San Pedro Holiday Hotel, Barrier Reef Drive, San Pedro, The Cayes, Belize
San Pedro Holiday Hotel 
Barrier Reef Drive, San Pedro, The Cayes, Belize
+501 226 2014, +501 226 2295
http://www.sanpedroholiday.com
Barrier Reef Drive, San Pedro, The Cayes, Belize
+501 226 2014, +501 226 2295
http://www.sanpedroholiday.com
General and in-room facilities and services available at San Pedro Holiday Hotel
lobby bar
restaurant
summer garden
summer terrace/patio
entertainment program
conference room
fax services
rooms for non-smokers
playground for children
dry cleaning
laundry/washing services
luggage storage
garage places on site
quiet surroundings
credit/debit cards accepted
checks accepted
common TV room
air conditioner in room
safety deposit box in room
refrigerator in room
en-suite/private bathroom
Some excerpts from the website of San Pedro Holiday Hotel that might be useful
Let your Island Adventure Begin at the Holiday Hotel. Come experience a true BELIZEAN VACATION and Mother Nature at her best. Rates for Holiday Hotel All prices are in US dollars. Click here for our online reservation form. DIVING and FISHING AVAILABLE. Customize packages to suit your needs. Sixteen hotel rooms and one suite. We accept visa, Master Charge and American Express credit cards and we do not charge a service charge. Above room rates are subject to a 15% government room tax and service charge. DIVING FISHING AVAILABLE. DEPOSIT: A one night deposit is required for each room within 14 days of confirmation to guarantee reservation. A two night deposit is required for required for Dec - April. PAYMENT: Payment in full will be due 30 days before guest arrival at the hotel and 45 days for Dec. - April 07. Unused portion of package non-refundable and non-transferable. Amenities: Celi's Restaurant for casual dining on the beach. Celi's Deli open daily 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. offering freshly brewed coffee, juices, rolls. Beach barbecue every Wednesday starting at 6:30 p.m. with live entertainment. Hang Over Sports Bar (the favorite place to meet new friends). Glass Bottom boat trips to Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley. Windsurfing and parasailing available. All a/c rooms with ceiling fans (some with refrigerator and others with refrigerator cable t.v.), private bath, hot and cold running water. Sixteen hotel rooms and one apartment. WINDSURFING PACKAGE LA ISLA BONITA AWAITS YOU.. *4 nights a/c beachfront accommodation at the Colonial style San Pedro Holiday Hotel. *15% government room tax and service charge. *4 days Continental Breakfast from Celi's Deli ( coffee or tea/small juice/cinnamon roll or banana bread or toast). *Roundtrip transfer on Tropic Air from the Belize International Airport to San Pedro. *Complimentary transfers to and from the San Pedro airstrip *Full day of windsurfing with SailSports Belize. SAILING ALSO OFFERED AT AN ADDITIONAL COST. www.SanPedroHoliday.com. La ISLA BONITA AWAITS YOU. *4 nights a/c beachfront hotel accommodation at the Colonial Style San Pedro Holiday Hotel *15% government room tax and service charge *4 days Continental Breakfast from Celi's Deli (coffee or tea/small juice/toast or cinnamon rolls or banana bread) *Roundtrip transfers Tropic Air from the Belize International Airport to San Pedro) *Complimentary transfers to and from the San Pedro airstrip * 2 days of diving ( includes two single tank dive per day with weight belts) DIVER MUST BE CERTIFIED AND HAVE THEIR CARD. LEISURE PACKAGE LA ISLA BONITA AWAITS YOU. * 4 NIGHTS A/C BEACHFRONT ACCOMMODATION AT THE COLONIAL STYLE SAN PEDRO HOLIDAY HOTEL * 15% GOVERNMENT ROOM TAX AND SERVICE CHARGE * 4 DAYS OF CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST FROM CELI'S DELI (coffee or tea/small juice/toast or cinnamon rolls or banana bread) * ROUNDTRIP TRANSFERS ON TROPIC AIR FROM THE BELIZE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO SAN PEDRO *1 DAY GOLF CART RENTAL *ONE FISH DINNER AT CELI'S RESTAURANT INCLUDING A GLASS OF WINE DESSERT. * COMPLIMENTARY TRANSFERS TO AND FROM THE HOTEL. SNORKELING PACKAGE LA ISLA BONITA AWAITS YOU. * 4 nights a/c beachfront hotel accommodation at the Colonial Style San Pedro Holiday Hotel * 15% government room tax and service charge * 4 days Continental Breakfast from Celi's Deli (coffee or tea/small juice/toast or cinnamon roll or banana bread) * Roundtrip transfer on Tropic Air from the Belize International Airport to San Pedro. * Complimentary transfers to and from the San Pedro Airstrip * 1 snorkeling trip on the glass bottom boat to Hol-Chan and Shark Ray Alley ( snorkeling gear and entry fee included ) * One Day Golf cart. COME ENJOY A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!!! e-mail. SanPedroHoliday.com. Contact us to get the different package rates. All reservations must be guaranteed with a deposit of $100.00 US per person and will be non-refundable. Deposit can be made with a visa or Master Charge credit card. RESERVATIONS MUST BE BOOKED DIRECTLY WITH THE SAN PEDRO HOLIDAY HOTEL BY E-MAIL OR FAX (501-226-2295). San Pedro Holiday Hotel Reservation Form. (Required) First Name: (Required) Last Name: (Required) Company Name: (Required) State/Province: (Required) Work Phone#: Number of Rooms or Suites: Special Requests or Comments:
The history of Holiday Hotel is long and storied. The two articles reprinted below help to show the heritage of this fine establishment and those who founded and maintain it... Text and Photography by Rick Frehsee, 1996. Reaching paradise is not always an ordeal. My flight from Miami included a glass of wine, a fine seafood meal, an in- flight movie and a cat nap- completed with dreams of warm, clear water and golden coral reefs. Two hours after I boarded it, our TACA 767 touched down at the International Airport just outside Belize City. Within one-half hour I was aboard a Tropic Air twin prop and 15 minutes later I arrived in paradise- Ambergris Caye. Ambergris should appeal to most anyone yearning for a tropical getaway. This is especially true if you are a diver searching for both exciting diving and a fun island. Ambergris, 25 miles long and one- half to two miles wide, is Belize's largest offshore caye. Actually, it is an island by virtue of a narrow canal, dug by the ancient Maya, that separates Ambergris from the southern end of the Yucatan Peninsula. This geographical closeness has made it convenient to the Yucatecan Maya, who migrated here from Mexico during and since the Caste War of 1861. Today, Ambergris is purely Belizean but with more than a hint of Maya-Mexican ambiance. Ambergris Caye is also Belize's most populated and most popular offshore island. San Pedro Town, toward the southern end of Ambergris Caye, is the local and tourist hub. Lining the sandy streets bordering the eastern beaches are numerous shops, r6staurants, bars and hotels. In the center of town, on the beach, is the charming and nearly historic San Pedro Holiday Hotel. The town center does not imply traffic, noise or crowds. It is merely the middle of what is still more of a sleepy fishing village than an industrious tourist Mecca; few buildings in San Pedro are taller than a palm tree. Above: Chefie Paz (left) owns and manages Holiday Hotel's dedicated dive operation, Bottom Time Divers. Celi Nunez McCorkle (right) opened the Holiday Hotel in 1965. Together they offer great diving with island enchantment. Celi Nunez McCorkle is an island girl by her own definition. Born and raised in San Pedro, she is also the belladonna of tourism on Ambergris Caye. Celi opened Holiday Hotel, a five room establishment, on June 16,1965: With a sing-song voice that characteristically mixes purpose with humor, Celi described those early days: We had nada-nothing! No electricity, no water, no phones, not even an airstrip. Guests arrived by sailboat and they were picked up in a Land Rover, the island's only vehicle. We brought luggage to the hotel with a wheel barrow!. The exciting Shark-Ray Alley animal encounter. Dive tourism began on Ambergris Caye when Celi brought in the island's first compressor in 1970, a 4.5 cubic foot Mako transported in a trailer through Mexico. After the arrival of the island's hyperbaric chamber eight years ago, dive tourism accelerated rapidly and Holiday Hotel has been a focused dive resort ever since. Today Celi takes a more behind the scenes role. The day day operation is handled by another land girl, Kim Reyes, the friendly and capable resident manager. I had visited the San Pedro Holiday Hotel restaurant before and knew I could expect a relaxed, unhurried stay. This friendly place exudes island charm. Over the years it has improved in appointments and services (in fact, renovations were being completed during my visit) but not at the expense of losing its soul. Holiday Hotel looks like, feels like and is an authentic island retreat, combining modern conveniences with hospitality and a way of life that, unfortunately, is disappearing in much of the Caribbean. The hotel entrance is downtown street side, but the loveliest view is from the beach. The original building (the foundation of which was built on thousands of crushed conch shells, Celi told me) is still visible toward the northern end, between the main house and a guest wing. The hotel restaurant is on the first floor. The focal point is the three story main house, which houses the reception area, Sea Gal boutique, tropical lounge and social room on the first floor and guestrooms above. To the south is a cabana. The entire hotel exterior is an accurate portrayal of Caribbean/colonial architecture, finished in pure white with gingerbread latticework and trim painted in bright fuchsia. (The pink-purple paint color is Celi's formula, mixed in Miami.) The result is a cheery island masterpiece. The courtyard is 200 feet of beachfront, combining manicured palms, seagrapes and succulents with white sugar sand. Accents include two palapas, tables, chairs and a bevy of beach chaise lounges. Gabled gateways border both ends of the beach. The hotel and grounds are cared for like a fine old estate; each morning the beach is raked and general cleaning proceeds through the day. Like the rest of the hotel, guestrooms are warm, friendly and relaxing. There are 1 rooms, including one suite, all seafront with an ocean view and furnished with one or two queen sized beds or a combination queen and one or more single beds. One modern concession is that ev- ery guestroom is air-conditioned. Or, if you prefer, there are vented windows and overhead fans. Of course, today there is electricity and hot/cold running water and drinking water in your room. But the phone is in the office, along with a fax and the only TV is barside, reserved for news and sports events. Celi's Restaurant on the beach is one- half a screened porch with sand floor and one-half a traditional dining room. The restaurant is warmed by wood and wicker, cooled by fans and accented with a ginger lily and bird of paradise flower at each table. The restaurant is open for lunch and for dinner (lobster, crab, fish, shrimp, chicken, key lime pie, etc.). Celi's Deli, on the first floor facing the street, is open from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm daily (coffee, soft drinks, juices, sand- wiches, tacos, burritos, tostaclas, tamales, rotisserie chicken, banana bread, etc.). The Hang Over Sport bar, opening at 8:00 am, is said to be the island's number one gossip spot. On the hotel dock, just a short stroll from your room, is the Holiday Hotel's dedicated dive operation, the Bottom Time Dive Shop. Owned and managed for the past ten years by islanders Chefie and Clara Paz, Bottom Time offers a complete menu of dive services. There are up to ten boats available, all in the 24 to 26 foot category and most equipped with a canvas top. The most popular outing is a two tank trip offered at 9:00 am and 2:00 pm. Daily single tank trips are available as is a 6:00 prn night dive-any evening with two or more divers. Snorkeling tours are also available daily at 9:00 am and 2:00 prn to destinations such as Mexico Rocks, Hol Chan Marine Park or to Shark-Ray Alley, Ambergris Caye's exciting new animal encounter. Full day snorkel tours to nearby Caye Caulker are also available. Other specialty trips include bird or Manatee watching, picnic trips, mainland river trips and general sightseeing. Bottom Time provides rental gear, general merchandise sales and PADI open water, student referral, resort or advanced courses. Arrangements can also be made for all day or overnight dive trips to Turneffe Atoll, Lighthouse Reef and the Great Blue Hole. As Chefie says, We offer the whole enchilada.. Offdiving hours at the hotel are quickly consumed with relaxation or a variety of experiences. Town or beach walks are probably the most popular and obvious activity; there are dozens of shops, restaurants and lounges within a short walk of the hotel. Holiday Hotel offers daily glassbottom boat tours aboard the Reef Seeker for non-divers. The reception desk, open from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm, is your headquarters for all travel arrangements, including reconfirmations, island tours, fishing tours and a smorgasbord of Maya sites and jungle treks on the mainland. Celi's Beach Barbecue is a traditional island...
The history of Holiday Hotel is long and storied. The two articles reprinted below help to show the heritage of this fine establishment and those who founded and maintain it... Text and Photography by Rick Frehsee, 1996. Reaching paradise is not always an ordeal. My flight from Miami included a glass of wine, a fine seafood meal, an in- flight movie and a cat nap- completed with dreams of warm, clear water and golden coral reefs. Two hours after I boarded it, our TACA 767 touched down at the International Airport just outside Belize City. Within one-half hour I was aboard a Tropic Air twin prop and 15 minutes later I arrived in paradise- Ambergris Caye. Ambergris should appeal to most anyone yearning for a tropical getaway. This is especially true if you are a diver searching for both exciting diving and a fun island. Ambergris, 25 miles long and one- half to two miles wide, is Belize's largest offshore caye. Actually, it is an island by virtue of a narrow canal, dug by the ancient Maya, that separates Ambergris from the southern end of the Yucatan Peninsula. This geographical closeness has made it convenient to the Yucatecan Maya, who migrated here from Mexico during and since the Caste War of 1861. Today, Ambergris is purely Belizean but with more than a hint of Maya-Mexican ambiance. Ambergris Caye is also Belize's most populated and most popular offshore island. San Pedro Town, toward the southern end of Ambergris Caye, is the local and tourist hub. Lining the sandy streets bordering the eastern beaches are numerous shops, r6staurants, bars and hotels. In the center of town, on the beach, is the charming and nearly historic San Pedro Holiday Hotel. The town center does not imply traffic, noise or crowds. It is merely the middle of what is still more of a sleepy fishing village than an industrious tourist Mecca; few buildings in San Pedro are taller than a palm tree. Above: Chefie Paz (left) owns and manages Holiday Hotel's dedicated dive operation, Bottom Time Divers. Celi Nunez McCorkle (right) opened the Holiday Hotel in 1965. Together they offer great diving with island enchantment. Celi Nunez McCorkle is an island girl by her own definition. Born and raised in San Pedro, she is also the belladonna of tourism on Ambergris Caye. Celi opened Holiday Hotel, a five room establishment, on June 16,1965: With a sing-song voice that characteristically mixes purpose with humor, Celi described those early days: We had nada-nothing! No electricity, no water, no phones, not even an airstrip. Guests arrived by sailboat and they were picked up in a Land Rover, the island's only vehicle. We brought luggage to the hotel with a wheel barrow!. The exciting Shark-Ray Alley animal encounter. Dive tourism began on Ambergris Caye when Celi brought in the island's first compressor in 1970, a 4.5 cubic foot Mako transported in a trailer through Mexico. After the arrival of the island's hyperbaric chamber eight years ago, dive tourism accelerated rapidly and Holiday Hotel has been a focused dive resort ever since. Today Celi takes a more behind the scenes role. The day day operation is handled by another land girl, Kim Reyes, the friendly and capable resident manager. I had visited the San Pedro Holiday Hotel restaurant before and knew I could expect a relaxed, unhurried stay. This friendly place exudes island charm. Over the years it has improved in appointments and services (in fact, renovations were being completed during my visit) but not at the expense of losing its soul. Holiday Hotel looks like, feels like and is an authentic island retreat, combining modern conveniences with hospitality and a way of life that, unfortunately, is disappearing in much of the Caribbean. The hotel entrance is downtown street side, but the loveliest view is from the beach. The original building (the foundation of which was built on thousands of crushed conch shells, Celi told me) is still visible toward the northern end, between the main house and a guest wing. The hotel restaurant is on the first floor. The focal point is the three story main house, which houses the reception area, Sea Gal boutique, tropical lounge and social room on the first floor and guestrooms above. To the south is a cabana. The entire hotel exterior is an accurate portrayal of Caribbean/colonial architecture, finished in pure white with gingerbread latticework and trim painted in bright fuchsia. (The pink-purple paint color is Celi's formula, mixed in Miami.) The result is a cheery island masterpiece. The courtyard is 200 feet of beachfront, combining manicured palms, seagrapes and succulents with white sugar sand. Accents include two palapas, tables, chairs and a bevy of beach chaise lounges. Gabled gateways border both ends of the beach. The hotel and grounds are cared for like a fine old estate; each morning the beach is raked and general cleaning proceeds through the day. Like the rest of the hotel, guestrooms are warm, friendly and relaxing. There are 1 rooms, including one suite, all seafront with an ocean view and furnished with one or two queen sized beds or a combination queen and one or more single beds. One modern concession is that ev- ery guestroom is air-conditioned. Or, if you prefer, there are vented windows and overhead fans. Of course, today there is electricity and hot/cold running water and drinking water in your room. But the phone is in the office, along with a fax and the only TV is barside, reserved for news and sports events. Celi's Restaurant on the beach is one- half a screened porch with sand floor and one-half a traditional dining room. The restaurant is warmed by wood and wicker, cooled by fans and accented with a ginger lily and bird of paradise flower at each table. The restaurant is open for lunch and for dinner (lobster, crab, fish, shrimp, chicken, key lime pie, etc.). Celi's Deli, on the first floor facing the street, is open from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm daily (coffee, soft drinks, juices, sand- wiches, tacos, burritos, tostaclas, tamales, rotisserie chicken, banana bread, etc.). The Hang Over Sport bar, opening at 8:00 am, is said to be the island's number one gossip spot. On the hotel dock, just a short stroll from your room, is the Holiday Hotel's dedicated dive operation, the Bottom Time Dive Shop. Owned and managed for the past ten years by islanders Chefie and Clara Paz, Bottom Time offers a complete menu of dive services. There are up to ten boats available, all in the 24 to 26 foot category and most equipped with a canvas top. The most popular outing is a two tank trip offered at 9:00 am and 2:00 pm. Daily single tank trips are available as is a 6:00 prn night dive-any evening with two or more divers. Snorkeling tours are also available daily at 9:00 am and 2:00 prn to destinations such as Mexico Rocks, Hol Chan Marine Park or to Shark-Ray Alley, Ambergris Caye's exciting new animal encounter. Full day snorkel tours to nearby Caye Caulker are also available. Other specialty trips include bird or Manatee watching, picnic trips, mainland river trips and general sightseeing. Bottom Time provides rental gear, general merchandise sales and PADI open water, student referral, resort or advanced courses. Arrangements can also be made for all day or overnight dive trips to Turneffe Atoll, Lighthouse Reef and the Great Blue Hole. As Chefie says, We offer the whole enchilada.. Offdiving hours at the hotel are quickly consumed with relaxation or a variety of experiences. Town or beach walks are probably the most popular and obvious activity; there are dozens of shops, restaurants and lounges within a short walk of the hotel. Holiday Hotel offers daily glassbottom boat tours aboard the Reef Seeker for non-divers. The reception desk, open from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm, is your headquarters for all travel arrangements, including reconfirmations, island tours, fishing tours and a smorgasbord of Maya sites and jungle treks on the mainland. Celi's Beach Barbecue is a traditional island...
