Portofino Beach Resort

Lovely, Old School Resort with Outstanding Staff We just got back from a great week at Portofino. The sunny days were great, as sunny days in Belize always are, and the rainy days were amazing. We are an older couple who enjoyed all night dance parties at Burning Man for some years - so we come to Belize to just chill. Portofino is a wonderful spot for chilling. The grounds are beautifully maintained, and the view of the reef from the bed is practically as good as the view from the deck. The food at the restaurant is consistently good. There are some alternatives within walking distance if you'd like a change of scene, but there's no need to rent a golf cart or arrange a trip to town unless you've never been to San Pedro before. We brought snacks from home and got a few bottles of wine at BZE before getting on the plane to San Pedro, so we had cozy evenings to ourselves in the Royal Orchid Suite. I was disappointed that the beach in front of the hotel is not suitable for swimming. The water is super shallow and the sand is more like mud, so it's hard to maintain your footing. Fortunately, the pool is wonderful. Sit on the steps between the shallow and the deep end for a perfect view of the water. Even better, the dive shop on the dock can get you into Mexico Rock in just a few minutes. With good guides and a reasonable price, we did four Mexico Rocks trips in our six days. Every one was different, but the one after a stormy day was the best. The rain passed earlier that morning which stirred things up a bit. We saw more activity under the water than we'd seen on sunny days earlier in the week - even a 6 foot moray eel swimming from one rock to another, and four dolphins fishing for their lunch. When it was raining, I sat on our large deck watching the birds while the rivulets dripped from the thatched roof. The neighbors have an osprey nest, and the osprey spent a lot of time in the shallows while long legged birds wading near the dock. The humming bird who visits the orange blossoms in the tree by the deck was there too. The view of the reef from the bed was practically as good as the view from the deck. Bring your bug spray - and consider the kind you spray on your clothes. I got a couple of bites on around my ankles, but I was surprised that these super mosquitos can bite your booty through your PJs. Those itchy spots were almost like a souvenir when we got home, though. The staff here were exemplary. The front desk crew was attentive and remembered our day to day needs. We thought we might need to get to a cash machine (for more tip money), and one of the reps called us on WhatsApp the next day to ask if we still wanted a ride. We had found more cash in our suitcase and didn't need to go, but I was very impressed she remembered and went out of her way to make sure we had what we needed. Same with the waiters in the restaurant. By the second morning, they remembered I like a lot of milk with my coffee - and even though the waiters changed throughout the week, every single one remembered to bring the larger little pitcher. With such outstanding service, and people from other resorts or rentals coming to Portofino for dinner, there seemed to be little reason to eat anywhere else. The housekeeping staff knew when we were out, so we'd come back to a beautifully cleaned room, and when the toilet clogged, they fixed it in an instant. Mr. Moe, who took us back and forth to the airport, was also remarkable. Although some of the potholes in the road were unavoidable, he's an expert golf cart driver. The friendly honks and waves to other drivers and folks along the road let you know you are staying at a place that is a longstanding part of the San Pedro community.

Amazing Getaway This resort was such a nice getaway and escape. My partner and I stayed for a week to celebrate my birthday and our anniversary. The staff went out of their way to make me feel special and celebrated! Some tips to keep in mind - highly recommend renting a golf cart during your stay so you have the freedom to drive around the island; they're pretty affordable and easy to rent, there's plenty of golf cart companies on the island. The beach by the resort has a lot of seaweed so you wont be able to swim in it, but it wasn't an issue for us since Secret Beach is a pretty quick drive from the resort. The pool on the resort is also beautiful, especially at night if you like night swimming. Bugs don't seem to be an issue overall for the resort, but we saw one or two in our room, but as soon as we told the staff, they took care of it and we didn't see anymore for the rest of our stay! When it comes to the food on the resort, absolutely delicious! Every single meal was a 10/10! This place became like a second home, especially with how kind and communicative the staff were. :)

Family trip -no kids We just got back from Portofino last night we were a family of 7 with 5 rooms. We loved the resort as it was an intimate setting. You get a continental breakfast for free and can pay the $8 up charge for a meal which I thought was pretty cool. The service and hospitality was great everyone greets you with a smile… please tip the staff they go above and beyond. The rooms are cozy and a nice size the bathroom is need of some fixture upgrades (faucet handles). Housekeeping comes everyday and as you sit on your porch in your hammock the breeze of air on your skin is unforgettable. We did have a few a/c power outages but it was not for long. This resort is 30-40 minutes away from secret beach and San Pedro town so rent a golf cart and get prepared for a bumpy ride as there are a lot of potential holes. Oh you can also have your meals delivered and there are water distilleries by the bar and you can get ice so please bring your travel cup. Right on the property is a dive shop and Roberto is awesome. There isn’t any entertainment or activities so you can walk along the beach to neighboring resorts we missed the live music and we didn’t want to do drive in golf cart. Overall I recommend this boutique hotel for relaxation and reconnecting as well as family trips. We are considering renting the entire resort in the future. Thanks to everyone at Portofino Beach Resort for making my family trip memorable memorable

BEWARE of pricing on tours We loved the resort except for the piles and piles of seaweed that arrived on the beach every morning - obviously, out of their control and they did try to clean it but it was impossible to keep up. The staff was great, the food was wonderful and we loved our room too. All was good with the resort, but BEWARE of pricing on any tours through Roberto and Action Divers Belize who is right there at the dock. Roberto definitely took advantage of us when we booked the Caye Caulker/Hol Chan/Manatee/Tarpon Feeding day tour. It was just my husband and myself and the guide - no one else signed up. Although we loved the tour, we found out the next day when we checked our credit card account that Roberto charged us an extra $250 for a "private tour"!! We were not told ahead of time and we definitely did not request a private tour. We tried to get some type of refund, but Roberto would not even consider it. Because of that, I would NOT recommend booking any tours through Action Divers Belize and Roberto.

Very nice, quaint and natural spot. Wonderful staff. If you're looking for a charming, relaxing spot off the beaten path with exceptional snorkeling, this is your place. My family of 3 (one child under 12) booked as part of a sea/jungle package and had an amazing time. The hotel arranged for us to be picked up at the airport (we took a little plane to get there from the main airport) and the ride was 30 min on a golf cart. While the ride was hot, dry and on the "back side" of the hotels near the swampy waters, once we got to Portofino, it was like a little slice of paradise. The snorkeling excursion was incredible and our guide, Chocolate, fantastic. We swam with sharks, a manatee and the range of fish (size and color) was astounding. The water was a bit choppy because of the wind but we still enjoyed it immensely. The meals and drinks at the hotel are great and accommodations nice. Especially as it isn't easy to get the materials and ingredient at the level they are here, locally. With a lot of "modern" hotels popping up closer to down town, my family really appreciated the natural style of Portofino. Also, I didn't think we'd need the air condition, but was very glad we had it as it does get quite hot / humid. Saltwater pool was nice to help with the heat as the beach water is warm and not necessarily great for swimming due to sea grass. Evenings are charming with lights strung up and cool breezes. There's a giant jenga and corn hole game which we found fun to do before dinner. Staff was very kind and professional. I need to give a special and grateful shout out to the security guard; and to Lorraine the manager who helped us in the middle of the night with a health issue. She went above and beyond and is truly an amazing person. I wish we could have found a way to thank you more.