Portofino Beach Resort

Customer ratings & reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

963 reviews

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  Almost Heaven

  Just wanted to drop a line about this place, this was our 1st time in Belize, we were celebrating my wifes birthday for the trip. Our 1st few days were not great it wasnt the resorts fault at all, the wind was blowing so hard, the sargassam had blown in, it looked like a big greenish/brown carpet on the beach and ocean, the guys were working extremly hard to get it picked up but its a losing battle until the wind changes. Then I believe its was Monday evening the power went out, again nothing the resort could do, they do have a generator but it will not support the AC units, just the lights and fans, we opened the windows and Ms. P brought us a stand fan and for us it was perfect, so no complaints. Aaron the GM came by the next day and gave us a bottle of wine for our troubles it was appreciated but not expected or needed. We met Sandra and Jan a few times (the owners) really nice people. Our bartender was Mark another extremly talented person and very nice, Wednesday was my wifes bithday and they setup a table out on the beach and had it decorated up really nice and at the end of the meal they brought her an entire chocalate cake everything was perfect for that evening. Now we make it to the restaurant, Ivan took care of us all week,with Kevin, Oz and Jason filling in thoughout the week, my wife is not a big seafood fan and they made suggestions to sub out the protien for her so all was good. I wish the menu was a bit more expansive but everything was top notch and tasted great, but after a week it did start to get old. The drinks I thought needed more kick, then again maybe that was a good thing, we are not huge drinkers, the 1st part of the week is when we drink a lot and come about Wednesday/Thursday our livers are not having anymore of it, Ivan to the rescue, he suggested Rose tea (a brand, not a flovor) so every morning and evening he would a have a pot boiled up and we drank that, they know how to make a good strong tea. The room, we were in Cabana 4 its a nice little room has everything we needed and was able to sleep quite well, its very quiet on the resort so that was perfect for us. We went to Secret Beach, Mistico to be exact, our cart rental sucked pretty bad but we made do, everytime I would let off the gas, the engine died and then backfired sounded like we were popping off a few rounds it was pretty funny. Wednesday, we got another cart from a different place and it ran perfect, we went into San Pedro, for a little shopping and to eat at Elvi's, parking is a nightmare and the traffic OMG!!! so many carts, Elvi's was awesome, I had Pibil tacos (outstanding) and the wife had chicken and rice both were great. I know I forgot some name of some of the employees for that I'm sorry, every person we met, they beyond friendly and want to make your stay as perfect as possible. We saw Aaron walking around doing GM duties thoughout the day, everbody was busy and always had a smile. We will be back sometime.

  Apr 14, 2025
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  Honest Pros & Cons

  Portofino Resort Review We had a great vacation in Mexico and Belize this past winter. In Belize we stayed on the island of Ambergris Caye in two different resorts. We had been here several times before always staying at Sapphire Beach Resort so we thought we would try a different place for several days and then go to Sapphire the last week. Portofino Beach Resort is a beautiful little boutique resort with a fabulous restaurant and gorgeous pool overlooking the sea. The staff are all amazing and the grounds are a lush tropical paradise. Unfortunately the room we rented, “Lower Mansion, was a disappointment. It was a great size with a kitchen, dining area, living room, large bathroom, nice size bedroom and a large covered deck (the separate rental “Upper Mansion” is above). When you first walk into our unit you see this large great space but it’s very dark with poor lighting in every room (Some light bulbs were burned out). The bedroom had a king size bed but good gosh it was by far the worst bed I have ever slept on in my life. I’m sure the mattress was 50 years old or more. It looked inviting but when you lie down on it the springs are completely broken and worn and the bed is a lumpy bumpy blob. It was impossible to get comfortable because you either roll into a groove or to the edge of the bed. I was so sore at the end of our stay I was ready to try sleeping on the floor. And sweat….i never sweat in bed when I sleep but I sure did here. I have no idea what they tried covering the mattress with but it was not breathable. This was by far our biggest complaint and honestly we’ve travelled extensively and not one other bed we have slept on comes close to how bad this one was. The kitchen was a plus and we try to always rent a place that has one. Mostly just for breakfast as we like to relax in the mornings, enjoy a coffee on the porch and then grab a little breakfast. We therefore need some kind of a fridge. I had called before booking to confirm there was a full size fridge with freezer and fully stocked kitchen. They said yes it is completely stocked but there isn’t a stove or oven only a hot plate with two burners to cook on. That’s fine as we would probably only use it for eggs, oatmeal and to boil water. Once again we were disappointed as there were little or no dishes or utensils. We made Several trips to the bar and restaurant asking for items only to have the cleaning crew remove them every morning. We finally got smart and hid items in the bedroom dresser drawer. Also the fridge ended up only being a mini bar fridge which was also fine but barely worked. We had staff in several times to look at it but we couldn’t use the freezer and the fridge barely kept anything cold. We limited our items to stuff that wouldn’t matter if it wasn’t too cold. They told us that it may need freon but they didnt add any during our stay. I didn’t think freon was used in fridges anymore…. Washing dishes was another creative challenge as there wasn’t a plug for the sink to wash them. There was dish soap but no plug. During one of our trips to the restaurant we asked for a bowl and that bowl was used for doing dishes in, a fruit bowl, popcorn/chips bowl, mixing bowl, salad bowl, and any other thing we needed a bowl for. Air conditioning or the dry setting or fan is a must in Belize or you may literally die. There was an air conditioner in the bedroom which worked perfect and one in the living room area that should have been sufficient to cool the remaining portion of the unit. Now, we don’t like air conditioners on high. In fact we can usually run them low on the dry setting and that’s good for us. Two days into our stay the living room unit started squealing loud and we had to shut it off completely. We had the staff in several times to look at it/repair it but to no avail. They told us they may need to get a new one but they didn’t during our stay. During the day we cranked up the cool air setting on the bedroom unit, kept the bedroom door open and turned on all the ceiling fans to keep the main living area liveable. Overall we really did like the main area of the resort. As stated the restaurant served great food and the staff were fantastic and very accommodating. They even helped my husband and I organize a surprise dinner with friends of ours that live on the island. It was a lot of fun and a perfect location for an evening with great friends. Comfortable and amazing views from either upper or lower levels. The pool is so beautiful and during previous stays we have spent a few hours enjoying lunch and drinks around the pool with friends. It is perfect. The grounds are well kept and the whole place is gorgeous and inviting. I cannot speak for any of the other rooms as we didn’t see them but I did hear from one other couple they had issues with one of the smaller units and had to move to the one above us. If the owners would update the unit(s) I would say the resort is as close to perfection as you can get. If they don’t, the expensive cost per night for the old sweaty lumpy bed is enough to keep me away forever.

  Mar 20, 2025
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  Lovely Beach Resort

  This is a lovely little beachside resort on Ambergris Caye. It tends to be quiet rather than active and noisy, so if you're looking for a lot of "action, you might be happier closer to San Pedro. We stayed in both a poolside cabana and a treehouse, and both were very nice: well-appointed and well kept. The treehouse is much more spacious, with a big private deck with chaise and a hammock. There's a nice pool that tends to be quiet too: on only one of our six days were all of the lounge chairs occupied. On one day a small group of children played in the pool all day. The restaurant occupies a second-story terrace overlooking the beach, and the food there was really good. I think that it's the kind of place that locals might come for a special dinner out. It's open nearly all day, and there are also snacks at the bar, so it's easy to fit meals into your schedule. Many reviews mention the friendly and helpful staff, and there's good reason for that. Everyone was relaxed and helpful. A big plus for the resort is the dive/snorkel company located at the end of their dock. Two young guys, Chris and Emel, have very recently taken over the location, now called Carpe Diem. I think that the resort's website may still list a different company. I can't recommend Carpe Diem highly enough. We went on two snorkeling trips with them, one to Mexico Rocks, and one to Hol Chan, and both trips were amazing. Boat captain Chris and guide Emel work hard to make sure that you see everything there is to see, and that you're comfortable in every way. And now the beach. A drawback for this location--not just this resort--is the sargassum seaweed that floats in to shore and up onto the beach. The resort has people raking it up and carting it away every day, but it's still floating in the water, for about ten feet out. On one day, the wind changed, and al of the sargassum disappeared. But the next day it was back. For this reason, not many people venture into the ocean. You can walk up and down the shoreline, but you won't be walking on a beach with lapping ocean water. Most properties are fronted by a low seawall or else the mats of sargassum, so you'll walk on ground just above the seawalls or the sargassum. In spite of the sargassum, I'd still highly recommend Portofino. It's a lovely, well-kept spot with a nice pool, attractive accommodations, good dining, and super staff. If you really want to go out into the ocean, you can wade past the seaweed. Fun fact: there's a grackle that hangs out in a big tree by the bar who sings and whistles and mimics a car alarm!

  Mar 16, 2025
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  UnBelizeable!

  Portofino Beach Resort is such a wonderful oasis! The grounds are immaculately kept, the staff is super attentive and nice! Food at the restaurant is also amazing! This resort is also super close to Secret Beach! Looking forward to coming back here in the future!

  Mar 04, 2025
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  Lovely beach hotel on the far north side of Ambergris Caye.

  Beautiful hotel property in Ambergris Caye north of San Pedro town. My partner and I spent 4 nights at Portofino Hotel and opted for the all inclusive package since the hotel was so far from the town center. Drinks and food were delicious; the menu was heavy on the seafood which makes sense given the location. Couldn't swim at the beach at the resort due to the seagrass, which is unfortunate. New on-site dive shop Carpe Diem was excellent and convenient. "Seahorse" suite was large and comfortable. Staff was attentive, helpful and non-obtrusive.

  Mar 02, 2025