Turtle Island Resort

Turtle Island Resort promises stunning views and decent food, but my recent stay was overshadowed by persistent operational failures and disappointing customer service.

Despite the picturesque setting, including breathtaking sunsets and well-prepared dishes like the fish sandwich and coconut shrimp, the experience was marred by numerous issues. The most egregious were the frequent disruptions to water supply, with faucets and showers routinely shutting off for extended periods, often mid-use. Additionally, the restaurant's chronic food shortages led to a complete lack of options for a full 24-hour period and painfully slow service, with orders taking over an hour to arrive.

Moreover, the resort suffered from frequent power outages, resulting in disruptions to essential amenities such as lighting, air conditioning, and Wi-Fi. The inconsistent water temperature and occasional saltwater intrusion in the showers only added to the frustration.

Minor inconveniences, such as room mix-ups, unreliable taxis, uncomfortable lounge chairs, and inadequate Wi-Fi, further detracted from the experience.

To make matters worse, despite repeated attempts to engage with management regarding a partial refund to address these issues, they’ve ignored my inquiries for over a month. Their lack of responsiveness and failure to acknowledge these problems demonstrate a disregard for customer satisfaction and a lack of accountability.

Proceed with caution…

The resort was beautiful. We did though have issues with being assigned the incorrect room & waking up twice to no running water.

To be honest the best thing about this hotel is the staff! It is isolated with the only way in to town being a scheduled boat ride. The food at the restaurant while good is unbelievably expensive and they did not have alot of supplies. For most of our two weeks there was hardly any other guests. The property had alot of maintenance issues and were closing down for renovations. Alot of the staff was being laid off while we were there and on the last night we stayed it was only the 2 of us and I think 2 security guards, so it did not feel safe at all! Also there was no cook and no ability to get any food at all unless we went in to town. On one boat ride back to he resort the boat had mechanical issues and an 8 minute ride took half an hour. When we brought our concerns to the manager she did not seem concerned and only wanted to stress how much money it was going to cost the resort to complete the renovations. In fact the only time that she admitted to being the manager was when we decided to leave early... even though we had numerous interactions with her and asked her what her role was at this hotel. Due to the safety concerns we decided to leave early I have tried to reach out to our concierge but have received no response. This resort although expensive is not as advertised and I feel that we received 2 star services for 5 star prices! I would not go back and would not recommend this hotel to anyone .

This property has so much potential. Beautiful setting, lovely villas and staff that tries very hard to please guests despite many property and property management issues. We stayed in villa 4 and upon our arrival the pool was not filled but they noted they would fill, however did not share due to the pool treatment used we could not use until the next day. We had issues with setting the safe and the management noted someone would come to reset however no one showed we had to remind them to send someone day 2. Day 1 we had the power go out several times while cooking (was not out for long periods but needed to restart the cooking several times) Morning of day 2 the guest bedroom flooded due to some toilet issue which the staff promptly cleaned up and then went to get a new part (assuming this required a trip to San Pedro) before the toilet was operational again. Day 3 we were without water for several hours in the morning. Overall the water was rather salty - not a complaint as we understood we were staying on an island but in talking to other guests who had stayed there in the past they noted this was unusual. Again this property has so much potential but it does not appear the management knows how to maintain a property like this. For example tiles missing from the pool, seemed a very easy upkeep and repair issue, cushions on the outdoor seating did not match one appeared to be a replacement cushion similar in color but a smaller size, dishwasher not working..

We love turtle island. Unfortunately, the owners are not maintaining essential things like water & water filtration. The staff is lovely and do their very best to accommodate the guest.

Beautiful views and setting.

Terribly mismanaged property.
First of all, the very first night we got there electricity kept going out and continued to go out through our stay. We couldn’t enjoy the restaurant or the bar in the complete darkness aside from one lamp and a few dim electric candles. Secondly, they had no rice and beans or tequila, which is amazing for a Caribbean resort. and We then proceeded to get our room and we were placed right next to a trash dump with an old, disgusting looking boat blocking our view. Our master bedroom had no privacy as the sliding door doesn’t go all the way up to the ceiling and the mattresses were extremely uncomfortable and loud. Worst of all, the pool was murky and had dirt and debris in it. They just stuck a hose in there and then poured so many chemicals. All we could smell was chlorine, our eyes were burning. Furthermore, the tap-water and all the faucets in the shower was just saltwater from the lagoon. When we complained about it and asked to be moved, they said they cant move us even though there’s only three other people staying at the resort at the time with 8 empty units.

After much arguing they offered to move us to a Lagoon unit, which is much smaller, but at least gave us some privacy and a view of the bay. However, when we came back from a day trip, they told us that the pools at our unit weren’t cleaned and we shouldn’t be using them which they told us of right before we got in. Another Shock! The AC in one of the bedrooms wasn’t working, and the

The property has a potential to be a great resort. Quiet, beautiful areas, the rooms are very nice.
The only problem is the restaurant not being prepared to serve well. We couldn’t get a breakfast one day and lunch and dinner was very limited. We had to buy our water to drink.

I had an absolutely amazing time there. At night when I was ready to be away from the noise of the city, I could retreat to turtle island and be at peace. The staff was amazing. The boat captain made many trips so although there’s scheduled times for transportation, I ended up getting a ride from the island at very convenient times. It’s only a 5-6 min ride each way from San Pedro to turtle island (I timed it). You can get the golf cart through a partnered company and they will even pick you up. It was worth it for sure and the kid loved the private pool.

This resort is so unique as its on a seperate island. If you like that island feel and boat to and from san pedro.

You will love it here. The staff was great and communicative. Even when some hot water problem occurred. Glad it was hot ! The view is great ! The food was EXCELLENT ! The drinks were great !! The room was comfortable and clean. You are not disturbed and can relax.

The resort is on a private island, it's beautiful, the staff was friendly, the food was good. The chef I forgot her name, made me an authentic Belize breakfast (fry jack) which was delicious!! I stayed in the beach house with the private pool, it was absolutely wonderful!

A boat is needed on and off the island, they only have 1 (boat) at this time and a set schedule that is flexible, I didn't experience any issues with that. I was even able to make it to my 5am excursion in Belize City, thanks to the wonder team.

We came here for an afternoon while staying at a nearby resort. WOW! The views are breathtaking! We didn't explore the resort to much further than the restaurant, pool and lagoon areas - but what we did we did see was gorgeous.

The food was excellent, we each had something different and all enjoyed our meal very much. The staff was friendly and attentive.

While I cannot speak to staying at the resort, we had an excellent experience during our day trip!

We traveled here to celebrate by husband’s birthday and the staff truly wanted to make it special. The room was clean, quiet, comfortable. The staff will bring anything you need to your villa and are incredibly kind and accommodating. The sunrises, sunsets, and the moon views are unmatched. You can lie in bed and see the amazing views. This is a quiet, off the main path, reflective spot. A very special place. I cried a little when I left.

If you want peace and quiet, this is the place. Beautiful villa. Excellent food and drinks. The service was amazing. All of the staff were friendly and accommodating. We really only saw fellow travelers on the resort boat going to and from San Pedro (by choice).
The shuttle boat to and from the resort to San Pedro was over booked at peak times, sometimes having to make two or three trips to provide service to all of the guests which meant having to wait at the dock. The Captains handled this with much grace and professionalism. Perhaps a second boat chartered for these peak times would have eased my frustration and placed less fatigue on the Captain, especially when the weather was not pleasant at the water was rough.
Julie, Joe, Ernesto, Matao, and all of the other friendly smiles that make this place run; thank you, you are amazing!

Introverts Paradise! If you want to be in the bustle of things, don't stay here. If you want privacy, quiet, and personal service by name; this place is beautiful. Exceptional service, excellent food and drinks. Clean and quiet.
The shuttle boat to/from San Pedro was consistently overbooked after dinner hour causing me delay and frustration. It is the only area of needed improvement that I experienced.
Thank you!

This place is isolated so if getting away is what you want this is the place. Little to do otherwise on this man made real estate. Rooms were comfortable with nice view. Staff was very accommodating.

HONEST REVIEW!!!
please read this before you stay here!

I will start off by saying that the thing that saved this review is the hospitality that Joe, Darrell, Jervis, and Hellenica showed us.

⁃ the instructions were unclear from the beginning
⁃ turtle island resort is on a private island off of San Pedro. You must take the provided water taxi in order to get in and out to do any activity that isn’t just your room, pool, or kayak. the boat picks u up at the pier in San Pedro. There is nothing but a small sign on the edge of the dock that says that is where the boat will pick u up. The resort labels it as “storm dock” but the locals don’t know it as that. The best way not to get lost is to look for “level up barcade”.
⁃ the water taxi schedule is very spaced out at certain times of the the day. the boat does not run every hour. we were told conflicting things: one if u want to schedule a time outside of the provide schedule that it would be 70 usd, two you can text the front desk WhatsApp number and they can accommodate without extra cost, and three the boat schedule is just a guide and unless u text there will be no water taxi available.
⁃ the welcome text states that there is free room service. Not true. At the end of your stay u will be charge a “service charge” for everything they do. For our 6 night stay this came up to $118 usd. This was not explained at the beginning of the stay
⁃ Julie, who was our main point of contact, was very inconsistent, rude, and condescending. I honestly don’t understand how she works in the hospitality business
⁃ the room is bare with the “essentials” but u will need to ask for hair dryer, iron, etc.
⁃ the kitchen had dishes, utensils, pots, and mugs. No cups, on dishwashing soap. Water cooler was broken on our fridge but they were nice enough to bring us a new portable one.
⁃ The shower water temp is like warm at best and there is little to no shower pressure
⁃ Throughout the night there’s one security guard that walks around with a huge flash light. Shines it into your room at 3AM, woke us up from a deep sleep.
⁃ The pool towels were often not replaced
⁃ The pool shower did not work
⁃ Several broken planks on the wall way, be very careful
⁃ WiFi, turns off at a certain time at night without warning and is shotty in the morning
⁃ The food from the restaurant is pretty good and the chef will make special orders for you which is nice
⁃ there are kayaks and life vest and a nice view to kayak around the property

First, let me apologize for the length of this review. In preparation for my own trip I read many other reviews and became a little confused by the different perspectives and experiences. I even considered cancelling my reservation after reading a couple of the negative ones. Although I don’t write reviews often, I felt compelled to provide my own perspectives.

Short version: I am VERY happy I didn’t cancel my reservation and I would certainly stay here again. Turtle Island is beautiful! Now for the longer version (if interested)…

Our stay was from February 7-13, 2024. We are two medical professionals who travel extensively and both of whom have lived overseas. As with any medical publication we’ll start with a “conflict of interest” statement – we are getting nothing for providing this review, we have no “agenda”.

LOCATION:
Turtle Island is just that – an island. It’s about 6 minutes away from San Pedro by boat. You exit San Pedro at “Storm Dock” (aka “Level Up Dock”). If you check a map of San Pedro, the dock is just off Tarpon Street on the west side of San Pedro. From my perspective this puts you near the center of what I consider the “tourist zone”, (which is about 3-4 streets wide and 1.5 miles long). You are essentially no more than a mile away from anything. Most places are a 5-10 minute walk from the dock.

Why is this important?
When making my choice of where I wanted to stay, I did consider hotels that were not on an island. I considered places on a beach, but all beaches are public which means less security and less privacy. I considered choosing a “private compound” where I would have rented a golf cart and dealt with that additional expense, parking, and worry about DUI (if I had too much fun) as well as damage/insurance. I could have stayed right in town and dealt with the noise. OR I could choose an island which provided increased security, less headaches than renting a golf cart, peace and quiet, a private plunge pool, etc. I was VERY happy with my choice.

BTW: I was even happier after witnessing the headaches the golf cart people experienced with one-way roads, one lane roads used for two-way traffic, long lines of carts backed up, lack of parking, etc.

FERRY/SHUTTLE:
I remember reading a negative review regarding the ferry including safety concerns. OMG, I have such a different perspective! I LOVED the ferry and the captain(s).

The resort offers a complimentary ferry that runs throughout the day from 0615 to 10:30pm. At busier times (mornings) it’s hourly, the longest period without is one is a single 3-hour block from 2-5 pm, and the evenings runs are every 2-hours. The boat is pristine and VERY safe. The ride is beautiful and over very calm waters (you’re over a reef and the break is miles away). We timed many of our trips to include sunset – which is just beautiful from the ferry/shuttle. I felt I should be paying them just for the beautiful ride. They always look after your safety. During daylight hours you use the “Welcome Dock” on the east side of the resort but if it’s dark you use the “Adventure Dock” next to the restaurant/pool since it has better lighting.

One reviewer mentioned late running shuttles. Occasionally we did notice the same and were unfortunately the cause of this once. The delay was never “bad”, maybe 5-10 minutes – think “island time”. In general, you use WhatsApp to let them know you’re taking a ferry at time “x” (not required but a courtesy). I did mess up once and told them we’d take the 5:15 shuttle into San Pedro but then changed our plans and decided to watch sunset from the restaurant/bar without notifying them. They held the shuttle for 5 minutes then called and texted to check our plans. So, I guess the occasional 5-10 minute delay issues depends on your perspective. I do feel horrible for the people we inconvenienced, (and they may have viewed it as poor service from the shuttle) – but from our perspective they went out of their way to provide excellent service. It was our mistake not their's.

I did book two private trips and we also did the “Secret Island” charter. The private charters cost a fraction of what a cart rental would have been for a day (or a cab ride in the US). These included a trip to Amigos del Mar for a Blue Hole dive. We had to be there before the 0615 shuttle. The captain took us straight to their dock. The other was to the airport (since we had a very early departure) and we received excellent service then as well. I never had any concerns regarding getting someplace on-time.

The same boat offers transportation (for a fee) to “Secret Beach” and back. Worth every penny! We enjoyed a beautiful ride along the coast while those enduring the golf cart experience (for those staying in San Pedro hotels) had a hour-plus ride on bumpy/dusty roads to get there. Again… we were very happy with our choice. 5 Stars

THE RESORT:
Better than the pictures! This place is absolutely beautiful!

“Suites”: There are 8 “suites” that are well designed. Each building is long and thin. They have king sized beds on each end with a kitchen in the middle. Your bedroom has a safe which you program upon arrival. Four of the buildings have plunge pools (recommended). Their set-up gives many options including: bedroom only, bedroom/kitchen, bedroom plunge pool, bedroom/kitchen/plunge pool (recommended), two-bedroom/kitchen and two-bedroom/kitchen with two plunge pools. For the bedrooms you can decide upon “sunrise” side which overlooks the water/lights of San Pedro (recommended) or ‘sunset” side that overlooks “Lucy’s Lagoon”. We had excellent privacy and it was very quiet.

“Villas”: Sorry I don’t know about these.

The community areas (restaurant, bar, infinity pool, lagoon, welcome center, dock, etc.) are beautiful. The restaurant/bar offers incredible sunset views.

RESTAURANT/BAR:
We ate at someplace different every night because we love to explore, but I imagine you could be happy eating every meal here. We certainly enjoyed our dinner here. 4-5 Stars

SPA:
While I went for some scuba diving my better half enjoyed the spa. She described it as very professional.

CONCIERGE/TOURS:
Just let them know what you’d like to do and they’ll take care of everything and bill it to the room. I had some experiences that I booked myself and some I booked through the resort. The main advantages of booking with the resort is dedicated transportation to your activity. The resort keeps a golf cart at Storm Dock and they will not only ferry you over but will give you a ride to wherever you need to go (even if only 2 blocks). They also offered pick-up service after the tour although we never took advantage of that. After our adventure we just did some shopping then rode the normal ferry/shuttle back. 5 Stars

STAFF:
Just outstanding! I wish I could remember everybody’s name (like they could ours). Kaira, Ernesto, Janice (cook) were all great. I’ll provide a special shout out to Julie. Everybody did everything possible to make sure our stay was excellent. Since the staff also use the ferry to go back and forth you do have the opportunity to get to know them. 5 Stars

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE PLACES:
Blue Water Grill is almost directly across from Storm Dock (on the east side of San Pedro) and was excellent. We also enjoyed the Patio which is 2 blocks away walking towards the east side. Both had live music when we went. Don’t miss Neri’s Tacos which is essentially ½ block away from Storm Dock (great food/incredible prices). All three places are 5-8 minute walks from the dock.

BOTTOM LINE:
I/we HIGHLY recommend this resort. It’s probably best for couples looking for peace, quiet, and the increased security of an island. It’s best for people who’d rather walk 5-15 minutes to a restaurant/shop rather than drive/park a golf cart. The resort is absolutely beautiful. The ferry/shuttle is a huge plus (far better than the golf cart option)and the staff is excellent.

We are medical professionals, travel extensively, and are receiving no compensation for this review.

Bullet points: BEAUTIFUL property! Incredible staff! Great food. The shuttle is VERY, VERY safe. 5 star bed/bedding. Powerful/quiet AC. Kitchen is okay but could be a little better stocked. Plunge pools are worth it. Concierge services are excellent. SPA was excellent. CLEAN/PRISTINE.

No power outages during our one week stay Feb 2024.

I wrote a LONG review but Hotels.com allows only 1500 characters. I'll send my review to the property and you can ask them for "Brian's review".

Bottom Line: You have an option of booking resorts in town (loud), beach resorts (beaches are public and these hotels have less privacy) or a locked compound where you have to deal with the expense of a golf cart (not to mention horrible traffic, parking, worry about DUI, collisions, etc).

Or you can choose Turtle Island which is private, safe, incredibly beautiful, quiet and the complimentary shuttle gives you easy transportation into central San Pedro where everything is within a 15 minute walk. A place where the staff treat you like family.

I would stay here again without hesitation.

I honestly don't understand the negative reviews. There is no place in the San Pedro area that I'd recommend higher.

The shuttle/ferry is pristine and the rides back and forth to San Pedro are not an inconvenience but beautiful, especially at sunset.

Pictures do not do this property justice.

The price of the food is ridiculous. Great staff but will not ever go back due to price. They also could do more with property.