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Best Western
Belize Biltmore Plaza

Reviewed by Zyra who has stayed there for a couple of weeks

In my quest for a tax haven to emigrate to I visited Belize and stayed for two weeks at the Belize Biltmore Plaza. Those helpful folk at STA Travel (UK) booked me in at a distance, but you can also book via Best Western (just use their search box to look for "Belize"). I needed to have a base from which to explore the country and the culture and to see if Belize was the right kind of a place for me to move to. When emigrating as a tax exile, you need to consider many things, not just tax! Anyway, I'll tell you more about that later. In the meantime, I'm going to tell you about the Belize Biltmore Plaza Hotel, as I said I would, and I am true to my word.

The people are very friendly, and the hotel accommodation is comfortable, and the food is spectacular. Even if you have unusual dietary requirements (which I do) something can be arranged, and if you eat huge amounts of food (which I do), no-one really minds. There is a sensibly priced "as much as you can eat" breakfast, which cheers me up as it gives me a chance to refuel in advance of the day ahead.

Sunrise over the constructions the other side of the road is amazing, and there's always someone to talk to at the reception desk nomatter what unearthly time of the night it is.

Business meetings are no problem as you can invite business people into the comfy air-conditioned lobby, or the restaurant, or the bar, and have a financial discussion in a convivial environment which is as private as an office but also sociable and homely.

There's a substantial swimming pool which always seems to be the right temperature. This is a tropical place, so the water is never cold. It's either pleasantly cool versus the heat of the tropical day or pleasantly warm in the cool of the evening. No-one worries if you go swimming with your clothes on, or if you go swimming at night in the underwater lighting (provided it's before 10pm). The water fountains look like fire at night in the right lighting camera exposure conditions (EOS 350D). Every morning before breakfast, a diligent workman cleans the pool and sweeps up all the leaves and almonds that have fallen off the almond trees.

Every Friday there is an event at the poolside bar termed "Happy Hour". Happy Hour starts at 5pm. So, what time do people start to arrive? 4pm? 4:30pm? No, 6pm, and Happy Hour goes on until about 11pm. Every alternate week is best, because of the local financial conditions.

Another thing worth knowing is that when you pay for your accommodation, ten percent of the money goes to the staff. As you can guess, this means that you as a guest are made very welcome. I think this is excellent business management, and I made a point of saying so when I was treated to a drink with the hotel manager, who was also very friendly and welcoming.

When you walk around the meticulously cultivated grounds of the Belize Biltmore Plaza Hotel you see an astonishing range of flora and fauna. Bananas grow on trees, and species that would be "houseplants" in more temperate climates grow to their true potential and are giant. Natural critters that run about are amazing to see, some of them giving the impression that they are miniature versions of creatures from a previous geological era. They are mostly harmless, however. If you can get close enough to take a photo before they escape, that's good!

When you park your car in the hotel car park, try to choose a space with things growing on the trees compatible with your vehicle. I found a huge coconut that had fallen off a tree into a parking space (no vehicle), and so I took it into the hotel, and the kind people at the bar used a machete to open it up so I could drink the natural juice inside. "Experience is Everything" as they say at STA Travel! If you want to go on adventurous tours to ancient sites such as Altun Ha, it's more economical to go in a group.

Although the hotel is officially "in Belize City", you must understand that it's not like London or Paris or New York where "three miles from the centre of the city" is in a built up area with trains every few minutes. You could walk it, along the dusty road, but I think you'll need a taxi, otherwise the tropical heat of the sun will see you in serious need of a drink before you get there!

Booking in advance is cheaper than turning up unexpectedly, so the link to the online booking is next.

To sum it up, the Belize Biltmore Plaza is a hotel where you are made welcome, and I recommend it. Friendly people, good food, and rooms with air conditioning.

If you have been tempted by this, here's the link:

LINK HERE TO GO TO THE PLACE! and then select "find a hotel" and put in country: "BELIZE".

http://www.bestwestern.com affiliate program is with Commission Junction and yes I know the Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza have their own website which is http://www.belizebiltmore.com/ but in the interests of good business I'd like you to go via my my link through Best Western and do a search for "Belize".

If the links and banners on this page work, that's good! Otherwise, here's some help

Note: Recommending a good hotel doesn't imply recommending the country! I've also stayed at the Best Western Stofella Hotel which is quite nice, in Guatemala, but I wouldn't recommend moving to Guatemala!