The exchange below was part of another seemingly controversial thread, and looked like getting submerged. I think it might be useful for anyone contemplating coming here (though to be honest most of it applies to travelling anywhere). Original poster was "Downing":-
I wonder if charging for a hotel room in advance, rather than holding it with a credit card number, has become the norm in Belize.
In preparation for our upcoming trip this July, last month I reserved three nights at The Great House in Belize City, which we'll use as a home base while we do some activities on the mainland before heading off to Turneffe Island Resort. I gave them my credit card info to hold the room.
Much to my surprise, the hotel bill showed up on my last credit card statement. I called The Great House and confirmed that I now have a zero balance with them; in other words, I paid in advance without intending to do so. I don't remember this being the case when we stayed there for one night two years ago.
Although advance payment isn't standard practice here in the US, I actually prefer to get as many expenses out of the way before making the trip so this isn't necessarily a bad thing. But I'm not going to be happy if TGH goes under between now and when we arrive.
And just to make sure there are no misunderstandings when we arrive, I plan to bring my credit card statement with me to show proof of payment.
My response:-
I'm not an hotelier nor have I ever been, but I do understand that once an hotel has assigned a room to someone, thereby making it unavailable for other potential guests, they will want to be certain that they do actually get paid. That isn't just here - I found the same when I booked an hotel in Manhattan last year. I think that in today's straitened times when most hotels find it impossible to fill all their rooms they should think of relaxing this policy, in such a way as to protect both establishment and customer.
If I were visiting Belize and staying in an hotel, I think I'd do three things:-
(1) ask the hotel, and agent if you used one, what their cancellation policies were and ensure I could accept them. First of all, whether I believed them. It's often not difficult to get an idea of the credibility and honesty of an organisation from sources such as this. Beware that Trip Advisor, although widely used by honest people, is subject to manipulation by people with their own ulterior motives. Never believe a single isolated post, however good or bad it may be. If you're thinking of booking with several disparate organisations, eg. an hotel, a dive shop, an inland tour company, a car/golf cart rental company, and you have some doubts, don't be afraid to ask one company what they think of another. Verbally (by phone) preferably, so they know that you can't "cut and paste" back to the other business. And listen carefully to what is said and what isn't. It's rather like getting a reference on a prospective employee - often it's what's not said that is the most significant.
(2) take out good quality travel insurance that would cover not just the hotel going bust but also (say) the airline going bust (or a fresh volcano erupting) preventing me from even getting there. This insurance should also cover all aspects of hurricane incidence, so I would be financially protected in the event of my holiday perhaps starting but ending in a highly disorganised shambles. I said "good quality" insurance as many cheap policies, the sort you buy from a desk at the airport as you're flying out, are worth to you the time and effort you put into choosing them. Do research on policies as they vary enormously in what is in the small print. Policies based on your house insurance can often be the best deal and give the best protection.
Ensure that your insurance covers all expenditure including your very first payments - this may mean taking it out before you pay a cent towards your holiday.
Check how and when the insurer will pay you. Some will proactively help you during your holiday, a godsend if for example you're hit by a hurricane or the economic fallout from one. An extreme example, chartering their own aircraft and flying it into a storm-hit area to evacuate their customers (that hasn't happened here but has in places like India). These policies are certainly worth paying more for.
(3) make sure you have money, credit cards etc to cover necessary short-term expenditure. Remember that in some circumstances ATM machines may not function, so always have adequate cash. Traveller's cheques can also be a godsend, and more secure than cash.
I must admit, I would be wary of any business that wanted to take my money up-front before I had even seen what I was buying. The way I operated pre-paid dive packages when I ran my own dive centre was to ask for a significant deposit when booking, perhaps 20%, with the balance payable on arrival. But then I also had a rule that I always refunded for dives a customer had been unable to take and for which I had not already sustained the costs. Even so, I was scammed out of maybe $10k+ in the several years I was open. You can understand a small business owner wanting to protect himself from scoundrels.
In this particular case, the Great House has a significantly good reputation here and I very much doubt you will have a problem. Why you chose to stay in Belize City at all instead of somewhere up in Cayo is another matter.....
Lastly, please don't think that everyone here is trying to scam you given the chance. Most people who work and operate here are as honest as you are (!). But keep your wits about you for when you do come up against a shady character or business - they do exist here, just as much as at home.
I wonder if charging for a hotel room in advance, rather than holding it with a credit card number, has become the norm in Belize.
In preparation for our upcoming trip this July, last month I reserved three nights at The Great House in Belize City, which we'll use as a home base while we do some activities on the mainland before heading off to Turneffe Island Resort. I gave them my credit card info to hold the room.
Much to my surprise, the hotel bill showed up on my last credit card statement. I called The Great House and confirmed that I now have a zero balance with them; in other words, I paid in advance without intending to do so. I don't remember this being the case when we stayed there for one night two years ago.
Although advance payment isn't standard practice here in the US, I actually prefer to get as many expenses out of the way before making the trip so this isn't necessarily a bad thing. But I'm not going to be happy if TGH goes under between now and when we arrive.
And just to make sure there are no misunderstandings when we arrive, I plan to bring my credit card statement with me to show proof of payment.
My response:-
I'm not an hotelier nor have I ever been, but I do understand that once an hotel has assigned a room to someone, thereby making it unavailable for other potential guests, they will want to be certain that they do actually get paid. That isn't just here - I found the same when I booked an hotel in Manhattan last year. I think that in today's straitened times when most hotels find it impossible to fill all their rooms they should think of relaxing this policy, in such a way as to protect both establishment and customer.
If I were visiting Belize and staying in an hotel, I think I'd do three things:-
(1) ask the hotel, and agent if you used one, what their cancellation policies were and ensure I could accept them. First of all, whether I believed them. It's often not difficult to get an idea of the credibility and honesty of an organisation from sources such as this. Beware that Trip Advisor, although widely used by honest people, is subject to manipulation by people with their own ulterior motives. Never believe a single isolated post, however good or bad it may be. If you're thinking of booking with several disparate organisations, eg. an hotel, a dive shop, an inland tour company, a car/golf cart rental company, and you have some doubts, don't be afraid to ask one company what they think of another. Verbally (by phone) preferably, so they know that you can't "cut and paste" back to the other business. And listen carefully to what is said and what isn't. It's rather like getting a reference on a prospective employee - often it's what's not said that is the most significant.
(2) take out good quality travel insurance that would cover not just the hotel going bust but also (say) the airline going bust (or a fresh volcano erupting) preventing me from even getting there. This insurance should also cover all aspects of hurricane incidence, so I would be financially protected in the event of my holiday perhaps starting but ending in a highly disorganised shambles. I said "good quality" insurance as many cheap policies, the sort you buy from a desk at the airport as you're flying out, are worth to you the time and effort you put into choosing them. Do research on policies as they vary enormously in what is in the small print. Policies based on your house insurance can often be the best deal and give the best protection.
Ensure that your insurance covers all expenditure including your very first payments - this may mean taking it out before you pay a cent towards your holiday.
Check how and when the insurer will pay you. Some will proactively help you during your holiday, a godsend if for example you're hit by a hurricane or the economic fallout from one. An extreme example, chartering their own aircraft and flying it into a storm-hit area to evacuate their customers (that hasn't happened here but has in places like India). These policies are certainly worth paying more for.
(3) make sure you have money, credit cards etc to cover necessary short-term expenditure. Remember that in some circumstances ATM machines may not function, so always have adequate cash. Traveller's cheques can also be a godsend, and more secure than cash.
I must admit, I would be wary of any business that wanted to take my money up-front before I had even seen what I was buying. The way I operated pre-paid dive packages when I ran my own dive centre was to ask for a significant deposit when booking, perhaps 20%, with the balance payable on arrival. But then I also had a rule that I always refunded for dives a customer had been unable to take and for which I had not already sustained the costs. Even so, I was scammed out of maybe $10k+ in the several years I was open. You can understand a small business owner wanting to protect himself from scoundrels.
In this particular case, the Great House has a significantly good reputation here and I very much doubt you will have a problem. Why you chose to stay in Belize City at all instead of somewhere up in Cayo is another matter.....
Lastly, please don't think that everyone here is trying to scam you given the chance. Most people who work and operate here are as honest as you are (!). But keep your wits about you for when you do come up against a shady character or business - they do exist here, just as much as at home.
