Ambergris Sunset Hotel — Hotel in San Pedro Town

With great prices often come compromises. Thankfully, in the case of Sunset Ambergris, they were not dealbreakers for me.

THE GOOD:

First off, Mike and his family are friendly and helpful, and the housekeeping staff - with Crystal at the helm - is fast and efficient. They were fast to fix any issues (and there weren't many)! Everyone was helpful in helping me find the great places to visit on the island. VERY accommodating!!

Their in-house restaurant has a full breakfast and lunch menu and the food is delicious. Mike's wife is chef and his daughter is the head waitress. Try the Belize breakfast and the fresh watermelon juice! And the shrimp curry for lunch is divine! And VERY budget friendly.

The pool is small and clean and a wonderful away to cool down after sunbathing.

Mike has cats! And they greet you when you arrive and hang out with you at the pool! Gotta love a cat lover!

A/C works great (although after a few days, you start to embrace the heat and humidity). Linens and towels changed on request.

Mini-refrigerator is small but really cold. I had an ice pack that froze easily , and the beer and water stayed nice and cold.

Shower works great, water gets nice and hot (although cold often feels better!). No issues with the toilet!

Plenty of parking on the street for your golf-cart (the preferred manner of transpo on the island). The area is safe and lively, steps away from the lagoon and lots of nearby entertainment. Besides the yummy in-house diner, there's restaurant/bar - CALIENTE - directly across the street, serving great island food. Terrific shopping and dining all within walking distance.

Rooftop is a must-do for viewing sunsets (see photos). Also great for a more private sunbathing experience.

NOT SO GOOD (or what I'd do if it were MY hotel):

Mattresses are old and springy. GET RID OF THEM! In 2024, it seems a simple fix and would benefit the comfort level 1000% to consider foam mattresses. I'm always happy when I sleep better. These beds SUCK. But I got used to it. Kind of. :)

Lighting is terrible. Want to read by the bedside at night? Good luck. There is an overhead room light/fan, but not enough to read a real book - or even find your book. In MY hotel, there would be a reading lamp on every nightstand (to be fair, when I asked about the lighting, they found me a lamp, but they should be standard).

There is NO light over the mirror in the bathroom, so it's impossible to shave, or apply your make-up, or see your spiffy outfit before a night out. Not a deal breaker, but just annoying. There is an overhead light, but again, not really bright enough.

Cosmetically, the outside is cute and charming, but the rooms could use a good paintjob, the ceiling in the bathroom is peeling (high humidity causes that) and a nice coat of paint would change the look and vibe greatly.

There is no closet or chest of drawers, just a small bar with hangers jerry-rigged in the bathroom and one small drawer in the nightstand, so "putting away" your clothes may be a challenge. I was traveling solo and my clothes were strewn all over. For two or more traveling (my room sleeps 3), things could get a bit messy. Your suitcase may have to suffice.

There are no real lounge chairs by the pool. Again, another simple and inexpensive fix. Even two or three would be perfect.

All-in-all, my experience was an 8+ out of 10. For the price, and these kinds of accommodations, I would stay there again in a heartbeat. And I would totally recommend it for anyone traveling...

Starting by saying anyone who complains about this place at this price point is being ridiculous, that said, here's my honest review and a couple minor suggestions. i am fanatic about clean, the whole property was clean and maintained well, 5 stars. Yes the rooms are little sparse on amenities, but really all you are doing here is shower and sleep, its clean, safe, quiet, the new split AC worked great, super quiet (be nice if it was turned on the morning of my confirmed arrival, walking into a hot room is uninviting, but it was cold by the time I got back from dinner.), good water pressure and there's hot water if you want it in the tropics i take "cold" showers myself, the room and pool was cleaned daily, the best breakfast around is right here on the property, the location is super, walk to everything, its lagoon side, right by the fishing charter boats, and no seaweed this "side" of the island, many excellent restaurants and grocery stores within 5 minutes walk, but there's complimentary bicycles and that is the best way to get around the island honestly, forego the golf cart but if you do there's a safe place to park it. I had excellent WiFi iny room and around the property st breakfast and the pool. The room had a mini fridge and kept my drinks cold. So the no frills; there's no cooktop, no microwave, no dresser, no hairdryer, no night table (kinda bummed on that one as i like to have a water bottle where I can reach and a place to put my book). The mattress was a bit springy and old but i seemed to sleep fine for 5 nights, and im 60 with a bad back. Like i said, we don't complain at this price point and i have traveled extensively from hostile to Hiltons, i stay here again before the Hilton! The property was extremely peaceful and quiet and relaxing, awesome sunset spot on the roof and a chill little courtyard deck with a little pool and a couple of friendly well mannered kitties. The staff were excellent, friendly and accommodating, the owner is a very interesting and humble fellow if you engage him, over all a charming family run place and i will definitely be...

We entered San Pedro by boat and instantly fell in love with the real Caribbean feel which was fortified when we reached the hotel, it's lovely in every sense of the word. A family business with the owners living on site to offer real locals knowledge, bringing back memories of Spain in the 70's and early 80's. The pool and terrace are the focul point of the beautiful wooden complex which is a great place to meet other guests and share experiences. If you want 5star luxury this is not the ISLAND for you but if you love to chill and enjoy a great base to explore this little piece of the Caribbean or visit the mainland with it's thousands of years of culture and beautiful structures or sail around the many islands off the coast of Belize then this is most definitely the hotel you need to make your home for your vacation in paradise. It even has free bicycles to use and parking for your golf cart if you choose the less energetic method of visiting all the wonders of...