Blu Zen Caye Caulker — Hotel in North Caye Caulker

I’ve purposely waited a couple months since our stay to write this review. I needed to see whether I still felt strongly about sharing this experience beyond when emotions were high about how we were treated. But, I think this is an important viewpoint for people considering staying here to hear.||I chose Blu Zen based on their website (“this beachfront resort is the perfect destination for those seeking peace and serenity in the Caribbean”) and a number of equally effusive reviews. Our experience over our Christmas holiday was hardly recognizable in these descriptions. I can offer no explanation for this discrepancy except to say that the management and owners of Blu Zen are selective about which guests are deserving of a good time at their resort. My caution to people thinking about booking here: Maybe it’ll be great and maybe it really won’t be. ||Details: ||1. As soon as we stepped off the ferry at Blu Zen, it was clear that they were expecting a large party whose day and night festivities were to take place right night to the unit to which we had been assigned. Recognizing that this clearly was not going to be “zen”, I asked to move - before we even stepped foot in the unit. Absolutely not, we were told, to do so would “inconvenience someone else” (we were shockingly actually told this - see preference theory above). As expected we were subjected to noise that made any thought of relaxing in our unit an impossibility. As I returned (eventually irate at the lack of any effort on their part) on multiple occasions to management, I was told - with a smirk and laughter from the general manager: “NOTHING CAN BE DONE”. “Something can always be done”. I would respond. When I eventually spoke to the CEO and developer, the developer STORMED OFF when I would not change my tune that we had not been treated well. I thought maybe they were dumb or inexperienced. But when the developer of the units let it slip at the very end of our stay that in fact they did engage in the common practice of the hospitality world of offering an olive branch (a spa service, a free meal) in unfortunate situations, it again became clear that they made a choice to withhold this from me and my family. 2. After going into town for dinner we boarded the ferry with many other guests. Fifteen minutes after the scheduled 9pm departure we were still at the dock. It turned out someone’s luggage had not arrived at Blu Zen and we were being held there until the luggage showed up - whenever that might be. We eventually headed back to the resort (without the luggage which didn’t show up) after multiple people on the ferry complained and the captain (who told us he had been “ordered” not to leave without the luggage) called management and explained that guests were irate. I guess whomever was on that the ferry were also not as important as whomever’s luggage was not available, including the young children who were clearly ready for bed. 3. Despite confirming we wanted our unit cleaned for the day and leaving up the sign requesting this, we returned to our unit after a day long outing to find nobody had shown up. Oversight? Punishment for requesting we be treated cordially? We will never know but this is SUCH a basic expectation at any hotel/resort that we were flabbergasted. Needless to say, we won’t be returning to Blu Zen, although we loved Belize and had an amazing time at Caves Branches (highly...

This experience was absolutely terrible. Please read in completion. We were encouraged by the host at our rental property in the village of Caye Caulker to visit Blue Zen as we were interested in purchasing a property there.. Additionally, the staff at El Ben, another luxury property, encouraged us to visit Blue Zen to gather more information. One morning last week, 3/6/2024 we were graciously welcomed on a boat from the village to take us to Blue Zen. Never were we asked if we were guests or what the purpose of our visit was. Upon our arrival my husband went to the front desk to request a tour. As we waited, we sat in chairs by the pool and enjoyed a swim. My husband ordered drinks from the bar and we were then informed that we could order drinks, food and sit in the lounge chairs but we could not swim in the pools. My husband explained why were were there, that we had been encouraged to come and familiarize ourselves with the facility and that we were waiting for our tour. We went back to the reception area to ask further questions about the property. We were told to scan a QR code for information; this gesture was all that was offered to us. We were then escorted to a property where we were shown a room that had just been vacated; in other words, the room had been used by former guests. We decided then that this was not the resort for us. Complete disinterest in a potential customer and the lack of hospitality was a definite negative for us. We were so taken aback by the idea that it was acceptable to spend money at the resort (prior we had considered lunch by the pool) but yet, one was not allowed to use the pool. To close, yes, I did enter one of three pools one more time before we prepared to leave Blue Zen as it was extremely hot. We were immediately approached by a woman who identified herself as the General Manager and wife of the owner of the resort. My husband wanted to share his dissatisfaction with our experience as we came to Blue Zen as potential owners. She proceeded to argue and attack us, pointing to others at the pool proclaiming loudly, "Owner, owners, owner . . ." and how these folks expected a level of privacy that we were jeopardizing. We shared our experience; we told her that we were encouraged to come to the property, that we were never questioned on the boat ride over about the purpose of our visit and that we were genuinely interested in purchasing. We mistakenly assumed we were guests. At that, the GM said she was certain the signs bon the property indicated 'paying guests', of which we were not. Wow. How insulting. She then said that she was from the United States too, whatever that was supposed to indicate. In any event, don't go to Blue Zen unless you are a paying guest. And don't make the mistake we made and dare use the property in any way. If you are interested in purchasing or renting, think again. This place will...

I am reaching out to find someone in charge of the relationship between the resort and Yoga Beyond the Studio – I find it pretty shocking that a high-end resort like this works with this yoga retreat business who is hopefully misrepresenting your relationship and will not provide proof of purchase or receipts relating to a trip with this resort. I had a disappointing experience with Yoga Beyond the Studio leaving me feeling scammed.

Here are the main issues I encountered:

Lack of transparency: When I requested receipts or documentation for my booking with your resort, the business owner refused to provide them. This made it impossible to verify what services I had actually purchased.

Poor communication: There was confusion about whether this was a business transaction or a personal arrangement among friends. The owner gave contradictory information, which led to misunderstandings about refund policies and communication channels. The business owner kept switching between the two depending on how the conversation was approached (e.g., when making the decision to join the friend trip versus when asking for a refund).

Pricing concerns: Based on my research, the prices charged were significantly higher than market rates for similar accommodations and services in the area. While businesses are entitled to set their own prices, I felt the markup was excessive without a clear explanation of added value. For a trip to Belize, if you book through the hotel directly: Blu Zen Caye Caulker Resort you will save yourself a 60% markup. Using a local class you'll be able to pay $250 for a class of 10 and support a local business, saving yourself $550 for a one person/room (full apartment cost = $375/day + $25 per a day for group yoga.)

Refund issues: When circumstances changed and I requested a refund, proof of purchase, receipt, or a way to transfer the booking to someone else, the owner was uncooperative and unprofessional in their response citing that I was not her customer (even though I have transacted through this business) and that I need to speak through the friend group and not directly to her (even though she said this was not a friend trip), and again, still no receipt or proof of purchase so that I could handle this on my own.

Lack of professionalism: Overall, I found the owner's behavior to be unprofessional, including what I perceived as emotional outbursts when discussing business matters and refusal to provide evidence of booking or a receipt.

I would caution potential customers and businesses to carefully research this Yoga Beyond the Studio prior to transacting or contracting with them. My experience left me feeling scammed, misled, and frustrated. Happy to...