Hopkins Bay Belize a Muy'Ono Resort

Hopkins Bay was a very enjoyable 3-star resort! The location is excellent, the staff attentive, and the accommodations comfortable. However, the concierge for Activities was terrible. Our activity dates and times were changed without notice and with little accountability. And our tour guide for the Mayan ruins made no effort to educate us on Mayan history and culture. Two disappointments of an otherwise great getaway.

My family and I had a horrible experience at Hopkins Bay Resort
after booking one of their villas for a few nights to celebrate my son's birthday this April.

It quickly felt like the resort did not cater to Belizeans. This was even hinted by the head of Security, Denton. They were multiple uncomfortable interactions, especially with the Security team continuously approaching the minors in our group without an adult present, telling them to keep their volumes down while playing a card game indoors, because you can't speak too loudly "when you come to a place like this". And that the villa doors needed to stay close to not disturb anyone. Despite there being no noise complaints, and live karaoke happening at the Rhum Shak. Kevin Sho, Security officer, also went as far as directing them away from using both pools as he "would prefer the tourist to relax on their own". The guests at the pool were actually very friendly and playing music while drinking and socializing with the adults in our group, and had no problem sharing the pool. Mind you, the kids (12-17) were approached before even going to the pool under the presumption they would disturb the tourists if they chose to go to the pool. They again were not making any noises or disturbing anyone.

To make matters worse, despite requesting no housekeeping, staff entered our villa around 2pm while we were at the pool and took down all the decorations we had put up for my son's birthday that morning (balloons, table covering, confetti on the table). They also removed the towels and bath matts from the bathrooms without replacing them. Our personal stuff was thrown around and rearranged, electronics moved to another location, it was only then did we realize housekeeping had entered without our permission after clearly telling them we didnt want any and to have someone bring us a broom instead. It was only after I made a complaint to the front desk on the 2nd night about the treatment our group had been receiving and that housekeeping entered even after I had asked them not to, did someone come by and bring towels. We had still not reveived any apologies at this point even though we had issues getting basic accommodation for all the persons in our group as I was told, I made the reservation through the reservations department and not the Resort directly, so they won't accommodate everyone in the group with towels etc.

Overall the experience felt unwelcoming and targeted, which completely took away from what should have been a special occasion. The resort on its own is very beautiful and the guests staying there are also very friendly people. The staff was our only issue. On our last day, I finally received a disingenuous apology from Denton when going to checkout. "I'm not sure of the incident that took place with the pool but I apologize for the entire Security Department. Its just that we sometimes like to separate the guests to make sure the tourists have a good time". While Kevin stood next to him laughing. After going to turn in the keys, I was then asked by the young lady at the front desk if someone came by to let me know we were given Late Check Out as compensation for the way we were being treated. This was not the case as no one, besides Denton, came by and we were told nothing of the sort. They watched us pack the entire villa getting everything out before 11AM and no one mentioned late check out. At this point we were exhausted from the experience and told them it was fine and left. Without getting the complimentary tokens we were promised, that the other guests had already received. Not that we needed anything from them, but its the principle. We asked why the other guests had received tokens and a grand welcome, while our group did not, we were told it was all finished. Even though we observed the international guests checking in after us, receive them.

Nonetheless, I would NOT recommend if you are a Belizean looking to book for a relaxing experience. You will be treated like you won a free trip and don't deserve the same respect as the other guests.

We enjoyed staying at the resort. The Rhum Shack was great for breakfast to start out our day. Particularly friendly to us was Zamira and Jessica.

Location. Friendly staff. Restaurant. Amenities.

My family and I enjoyed our stay there including my Granddaughter! That was her first time being in Belize. We had an awesome time over there. The staff were so friendly and helpful also everything was beautiful!

The people were very nice and the Rum Shack was a fun atmosphere. We really enjoyed the excursion to Thatch Caye and would stay there over Hopkins Bay if we came back to Hopkins. The sargassum was pretty hard to get past and very strong. The smell was not the fault to the resort because that's nature, but there is a public beach right beside the resort that isn't raked, so the smell was pretty intense and it was completely covered. The food was just okay and the day we arrived, the pool wasn't very clean. I think with a few improvements, we would have had a better experience.

Loved this resort! Nice, clean, relaxing accommodations. The staff is extremely welcoming, helpful, and kind. We had a beachfront room - the view pictured was taken laying in the bed. The restaurant is good, but the resort restaurant next door is better. We ate breakfasts there each morning, but many other meals in town or at the other resort. We went through TripAdvisor (Get to Know Belize) for many of our excursions, but they have an activity desk available and the excursion we did through the resort was also awesome!

Overall we had a good time at Hopkins Bay. There is good and bad about the resort. We had a large party that totaled 17 so we had 4 of the villas in our party. Lets start w/ the good. We had the two bedroom villa and these are very spacious. Two big bedrooms and a good sized living room and full kitchen. The staff was generally friendly and town is definitely different then what we're used too in most major countries but once you get used to it and know where to go its charming and the people are very friendly. For the bad or not great. There are sand fleas everywhere and if you don't cover your ankles in bug spray you will have small bug bites all over. This was true for 17 out of 17 in our group. Save yourself the hassle and if you go just put bug spray or something similar to Vaseline at least on your ankles. The grounds of the resort were ok. Well kept and clean but lots of bugs, most of our trip the beach was covered in sea grass, the side walks etc. were flooded most of the week, the pools were solid but there really wasn't much else to do on the property. The Rhum Shack isn't much of a restaurant. The food and drinks were ok but they really need a real restaurant on property. No hot tubs or anything to do other then sit in the villa if the weather isn't great. We didn't use the beach or go into the ocean on property one time even w/ a large group. The water near the beach was not clear at all. We did take boat tours out to the reef (13 miles out) that left from the dock at the resort and the water was great at the reef but its a 30 to 60 minute trip pending on weather. Overall we had a nice trip but I think we could have done better if we go back to Belize. The rooms were quite and the house keeping staff did a good job. Things were clean but the bedding wasn't overly comfortable and the pillows were not great. We slept ok but not great. The villas are not well maintained physically. You may or may not have pots, pans, spatulas, and the cabinets and tile in some of the villas are outdated or beat up. You have a decent view but you can't keep your doors open even for a minute or your villa will be infested with bugs.

So relaxing and having everything you need there is great it’s like home away from home.

Wow! What an amazing place to celebrate our anniversary. I LOVE that the resort is family friendly and has a chill vibe. We can see ourselves bringing our whole family next time. Andrew was amazing with helping us set up our activities and tips on places to check out. Chavez was our favorite waiter! He knew us by name after first meeting us and so nice! All of the staff were welcoming and kind. 10/10 recommend!!!

Location on the beach

We totally enjoyed visiting our "home away from home". Everyone is always so welcoming! The food is delicious and the staff are awesome! We look forward to returning again.

We arrived in Belize at the central airport and were greeted by a wonderful women who assisted us in our flight to Dangriga. Once in Dangriga we were greeted by a resort driver that not only took us to the resort but shared information and stories about Belize and Hopkins.

From the moment we set foot on property we were greeted with a refreshing drink and excellent service. After a short walk to our gorgeous house for the week (beach views and near the pool) we went to the Rhum Shack for a phenomenal meal. In fact all the meals we had on property were excellent, the service from Shaquille and King (at the Bar), Michelle, Wilber, and others was top notch. Our family of five felt at home and truly special.

The resort grounds are beautiful and well maintained by a diligent staff. The pools and beach area were impeccable (even with the occasionally seaweed). All the staff we encountered from the front desk, adventure desk, spa, restaurant and housekeeping were wonderful. Everyone was helpful and very focused on the guest.

We enjoyed the town of Hopkins, taking multiple bike and golf cart trips. We enjoyed restaurants (Ella's, Driftwood, and Maximo's, NICE Ice Cream to name a few) and shops. We had great experiences with the residents we encountered and felt comfortable moving around the city and beaches.

Aside from exploring town we took day trips to Xunantunich, Snorkeling and Thatch Caye. I would highly recommend participating in one of the many options. Our family really loved the entire day at Thatch Caye and the snorkeling adventure.

Our family typically stays at larger resorts (Mexico, Jamaica, DR, etc) so this was a change. I am so glad we stayed at Hopkins Bay - it exceeded our expectations in every way. If you are used to larger resorts, all you can eat buffets and constant music and activities, this is NOT that. . . . it's a welcome change and we leaned into the relaxed atmosphere. We will be back.

A few side notes - We ate at Ember one evening, it's not part of the resort but practically on the property, service and food were very good. There are bugs, bring spay, by the second day we weren't bothered by them. Try the Spa, my daughters and I all enjoyed a wonderful treatment, from facials to massage to hair braiding, it was worth it. We went to town and purchases snacks and items to make cocktails and mock-tails, it was fun to shop and make some of our own treats. The House was beautiful, it is not modern compared to newer resorts however it is comfortable (beds were wonderful), we had enough space for the 5 of us to relax and the coffee maker and water cooler were nice to have.

Only regret - not remembering all the names of the resort employees, everyone was really helpful and very kind!

Landscaping was gorgeous

The rooms are beautiful, grounds are maintained beautifully, everything is always clean and organized. The food at the rhum shack is amazing...as well as the drinks. Special shout out to bartender Wilbur and waitress Michelle...they made dad's birthday trip extra special!
Day trip to the island was a lot of fun.
I would highly recommend this trip and resort. Thank you all!