Corona del Mar Hotel & Apartments

The Corona del Mar property has a slightly disjointed feel. It’s composed of several three-story buildings, with lots of protruding staircases and confusing outdoor passageways. Its entrance is marked by a hand painted archway, and several more signs point in the direction of the hidden front office. Once you've arrived, the reception space doesn’t feel particularly welcoming. The aesthetic lies somewhere between basement storage space and harried home office, with lots of dark wood paneling, large black file cabinets, laundry baskets stacked on top of storage containers, and T-shirts hanging on the walls. Plus, the water cooler with a sign that reads “water for staff only” doesn’t exactly send the right welcome message. Outside, the hotel’s grounds are tidy, but chipped concrete and tile work show signs of age. 

Guests at Corona del Mar are a mixed bag. Some are older retirees, while others are young backpackers. The atmosphere is generally quiet, but it can get rowdy at times, thanks to the on-site bar’s popular karaoke nights and daily rum-punch happy hours. 

Corona del Mar is located south of San Pedro Town -- about a five to 10-minute golf cart ride, or a 20-minute walk. The area immediately surrounding the hotel is significantly quieter than town, but there are a few bars and restaurants within walking distance. Guests who plan on exploring the island will definitely want to rent a golf cart, but those who only intend to relax around the property might not need one. 

San Pedro is the largest town on Ambergris Caye, Belize’s largest island. Ambergris Caye is best known for its proximity to the Belize Barrier Reef, which is a mere 20-minute boat ride from the island. The Belize Barrier Reef is part of the larger Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, which extends from eastern Mexico to Honduras -- making it the second largest reef system in the world, after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Needless to say, travelers visit Ambergris Caye to experience its rich marine life and exceptional dive sites, such as Hol Chan and the Blue Hole. Ambergris Caye is an ideal destination for divers and avid snorkelers, and is an excellent place for those seeking scuba certification. It’s not an ideal destination for travelers in search of beautiful beaches (check out Placencia or Hopkins instead). Nearly all of Ambergris Caye’s beaches are manmade, and all of the beaches on the island -- like the one in front of Corona del Mar-- are plagued by the mounds of seaweed that constantly wash ashore. 

Like many parts of the Caribbean, Ambergris Caye is currently dealing with a massive seaweed problem. Due to rising ocean temperatures, large amounts of seagrass accumulate along the shoreline and wash up on the beach. The piles of dried seagrass are unsightly and foul smelling, and the stagnant seaweed prevents a lot of people from swimming directly off shore. Its sulfurous smell may also aggravate some travelers. This is a natural phenomenon, and there isn’t much hotels can do to get rid of the seaweed, but it’s something travelers should anticipate when visiting Ambergris Caye.  

Corona del Mar has a lot of different room types that range from small studios to multi-bedroom apartments with full kitchens. Decor varies between rooms, but overall it's dated and not very pretty. White walls and beige tile floors create a bland palette, while brass light fixtures and floral bedspreads show signs of age. On the bright side, in-room amenities like flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges, and microwaves all look new. Bathrooms are pretty tight on space. Most only fit a toilet and a skinny shower/tub combo, so vanities and sinks are located in the bedroom area. Many guests complain that temperature control can be iffy while showering, which is something we also noticed during our visit. Several rooms have substantial outdoor balconies. Some overlook the beach, but others have views of the street.  

The hotel has several types of apartment units, including a Penthouse, a one-bedroom apartment, and a standalone Cottage. The apartment units are equipped with full kitchens that come stocked with full-size refrigerators and ovens, along with small appliances like toasters, microwaves, and coffeemakers. Drawers are stocked with cutlery, placemats, pots and pans, and essential cooking utensils like spatulas and ladles. Some apartments, like the Penthouse, can accommodate up to six people. 

At first glance, the amenities at Corona del Mar don’t seem worth sticking around for, but plenty of guests do stay put, making use of the on-site pool, sports bar, and manmade beach. The pool is old and feels oddly smushed between the hotel bar and the guest rooms. Despite its weird layout, it gets plenty of use throughout the day. Kids splash around in the shallow water, and adults sip their cocktails while sitting on one of the built-in stools. The adjacent sports bar is popular with guests and locals alike. It draws daytime crowds for soccer games and attracts vacationers from across the island with its popular karaoke nights. The bar hosts a free rum-punch happy hour each afternoon (for guests only), so the atmosphere around the pool becomes a bit more festive by sunset. Hotel guests be warned -- the bar can get rowdy on the weekends, and tends to be noisy until the wee hours. Some guests complain that the bar noise affects their sleep at night. In the mornings the hotel serves free breakfast in the bar area, though guests are better off paying for breakfast elsewhere. Corona del Mar’s breakfast consists of bags of white bread strewn across the bar, with a toaster and a sticky mess of butter and jams for guests to contend with. Guests must retrieve a breakfast coupon in the lobby if they’d like eggs and fruit, which are served together on a single styrofoam plate. The self-serve coffee is accompanied by powdered creamer. Wi-Fi is free for all guests and works well across the property. 

Like most of the beaches on Ambergris Caye, the beach in front of Corona del Mar is manmade. The sand is lined with cushioned lounge chairs and patterned hammocks are strung between palm trees. It’s a fairly large beach by Ambergris Cay standards, and a manmade seawall does a nice job of keeping seaweed off the beach.