April wedding - Placencia/ Belize or Playa del Carmen/ Mexico?
 

I am planning a 30 person wedding over Easter weekend at either the Turtle Inn in Placencia, Belize or the Deseo Hotel in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. I know both areas are very different, but here are some of my questions/ concerns:<BR><BR>PLAYA DEL CARMEN:<BR>-Being that it's Spring Break time, does Playa del Carmen get overrun by drunken college kids? Either way, is it super-touristy there at that time of year?<BR>-is it possible to have any privacy for a beach-set wedding ceremony in Playa?<BR>-Anyone have thoughts about the Deseo Hotel &amp; it's lounge?<BR><BR>TURTLE INN/ PLACENCIA<BR>-Has anyone stayed here yet? How are the new facilities?<BR>-would the lack of A/C at the resort pose a problem in April? <BR>-What about sandflies or other bugs on the beach - would they get in the way of a nice beach wedding?<BR><BR>Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

To me, Playa del Carmen is now pretty touristy year-round, but touristy is in the eye of the beholder.<BR><BR>Sandflies on the beach in Placencia shouldn't be a problem unless your wedding is at dusk, when sometimes the bugs are a bit pesky. Hard to say abou the A/C -- depends on what you and your guests are used to. It can be hot and humid in April, but the prevailing breezes from the sea keep it fairly comfortable. I've only seen Turtle Inn while it was under construction, but it looks nice. <BR><BR>One thought: You might look also at Ambergris Caye. It's sorta mid-way between Playa and Placencia, more developed than Placencia but in most areas less so than Playa.<BR><BR>--Lan Sluder

Lan,<BR>Thanks for the tips... we were planning on a dusk wedding, mostly because we want to drink into the night (although we are far from big partiers). I did look at Ambergris Caye, but mostly picked the Turtle Inn because we like the decor there (same is true for the Deseo in Playa). Do you have any suggestions on similarly styled lodging in Ambergris?

I've been to Belize only once, a few years ago, for 2 weeks. We didn't have A/C anywhere and I thought I was going to die - it was incredibly hot and there didn't seem to be any breeze. (This was in both Placencia and Ambergris.) It would have been February or March timeframe - maybe it was unseasonably hot - but it was too hot for me. We often go to Mexico and usually don't have A/C and I'm usually ok with that.

Ian Shrager? Gimme a break! This is Belize, not Biarritz. Frankly, I think neither Playa nor Belize is even remotely what you're looking for. Even Turtle Inn is far from Studio 54, W and all that. Maybe you should look at, say, St. Barths, or somewhere like that.<BR><BR>--Lan Sluder

The island of Anguilla, too, has some very hip hotels.<BR><BR>--Lan Sluder

I have to admit that reading descriptions of the Deseo makes it sound like it is out there. It's hard to believe it's in Playa, home of timeshares and Senor Frog's.<BR><BR>--Lan Sluder

Lan,<BR><BR>Didn't mean to offend with the Schrager comment - I posted that elsewhere and meant that as a reference point, not a singular option (perhaps I worded the Q wrong, but don't think I deserve the attack and the assumption that I'm looking for a St. Barths thing). Obviously, if I am looking at Belize and Costa Rica, I am not expecting the stark minimalism of a W Hotel or crazy nightlife. I am looking for a nice, adventurous location, and a hotel with simple decor for a wedding ceremony (i.e. nothing ostentatious and nothing backpacker-y). Again, I didn't mean to offend.

I have never been to Belize, but spent 2 weeks in the rivera Maya last December. I loved Play Del Carmen, but it us touristy. But I noticed it attracts more Couples and Older tourists, not a bunch of drunk spring break teens (yes I was there is December, but I can tell you that PDC is not ideal for spring breakers when Cancun is nearby ,they go to Cancun). I love Playa, it is a charming town, but yes it is quite commercial and probaly not really the best setting for a wedding. Let me tell you what I would reccomend ...... and this is only if money isn't much of an issue. Check the hotel LA Maroma. It is quite pricey, but breathtaking, romantic, secluded( but not too secluded) and probably the best setting for your wedding. And of course, many great hotels nearby where your wedding guests can stay as well .

No offense taken. Or intended. My point is just that these are not the areas for that kind of hotel. Well, maybe the Deseo, from its description, is. <BR><BR>There are a number of very beautiful, and expensive, lodges and beach resorts in Belize, but none is like an Ian Shrager kind of place. Mata Chica is hip in an over-the-top California way ... the villas at Blancaneaux are incredible with 20-foot thatch ceilings and Japanese baths, but hardly minimalist ... Cayo Espanto is outrageously expensive, the kind of place where you have your own butler, but basically it's just a few private villas on a tiny island.<BR><BR>--Lan Sluder

I was just at Turtle Inn. All the trees were blown away Iris, and there is little vegetation there now. I'm sure the sand flies will be a problem. They were horrible when we were there and I was told they are worse in the dry season.

Perhaps I can make a few sugestions. If you want Placencia but require ac (which I appreciate in April), take a look at Inn at Roberts Grove. Another new lodge on the beach that is backgrounded by jungle is a place called Kanuntik, very remote and new enough that I haven't spoken to anyone who has stayed there, but have been hearing some good things. Perhaps your best bet would be Victoria House on Ambergris-would probably suit a larger group with different needs.

Katie,<BR><BR>Yes, you have spoken to someone who stayed at Kanintik -- me! Personally, for amenities, beach and value I'd choose Robert's Grove.<BR><BR>--Lan Sluder