch who will deliver cases of fluids, as long as you order a minimum of 2 cases and it doesn't matter if it is a case of pop, water, or beer. (Tap water is drinkable but if you prefer sparkling water...)

As I wrote earlier, it is a shame Michelo Suites is not replicated in other parts of Belize or the Yucatán Peninsula as it is a very nice place to stay and use as a base of operation. Had there only been such in Xcalak, Quintana Roo, where we stayed at the end of last year.