TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

This is the best hotel I’ve stayed at. All staff were so attentive and very accommodating. Our room was really nice and cozy.

The resort was super nice and quiet which was very nice and relaxing, easily the most relaxing vacation I have ever been on.

Overall the resort is beautiful and the staff is wonderful! We visited while there was A LOT of sargassum and the smell was terrible. Beach access was not available at all to enjoy, so be aware what time of the year you book. They did take us over to Secret Beach, but drop you at the very end. DO NOT walk through the "green" area on land to get to the other spots, you'll get eaten alive by the mosquitos. Couple items in the room to note, there is no AC in the bathroom area. It is a thatched roof, which makes it a challenge to cool and keep out small insects and lizards. They do a turn down service and light a mosquito repellent incense to help. We also asked for an air freshener because the seaweed smell was still so strong, even though we were not in a beachfront casitas. Would've been nice if the room had a refrigerator or place to get ice. The restaurant, bar and pool also closed early. The food is decent, but defiantly overpriced, including the drinks that end up being $20+ a piece with fees and tax (before tip). My main concern and rating was because of the exorbitant fees we were charged over the course of our stay and did not know about until checkout/departure. PLEASE read all fine print about service fees, tips, etc. And DO NOT book excursions direct through the resort! There are several fees related that are charged that you're probably unaware of. We did it out of convenience and it was a complete mistake! ALSO, DO NOT charge ANYTHING to your room, as they tack on a bunch more fees for that as well. I could have paid for a whole other room for the amount they charged me. Also, forced to pay this upon a timed departure was stressful and left us feeling taken advantage of. We researched a lot and felt we were knowledgeable about our stay and costs, BUT I never saw a review stating this, or I would've paid more attention to those items. SO..I feel it VERY important to let others know and to be aware of such fees, as this was a shock and a really sad way to leave our amazing vacation. NOTE: We did tip on top of all the services charges, but were still billed additionally.

Matachica is a beautiful resort and the service was absolutely impeccable. From the time I booked the trip (a few months before), the concierge and front desk were in touch with me, helping me book resort-sponsored excursions and assisting me with arranging travel from Belize City to the resort. They booked our island-hopper flight to San Pedro and met us at baggage claim, then took us by boat to Matachica. They brought our bags directly to our room and we were met at the dock with a drink. We didn't have to think about a thing. What a fantastic welcome! Turndown service was offered every night, which included a fresh treat from their amazing onsite bakery. Coffee was delivered to us every morning (two pots for us, since we drink a lot of coffee in the AM!). The onsite restaurant was very good - mostly American food but with a few Belizean additions. Even with our (almost) daily excursions, we found plenty of time to enjoy what the resort had to offer. The 90-minute couples' massage on our first full day there set the stage with relaxation. We visited the outdoor bar daily, including tequila and rum tastings. We often enjoyed our libations poolside, and what a lovely pool it was. One thing to be aware of - in the late spring and summer, Ambergris Caye has a washup of sargassum seaweed. It makes the water near the shore brown and not suitable for beach wading. I personally was perfectly happy to swim in the pool, and one day went to Secret Beach (about 20 min) on the other side of the island, where the water was absolutely gorgeous. The Matachica crew did a good job of cleaning up the seaweed on the shore, which was good as it did smell. We definitely will return to Matachica next time we find ourselves in Belize!

Matachica was stunning and the staff treated us like royalty, from picking us up at the airport, to bringing us coffee every morning. Every excursion was perfectly hosted, and the food and drinks were incredible. We especially enjoyed time with Lance the bartender, Julio (the man), and Heidi at the front desk who took care of everything we needed.