There was a group of us that meet up in Placencia. We rented the Aqua Villa and Casa Beya houses. Casa Beya was like a big tree house with a big covered deck with a swinging bed along with a rooftop deck. Mike and his family live in the bottom level of the house and are the ones who maintain/care for the house. He is very friendly and helpful. The owner of this house also owns the house next door called the Seascape. There is a little walking bridge that connects the two so if you rent both you have easy access to each. The house has 3 bedrooms - master suite on top floor with a small deck facing the water, beautiful view! Second bedroom is on the main floor and then there is a kid’s type room with a bunk bed just up some stairs. The bottom bunk is a full size bed and top bunk is a twin. From this room you climb a steep ladder/steps to reach the rooftop deck.

Aqua Villa is the next to the Seacape house (different owner) and has an open floor plan. The main house has two bedrooms each with their own spacious bathroom. Double doors open to the patio where there is a pool and soaking tub. There is also a bathroom out there along with pool toys. There is another one bedroom/bath unit that is separate from the house but right next to it.

We were there the first week in July and the weather was perfect. There was a daily breeze which kept the bugs away and made it very pleasant to sit outside, you didn't feel the humidity. The beach water wasn't crystal clear because it was the beginning of the rainy season, but it's still clear out in the reef.

The food at the Maya Beach Hotel was fantastic (have the fish burger). Mixed drinks were different though; they just didn't taste the same and seemed to be on the sweet side. There Mojito doesn't taste like the Mojito's made in the states. Ask for some sugar water and add it, tastes much better. If you order a beer you'll get a Belkin, the local Belizean beer. I preferred Light House which is a Lager and reminded me of a Corona. The restaurant is closed on Monday's but will serve guests food on a limited menu. Check out their happy hour from 2-5 (I believe) you get appetizer size food for $5 Belize Dollars and 2 Mojito’s for the price of one.

The owners are very friendly and helpful. You can catch a ride in the hotel van to the Village if they are heading that way and then just cab it back ($20US dollars 1-2 people or $15 US dollars if there are 3+). The road is VERY bumpy.

The Village is small and not much to it but worth checking out at least one day. The Shak has great smoothies ($6 Belize), Tootie Fruity has fantastic gelato and get the fried chicken at Cozy Corner, they also make a great pina colada and bartender Stoney is very friendly. Then there is the Tipsy Tuna, we didn't check it out but we heard the music and were told that was the place to go for nightlife.

The water at Cozy Corner seemed to be the best and it was calmer and less murky looking then at Maya Beach.

All in all we all would go back!

We found the Maya Beach online and booked 10 days for a family vacation with our two daughters to celebrate my wife's 60th and daughter's 30th birthdays. It's a smaller, intimate hotel with most rooms facing the quiet and lovely beach. Listening to the surf at night with the windows open was so peaceful. The beach is very private and the sand is cleaned daily so you can wade into the clear shallow water clear out to the end of the pier where there is a wonderful shaded sitting area. It's great for reading or just dreaming. The rooms are extremely nice and very large for the price. We took daily walks down the beach and often stopped for a drink at one of the other hotels along the way. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the food and service. Maya Beach is probably the best place to eat in Placencia and maybe the best in Belize. Owner and chef John and his staff take great pride in not only serving guests but locals who have discovered his restaurant to be a gourmet delight. We had many choices but enjoyed breakfast, lunch and dinner on the covered patio. We could hardly tear ourselves away. The staff and owners are also extremely accommodating and will arrange any excursion you desire, with pick up right at the hotel's front door. We are very picky when we travel and found Maya Beach to be one of the best travel values we've experienced. We'd go there again in a heartbeat!

My husband and I stayed here for out honeymoon. It was very quiet. The food was quite good, and the desserts were exceptional. We didn't like the beach very much, because there is so much turtle grass and it just looked dirty. So I wouldn't recommend the hotel if you want to have a nice beach, but if you want a relaxing, peaceful, and friendly place this is it.

This was our second stay at the Maya Beach Hotel, which we love. The hotel has a fabulous restaurant and bar, and has several rooms actually attached to the Hotel. These rooms are somewhat small, but they are working on renovations. The owners of Maya Beach contract several houses along the beach, which are affordable (starting at $100.00/night) and this is the way to go. We stayed at the Dreamcicle House, which has two levels and a private pool. The pool is not open to other hotel guests, which is nice. You rent either the top or bottom, have a full kitchen, and seperate bedrooms, so great for families or couples traveling together. My husband and I stay alone, and although it's big for two people, the price and the pool make it an amazing bargain. You can view all of the houses at Mayabeachhotel.com.
The restaurant is nice and convenient to the beach houses. The prices are about what you would see in the U.S., and the owners are constantly updating the menu.
The hotel is about 11 miles from Placencia Village and the cab ride to town is $20.00 U.S., which is a bit high. A shuttle from the hotel would be nice, but not offered at this time. The bus however, is only $1.00 U.S., and is safe, fun, and a great experience! Never on time though.
If you're looking for easy food, there's the Frisky Frog just a few 100 yards away, that you can walk to on the beach. Yummy burritos and Belizean "fast food."
The hotel also offers tours and conveniently charges them to your room, so you don't have to carry around money. The staff are accomodating, friendly, and communicate well with each other and clientelle.
Loved the stay!