New guest house opens in Belize City
While the B.T.B. is making plans to market Belize’s many attractions, Belizeans involved in the tourism industry continue to invest in the hope that such marketing will prove successful. The latest addition to the Belize City hospitality scene has been created by a man who is no stranger to the neighborhood. Patrick Jones takes us on a tour.
When most people think of putting up a business, building it from the ground up is normally the way to go. The “Great House,” however, is an exception to that rule. The house was standing long before the idea even came to mind so when the proprietor Steve Maestre decided to build, the easy part of the job was already done.
Steve Maestre, Proprietor, “Great House”
“The original plan was not simply to restore an old building so we could have a restored old building. The original plan was to have this bed and breakfast that would be attractive in a building that needed to be restored in some degree to facilitate the guest house. So the guest house, the bed and breakfast is really what triggered the restoration.”
The restoration of the Maestre family home started in February of 1997, with the ambitious goal of raising the house high enough to add another floor. With careful planning and sheer determination, Maestre and his workers met the challenge head-on.
Steve Maestre
“I don’t know that it is a long term dream of mine. It was a practical thing to do at the time. I had completed my tenure at the Fort George; it was time to be an entrepreneur again. The house was here, and it seems to be a practical feasible thing to do at the time so, I did it.”
Patrick Jones
The newly created ground floor, now provides spaces for, among others, gift shops, boutiques and tour operators. The middle floor houses the Guest House. Six beautifully decorated rooms, give the weary traveler all the comforts of home.
Steve Maestre
“All the rooms have that colonial decor which was done by my wife. They all have air conditioning, private baths, ceiling fans, hair dryers.”
In short, the kind of things one finds in the fanciest international hotels like the one now sitting directly across the street.
Patrick Jones
The “Great House” is located in the middle of what will become the tourist district. But why would anyone want to open a business like this right next door to one of the city’s biggest hotels? Maestre is of the firm belief that the clientele his establishment is catering for will give it staying power.
Steve Maestre
“I think that could only be considered a plus. I believe that the more that happens in this neighborhood for tourism, the more we will all do, so I think we will have those that will want the bigger hotel and stay at the Radisson. And then we’ll have those who want that more colonial, cozy feeling and they will stay here. We intend to attract the leisure and the business traveler. There will be those that will want something that is not quite in the price range that we’re at. They don’t necessarily require all the amenities and there are nice places in Belize for that. So I think we will be kind of middle-market, priced with up market facilities.”
And with that approach, the “Great House” should see a great deal of success. Patrick Jones, for News Five.
Maestre says that within six weeks the restaurant and shops should be ready to open.
