GUEST BOOK, 2002, Portofino Resort, Exclusive Lodging on Ambergris Caye, Belize

GUEST BOOK, 2002

We are sure you will enjoy reading the following comments:

30 December 2002
Thanks for a wonderful, magnificent vacation!! Your staff makes everything perfect. Thanks to all.
Scott and Jill
30 December 2002
We had the most wonderful week here and will never forget it! Thanks for making our wedding really special. Happy New Year!
Ben and Becky
19 December 2002
We had a fabulous time here! Great place to celebrate our 10th anniversary. We will be back. Hopefully soon!!! Thank you to the entire staff for your hospitality.
All our best always
Tanya and Pete Foster (Dallas TX)
19 December 2002
Thank you for a memorable stay in paradise. The staff (including Tara) made us feel like we were at home. Truly heaven on earth!
Amie & Wade Hoffman
14 December 2002
We had a wonderful time in the Royal Orchid Suite - Definitely made us feel like VIP's. We loved the diving and the peaceful sound of the palms lulling us to sleep at night. You'll see us again! Thanks for everything
Syd and Drew Davis (Virginia, USA)
7 December 2002
We are so very happy we decided to elope to Portofino! Our wedding was perfect and we wouldn't have changed a thing. We are grateful to Zachary and Sonja for being our witnesses with so little notice. We appreciate the kind, friendly and courteous staff that have made our stay most pleasurable.
Daralyn & Steve Heywood (West Hyannisport, Mass)
26 November 2002
Thanks for making the dream come true. I found the cleanest clearest and most beautiful water in the world. I've seen more colorful fish thank I can count. Enjoyed laughs and smiles with wonderful people. Relaxed in the best, most comfortable hammock on the beach. All here in Portofino land thanks again for making this dream come true. I already want to come back!. Loving it in Belize.
Gibby Bates (NC)
26 November 2002
Thank you Portofino for a memorable experience, We had an absolute relaxing time and appreciate your hospitality. Thanks Will for showing us a good time. Thanks Carla for the great drinks. Zack, Steph and Tracey for making sure we had a perfect visit.
Danielle Pla.
13 November 2002
The "prisoners of Portofino" bid you a fond farewell - and what a pleasurable incarceration it was! Each day a feast of beauty for the eyes and senses. Many thanks to Lewis, Hugh, Carla, Sarah, Jessie and of course Tracey, Jan, Sandra, Stephanie and last but definitely not least Zachary. With love from "The Gimp" and her amazing Hubby
11 November 2002
Thank you to everyone here at Portofino! We could not have had a better start to our marriage. This peaceful seclusion was amazing. The service, the food, the Royal Orchid Suite were perfect! Thank you to all.
Annaliese and Donavan
10 November 2002
Peace, solitude, breeze, silence, fresh food, cool beers, kind and courteous staff. We haven't holidayed like this for a long time. Nothing was too much trouble for the staff. The only problem is that Lita and I have not yet figured out how to move here forever!. Thanks so much to all of you, and we hope to see you again.
9 November 2002
This has been a week in Paradise! A week of no stress, no worries. You took such great care of us. The room was lovely, the food terrific and your staff is excellent. Thank you Zachary, Carla and everyone else! We will be back.
Bruce and Lori Gray (California)
31 October 02

Todd and I really appreciate all that you've done to make our wedding ceremony and stay at Portofino absolutely perfect. The staff at this resort is incredible. We cannot wait to come back again someday. Will send our favorite picture.

Courtney and Todd Slutzky (Atlanta Georgia)
28 October 02

Thank you so much for helping us celebrate our new marriage. We could not have asked for a more beautiful honeymoon. Best of luck to all of you as we hope to be back soon.

Victoria and Mark Sulanke (Richmond VA)
27 October 02
To Jan, Sandra, Zach and the rest of the magnificent Portofino staff, thank you so very much for the absolutely wonderful honeymoon. The suite is fabulous, and your resort is the most romantic place on earth. We shall be returning to the island soon, and cannot wait to stay here again. Best of luck and fun to all of you.

Ken and Dana Farrar (Houston, TX)
Sent: Sunday, October 27, 2002 8:47 AM
Subject: Pictures Part 1

Hello Everyone,
Thanks for the best honeymoon ever. Liz and I had a blast!!!!! Attached are some pictures from our trip..can't wait to come back! If you have some time check out more pictures on our website..

Jeff
Sent: Monday, October 21, 2002 7:22 AM
Subject: Hello from Canada

Portofino!
Mr and Mrs. McDonald are back in Canada with the snow!

I just wanted to thank you for all of the work you put into the wedding we definitely appreciated it!

Zak and Stephanie thanks a bunch for all of your stories and jokes. Oh I was wondering if you could divuldge a couple of recipes for me... Cuban special and rum punch... I want to have them at the reception.mmmmmmmm. Thanks again for everything.
Sandra and Jan- I think you have an amazing place...... we both agree BEST food on the island! Thanks so much for both of your help with the awsome dinner and cake!!! and with sending the digital pictures to our family.... it REALLY made the difference, they were so excited to see them and thought it looked like paradise... which of course it was! We are just working on the cook book and will be sure to send you a copy when it's done.

Let us know how the plans for Portifino are coming along we may take a second honeymoon back in a year or two!

Take care,
Nicole and Charles
19 October 02

We have had a wonderful time here. Weather is great, people are great! Fantastic Vacation! We are planning our next vacation already. Zack and Stephanie, we wish you the very bes. Craig and Tracey diving wa just an absolute hight! I can't wait to go again. Blonde Diver on the loose! To Sandra and Jan, the most peaceful and beautiful resort. The restaurant was excellent. Your staff was very courteous and welcomed us with open arms. It made the vacation peaceful and enjoyable. Thank you

Mark and Becky Biggs
19 October 02

Thank you, had a wonderful time. Good friends are forever.

Love Dave and Cathy Fisher
Sent: Wednesday, October 09, 2002 2:03 PM
Subject: (no subject)

Hi Sandra, Jan & Sonya:

It has been over 2 months since Sabrina and I were there but we think about your beautiful place most everyday. We were only there for 2 days but loved every minute of it and can never forget how friendly all of you were. I wanted to find out what the availability was of either one of the treehouse suites or the royal orchid suite for ....

Look forward to hearing from you.

Daryl
3 October 02

Jeff and I had a fantastic stay. Our Honeymoon couldn't have been any better. We (I really) enjoyed the bloody marys. Your hospitality is second to none and we'll definitely be back. Next time not during hurricane season!

Liz & Jeff Keating
Sent: Tuesday, October 01, 2002 5:24 AM
Subject: (no subject)

Hello Zachary and everyone at Portofino!
How is paradise? Have y'all been affected by any of the hurricanes coming through? I've been watching the weather keeping an eye on y'all.
Jay and I have returned to the real world and are back in the daily grind of things. It seems to long ago that we were in paradise. Since we departed so quickly we did not have the opportunity to really say goodbye and thank you for such a delightful time. Everyone at Portofino was absolutely wonderful as well as the people of Belize.
Anyway, please tell Carla, Julio and certainly Sandra I said hello and please stay in touch.

Best wishes,
Tawnya
Sent: Thursday, September 26, 2002 5:47 PM
Subject: vacation

Just wanted to say thank you guys for a wonderful vacation!!! John and I had a fabulous time. Your resort was fantastic and all the people there were extremely helpful and fun!!! Here are a few pictures we took while there. Hope to see you again!!!

Lisa & John Haley
22 September 02

Paradise at Portofino! We could not have received such special treatment anywhere else everyone was fabulous! And beauty beyond belief - snorkeling, diving, river, ruins and wonderful food! Thank you for a perfect week!

Lisa and John Haley
21 September 02

To everyone in Portofino, thanks for the excellent service and perfectly dreamlike week. The diving was benign - moray, turtles, absolutely beautiful. Thank you for the perfect honeymoon. We'll be back.

Fabian and Jennie Rousset ( Pasadena, CA)
Sent: Saturday, September 21, 2002 3:15 PM
Subject: hello from chicago

Hi Everyone
Just wanted to thank you once again for making my engagement such a wonderful experience. Your hotel is better than any 5 star hotel i've been to. We still can't get over how much we loved the place. As beautiful as your resort is, it's your staff that makes it so special. Thanks again for everything!

Gi Garay
September 02

Back Again!. Brad and Kari without Erik.... Love the improvements, love the staff ... Thanks Zach, Thanks Sandra.
Year 1 - a success.
Thanks and good luck for next year - see you then.

Brad and Kari
12 September 02

What a wonderful hotel. We had an absolutely incredible time. The people here make the place. A six star hotel!!!! Everything was first rate from the food to the service to the little touches. And what a great place to get engaged which is what we did. Thanks again to all for making this such an awesome experience. To those of you that stay sit back enjoy, let the staff take over and have a great time.

Diana Pagan (not for long) (Chicago, IL)
Hoi Sandra,
Wat een mooi sprookje!!!
Gebracht met een bootje, gevolgd door een heel vriendelijk onthaal. Op dit mooie eiland hebben jullie echt een paradijs! We hebben erg goed gegeten. Complimenten voor de sla dressing, en de rest!
We hebben heel erg genoten en zullen deze avond niet snel vergeten. Wij wensen jullie heeeeel veel succes met Portofino!!
Groeten uit Amsterdam en hopelijk komen we weer een keertje terug.

Liefs Ronald & Maartje
9 September 02

Wow! What a perfect week in Paradise! Thank you all so much for everything. Everyone was so nice and our Honeymoon was fabulous. We can't wait to come back next year.

Julie & Dino Ditta (CA)
September 02

Portofino Paradise! Thank you all for a memorable stay even the dog is freiendly. Sonja and Zachary Thank you so much for helping us with our traveling needs. Jessy and Carla you wer fabulous with the eats, drinks, and hair doos too! Sandra we wish you the best and Happy one year anniversary. Next time maybe we will meet your husband - you have a wonderful place. Thank you

Colleen & Don Sher (California)
9 September 02

To anyone who visits Portofino this is a truly magical place. The owner and staff are special in their own way so sweet and cool. The food is by far the best on the island. I know because I have tried everywhere. Don't miss out at the very least eating here and spending a few hours or days in the special magical place.
28 August 02

25 August 02

To each and every one of the Portofino Staff. Tim and I had a wonderful week with you. Everyone was so helpful and friendly. Belize is breath taking and we had many beautiful experiences here to keep in our memories for a very long time. Thank you for everything.

Jane Ann & Tim Memphis TN
Sent: Tuesday, August 20, 2002 12:58 PM
Subject: Thanks

We had a great time and wish we were still feeling the island breezes and drinking some rum punches. We hope to see you sometime soon.

Seth
19 Augosto 02

We leave this place very relaxed with the hope to come back again in the future. We have felt like at home, a private and nice home with wonderful friends in a peace of Paradise. Good Luck!

Javier Ocana

18 Aug 2002

A tropical paradise! Wonderful service, beautiful accommodations and organized schedules. We were never at want. A resort for every party - family or honeymooners. The atmosphere is perfect for those looking for a true vacation. Thank you for all your kindness and consideration.

Curt and Nicole (Washington State )
18 August 02

We hope to spend many more anniversaries here and watch this place grow even more beautiful than it already is, the peace and tranquility is something we hope to keep with us for a lifetime - we hope to be a part of your memories as well. Tara needs a life jacket as captain of Portofino

Jenn and Alan
18 August 02

The royal orchid suite was even more than we expected - we could not have imagined a more perfect honeymoon to visit another country and yet feel as if you are with your friends from home is an amazing and unforgettable experience, we met many new friend we hope to keep. Thank you for your generosity, hospitality and most of all friendship and stories. Thank you always

Jenn and Alan
12 August 2002

Thanks to all the staff. Everything was great. We loved the Jasmine Suite, the food, the atmosphere, the hospitality, the service. Thanks for a wonderful time.

Cindy and Mike Semick (Seattle, WA)
9 August 2002

Thanks to all Portofino staff. We had the time of our life. Wish you all the best. See you all again next time.

Noel Batinga
9 August 2002 To everyone at Portofino. Thanx so much for everything. This place is paradise!!! Best of luck to all.

Sophie and Melani (Canada)
7 August 2002

Thank you so much for making our honeymoon stay here just so wonderful. The honeymoon suite was just perfect. Thank you for your wonderful hospitality, and for helping make every steip of our trip so smooth. We will definitely be looking forward to our next trip and will tell everyone how lovely Belize & Portofino is!! Thanks again!

Michael & Olivia Cellini (New York)
4 August 2002

To our Family in Belize - We enjoyed our stay it's always nice to know you have staff that treats you as family. That really means a lot. We will see you soon with our little one.

Shane and Marylyn
Sent: Friday, July 19, 2002 5:36 PM
Subject: Loved Our Stay!!

Sonya,
Lori and I had a wonderful time at the Portofino Resort last month. We were impressed with the personal attention you gave us and the extreme professionalism the staff went to in order to make our trip a super vacation. We highly recommend the Portofino Resort to anyone looking for that perfect "get-away" and think it was one of the very best trips we have taken. The rooms were not only spacious, but had all the comforts of home. The food in the restaurant was superb and the extra special touch cooking the fish and lobster we caught fishing during the week made the trip something special.

We look forward to returning to Belize and especially the Portofino Resort to have another great vacation with our friends, both the ones we made during our stay and the ones we plan on bringing with us next time down. Keep everything running the way it is and you will make many more people happy as you made us.

Sincerely,
Bob and Lori
Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2002 6:04 AM
Subject: some pictures

Hi all,
Chad and I received an email from Kevin and Connie with awesome pictures from your resort and trip, and know you did too. It was great to see them. I am still editing my video. Here you have a couple of pictures. WE are swapped of work but life is good.

Love
Raquel and Chad
What moves men of genius, or rather what inspires their work, is not new ideas, but their obsession with the idea that what has already been said is still not enough.
- Eugene Delacroix

Raquel
16 July 2002

I have been coming to Belize for over ten years and have even bought property here and without a doubt this is the most fabulous place that I have stayed at. To everyone at Portofino a big thank you for making my stay such fun.

Tina Lendman (Wisc)
Sent: Sunday, July 07, 2002 7:01 PM
Subject: oi!

Hello Jan, Sandra, Gonzo, Sonya, Baby G, Julio, and Jason
Connie and I had a very relaxing and memorable honeymoon at Portofino!
Please check out our website at
http://www.cookwillseywedding.com/assets/honeymoon.htm

There are many honeymoon photos from your beautiful place!
We have been spreading the word and hopefully it will yield fruit for you.
May the good winds continue to blow

peace & happiness
Kevin & Connie
15 June 2002
Thank you all for the solace, the intimacy, the sunshine and the laughs! You and your resort are fabulous - and we hope to see you all in the very near future. Bless you all for making us feel so welcome and for not making us feel guilty for being such 'slugs'
Kate and Daniel Moyer (PA)
To everyone at Portofino. Thank you so much for an incredible vacation. And to Sandra and Jan thank you for being part of our wedding. It couldn't have been a more perfect evening. A vacation, a wedding and a honeymoon! A girl can't ask for more than that! It isn't often you can stay someplace on a vacation where you feel like you are among friends. You have absolutely the very best resort on the island. We can't wait to share the experience. Best wishes always!
David and Melanie
Sent: Friday, July 05, 2002 7:32 PM
Subject: thank you everyone!!

Hello Portofino Staff!!!
I have been putting off this email because I just don't think I have the right words to say what I want to say to everyone. I can not thank you enough for making our wedding trip so fantastic. It was everything we dreamed of and so much more. Everyone there treated us so kindly, we felt like royalty. You have a wonderful resort there and if you keep doing what you are doing, I see many successful years to come. We will forever remember our trip to Portofino. Hopefully we will make it back for an anniversary (without the family!!!). The food, drinks and accommodations were all great but what really made it such a wonderful place is the entire staff. A special thank you to Sandra and Sonja for working so hard to make my wedding perfect!

Kindly,
Chris and Katie

P.S. We got some great pics of your resort and wedding and the delicious cake Sonja made. When my life calms down a bit, I will email them to you.
Sent: Friday, June 28, 2002 2:40 PM
Subject: Made it home O.K.

Hey Gang, We are home and talking about our trip to our friends. We already miss you guys and hope everyone is having a great day off. You need it after dealing with us. We will send pictures and notes later; just letting you know we are home.
Love you guys--

Bob and Lori
P.S. I'm sending you a little song to remember us by.
Sent: Monday, June 17, 2002 7:41 PM
Subject: THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Hi Everybody,
How is eveybody? Chad and I are back to reality. Busy, busy, busy.... We had an awesome time and we will never forget all of you. You were great! I started editing the video, but I won't have it ready for a while. As soon as I have a part finished I will send it to all of you. Gotta go now but will write soon again.

Thanks again
Raquel and Chad
Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2002 1:04 PM
Subject: RE: Portofino

Hello, Jan.
How good it was to hear from you! Thank you for the pictures. We got some of our photos back and will send copies to you soon. Sandra mentioned that you might want to include some on your website.

All of you at Portofino became like family to us only after one week. We miss Portofino and all of you, and when we close our eyes, we see all the sites of our wonderful honeymoon. We are anxious to schedule another visit.

Please say hello to everyone for us. We are so happy that you are busy and have many guests. We pray God's blessings upon your hard work.

Randy and Maria

Sent: Wednesday, June 12, 2002 9:55 AM
Subject: Sonja!
Sonja-

Portofino was a fabulous experience! After staying in other accommodations on the island of Ambergris Caye, we found the staff are the friendliest and most accommodating there. Plus, living in a Cabana by the beach and eating their incredible food is something not everyone gets to experience during a lifetime! Thank you Portofino!

Heather (and James)
Sent: Monday, June 10, 2002 10:50 PM
Subject: Thanks!

Hello Sandra,
Very nice meeting you last week. Thanks so much for taking the time to show us around the property. I think the rooms are some of the best in Belize and the bathrooms definitely are! I look forward to doing business with you!

Thanks again,
Barbara
Sent: Saturday, May 18, 2002 1:17 PM
Subject: vacation

Dear Sonja,
I just wanted to say thanks again for all you did for us during our stay at Portofino! Rob and I will never forget our vacation there! I hope you had a good time in San Ignacio, and good luck with your wedding plans!

Sincerely,
Kim
Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2002 9:04 PM
Subject: April Stay!

Just back from one of the best vacations ever. Do you have the kind of stress that takes three vacation days to melt away?, how about Portofino for a instant extra strength chill pill. From the minute you get off Tropic Air, Carlos(the resort boat captain) will take your luggage and wisk you away for a fantastic six mile boat ride to paradise. As the boat gets closer to Portofino you will see a long dock with beautiful thatched roof accommodation waiting to be indulged by you. As the boat docks you will be greeted by Jan, Sandra, or Sonja and a cool tropical drink. All accommodations are great, but to really experience Portofino I order you to stay in the"Royal Orchid Suite" it is the very best! The entire staff makes you feel like family and they will do anything that is possible to make sure that your stay is a memorable one. Don't forget to ask Candy to make her famous conch ceviche, it is fantastic! We can't wait to return to feel the Portofino love again!

Craig & Andrea
Sent: Monday, May 13, 2002 11:15 AM
Subject: Hello again!

Hey guys!

Remember me? We came to the Portofino for my mom's wedding in February. I wanted to let you know that I have FINALLY gotten a package on the way to you.

I noticed that you have updated your website. It looks wonderful! I sent you some pictures on CD and on paper that you are welcome to use if you'd like.

Anyway, thank you guys again for the WONDERFUL treatment while we were at the Portofino. That was by far the best vacation that John and I have ever had, and we can't wait to come back! We've told everyone about you and hope your business is booming!

Melanie
Sent: Saturday, May 11, 2002 9:03 PM
Subject: RE greetings from the quigleys in the usa

dear sandra and jan

as the spring warms here i remember the wonderful weather we had on our trip to belize when we first met this february. we really connected and enjoyed your company so. i hope you are being ever more successful in your business. i do miss maxi. i guess he is now an andolescent dog and no longer a pup. our trip was short but we have great memories of you two and all the assistance you gave us in our last minute rush for looking for housing. please say to hi to joanne and cliff. i will send them a note too.

my memmories of my 50th birthday will always be full of fun.

let me know if you plan to visit the states so i can repay the hospitality.

take care
with warm thoughts

eileen
Sent: Sunday, May 05, 2002 3:07 PM
Subject: (no subject)
Hello Sonja I hope you are all doing well. We just wanted to thank you and your staff for making are stay fantastic and I will send a very short review soon. I am getting low on limes do you think Jason can swim to town and get me some, he can do that right, right, right! Take care,
Craig & Andrea
Sent: Saturday, April 27, 2002 8:08 PM
Subject: Pictures
During my recent stay, I took some pictures while staying at your resort. I thought I'd send them to you, if you would want to use them. Otherwise, feel free to discard! Thanks for a wonderful stay. I had a very much needed relaxing stay. Your resort provided a wonderful, peaceful experience "away from the rat race!" The only picture not taken at the resort is the underwater picture, which is of Mexico Rocks in which I used 1 of your surfboards to swim out to.
Thanks,
Jeanett
Sent: Thursday, April 25, 2002 6:47 PM
Subject: (no subject)
Dear Sandra,
We wanted to thank you for all that you and your staff did to make our wedding last Saturday as memorable and as perfect as we imagined it could be. We couldn't have asked for better service and attention. You were more than accommodating with as little notice as you had. Thanks to you and your resort, we will have amazing wedding photos and memories that will last a life time. The dinner was delicious and please give our thanks to Sonya for the exquisite cake. I can assure you we will spread the word around that Portofino is the place to stay in Ambergris Caye.
Thanks so much again and give Maxie a big hug for us!
Greg and Lisa Gentry
Sent: Wednesday, April 03, 2002 1:39 PM
Subject: Hi
Hi everyone!
Bryan and I hope everything is going well for you at Portofino! We really had such a wonderful time at the resort! You made our wedding day the most memorable and we will always treasure our time there. I am thankful that we made the right choice to get married at your resort!! I am already telling my friends that are engaged to head down to Belize and get married at Portofino!
Tell everyone that we said "hi" and give Maxinne a big hug for us!
Diane
Sent: February 28, 2002

Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2002 9:55 AM
Hi Burga,
Thank you for your e-mail. You have been fantastic in providing all the help. The Alten Ha Ruin trip was great - it worked out perfectly.
Please thank everyone at the Portofino for making our stay so pleasant and relaxing. All the arrangements you made worked to perfection. Therefore, we had nothing to worry about. The meals were great and the company was outstanding. We will certainly recommend the all-inclusive service to all our friends who wish to visit Belize.
Best regards,
Dave
Subject: Many thanks!
Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2002 16:51:42 -0800

Hi Sandra,
how are you doing? Thank you again for being such a gracious hostess and making our first trip to Belize one that we will always look back on with great memories. We had a fantastic time staying with you and getting to know you. You and Jan work so hard and are so dedicated that I know Portofino will be a success for many years to come. I highly recommend it to anyone wishing to visit and plan to return sometime in the future. We had such a great experience at your place that we wouldn't think of staying anywhere else next time. Thank you and thank you to Jan as well. I am missing the people I met and the relaxed pace of the island. Every day I try to figure out how and when we can go back and at night I dream of being back there.
Well, I hope you're having a good day. We miss you. Thank you again for our wonderful visit, you do such a great job! Take care, say HI to everyone, and I'll be in touch again.

Love, Madeline
Sent: Friday, January 18, 2002 4:07 PM
Subject: Thanks for the wonderful time!
Hello Burga,
KayDee and I are back home in snowy, blustery Chicago, and we miss Beilze and Portofino every time we have to walk outside or even look out our window. We want to thank you, Sandra, Jan, Delbert and everybody on the Portofino staff for the wonderful, relaxing and adventure-filled vacation we had on Ambergris Caye.
We wish you a good luck on your beautiful resort, and we'll be sure to tell all our friends and family about how much fun we had at Portofino.
Thanks again!
Crispin and KayDee
Sent: Monday, January 07, 2002 2:04 PM
Subject: THANKS AGAIN FOR EVERYTHING
Burga,
As you can see from my email here, Madeline and I arrived back in Monterey. We wanted to say thanks again to everyone for everything. We really had a nice time and are already having withdrawals. We'll be in touch. Talk to you soon.
Rick
Sent: Saturday, December 15, 2001 1:04 PM
Hi Jan & Sandra,
I hope the two of you are doing well. I promised to send this to you earlier, but forgot. Unfortunately, I am back hip deep in work Those days of relaxing on your pier without care in the world seem so long ago.
We miss that little spot on the globe and all of you at Portofino. Please send us a picture of the new bar when it's fininshed. I can't wait to test it out. Say Hi to Burga and Tim if you see him. Happy Holidays
All the best success,
Dhruv
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2001 4:09 PM
Hi Burga
As promised, here is my website. I think you will like some of the photos on the portofino page! If you want to use any of them, just let me know and I'll email them to you.
http://www.snowbomb.com/kelly/trip/index.htm
Thanks again for a lovely time!
Kelly
Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2001 11:24 PM
Subject: Thank you!
Dear Jan and Sandra,
The dinner at your very lovely resort was wonderful, delicious, enticing and magnificat!...And the host and hostess matched all those adjectives and many more...thank you for inviting us...we enjoyed our company of neighbors, also.
Cliff and Joanne

Subject: Hi Jan and Sandra!
Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2001 10:12
Hi Jan and Sandra!
It's December 4th and Dhruv and I were thinking about you. We have finally adjusted to wearing shoes again. That is a good thing, considering the looks we would get from other people if we went bare foot in the rain and the 30 degree weather here! As soon as I get the photos developed I will send some. Please stay in touch.
Cara

hoosier93: posted 11 January 2002 10:54 AM at BelizeForum

Hello. My husband and I stayed at Portofino during the New Year Holiday.

If you have not been to AC you should know that Portofino is at the far North end of the island (next to Mata Chica). There is a free Portofino boat that goes into town three times a day (set by them and it varies a little each day). The last boat leaves at 4:45 or 5pm so if you want to go into town for dinner you need to get a water taxi back. The water taxi system there is expensive-$10us each person each way. Just something to know. And its not just for Portofino, if you stayed at Mata Chica or somewhere else far out you would have the same situation. Portofino and Mata Chica have an arrangement with each other so that their guests can take either boat to/from town. You can walk to Mata Chica (approx. 10 minutes via beach).

The staff is excellent, the management is excellent.

If you want an upscale resort-the only place to stay on AC is Victoria House, Mata Chica or Portofino.
If we were to go back we would stay at Portofino again.
If you do chose to stay there, they have a fun bartender-Delbert. He will entertain you for hours. (just don't call him Dilbert!) If you want a non-alcoholic drink have him make you a frozen lime juice!
If you are looking to take dive or snorkel trips walk a few minutes up the beach to the dive shop. They have great guides and don't charge extra to pick you up (some tours will charge extra to come out as far as Portofino). Shop around you can usually avoid these charges.
Make sure to introduce yourself to the neighbors to the North they are great people.
Visit Kitty�s Bar (a few minute walk to the north). It will most likely be you and Fonzie, the bartender, but fun anyway. Some great island dogs around too-Gracie, Sophie and Bingo (although there is some controversy about what his name really is).
Avalon (up the beach) I hear has average food but they do have a pool table and dart board (pretty Americanized place).

Feel free to email me with questions enjoy your visit to AC, we really loved our trip.

OH and don't miss a chance to snorkel/dive at Hol Chan its excellent!

Beachbum: posted 17 January 2002 12:08 AM at BelizeForum

Hi! My husband and I stayed at the Portofino for two weeks at the end of November. We had a blast! We enjoyed out stay there very much and plan to return soon.
The food was great. We also went out to dinner at Mata Chica, Rendezvous, Capricorn and Casa Caribe for some of our dinners out. All were very good. The food in San Pedro was good too. We didn't mind the water taxi too much, just think if you had to take a cab, you'd spend the money anyway.
We also had referrals for great day trips. I highly recommend the cave tubing trip! Snorkeling was excellent. Go snorkel with the nurse sharks and sting rays!
The best room is the honeymoon suite with the full ocean view. We stayed in a tree top suite and a cabana during the two weeks and found the tree top rooms excellent! Coffee on the deck every morning was a treat!

hoosier93: posted 17 January 2002 04:33 PM at BelizeForum

The honeymoon suite has the best view. If you cant get it or don�t want to pay that much, I recommend getting a tree top suite. The view is not as good but the room is excellent-worth the extra money. I think the honeymoon suite is booking up even a year in advance. I would call them to see if it is available if you are interested. Both tree tops are equal in quality.

Water sports near the hotel is limited to fishing off the dock and kayaking out to the reef. But Portofino will arrange any day trip you want to take. Again, I highly recommend walking down to the dive shop and checking out what trips he has available. We also used Blue Hole in town. They were good too.

PORTOFINO COMMENT (4 April 2002):

Actually we think our honeymoon suite has the best view on the entire island.

hoosier93: posted 19 January 2002 07:54 PM at BelizeForum

The water by Portofino-like all of AC is beautiful. Do not expect to snorkel right from the hotel front. You need to take a kayak out to the reef or arrange for a trip out. I think this is the case for most of AC. We did not swim in front of the hotel but they have an "ocean pool" out by the dock. The beach is very nice and clean-they rake it every morning.
I'm sure that you will be very happy with the service, the beach, the water and the room! enjoy your stay -its a wonderful place.

Dr._J: posted 19 February 2002 11:04 AM at AmbergrisCaye.com

What is probably the best about Portofino is the owner, Sandra. She has, obviously, a real vested interest in her resort, and basically makes sure that you are having a wonderful time, at all costs.
She actually comes to the dock and greats every guest, and explains everything with a terrific smile.(including having her terrific bartender make you a great welcome drink)
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and when we go back to Belize we would surely love to stay once again at Portofino.

Whitetail: posted 23 February 2002 10:23 PM at BelizeForum

My husband and I just returned from a five night stay at Portofino. We arrived on a Sunday and left on Friday. Our stay was magnificent!!! When we first arrived we were greeted by Burga and Sonja. We received our complimentary drink, it was delicious!! The next day, we took a walk down to Mata Chica-crashed a wedding by mistake had a beer and returned to Portofino. The fun now begins!! There were many more people around and we had a drink in the bar and started visiting with other guests. We met our cabana neighbors and became great friends. Jan and Sandra sat and had a drink with us and made us feel so welcome! We went up to dinner and it was magnificent!!! We finally retired to our cabana. Anyway, the next morning breakfast up on the balcony outdoors was wonderful!! The continental breakfast is the same every morning with the exception of the pastry-always something great! It was very filling and we did not find that it got boring at all! The staff is so wonderful in fulfilling your every wish and desire. One day we wanted to go to Jade Spa for massages and they were full-Sonja found someone to come directly to the resort and we received two wonderful hours of the best massages we have ever had. (Rosario was her name) We took the Altun Han tour-it was a great day! One day we wanted to do a fishing trip-again their usual guide was booked. Sonia worked her heart out and found Chito for us!! He was wonderful, his boat was clean, his equipment decent, he was very knowledgeable, and his cooking was superb! He took us to a deserted beach and cooked the fish we caught! It was one of the best meals we had the entire time on Ambergris Caye! We also went into San Pedro a couple of times-We had a great time-wonderful food and people everywhere! Shaggy, Gilbert, and Fat-Bellied Mike at Fido's were so fun. We also returned one night when they had a live band-had a great time! After being in San Pedro though, we were so glad that we were staying at Portofino! The quiet and relaxation can't be beat. A couple of afternoons we spent just relaxing at the resort-reading in the afternoon sun in the hammocks were heaven! We got to see the tree top rooms. We got to know Jan and Sandra and their staff is THE BEST!!! They even have there own carpenter their on staff that makes all the wonderful furniture there! The staff was so accommodating to our every whim-we can't say enough about them. Our trip turned out to be the most wonderful one we've ever taken and we would definitely go back to PORTOFINO!!

cockatoo_lover: posted 07 March 2002 04:40 PM at AmbergrisCaye.com

We just returned from AC last week. PLEASE consider Portofino. We stayed there in their honeymoon suite for 7 days. It is just a little north of Mata Chica, but it is wonderful there. They treat you like royalty and the accommodations are quite nice. I don't believe that you can take a golf cart to Mata Chica or the Portofino, but their boat goes into town a few times a day, so you are not stuck there. The restaurant is good, and if you want to go snorkeling or whatever, they will make arrangements to have the tour operator pick you up from their dock. We felt so pampered at the Portofino, and would highly recommend it!!!!

PORTOFINO COMMENT (4 April 2002):

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