Has anyone been to Roberts Grove Beach Resort

[jrl5549]

I am planning my 1st trip to Belize. A friend of mine likes Roberts Grove Beach Resort, it is expensive and further south. I am a fan of AI and simple.
I have read about more resorts here but not seen any on Roberts.
Splash Dive center gets a lot of good marks.
My other question is if I do not dive Blue hole will I be missing out?

I like coral and fish and relaxing, just being able to say I hit 130' is not on my list.
Thanks

 

[Downing]

I've never stayed at RG, but I've eaten dinner there. Nice place. Kind of sprawling, like it's been added on over the years and has facilities from the beach side across the road to the lagoon side. They have their own in-house dive op, so you probably wouldn't dive with Splash if you stayed there.

If you do stay there or anywhere else in Placencia you probably wouldn't dive the Blue Hole because afaik Splash is the only Placencia op that goes there. And they don't do it unless a sufficient number of divers want to make the trip and then it's an overnight trip, diving up and down the coast on the way there and back.

Here's what you would miss: a long boat ride from anywhere unless you stayed at one of the northern atoll resorts, a unique but short bounce dive where you'll see a big wall and some huge stalactites and probably see a number of sharks including hammerheads, followed by a tour of Half Moon Caye to see the Red Foot Boobies, then another dive in the area, lunch on Half Moon, and another dive in the area and then head home. The BH is one of those dives people either love, hate or fear--I'm in the first camp--but there's universal agreement that the following two dives are among the best Belize has to offer. I look at the BH as just the first dive of a pretty great day. Others look at it as not worth the time, trouble, expense or risk or some of all of the above.

 

[Ralph Capeling]

Splash started out doing the Blue Hole as an overnight trip but now does the Blue Hole as a day dive most of the time. If we have the numbers to do it on an overnight basis, we will do it.
Regards
Ralph

 

[lthomas132]

My wife & I stayed at Roberts Grove several years ago. Nice place but some distance from town - better have some transportation to get around with good shocks, very pot-holed road. Beach is OK, rooms have beautifully finished wood inside with very nice decks. Food is good but expensive. My wife's most memorable experience was in Seine Bight (just down the dirt road from RG) with the Garifuna. She was invited to observe a traditional mourning ritual after a death. She was thrilled. I split a catamaran with 2 couples and we went out for the day for diving and fishing, lots of fun. Forget the Blue Hole; you will be way to far for a day trip there.

 

[Ralph Capeling]

The road is now paved and is now one of the best roads in Belize.
Roberts Grove has added a Belizean restaurant where the tennis courts used to be.
In any event there is lots of accommodation in the village with lots of local restaurants with great food at reasonable prices.
We schedule a Blue Hole trip every 4 or 5 days with the last one being yesterday.
Regards
Ralph

My wife & I stayed at Roberts Grove several years ago. Nice place but some distance from town - better have some transportation to get around with good shocks, very pot-holed road. Beach is OK, rooms have beautifully finished wood inside with very nice decks. Food is good but expensive. My wife's most memorable experience was in Seine Bight (just down the dirt road from RG) with the Garifuna. She was invited to observe a traditional mourning ritual after a death. She was thrilled. I split a catamaran with 2 couples and we went out for the day for diving and fishing, lots of fun. Forget the Blue Hole; you will be way to far for a day trip there.

 

[jrl5549]

Can you stay in Belize city and still dive?
Has anyone heard stayed at this hotel, Ramada Belize City Princess Hotel?

I know a Ramada is way different level of hotel resort than Roberts grove. Southwest airlines is listing a week and flights for 1K$. I have never been to Belize and I know it can be expensive. Roberts Grove is a nice place I am trying to work it all out.
Thank you guys again

 

[Downing]

Not a good option.

Belize City is a rough town and not for the faint of heart. Definitely not your average tourist's cup of tea. Most people never even see it but just fly in and out of the airport on their way to somewhere else, like AC or Placencia or San Ignacio.

I haven't stayed at the Princess, but I've gone in there a couple of times to use the facilities. It has a casino, so it's sort of a cheap, glitzy looking place. The only good thing is that it's right on the water with a marina behind it, which is why I was in the neighborhood. I don't spend the night in Belize City very often, but when I do I stay at The Great House. It's right across the street from the Ft George Radisson, both of which are much better than the Princess and probably cost about the same.

Your diving would be limited, but you could check with Seasports, which afaik is the only dive shop in town.

 

[Damselfish]

Belize City is a place to pass through (preferably quickly) only when needed (the liveaboards leave from there.) Or a cruise stop. It's really not a place to go on vacation. If you're not on a Robert Grove budget there are certainly many less expensive options in the south, or on Ambergris Caye, which make much more sense as a tourist/diver.

Is there a reason you were looking down south other than your friend liked Roberts Grove? That area has it's pros and cons - daytrips to most ruins and other land attractions are easier from there than someplace like Ambergris Caye, but the dive sites are more of a haul.

 

[jrl5549]

My friend has been to Roberts Grove and loves it. I want to go to Belize, I have read here and other places about it and it just seems wonderful. I have dove Cozumel a few times and wanted to go somewhere else. SWA flies form Houston and offered that hotel in Belize city cheep for a week. So I asked you guys and got a resounding NO!. I am thankful. Roberts Grove looks nice just not cheep. I like AI dive resorts so I can dive and relax and not have to think about stuff. I do have not been to Belize, I do not mind not diving Blue Hole, that seemed to be the big difference between what part of the country you stayed in.

 

[Downing]

You might want to consider the resorts on the atoll: Turneffe Island Resort (been there twice and love it), Blackbird Caye Resort and Turneffe Flats. Summer camp for adults. All inclusive with dive ops on site. Expensive but then again the package includes accommodations, food and diving so not that bad when you consider all you have to do is show up and they take care of the rest.