The Placencia Breeze ☼ May 2018
Page 14
Award-Winning Placencia Boutique Hotel Expands to Tres Cocos, Ambergris Caye
PUR Boutique Cabanas sit in the trendy new neighborhood of Tres Cocos of North Ambergris Caye, home to popular eating and entertainment spots Truck Stop and Croc's. Placencia's Caribbean Beach Cabanas will join PUR in packaged deal.
Hotel owners, Laura and David Diffendal of Ohio, USA have experienced wild success in Placencia Village with By JOLIE POLLARD Breeze Editor in Chief Caribbean Beach pollard.jolie@gmail.com Cabanas (CBC). Since they discovered the property in 2014, the boutique hotel has gained international recognition after being featured on the popular American HGTV show, “Beach Bargain Hunt” and winning the coveted Belize Tourism Board award for Boutique Hotel of the Year in 2017 following continuous improvements. Keeping up momentum, the couple has now tapped into the number one tourism destination in Belize – Ambergris Caye. Typically seen as a lion of a competitor in the business, with the help from the Diffendals, the island up north might just finally have the bridge the Peninsula needs to connect the popular destinations. Named after Laura’s popular blog that has been documenting Placencia life for some time, PUR (pronounced “pure”) offers a different vibe and feel from CBC which is strictly lodging, says Laura. “A lazy, tranquil beach day is for Placencia,” she says, but at PUR, visitors will be greeted with a lively pool bar, taco bar and restaurant as they enter, but also find tranquil spots a few steps away. The different atmospheres for both places is part of the attraction that the Diffendals will offer in a 10% discounted package to visitors, something similar to the Coppola’s Blacaneaux and Turtle Inn deal that bridges the Mountain Pine Ridge of the Cayo district with Placencia Village.
The high energy feel at PUR is the challenging yet fun opportunity for the hoteliers to take their award-winning service to the next level. “There is no telling how many people will come in at any moment, as it is open to the public,” Laura says. While many Placencians know San Pedro as perhaps too “busy, loud and crazy” for their taste, PUR just happens to be in a location that is considered chill for the island and that Laura believes is chill enough for Placencians curious about her new venture located north of the island bridge. “It has a feel very much like Maya Beach. Tranquil at night, a lot of space between each establishment, plenty of nature – the sounds of birds wake you up in the morning. You can go and get crazy in town on a golf cart or bike and then return to a peaceful night. The water, sand, vibe and adventures are different on the island and worth a visit from time to time for a change of scenery!” With a top notch management team, namely the acclaimed duo Carlos and Sue Vasquez at CBC, the Diffendals have developed a loyal following from their guests with many contacting them about the new property or referring their friends. According to Laura, this trust has allowed them the ability to educate guests on the attractions of both Ambergris Caye and southern Belize. "We assist with helping them understand the quick and easy transportation options to see more of the country. Both places get a remarkable number of repeat visitors, and we want to give people an easy and comfortable way to visit other parts of Belize. We feel honored to be able to be a bridge that may get visitors to experience more of Belize, and we try very hard to market both places to our guests." ▪
PUR boasts a rustic 1920s Caribbean vibe and in addition to pool and lodging, PUR also comes with a publicly accessible restaurant and taco bar making it a more high energy destination than its more tranquil counterpart in Placencia. (Photograph: PUR) Learn more about PUR. Visit: www.purboutiquecabanas.com,
