Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Playa De Sala Boutique hotel is a Luxury family run hotel located on the southern tip of Ambergris Caye. It is situated in the only Bay on the Island (Tarpon Bay) and it overseas the Caribbean sea with beauty of lush mangroves. Enjoy lazy days on our private beach sipping tropical cocktails or cool off at our pool overlooking the white sandy beach. Sunrise from your balcony, enjoy rooftop bar in the evenings and a boat bar experience in the morning. Free use of paddle boards and kayaks, pool and much more!
Belize was one of the most memorable Birthday trips I've experienced and Playa De Sala was a major reason why. Prior to arrival the communication with the property was awesome, checking in to see if we had adequate transportation from the airport along with offering to make accommodations if needed. When we arrive we were welcomed with refreshing non-alcoholic drinks and a 'Happy Birthday' situated in the sand right in front of our room accomodations. The room accommodations are large and perfect views of the waterside. The staff is incredible, especially Chris, he greeted us when we left for the night and answered any questions we had about the island. We did not discover until our last night there that some of the best food is right at Playa De Sala! Every meal we had was great, including the breakfast! Playa De Sala brands as boutique hotel, but felt more like a "airbnb" with an inhouse staff- if that makes sense. Playa De SALA is a true gem and we'll most definitely be returning!
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Date of stay: January 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Pool is small, more for relaxing if you choose to use it.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Forest sala, Owner at Playa De Sala Boutique Hotel Adults Only
Responded 1 week ago
We were so excited that we could help make your birthday a memorable celebration. We all really enjoyed having you stay with us . Thank you so much. We hope to see you again soon.
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My daughter, myself and our Aussie stayed for 3 days and literally were the only people staying there. It was amazing, the dog raced up and down the beach and in and out of the water for hours. The room was sea facing and had amazing sun rises. Melissa the Chef was great and no words for the roof top bar tender and how accommodating he was for us. There was no ice machine so you will have to request, it has a small fridge/coffee and tea maker and a daily breakfast that was excellent, I would recommend the scrambled eggs and fresh fruit and the portions were huge. One this on a heads up if you order coffee with breakfast you will be charged extra. This location is quiet but isolated and far from town via golf cart, at least 30 minutes. The beach is well groomed and everyone that works there was amazing. One thing I can say is there is an extra charge even if your dog is a service dog and not a lot of activity. The menu is limited but Melissa is very gracious in making other items if they have the ingredients. I would recommend this hotel if you want peace, quiet and good service but not ideal for families that want to be busy and doing activities. We tend to be foodies and San Pedro has so many amazing restaurants next time we will stay closer to town on paved roads.
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Date of stay: August 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:The pool is not a running infinity pool and very small
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Forest sala, Owner at Playa De Sala Boutique Hotel Adults Only
Responded 27 Aug 2023
We really enjoyed having you stay with us! You are all so lovely it was sad to see you go. Molly your dog was so amazing we enjoyed talking care of her for you in the day while you were gone. We do our best to ensure you have a wonderful stay. Our kitchen is always willing to cook you something different due to dietary reasons. We have the full breakfast menu, lunch menu, Boat bar menu,dinner menu and the lobster menu. There is coffee in your room and downstairs in the kitchen that is free of charge. If you ask for our espresso ,americano , cappuccino or latte that is a charge. Thats the Italian espresso. I hope you still enjoyed the pool with infinity pump not running. It was turned off. I hope to see you all again soon. Much love .
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My wife and I just returned from our first trip to Belize and from our stay at Playa De Sala. We had read all of the previous reviews before booking and kept seeing the same glowing comments over and over. After staying a week at the resort, I'll just say that everything is as advertised (or reviewed) so I won't be redundant about the hotel itself or the beautiful location. I'll add a little though to the compliments on the staff. They were the most attentive, friendly and welcoming we've run across on our travels. Julie welcomed us when we arrived with a smile and and drink and went over everything regarding our stay with us. Naem, Nataniel and Melvin (I apologize for any name misspellings) were excellent in both serving our meals as well as tending the bar. We looked forward to seeing them every day and being able to talk with them about Belize and learning more about their lives. The meals themselves were so good...their wasn't one that we didn't like. I'm sorry that we didn't get the cook's name but she was willing to accommodate any of our requests. Our room was spotless every day due to our smiling housekeeper (again sorry that I didn't get her name). Tyreke, who helped tend the grounds, always met us with a smile and even checked the gas and oil on our golf cart one day just as a courtesy before we headed into town. My wife is a "hugger" and handed out several to the staff before we left. Play De Sala felt like home for the week that we were there.
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Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Forest sala, Owner at Playa De Sala Boutique Hotel Adults Only
Responded 7 Mar 2023
Im so pleased to hear you enjoyed your stay. Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a wonderful review it means so much to everyone at playa to hear you enjoyed your stay.
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I struggled with this review. On the one hand, I loved the architecture of the building and the furnishings & layout of the rooms (there are only 5 in the whole place). Ours had a rustic western theme! The shower even has a door directly out to the balcony (perhaps to flash the passers-by?). I also liked the “adults only” policy, making for a very quiet stay. And there’s a chill vibe to the place. The manager, Mary, was extremely friendly, outgoing, and helpful. She even greeted us with warm towels after our return from rainy evening – who at a big resort would do that? On the downside, however, the place is located in a swampy area quite far (5+ miles) from San Pedro accessible only via a very rocky/muddy dirt road. And then there are the mosquitoes, especially in the late afternoon & early evening when they are just unrelenting. Billions of them. Everywhere. Aside from breakfast, we had only two meals there — which were very expensive and rather unremarkable — but dinner left us with lots of bites. As for breakfast, eggs and pancakes were warm at best and the coffee also cools fast here. We had the rest of our meals elsewhere, requiring us to rent a golf cart to escape the swamp and its swarms of hungry mosquitoes.
So, like I said, I’m conflicted — I give it a 5 (“Excellent”) for the room and staff and a 0 (“Terrible”) for the location and bugs. So I’ll average my scores and give it a 3 (“Average”), rounding up.
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Date of stay: December 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Bring lots and lots of bug repellent. And also lots of After Bite, since no matter how much Deet...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Forest sala, Owner at Playa De Sala Boutique Hotel Adults Only
Responded 1 Jan 2024
Reading this review sounds like my manager and my staff did everything they could to make sure you had a wonderful vacation. We do supply bug spay and sunscreen.Its very unfortunate that you rated the establishment terrible due to its location ,bugs and dirt roads. It seems like Belize might not have been the place for you. San Pedro has dirt roads and bugs and if your not up for a little adventure this would not be the place for you. Im happy that you liked the architecture and your room. I wish you all the best in you future adventures. Hope you will give Belize another opportunity. Warm and sunny Regards Forest Sala
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Pro: The best thing about this hotel was the staff. Every single one of them were wonderful. They went above and beyond in every effort to accommodate. Con: The hotel is VERY remote. There is absolutely nothing within walking distance. You must rent a golf cart and don't rent it from the hotel. They were twice the price of Rock's. Pro: The roof top patio and restaurant are beautiful and provide amazing views. The food is very good but... Con: The restaurant menu is limited especially if you don't eat meat. While breakfast was included the only option was scrambled eggs, toast and fruit skewers. If you want something else on the breakfast menu it is full price. Even the coffee was extra. It is a long dark drive in a golf cart to go somewhere else for dinner. Pro: The beach is beautiful. Con: You can't swim off of the beach and the pool is very tiny - really only for sitting in. Pro: The rooms are somewhat small but extremely beautiful with a very comfortable bed and a wonderful shower. While we wanted a quiet, romantic get-away we found this hotel to be too isolated.
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Date of stay: February 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Forest sala, Owner at Playa De Sala Boutique Hotel Adults Only
Responded 7 Mar 2023
Thank you so much for hour review. We do our best to ensure our guests enjoy their time with us. Im happy to hear that you were happy with our service. As for the menu we try our best to make you whatever you want even if its not on the menu. The kitchen will even cook your fish for you if you catch it out on a tour. We do have a kettle and a coffeemaker in your room the tea and coffee is free. We do put fresh coffee in your room if its been used. Free of charge. People do go swimming and snorkeling off the beach if you don't like the turtle grass that would definitely deter you from going into the water . But its fine to swim in . I personally swim in it and many others have . We are located 4.5 miles from town. Its a romantic getaway. We also have bikes for guests to use free of charge. We don't personally rent golf carts we only recommend reputable company's to rent from . We only try to assist you renting golf carts ,tours, flights and massages. We want you to be able to relax and enjoy your vacation. Warm and sunny Regards
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The accommodations are out of this world, Playa De Sala is without a doubt the very best hotel on the island. If you enjoy peaceful, friendly, first rate hotel and restaurants - you will not be disappointed. The room was stunning, the view equally stunning, the food was so delicious and staff so kind and friendly, we enjoyed every day and every meal! It was so nice to be on the lagoon side of the island south where there are not sargassum to deal with, it truly is the perfect location. Forest, the owner, is an absolute sweetheart angel and made our stay truly amazing. We have told all of our friends what an incredible paradise resort this is and highly highly recommend. This is the perfect place for a romantic get away, as a solo, or with friends.
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Date of stay: April 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Forest sala, Owner at Playa De Sala Boutique Hotel Adults Only
Responded 4 May 2023
We appreciate you taking the time to write up such a lovely review. We are so pleased to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us. Yes it is one of the perfect locations on the island as we don't get the stinky smelling sea grass. We enjoyed having you stay with us and hope to see you again soon.
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First, let me say that the staff at Playa are very kind. The cooks and bartenders were helpful and always friendly. That said, it is hard to share things that we found not so great. The biggest issue with Playa is the distance from town. Almost everyone, including us, drives golf carts. The roads are often not paved and even when they are, there are a lot of potholes etc. which can make travel slower than expected. To do the 4.5 miles from Playa to town takes a while and so you end up spending a lot of time driving. Overall, I would rate Playa as a 3-star hotel. The pool is very small and in the middle of the outside lobby, so it isn't very user-friendly. Certainly not something where you would sit and lounge (of course that's our opinion). The rooms are ok. You have three light switches. One for the bedroom ceiling light, one for the shower area ceiling, and the other for the bathroom. If you want to lay in bed and read, your only option is to turn on the bedroom ceiling. The property is on the back bay so it is not like being on the oceanside where you might be able to swim. There is a sandy "beach" area that depending on the day gets some attention from the staff. One day it got raked and the chairs got put in order. The rest of the days we were there the chairs were scattered in the water and on land in whatever state someone had left them, or the wind had taken them. One day in the middle of the night the building ended up with no water. There was no one on the property to alert so a text was sent to the person we had communicated with on WhatsApp. Once the staff showed up at 7:30, they discovered the issue and immediately fixed but there should have been some way to alert a staff member during the night so that the issue could potentially be fixed sooner. We also lost power one day when it was raining. Again, it occurred at a time when there was no staff. It eventually came back on. Later we were told that on the island this can happen when there are storms. As far as the island, snorkeling is incredible and the fishing great! If you want a week of complete beach time, snorkeling, and fishing, this is a wonderful island. I have snorkeled off the great barrier reef in Australia and this was so much better. If we were to do another trip, we would stay somewhere in Belize City for about 3 days and then do San Pedro for about 2 days. We missed seeing the Mayan ruins, doing the caves etc that is on Belize City because of the time it would have taken us to travel back and forth from San Pedro. I hope this review helps you in your plans.
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Forest sala, Owner at Playa De Sala Boutique Hotel Adults Only
Responded 29 Feb 2024
Dear Lori Thank you for sharing your feedback about your recent stay at our hotel. We're thrilled to hear that you liked our staff and enjoyed the quietness and private beach that our location offers. We're sorry to hear about the challenges you faced, including the drive down the dirt road and the power outage. Regarding the road, we understand that it may not be ideal for everyone, but it is one of the trade-offs for the peaceful and secluded atmosphere that many of our guests appreciate. We'd like to clarify that the water at our beach is indeed swimmable, and we're sorry if there was any confusion about this. As for the power outage, we apologize for any inconvenience it caused. Our maintenance man lives on-site to address such issues promptly, but unfortunately, he was unaware due to sleeping as it was late in the night . We'll review our procedures to ensure this doesn't happen again. We appreciate your understanding and hope to welcome you back for a more enjoyable stay in the future. Best regards, Forest Sala
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We couldn't be happier with our stay at Playa De Sala! The absolute best part of this hotel is the people. Sebastian, Jose, and Melvin made our stay so special with their kindness and amazing service. Every meal was delicious and Jose was kind enough to make special orders for my vegan husband.
The hotel is in its own remote location that was so peaceful to come back to after a day of touring. Our room was cleaned daily, the staff helped plan our day trips, and they kindly coordinated our trips to and from the airport. They were also very responsive to messages leading up to our travel.
Hope to be back back sometime in the future!
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Forest Sala, Owner at Playa De Sala Boutique Hotel Adults Only
Responded 25 Jun 2022
Melissa thank you so much for your kind words. Everyone enjoyed having you both stay with us . I know Jose was excited to try new vegan meals . It was sad to see you both leave so soon. We hope to have you back again soon. Warm and sunny Regards
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The website for Playa De Sala does not do this modern boutique hotel justice. It's fabulous! If privacy, great service, food, and cool staff are your thing, then PDS is a great place to stay. It's not in the main part of town and does require an extra 15 minutes to arrive. It's Totally Worth it! The view of Tarpon Bay is fantastic, as is the rooftop bar/resturant (reasonable prices and tasty). Breakfast is included in the stay.
The pool is for dipping, but it was not what we came for. Ms. Sala and her staff are protective and accommodating of guests, assisting with pre-arrival, tours, golf carts, and departure needs. We rented a golf cart to access San Pedro happenings and it was easy to go back/forth. Playa De Sala is a perfect quiet retreat for couples. We rarely saw the other occupants of this 5 room hotel and did not mind at all!!!! Again the bay view is everything. We felt really comfortable and will definitely return every time we come back to San Pedro!
The hotel does have steps to enter the hotel and to access the rooftop (if one has accessibility concerns).
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Date of stay: December 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:All rooms have view of the bay, but the second floor rooms are the best. Mini-fridge is in the...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Forest sala, Owner at Playa De Sala Boutique Hotel Adults Only
Responded 16 Dec 2024
We really appreciate your kind words it means a lot so much to the team and myself that you enjoyed your stay with us. You were amazing guests to have stay with us! Hope to see you soon.
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This hidden gem located at the southern tip of the island offers a minimalist contemporary ambiance with a touch of nightclub allure, yet it maintains a cozy atmosphere due to its small capacity. We enjoyed our dining experience so much that we visited twice during our four-night stay, highly recommending the shrimp appetizer, chicken & pineapple kebabs, and Alfredo pasta. Don't miss the opportunity to arrive before sunset; the view is fantastic, and the gentle breeze adds to the charm of the place! We loved the music videos on the big screen, they certainly have good taste.
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Date of stay: March 2024
Value
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Forest sala, Owner at Playa De Sala Boutique Hotel Adults Only
Responded 27 Mar 2024
We are so pleased to hear that you had enjoyed your time with us. It really means a lot to everyone at Playa De Sala that you liked the service also the music videos. We do hope to see you again soon.
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Hi Trisha, Thanks for reaching out! We're sorry, we don't have a room that can accommodate 3 persons. Perhaps you can keep looking at other places who would have bigger suites.
The hotel organized transportation for us so there was someone waiting for us at the airport to take us to Playa De Sala. It was helpful because the very nice driver gave us a little tour and pointed out points of interests and great restaurants along the way. I think we maybe paid him $80 or something but I don't really remember. Not sure what we paid for the golf cart...I think maybe less than $300 for 8 or 9 days. The golf cart is essential. Playa de Sala is much more secluded on the south side of the island and you want to be able to come and go as you wish to go into town for meals and shopping. The 20 minute drives to and from town were one of my favorite parts of the whole trip! So beautiful and so interesting to see the Belizean culture all around you!
Hello , there are some shade on the beach from the hotel as for umbrellas sorry we don’t have any. We will be building some palapa’s. We have brought in sand to make the beach so it’s not rocky but if like water shoes you should bring them you never know where you might want to go exploring.
Warm and sunny regards
Forest & Shawn
There are more places to choose from in the San Pedro area.
PRICE RANGE
RM 981 - RM 1,431 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
BelizeBelize CayesAmbergris CayeSan Pedro
NUMBER OF ROOMS
5
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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