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Lodge at Chaa Creek: Traveler Reviews


Lodge at Chaa Creek
PO Box 53 | Macal River, San Ignacio, Belize
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91% Recommend
4.5 of 5 stars 109 reviews
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Beverly Hills in Belize

Lodge at Chaa Creek

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2 of 5 stars
Pausanias 193 contributions
Norfolk, UK
Mar 12, 2008 | Trip type: Couples
1/4 found this review helpful

People obviously love Chaa Creek, which is one of the reasons we went there, though it was a tough decision whether we went to Chan Chich or Coppolaworld instead. Our agent, Journey Latin America, urged Chaa Creek on us, so we went for three nights. And I’m still wondering why we went and, indeed, why it’s there.

We drove from Tikal, Guatemala - an interesting two-hour drive and the border crossing took less than five minutes. I think Chaa Creek succeeds or fails on what you want or expect from it. We wanted three days of relaxing jungle ambience with world-class birdwatching. We did not want spa treatments, canoeing, horse-riding or strenuous hiking. So maybe we were not ideal guests. Were we alone in our disappointment? Well, all the Americans we spoke to evidently loved it. The only British couple we met couldn’t wait to leave and they had just come from Chan Chich, which they rated highly.

At first glance, Chaa Creek is lovely. The garden is surprisingly manicured for a jungle lodge, perhaps too manicured. Our room - No.8 - was excellent, spacious, soaring roof, big comfy bed, nice modern colors, large terrace with two chairs and hammocks, good bathroom, no bugs. Not a patch on Uruguay’s Four Seasons or a top-notch safari lodge but still very acceptable. The meet-and-greet staff put you in a good frame of mind.

Doubts started to creep early on, at dinner. They have a system here - only two choices of main course, no choices for starters or pudding. I hate set menus - choosing your food from a menu is a pleasure and having no choice seems only to serve the restaurant, not the customer. Clearly, they have supply limitations, but not on the lunch menu and they must have freezers. My pork chops were dry, tasteless and smothered in a brutal sauce. Coffee was terrible. Not a good start. Subsequent meals were hardly better - I’m still chewing that conch steak. Another minus point was room servicing, often as late as 3pm and leaving our wooden floors soaking wet and soapy.

Much is made here of how the place got going, how its owners, Mike and Lucy Fleming, started up as a sort of agri-commune and went slightly hesitantly into the rough-and-ready B&B business. It’s now a full-blown, $700-a day luxury resort catering principally to stressed-out execs from the States - I expect the Flemings sometimes wonder how on earth that happened. Much is made, too, of its sustainability, its eco credentials, something I am always skeptical about. They trade in making you feel good about saving the planet, that you are doing your bit just by staying there, reassured that they recycle their typed menus every day. They tell you turn your lights off and leave your towels hanging up, only for the room maid to turn all the lights on and change all your towels anyway. And of course you fly there in a big fat jet plane and arrive at the lodge in a 4x4.

During the our stay we wandered the garden, we walked down to the River Macal, we did the Macal Camp river walk and we walked right around the property. And all the time we wondered, why is this place here? In our view, the landscape was distinctly ordinary - there was no outstanding feature and, fatally, the hotel lacks any kind of sweeping view of the river (really little more than a big stream) or any view at all. There is no wow factor, nothing to stare at in wonder, and relatively few birds - for instance, we saw more species in an hour at Lake Atitlan than we did in 3 days here. There is only this rather Beverly Hills-like manicured garden. It has a spa, internet access (on the slowest computer in the world) and I even spotted a TV. It’s all far too tame, too complacent in its environmental awareness. So why don’t they provide some seats on their walks, or a viewing platform on stilts overhanging the river? And - heresy, heresy - why don’t they bite the bullet and instal a lovely swimming pool so that guests can cool off in the sweltering heat?

I regret to say this, because we are aficionados of luxury hotels, but in many ways we rather preferred Jungle Lodge at Tikal. That was fun. This was boring.

  • Liked — A nice room and terrace
  • Disliked — Boring location, over-manicured setting
  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 2 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
    • 1 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
  • Date of stay March 2008
  • Traveled with Spouse / significant other
  • Age group 50-64
  • Member since January 12, 2005
  • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? No
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Average price*: $357 (year-round)
Something for everybody..what a wonderful place

Lodge at Chaa Creek

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5 of 5 stars
yecarT 21 contributions
USA
Mar 4, 2008 | Trip type: Couples
3/3 found this review helpful

We stayed at Chaa Creek Feb 13-16, after 4 nights at MataChica on the Surf and Turf Package. After our disappointing stay there, we were nervous as to what we would find at Chaa Creek. For all future guests, no need for nerves or anxiety, you will find whatever it is you were expecting there. Our first two nights were spent in the spa villa, the most beautiful views, outdoor hot tub, and absolute privacy, and tv and airconditioning. It was quite a hike to get to the main area of the resort, but the butterfly farm and museum are right next door to the spa villa. The spa was directly below us. Both my husband and myself treated ourselves to massages, while not the most memorable, the price is completely reasonable.
Our last night was in cottage #16, which is located next to the bar and in the main area of the resort, The room was beautiful, with a double shower inside, and a private outdoor shower as well. You could hear the bar music, but if you turned the fans way up, it drowned out the noise. And I was told they stop the music around 10 at night. We never missed the airconditioning that we had at the spa villa.
Chaa Creek has tons of activities on their grounds, wonderful tours they can book you on, or if you prefer to just seit back and relax you can do that too.
Though not a bird watcher, I did go on the early morning bird tour, and couldnt believe all the birds that i had heard previous days were actually parrots and toucans. I also went to see the blue morpho butterfly farm. It is really a science what is done there and the guide (Daniel for both the butterfly and bird watching) was excellent. I also walked to the canoe area, along the river trail. My husband and I went horseback riding. It was awesome, you stop about 1/2 way and get to see yet uncovered (and will probably remain that way) Mayan ruins. Again, the guides made it so memorable.
Off the property we went to the Belize Zoo (all native animals), Xunantunich, Chumpiate Cave. Xunantunich is very close, if you are wanting the Mayan experience but not the 10 hour day, I recommend it. We were going to go to Tikal, but not being huge history people, Xunantunich was a wonderful way to appreciate the Mayan culture without traveling far. Chumpiate cave, while close, consists of driving 8 (looong) miles down a dirt road. The cave is on private land and definitely doesnt meet any OSHA safety codes. It was like we were discovering it for the first time. It is a mile hike(up and down hill) in the jungle to reach the cave.
I thought the food at all meals (all inclusive plan) was 100x better than MataChica. They offered a huge lunch menu, while dinner consisted of your choice of beef or chicke, a fish item,or vegetarian for the main course. Each evening the menu changed. Breakfast also offered quite a few choices. I heard a couple people requesting special changes to their meals and the staff was always helpful.
There is a business area with one computer that has internet access. The grounds are completely immaculate, as are the rooms. There can be lots of hiking/walking to get around the property.
I wish we could have spent our entire time in Belize at Chaa Creek. The lodge was wonderful, the service awesome, the experience totally memorable.

  • Liked — The entire experience(service, rooms, food, tours, activities)
  • Disliked — That they have a package with MataChica. The two resorts arent even comparable.
  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 3 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
  • Date of stay February 2008
  • Traveled with Spouse / significant other
  • Age group 25-34
  • Member since March 07, 2005
  • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? Yes
  • I recommend this hotel for An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Families with teenagers, Tourists
  • I do not recommend this hotel for Young singles, People with disabilities, Great pool scene, Pet owners, Families with young children
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Average price*: $357 (year-round)
We just loved it!

Lodge at Chaa Creek

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5 of 5 stars
DC-TripAdviser 3 contributions
Washington, DC
Feb 10, 2008 | Trip type: Couples
1/1 found this review helpful

We stayed at Chaa Creek for 4 nights on the Dos Cayos package (3 nights at Victoria House in San Pedro--also highly recommended; see our other review). We booked everything directly through Chaa Creek and it was very easy.

We enjoyed the hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, horseback riding, and spa. We also just loved hanging out in our hammocks with our view of the river from our cottage. In particular, the guides and staff were wonderful. Everyone, from the horseback riding guide to the bartenders and waitstaff, was friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. We took the day trip to Tikal, which was quite an adventure. It was beautiful and exhausting (but completely worth the trip). Our guide and driver, Armando and Daryl, made the experience unforgettable. Overall, we can't think of any criticism. Just go and have a wonderful time! We also need to give a shout out to our driver to and from the Lodge, Joe, who was the perfect introduction to this beautiful and welcoming country.

  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 3 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
  • Date of stay February 2008
  • Visit was for Romantic getaway
  • Traveled with Spouse / significant other
  • Age group 25-34
  • Member since August 26, 2006
  • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? Yes
  • I recommend this hotel for An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway
  • I do not recommend this hotel for Young singles, People with disabilities, Great pool scene, Pet owners, Families with young children
  • I selected this hotel as a top choice for Outdoor / Adventure
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
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Average price*: $357 (year-round)
Un-belize-able

Lodge at Chaa Creek

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5 of 5 stars
NJTravel 14 contributions
NJ
Jan 20, 2008 | Trip type: Couples
2/2 found this review helpful

Chaa Creek is the definition of paradise. After the 2 hour drive from the airport, (including several miles down a dirt access road) we had no idea what to expect, but when we arrived, we realized we had found paradise. The grounds are beautiful. The cottage we stayed in was large and very tastefully decorated. The food at the restaurant was quite good and reasonably priced considering how remote we were. We even had Internet access from the on-site public wi-fi at the "business center".

We loved waking up to the sounds of the amazing birds on the property. We were a bit concerned about the bugs, but they really weren't a problem at all.

The staff was very friendly and very helpful.

Highly recommended!

  • Liked — natural beauty, helpfulness, outdoor shower was amazing
  • Disliked — nothing
  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 5 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
  • Date of stay January 2008
  • Visit was for Romantic getaway
  • Traveled with Spouse / significant other
  • Age group 35-49
  • Member since February 18, 2005
  • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? Yes
  • I recommend this hotel for An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway
  • I do not recommend this hotel for Young singles, Older travelers, Great pool scene, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists
  • I selected this hotel as a top choice for Beach / Sun, Outdoor / Adventure, Spa
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
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Average price*: $357 (year-round)
Amazing experience

Lodge at Chaa Creek

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5 of 5 stars
lawyerx2 5 contributions
potomac
Jan 2, 2008 | Trip type: Family
2/2 found this review helpful

This is the place to go for a jungle experience with pampering! The grounds are beautiful, the look is exotic but groomed. The lodges were excellent and the food was terrific. The staff was very helpful and attentive. We did excellent day trips and had delicious meals. This is a great place for four nights.

  • Liked — access to mayan ruins and caves
  • Disliked — remoteness and poor roads
  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
    • 3 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
  • Date of stay December 2007
  • Traveled with Family with teenagers
  • Age group 35-49
  • Member since December 30, 2006
  • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? Yes
  • I recommend this hotel for Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Families with teenagers, Tourists
  • I do not recommend this hotel for People with disabilities, Older travelers, Great pool scene, Pet owners, Families with young children
  • I selected this hotel as a top choice for Outdoor / Adventure
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $357 (year-round)
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Address: PO Box 53 | Macal River, San Ignacio, Belize