I've never used Magnum myself, but they are a long-time player in the hotel booking game in Belize. They are probably the biggest booking Belize, as they have relationships with a bunch of hotels there. Magnum's owners at one time also had an ownership interest in Captain Morgan's on North Ambergris. I've never heard that their rates are all that low, though. You can often get very good deals by booking direct on the Internet -- always ask for a discount as it never hurts to ask. You can figure that a company like Magnum gets 20% or so commission from the hotels, so hotels have wiggle room on rates.

--Lan Sluder
www.belizefirst.com

Perhaps I'm the only lodge owner who does this, but I only work with agents who have made the effort to visit and experience what my property offers, and know how to represent it properly to potential guests... it's not for everyone! Because Magnum has not made the effort to do this yet, I cannot accept bookings from them. It's frustrating, but even when one of their clients requests to stay at Ek' Tun, their agents will convince them to stay somewhere else rather than advise they book with me directly. That leads one to the possible conclusion that they could be more interested in making a commission than in making sure their clients have the experience they're looking for.

In most cases, travelers can expect to have a better experience by booking directly with the property or tour operator. You can tell a great deal about a property by the response to your inquiry, and you will always get more relevant information than if you go through a middleman that may not have all the facts. I don't think it's possible that an agent can give you a better deal than you can get by booking directly on your own. Lower bulk rates on air fare may be the exception.