Here are some reviews of the hotels, plus some others in the budget range. With Web sites and approx. prices. Keep in mind that at the lower end there could be some safety issues -- not at the guest houses but in the neighborhoods after dark.
--Lan Sluder
www.belizefirst.com >>HHH ++ Colton House, 9 Cork St., Belize City; tel. 501-224-4666; e-mail coltonhse@btl.net ;
www.coltonhouse.com . Alan and Ondina Colton's beautifully kept Colonial house next door to the Great House and across the street from the Radisson, dating from the 1920s, is easily the best guesthouse in Belize. The Coltons now live most of the year in Consejo Shores, Corozal, and have put Colton House up for sale, but their manager, Burga, keeps things going in Belize City. The five rooms and one suite are individually decorated in English country house style, each with an immaculate bathroom and air-conditioning. The downstairs garden room has a fridge, microwave and TV. There are lots of personal touches, such as ice-cold water in a vacuum jug in your room, though no meals are served. Free coffee is available in the mornings and you can enjoy tea on the verandah, where there's often a breeze from the sea. Colton House has an extensive book and video library on Belize and can arrange tours at good rates. No children under 9, and no credit cards. Rates US$65-$75 double year-round.
HHH Grant Residence B&B, 126 Barrack Road (P.O. Box 1639), Belize City; tel. 501-223-0926, fax 223-0885; e-mail gspartner@btl.net ;
www.grantbedandbreakfast.com . With a seafront location near the Princess Hotel & Casino, Grant Residence is another safe, pleasant choice. Owners Ward and PJ Grant - he's a Belizean journalist, and PG is an American-born social worker - will make you feel at home in their "Spanish Colonial" home. Each room has a different theme, eg. Belizean Room, Indian Room and so on. All have sea views, TV, a well-stocked bookshelf and an immaculate private bathroom.; two have a private balcony. Smoking is allowed in the rooms. Air-conditioning is being installed, but the fans and sea breezes keep the place cool. Rates US$80 double year-round, including evening cocktail or beer and continental breakfast, plus 7% tax and 8% service charge.
HHH Coningsby Inn, 76 Regent Street, Belize City; tel. 501-227-1566, fax 227-3276; e-mail: info@coningsbyinn.com ;
www.coninsbyinn.com . Modern rooms in an elegantly restored colonial building in a quiet part of the city, just behind the Southern Foreshore and a block from the historic House of Culture (formerly the British colonial governor's residence) and St. John's Anglican Cathedral. A really comfortable and well-managed hotel, with a genteel, quiet ambience. Highly recommended. There's a good restaurant and bar (for guests only) and the helpful owners can arrange tours.
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H Seaside Guest House, 3 Prince St. (P.O. Box 2060), Belize City; tel. 501-227-8339, fax 227-1689; seasidebelize@btl.net . This clean and secure hotel in a ramshackle clapboard house on the South Side is a bustling meeting place for travelers. No longer operated by the Friends Quaker organization, it is still a friendly spot. One room has four hostel-style dorm beds (around US$10), and there are five small private rooms with shared bath (around US$29 double). And, yep, you can really see the sea from the hotel. Good hot showers, a pay phone, Internet access in the common room, tons of accurate information and a relaxing, orchid-filled garden make the Seaside a good first stop for anyone on a budget. Breakfast (US$1.50 to $5) is available, and there's a beer and wine license. You get a key (actually usually three keys, one for the outside gate, one for the house and one for your room) for access at all times - a rarity in budget hotels. In a change in policy, Seaside now accepts credit cards.
H Downtown Guest House, 5 Eve St., near Queen St.; tel./fax 501-223-2057. With 15 clean rooms, this is perhaps the best value budget place in the city. Opened in 1994 and run by Kenny Tsui, it's friendly and secure. Even the shared bathrooms have reliable hot water. Simple rooms are US$10 double with shared bath. A double with private bath goes for US$20. No credit cards.
+ Freddie's Guest House, 36 Eve St., Belize City; tel. 501-223-3851; e-mail freddies@btl.net . Four clean, secure and peaceful rooms about eight blocks from the Swing Bridge, with rates under US$25. No credit cards.
+ North Front Street Guest House, 124 N. Front St., Belize City; tel. 501-227-7595. This no-frills spot is a favorite with European travelers. New management has improved the whole place. Doubles under US$15. No credit cards.
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HHH ++ Villa Boscardi, 6043 Manatee Dr. (P.O. Box 1501), Belize City; tel./fax 501-223-31691; e-mail boscardi@btl.net ;
www.villaboscardi.com . If you're nervous about staying in beautiful downtown Belize City (you shouldn't be, but many are), this B&B, with four rooms and a small cottage in a residential neighborhood between the city center and the International Airport could be perfect for you. Owners Franco and Francoise Boscardi - he's Italian, she's French - have turned their Buttonwood Bay home into a lovely place to overnight. Rooms are delightfully decorated and air-conditioned, all with private baths and cable TV. Plus, you get breakfast included in the rate, and the Boscardis offer free transport to and from the airports, except on Sunday. They also rent you a car at a good rate, if you need one. Everybody who stays here loves this charming, safe and friendly B&B. Rates US$69 double year-round.
HHH Belize Biltmore Plaza, Mile 3 1/2, Northern Hwy., Belize City; tel. 501-223-2302, fax 223-2301; e-mail biltmore@btl.net ;
www.belizebiltmore.com . New management has turned things around at this two-story motel, about 7 miles from the International Airport and 4 miles from downtown. GM Teresa Parkey, who formerly ran the now closed Fort Street Guesthouse, and her team have upgraded many of the 80 rooms and made much-needed improvements to the pool and grounds. The "deluxe premier" rooms with new carpets and quality mattresses are worth the extra few bucks a night. Biltmore Plaza's restaurant also has improved. The Victorian Room with offerings ranging from Creole stew chicken to New York Strip, is now a popular dining spot. The parking is free and secure. US$85 to $99 a night, plus tax and 10% service, with discounts usually available.
AmbergrisCaye.com 
