Orchid Bay Resort

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.

Nice resort Great beach area and nice pool. Cabana was in pretty good shape but needed a little work. Microwave was dead. Restaurant service was slow, but food was decent. Food prices were reasonable, but major shock when we were billed $25 BZD each for a glass of fresh juice (was not on the menu) - more than our breakfast.

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.

Staff superb! Loved the laid back atmosphere. Very safe !

First, the pros of this resort. The casita I was in was clean and large, the bed was comfortable, the A/C ran cold and there was plenty of hot water. The restaurant/bar was nice, nothing fancy, but it was clean, the food was good and the service was super friendly and helpful. The bar is almost comical in that you'll see the same locals sitting in pretty much the same spot every night. The staff was top-notch. Everyone was patient, helpful, and accommodating. If there was anything you needed or a trip you were interested in, they would do their best to make you happy. The pool is small but clean and nice. The beach is also small, but the water is warm and you can walk out pretty far. Now the cons. It's remote and I can't stress this enough...it is REMOTE. This place is about 20 minutes from Mexico, which means you are in north Belize. Now on the face of it, this doesn't sound like a big deal, but it affects the entire experience, at least for us it did. No matter where you want to go, either by car or boat, you are looking at easily 2 hours of travel time each way...sometimes more. This means that you are sort of limited in the places you can get to. We did a Mayan ruin trip and a snorkel trip, both were fun, but the travel time was a killer. If we had stayed more central in the country I think there would've been more day trips available to us, without the full-day time commitment. While the bar and restaurant are nice, and the food is "good", there isn't anywhere else you can go, so by day 5 you've eaten pretty much everything you want to eat on the menu, but there aren't any other restaurants or bar options. We ventured to Corrozale (sp?) and found a decent restaurant, but there wasn't anything there that made the trip into town worth it. No stores, no shops, no nothing. Now I realize for some people being remote is exactly what they want. If so, this place is for you. But, if you want to walk around, check out the local vibe, and try some different food, this place probably isn't for you. Finally, the beach isn't the type of beach I was expecting and this may be a Belize thing, I don't know. A good chunk of the beach is pebbles and crushed shells. Yes, there is a sandy area of the beach, but it's not the floury sand you find in Costa Rica. Also, the beach chairs and chaises are looking pretty tired, they could use a refresh (on a positive note you do get bar service down on the beach.) The people, the rooms, and the food are all really good, but I don't know if they are good enough for me to return.

Great staff. Good food. Overall a fun place to visit. It seems like a Florida development that didn't take off. If you stay at the casitas (Walked the semi built lots adjacent & was a bit sad), it'll be great for a couple days. Ours was bigger than expected, but a couple dead lights & loose shower tiles get noticed after the first day. Highly recommend for two days, but not much more (and not sure about the all inclusive despite only the one restaurant) Really a great & so so place. Kayaking was great. People were great. Room was great. Limited beach & activity: not so great.