Turtle Inn

I’ve never written a review before, but I feel obligated to warn people. My stay at Turtle Inn had severe, life altering consequences for my health. The sand flies and insects were everywhere on surfaces, in the air, impossible to avoid. I left with dozens of bites, and shortly after returning home, my health collapsed. I went from being a healthy, high achieving student to someone who could no longer attend school or continue normal life. I now live with chronic issues and daily pain that began right after this trip. I wish someone had warned me. The insect situation here was far worse than anything I expected, and the impact on my life has been devastating.

UPDATE: After reading the manager Martin’s response to my review, I am correcting several blatantly false statements he made. • My husband and I asked twice to review the security footage. Both times we were told the cameras were broken. It is alarming that Martin now claims he “reviewed the footage” in his response. • The abusive guest never apologized to me. Not once. He screamed at me and threatened me the first morning, and again that evening at dinner. Martin was nowhere to be found for two full days. • When Martin finally came to my villa, he assured me I would not have to see this man again. That same night, the man was directly next to us at the bar. • I am 125 pounds, wearing a neck and back brace, recovering from surgery. The idea that I approached anyone “aggressively” is not only false — it is insulting. The fact that a manager at an upscale resort would respond to a female guest’s safety concerns with lies, deflection, and victim blaming is deeply troubling. This will be escalated through the appropriate channels. Single women —STAY AWAY FROM THIS RESORT AT ALL COSTS. I wanted to give this resort one star — but that didn’t feel fair to the frontline staff who were kind throughout our stay. The issue here is management. Martin, the manager, has failed as a leader, failed to protect guests, and failed to train his team on even the most basic safety protocols. During breakfast our first morning, a man sat down near us and began a loud Zoom call, disturbing the entire restaurant. My husband stepped away to take his own business call politely. After fifteen minutes of enduring the noise, I calmly approached the man and asked him to please keep it down. He immediately exploded. He got up, came to my table, leaned into my face, pointed at me, and repeatedly screamed that I was a “f'ing pig,” “disgusting,” and demanded I “go get my f'ing husband so he could fight him.” He left, came back, crouched down in my face again, and continued the verbal assault. No staff member intervened. Mind you, I am 125 pounds wearing a neck and back brace. Not one employee stepped in to protect me or de escalate the situation. Three male servers just stood there. Other guests later approached me to say they were horrified by his behavior and shocked that staff did nothing. Management was completely absent. I immediately asked for the manager, Martin. I was told he was “in a meeting” and would come speak with me afterward. He did not come speak to me or my husband for TWO days. During that time, we asked twice to review the restaurant’s security footage of the incident. Both times we were told the cameras were “broken.” For a resort of this caliber, that explanation was deeply concerning. That evening, the same man and his family confronted us again at dinner. He began screaming once more, in front of his wife and daughters, who were visibly distressed. Again, no staff intervened. I spent the night in my bungalow unable to sleep, listening for every sound, genuinely afraid this man might come near our room. I felt unsafe for the majority of our stay. When Martin finally came to our bungalow two days later, he assured me I would not have to encounter this man again and profusely apologized, saying he failed me. Martin's promise lasted five hours. That night, the same man was right next to us in the restaurant. When I confronted Martin about this — after he had personally promised I would not have to see this man again — his response was: “What do you want me to do? It’s his wife’s birthday.” This was not guest service. This was avoidance, dismissal, and a complete lack of responsibility. For three out of our five days, I felt unsafe, unprotected, and dismissed. No staff intervention. No accountability. No meaningful action from management. A resort at this price point — or any price point — should never allow a guest to be verbally attacked, threatened, and harassed without stepping in. And management should certainly not minimize or excuse it. Bottom Line Turtle Inn may be beautiful, but it is not safe, and the management is unprepared or unwilling to protect guests during serious incidents. I would never return, and I strongly caution other travelers — especially women — to reconsider staying here. Response from Martin K, General Manager at Turtle Inn Responded 2 days ago I will allow for all the read between the lines here . - you were never in danger and I am sorry you feel this way. I reviewed the footage and your approach towards another guests was extremely aggressive and uncalled for - he was on a conference call - agreed - he was talking loud in the wrong spot. He had no self awareness and friendlier approach would have made all the difference. When he tried to apologize the next day you would not hear it and it caused escalation . They then totally decided to ignore you which was the right thing to do - you decided not too. My staff is not used to feuds in between guests and we did our best to suit both sides. We have since changed our policy and common areas are off limits for personal calls. Again- we are truly sorry you feel this way and trust you recovered from your procedure 110% - Respectfully, Martin

Had an incredible first stay at Turtle Inn and would highly recommend. I was a solo (female) traveler and felt safe and well taken care of during my stay. The facilities are great, with nice touches like complimentary insect repelling lotion in the room, nightly turn down service with treats, fresh flowers when you arrive. Great fresh food is offered at all of the restaurants on site, and there is a really thoughtful curation of items in the gift shop. All of the staff are friendly and attentive from organizing transport from Belize City airport through to your itinerary of activities, to pool-side and room service. It is easy to spend the day on the beach or by one of the pools, but the activities were a real highlight. I did the sunset lagoon cruise, outer reef snorkeling, on-site bird tour, and yoga. The guides are all extremely knowledgeable, friendly and take good care of you - especially on the boats/out at sea. I was lucky enough to see some incredible wildlife thanks to their efforts (yoga on the pier next to a couple of playing manatees and snorkeling with a loggerhead turtle), thanks especially to Kareem, Eric, Mark. The spa is also worth a visit, in a beautiful setting, with well trained and very friendly staff. As is the tea house in the organic garden, run by the talented Ian Flowers. The allspice and ginger iced tea is a must try. I was already planning my return trip on the way home. Can't wait to visit again.

There is something for everyone at this resort with multiple top notch dining venues, range of facilities and lots of excursions. The resort is small enough that the service is personal and friendly. I especially loved the flowers in the birdbaths which were refreshed daily outside our cottage-just one example of the many details they attend to.

The Good: Let’s start with the absolute positives. The arrival is fantastic. The staff greets you with a delicious welcome drink, efficiently breezes you through the formalities, and promptly escorts you to your cottage with a thorough and friendly orientation. The cottage itself is incredibly spacious, and to their credit, the entire property is exceptionally well-maintained. The Rustic Reality: The vibe here is heavily "barefoot chic" with a strong dash of Bali. However, "chic" occasionally gives way to just plain "rustic." The biggest shock? No AC. While that might sound romantic and eco-friendly, the reality is that the tropical humidity makes charging a laptop or iPad a daily struggle against constant moisture error messages. Add to that some torn fly screens and large architectural gaps above the doors and windows, and you quickly realize you'll never be fully mosquito-free. For the premium room rate, you expect a bit more luxury and a little less jungle survival. The Great Lounger Shortage: I hope you like staying inside your cottage, because there are no private terraces. If you actually want to sit outside, your only option is to head to one of the two pools—where you'll immediately face a serious lack of chairs for the number of guests. Thinking of retreating to the beach? Think again. The beach loungers are strictly VIP and reserved exclusively for the beachfront villas. The Breakfast Bait-and-Switch: Here is a crucial pro-tip: a Continental breakfast is included in your stay, but it’s a fiercely guarded secret. Sit down, and they will immediately shove an à la carte menu into your hands where a simple coffee is $11 and dishes start at $17. After accidentally racking up a $52 breakfast bill on my first morning, I explicitly demanded the Continental the next day. Once you actually ask for it, it is genuinely extensive and excellent. Just be prepared to advocate for yourself. The Vibe & The Missing GM: If you're looking for an authentic, laid-back Caribbean atmosphere, you might be slightly disappointed. The clientele is almost exclusively from the US, which heavily dictates the overall vibe of the place. Finally, a special shoutout to the Dutch General Manager: despite currently being the only Dutch guest at the resort, I haven't seen hide nor hair of the man. A simple "hallo" would have been a nice touch of hospitality, but he remains a complete phantom. The Verdict: Turtle Inn is a beautiful, deeply relaxing property with wonderful staff, but bring deep pockets, plenty of mosquito repellent, and sharp elbows to secure a pool chair.