Mara Laguna is a nice place to stay if you want to avoid staying in town. We liked the fact that they had security at the gate (although we never felt unsafe during our 5 weeks on Ambergris Caye) It is conveniently about a 5 minute drive into town, so it's a bit quieter. For the amount we paid to stay in our room, it was really nice and very spacious - full kitchen, dining area, bar, and couch/tv area with a separate bedroom. The bedroom A/C didn't circulate as well as the living room so you definitely have to keep your door open at night for the bedroom to remain cool. It is a third floor walk up and the balcony faces the street below so it's not exactly the best view. There is an amazing fruit stand located just across the street from Mara Laguna, as well as a nice grocery store, which we found very convenient during our stay. I will say, the interior of the rooms are much nicer than the exterior. The building is a little bit dingy on the outside, but for the amount we paid, the room was definitely worth it. We didn't have a chance to use the amenities, but the pool liked nice, it's right on the lagoon.