Morritt's Grand Resort / The Villas at Banyan Bay (Belize)

[Thirsty Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Thirsty]

I have a week on hold for The Villas at Banyan Bay 2bdrm checking 7/2/2011 with RCI. I have looked at reviews and pictures of both resorts Morritt's Grand Resort and The Villas at Banyan Bay but I am not sure what to do. We want a no hustle and bustle place to stay. We don't want a large resort. However we do want some activities at the resort and to be able experience the local culture.

Where are my impression of the resorts. Is there anything I should add to my lists. My impression are not complaints Both resorts would be nice places to vacation.

1. The Villas at Banyan Bay resort looks like an older resort
2. Most of the reviews give a thumbs up for the units a couple of reviews are not so kind.
3. Some unit have ocean views.
4. The main activities for the area are the beach, zipling, cave tubing, and the Mayan Ruins (a day trip)
5. $250.00 per unit per week charge
6. Need to take water taxi or short plane ride to the island resort
7. Not many exchanges available
8. The location is great
9. Nice beach
10. No crowds
11. It looks like a laid back resort with some resort activities
12. Internet in rooms
13. Onsite restaurant

1. Morritt's Grand Resort is a newer resort with nice units
2. All units have ocean views
3. There might be some crowding for the pool and activities
4. 4 level buildings with no elevator
5. Need transportation to get around outside of the resort
6. Seem to be touristy
7. Nice beach
8. There are activities offered by the resort
9. Internet available
10. Live entrainment at the resort
11. There is availability
12. The resort being open

Thank you,
Mike

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

I have a week on hold for The Villas at Banyan Bay 2bdrm checking 7/2/2011 with RCI. I have looked at reviews and pictures of both resorts Morritt's Grand Resort and The Villas at Banyan Bay but I am not sure what to do. We want a no hustle and bustle place to stay. We don't want a large resort. However we do want some activities at the resort and to be able experience the local culture.

1. Morritt's Grand Resort is a newer resort with nice units
   TWO OCEANFRONT BUILDINGS. THERE ARE TWO OCEANFRONT BUILDINGS AT MORRITT'S TORTUGA AS WELL BUT U WOULD NOT GET THEM IF U R TRADING
   
2. All units have ocean views
   DIRECT OCEANFRONT
   
3. There might be some crowding for the pool and activities
   I WAS THERE IN FEB, PRESIDENTS WEEK....AND THERE WERE NO CROWDS - RESORT WAS FULL. THIS IS NOT A BIG RESORT
   
4. 4 level buildings with no elevator
   Wrong THERE ARE ELEVATORS IN THE GRAND BUILDINGS
   
5. Need transportation to get around outside of the resort
   YES, U REALLY NEED TO RENT A CAR. LAST YEAR WE PAID $267 FOR A WEEK
   
6. Seem to be touristy
   ACTUALLY, JUST THE OPPOSITE WHICH IS WHY WE LOVE IT. MORRITT'S IS ON THE EAST END OF THE ISLAND NEXT TO THE REEF RESORT AND THAT IS IT. IT IS A 25 MINUTE RIDE TO RUM POINT - CHECK THIS ON INTERNET. 45 MINUTE RIDE FROM THE AIRPORT. 7 MILE BEACH IS VERY CROWDED/TOURISTY - WHERE THE CRUISE SHIPS COME IN - THE EAST END IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE.
   
7. Nice beach
   VERY nice Beach - YUP! U CAN SNORKEL RIGHT OFF THE BEACH - PROTECTED BY A REEF
   
8. There are activities offered by the resort YES
   
9. Internet available YES, FOR A FEE
   
10. Live entrainment at the resort
    I DID NOT PARTAKE BUT BETWEEN MORRITT'S AND THE REEF, THERE IS STUFF TO DO EVERY NIGHT
    
11. There is availability
12. The resort being open

Thank you,
Mike

Hi Mike!
I only know about Morritt's as I own units in the wooden oceanfront building & poolside. After our first visit last winter we bought more units. we love the laid back atmosphere.
Answer in CAPS ABOVE

my pictures
Morritt's Tortuga Club 2009 | Facebook

edit - there is a $10 per day Cayman tax and an energy use fee - a 2BR could be anywhere from $60-$90 per week depending on how much u run the AC - in February, we kept it off during the day and just ran it atnight. These fees are paid by owners, exchangers, renters alike. The 2BRs at the Grand have a washer/dryer in the unit. The other units do not.
Here is the resort website http://www.morritts.com/Page05_Grand_Resort.htm

[Thirsty Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Thirsty]

Thank you for fine response. I do have a few questions for you if you don't answering them if you can.

1. What is the different between Morritt’s Tortuga Club and Morritt’s Grand Resort?
2. Are RCI exchangers put in certain buildings and if so what kind of view do they have?
3. How many units are at each resort?
4. Do you think an exchange would be possible for July 2011...Right now I can see a bulk banking though April 2011

Thank you for share your information,
Mike

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

Thank you for fine response. I do have a few questions for you if you don't answering them if you can.

1. What is the different between Morritt’s Tortuga Club and Morritt’s Grand Resort?THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT MTC IS THE OLDER WOODEN BUILDINGS AT THE RESORT (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SEASIDE BUILDING) I GUESS WHEN THEY DECIDED TO GO MORE 'UPSCALE' THEY MADE THE GRAND A SEPARATE ENTITY. THEY ARE ON THE SAME PROPERTY AND SHARE ALL AMENITIES
2. Are RCI exchangers put in certain buildings and if so what kind of view do they have? IF U GO TO THE GRAND - ALL UNITS ARE OCEANFRONT. THE MTC HAS OCEANFRONT AND POOLSIDE - UNLESS U RENT FROM AN OWNER AT MTC WHO OWNS OCEANFRONT, U WILL END UP IN A POOLSIDE UNIT - JMHO
3. How many units are at each resort? NOT A LOT???? BAD ANSWER I KNOW - THE GRAND HAS 2 BUILDINGS 4 FLOORS, MAYBE 4-5 UNITS PER FLOOR....THE MTC IS BIGGER - ACTUALLY IF U GO TO THE WEBSITE I GAVE U THERE ARE SOME NICE PICTURES OF THE OVERALL RESORT. A BUILDING THERE IS 3 FLOORS, NO ELEVATORS - WITH 8-9 UNITS PER BUILDING AND THERE ARE 4 BUILDINGS BY QUIET POOL AND 4 BUILDINGS BY SWIM UP CAR POOL, THE SEASIDE BUILDING (OCEANFRONT) AND THE WOODEN OCEANFRONT BUILDING 3 STORY WITH 15 1BRs, 4 2BR PENTHOUSES AND A FEW 2BR TOWNHOUSES - THIS IS SORT OF A 'DOUBLE' BUILDING
4. Do you think an exchange would be possible for July 2011...Right now I can see a bulk banking though April 2011 CHECK THE SIGHTINGS BOARD FOR SUMMER 2010 AND SEE AVAILABILITY

Thank you for share your information,
Mike

CAPS

and for what it is worth, if you take the RCI insurance for $69 you can cancel for any reason and get your week back with it present trading power and a bit of the exchange fee....Belize sounds very cool to me and I don't know how pften this one pops up.

Got to RUN!

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

Mike, I emailed a sitemap of Morritts that might help. Lawren posted a bulk deposit for July 2010 in April 2009 here so July 2011 may be deposited in April 2010 or thereabouts.

[Anne1125 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Anne1125]

We went to Morritts this past summer and loved it. The beach & water is wonderful. Nice people.

We are going to the resort in Belize in summer of 2011 mostly because my son will be graduating from college and he wants to get certifed in scuba and they do that there. My husband also looks forward to scuba there. Me, I'll lay and the beach and love it.

I don't think you can go wrong with either choice.

Have fun.
Anne

[shaggy Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close shaggy]

Morritts usually has availability, We stayed there a few years ago and I loved it. I had a one bedroom and got stuck in the very back of the resort right by the road so I had no view but I was never in my room.

I'd love to go to Belize. If you deceide not to take it please let me know I'd love to grab it. shaggy

[SteveChapin Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close SteveChapin]

As of two years ago, exchanges could get ocean front

Two years ago we exchanged through RCI and got a Tortuga Oceanfront penthouse unit. I don't know if that's changed.

[Thirsty Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Thirsty]

Two years ago we exchanged through RCI and got a Tortuga Oceanfront penthouse unit. I don't know if that's changed.

I have an RCI search in for a Grand Resort unit. I hope they do a bulk bank for summer 2011.