Orchid Bay Resort

Activities & Excursions: Guests consistently praised the organized tours, such as snorkeling trips, visits to nearby Mayan ruins, river cruises, and wildlife spotting excursions. Activities like paddleboarding, kayaking, and biking added to the experience.

We stayed at Orchid Bay for 4 nights in a two-bedroom condo, and unfortunately, the experience was a letdown across the board. From the start, we didn’t receive a welcome email or any kind of information about what the resort had to offer. There was no check-in or follow-up to see how our stay was going, which made the whole experience feel impersonal and disconnected. The condo had several maintenance and cleanliness issues. There were multiple loose and cracked tiles throughout, which was especially concerning as we were traveling with a baby—a clear safety hazard. One of the ceiling lights didn’t work in one of the bedrooms, and tiles were missing in another room, adding to the sense of neglect. The kitchen counter had ants on arrival, and they remained there throughout the stay despite cleaning efforts. Housekeeping was also subpar. Not only were the bathroom towels extremely worn out, but not all of them were replaced during cleaning—some were clearly just re-hung while still dirty. For a place advertising itself as a resort, this kind of oversight is unacceptable. The on-site restaurant was overpriced and mediocre at best, making meals feel like a waste of money. The most alarming issue was the fire alarm. Halfway through the stay, we realized the batteries had been removed. When we called about it, the agent told us that smoke alarms aren’t required in Belize, and that they usually leave them without batteries to avoid the beeping. I explained that we were traveling with a baby and that it’s completely unacceptable not to have a working smoke or carbon monoxide detector, especially given the recent tragedy where three tourists died from carbon monoxide poisoning at another Belizean resort. Only after I pushed the issue did maintenance show up and install batteries—which worked just fine. The location itself is beautiful—we were just steps from the bay, which was the one redeeming quality of the entire stay. But even that couldn’t make up for the ongoing frustrations. Finally, our unit was on the third floor, and when we called for help with luggage during checkout, no one answered the phone. We had to haul everything down ourselves with a baby in tow—again, not what you’d expect from a "resort." In the end, this property felt more like a poorly managed Airbnb than a functioning resort. It lacked hospitality, maintenance, cleanliness, and most importantly, basic safety standards. I can’t recommend Orchid Bay to anyone—especially not families.

The property was beautiful, quiet and peaceful. The casita was very spacious and comfortable. The restaurant had lots of options and a full bar. The location of the resort was such that the water was calm and accessible, even when the water in nearby corozal was very rough and choppy. If you are looking for nightlife, shopping and other activities this isn’t your place but if you want peace and relaxation then I would recommend staying here.