Turtle Inn - Major Bug Problem
 

For anyone thinking about staying at the Turtle Inn, you may want to know that the bugs were so terrible that my girlfriend and I moved hotels. We stayed there in March, and as beautiful as the hotel and room were, we were eaten alive two nights in a row. If you have a bugspray fetish, its quite romantic, but otherwise I would absolutely not stay there. We were also not the only ones we heard about with this problem. <BR><BR>Even with bugspray on and a lit mosquito coil, we both got eaten alive - we were told they are sand fleas that live in the roofs of the huts. <BR><BR>I will admit to being very upset by them because we moved hotels after the second night, and they are not refunding our money for the three additional nights that we did not stay there. We moved to the Roberts Grove Inn, which while not as luxurious, was more than adequate and had a far superior beach and A/C (and was $85 less per night). The Turtle Inn beach had muck for an ocean bottom and garbage on the beach). I would recommend staying at Roberts Grove and going to the Turtle Inn for dinner (fantastic food at Turtle, not so good at Roberts). I'm sorry to tell anyone this who already has a reservation, but I also wouldn't want you to have the bug problems we did if you can avoid them.<BR><BR>Its a gorgeous place with one of the most beautiful rooms I've ever seen, but I would see its beauty via dinner and sleep somewhere else.<BR><BR>Adam

Ugh. Sand flies can ruin any vacation. They don't seem to respond to the usual mosquito deterrents, do they? I guess we're lucky they are not as ubiquitous as mosquitoes.

Just to perhaps give this a little perspective (I've been going to Placencia for a dozen years and have written or co-written a half dozen books on Belize), I would add:<BR><BR>* Sandfleas can be very bad, or not a problem at all, along the coast of Belize and on some cayes. It depends in part on the time of year (they are usually worst in winter) but the times and degree are unpredictable. I have heard from a number of people who have stayed at Turtle Inn since it opened, and while there have been some problems with construction and other matters, bugs have not been mentioned much -- but as noted sandflea infestations are unpredictable, sometimes bad, sometimes not at all.<BR><BR>* Some people are more affected by them than others.<BR><BR>* An oil-based lotion such as baby oil and, sometimes, bug spray with DEET, do work for many people.<BR><BR>* Robert's Grove has a variety of accommodations, from fairly simple rooms to very upscale and beautiful one and two bedroom deluxe suites. At Belize First, we rate Robert's Grove as five stars, the highest rating for any beach resort on the mainland.<BR><BR>* The worst sandflea problem I've ever experienced was not in Belize but on the coast of Georgia and South Carolina.<BR><BR>--Lan Sluder<BR><BR>

As a follow up, the Turtle Inn has refunded our money and in addition gave us a three night complimentary stay (not sure we'll use it, but it was a nice gesture). Once the issue was brought to the general manager of the resort's attention, she resolved it quickly and well.

Glad your problem was resolved. I stayed at Turtle Inn in July and thought it was fantastic, one of the best in the country (of course I've only stayed in about a hundred hotels in Belize). There is also a new manager at Turtle Inn.

--Lan Sluder