About Your Stay

What is the difference between Coconut Row and Buttonwood Guest House?

It’s really just your personal preference. Coconut Row is more colorful and right in the center of the village; Buttonwood tends to be a bit more isolated and quiet. Coconut Row has a longer stretch of beach but also more people on the beach, while Buttonwood has a quiet beach and a great rooftop to hang out on. Coconut Row gives a bright and cheery demeanor, while Buttonwood has very luxurious rooms. But really, this is splitting hairs – the beach is great at both places, the rooms are great at both places, the staff works at both places, and the two properties are three blocks apart – about a three minute walk down the street. If you’re still not sure, check out the pictures of both properties and then call or email us; we’ll help you decide!

How do I get to Hopkins?

See our directions page here. If you are flying to Dangriga, we are happy to book your flights free of charge – just let us know your arrival and departure times at Belize International Airport (BZE).

What is your payment policy?

We charge a 50% deposit at the time of booking. The balance of the payment is due 30 days before your arrival. We do offer sales and discounts at times. See our Rates page for details.

What is your cancellation/refund policy?

If a reservation is cancelled 60 days or more before the arrival date, we will refund your money except for the first night’s stay. If it is cancelled 30-59 days before your arrival date, you will be charged 25% of your stay (which is 50% of the deposit you’ve paid). If the cancellation is less than 30 days before your arrival date, we will not be able to issue a refund as we’ve blocked that room from being booked by anyone else. In the event of a no-show or a booking reduction after the arrival date, the full amount of the stay will be charged. For date changes (or shortened stays) made 14-30 days before arrival, there will be a $50 charge. If you are charged but are not able to stay with us, we will gladly give you a two-year credit so that you can visit us in the future!

What if we bring extra guests?

As long as the maximum room occupancy is not exceeded, you are welcome to bring extra guests. The per-person charge for more than two guests is $10 or $15 per night per person, depending on the unit. (Only children under three are exempt.) Please note that sofas may not be used to sleep extra guests, and under no circumstances will we exceed the maximum occupancy per unit. Pets are not allowed.

What about flight delays, inclement weather or other disasters out of our control?

We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance, as we cannot be responsible for shortened stays or cancellations due to flight problems, inclement weather or other problems affecting travel.

What does “nightly A/C” mean?

We include “nightly Air Conditioning” in your room rate, which means that you are welcome to use the A/C at night, free of charge. At Coconut Row, we don’t have any set hour that defines “night” – we just don’t want you turning on the A/C and going out to dinner! At Buttonwood Guest House, the AC’s are on a timer and can be turned on free of charge from 7pm to 7am. For those of you in either property who want A/C all day, you are welcome to it - we simply charge USD $10 per bedroom (which is $20 in two-bedroom apartments) to cover the cost of the electricity - which is about 5 times higher than in the US. But most people are surprised by how little they need A/C in the daytime due to the great breeze and the ceiling fans.

Do you have TV’s, phones or Wi-Fi in the rooms?

All of Buttonwood’s rooms have flat screen TV’s with premium cable, and also phones that work with Magic Jack, allowing you to call for free to the US and Canada. Coconut Row has no TV’s or phones – we want you to relax and enjoy the beach as much as possible! All of our rooms and properties have Wi-Fi for your use and enjoyment.

How late are stores and restaurants open?

Grocery stores open at 8 am and close at 9 pm. Restaurants generally close somewhere between 10 and 11 pm, though it often depends on the number of customers any given night. During the low season, you’ll want to eat by 9 pm most nights.

How are the bugs?

Honestly, the bugs won’t be as bad as you think. We generally enjoy a great sea breeze, which keeps bugs away. If there is no breeze, you might get some mosquitos or sand flies, especially at dusk. But while the bugs are generally mild at our place, be sure to bring some bug spray, socks and long pants in case you go elsewhere. If you’re going out to eat, the sea breeze is usually much less at the street. And if you go hiking in the jungle, it’s best to spray up!

Is the water drinkable?

Yes, the water is totally potable! It’s treated at the water tank in the village, and not one of our thousands of guests has ever had a problem. For those guests that only drink bottled water, we do have a few 5-gallon jugs set around the property for your use, and we provide a bottle of water per person upon check-in. You can always purchase more water at Happy Grocery Store across the street. But you should have no worries about drinking the village water.

How is the swimming/snorkeling from your beach?

The swimming is simply awesome! The water is shallow and sandy, with no currents, rocks, seaweed or drop-offs. You need to walk far out into the water before it gets deep. The water is warm, relaxing and very buoyant due to all the salt! You can’t have better swimming conditions! Unfortunately, the reef is 8-10 miles out, so there really is nothing to see when snorkeling here, save for the occasional sand dollar, minnow or starfish.

Your website says we can get a discount by paying in the US. How does that work?

You can pay us in the US one of two ways. *Important – you MUST let us know the day of the booking that you plan to pay in the US or we will charge your credit card. * The first way to pay is via Google Wallet (which works like Paypal but it’s easier, free and owned by Google.) You can sign up for Google Wallet here: https://www.google.com/wallet/. Our account is coconutrowbelize@gmail.com. We can send you a Google Wallet request for the money to make it easier for you.

The second way is to make a deposit directly into our Bank of America account. The account info is on our rates page. Direct or over the counter deposits are the easiest way, but if you make a wire transfer to our account, please note that there is a USD $15 fee to us (so you will need to send $15 more than your bill) and it’s very possible that your bank will also charge you for making a wire transfer. We’re sorry but we are already giving a discount and cannot be responsible for any fees. The amount that hits our account is the amount that will be credited to your bill.

Darn, you’ve already charged my credit card but I want to pay in the US and get the discount! Can you please refund my card?

We’re sorry, but as soon as we charged your card, the banks and the credit card companies took their cut! We don’t get that money back even if we issue you a refund. So we cannot refund your money to accept a different payment type. If you’ve only paid the deposit via credit card and wish to pay your balance in the US, you may do so (and get the discount on that amount) as long as you do it before we charge your card for the balance, 30 days before your arrival.

Do I need to change my money for Belizean Dollars?

If you have US dollars, you don’t need to change them – anyone will accept US dollars (not coins) at 1 USD for 2 BZD.

What’s the deal with tipping?

There is no standard down here – we suggest you tip if and only if you are happy with the service. The amount is up to you.

How do I get cash there? Is there an ATM?

There is now an ATM in the village. However, please note that it is sometimes out of service or out of money, and there is a BZD $500 daily limit on withdrawals. Many places (though not all) accept credit cards, though many charge a fee for this service. If you run into trouble, let us know and we should be able to help. Of course, any tours or activities you book through us can be paid with credit card.

Are there any needy organizations that we can visit in the village?

Sure! We currently raise money for scholarships for children to go to Holy Family Elementary School (BZD $60/year per child), or Ecumenical High School (BZD $400/year per child for 9th or 10th grade, $1,000/year per child for juniors or seniors.) Many deserving children cannot attend school, especially high school, due to lack of money, so your contribution can make a huge difference! We also accept school supplies for elementary schoolchildren.

Holy Family Catholic Church is also in need of donations. The church is in very poor condition and we are trying to make it suitable as the main church of the village (for a few more years at least). The church is also accepting donations toward the building of a new church, which will better suit the needs of the population. Please feel free to contact us for more information.