About One South Place

About One South Place Hotel

Discover a hidden gem in Belize City – One South Place, a family-owned upscale Air B&B located in the heart of downtown Belize City, just 50 meters from the Caribbean Sea.

Our charming colonial-style house, over a century old, features nine beautifully appointed, air-conditioned rooms, each offering a unique blend of modern amenities and historic elegance.

At One South Place Hotel, we strive to provide the comforts of a larger hotel in an intimate setting. Guests can enjoy ultra-clean rooms, room safes, crisp linens, mini-bar fridges, high-speed internet, 43-inch cable TV, and a secure environment. Our facilities include an air-conditioned café, private verandas, and patio spaces, as well as a lounge with a fully stocked bar. We also offer airport transfers, taxi services, inland tours, tour advice and bookings, and laundry and dry-cleaning services, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable stay.

Preserving the classic colonial charm and historical significance of the area, our hotel offers an authentic experience while being close to key attractions like the Belize Tourism Board, the Governor’s mansion, and the 20-year-old Anglican Cathedral. Don’t miss a visit to Meg’s Corner Café, located on the ground floor, designed to welcome cruise ship visitors exploring the area. Experience the best of Belize City at One South Place Hotel.

Your Hosts: Judy & David

One South Place Hotel is owned jointly by Judith Munoz and David Craig. Judy is a graduate of the University of Liverpool with a master’s degree in Global Marketing. In addition to being an avid coffee connoisseur/drinker herself, her job in various countries of the world has allowed her to assuredly learn about the restaurant, hospitality, tourism, customer service and business management first-hand. Being an owner of a business for more than 30 years in the United States, has allowed Judy to become a people-person and expert in commodity trends, customer service, supply and demand and most importantly, operations and profits.

David grew up in the immediate neighborhood and has more than 30 years’ experience in the beverage industry in Production, Sales, Marketing and Distribution and is currently Director of Customer Service for a Belizean Beverage Company with over 1500 employees. His job has provided him with first-hand exposure to the food and beverage industry, especially the steps involved in establishing and managing businesses.

History and Origins of Belize

Located on a low-lying coastal area at the mouth of the Belize River, Belize City was established in the mid-seventeenth century as a trading post for precious woods from the Central American hinterland. Physical expansion of the city was slow, as land had to be reclaimed from the mangrove swamp and the sea. Although Central America was under Spanish rule, the British challenged their rival empire and secured logging concessions in the region.

Belize City grew through the lucrative trade of logwood and mahogany and, after a long period of quarrels between the two nations, Belize became a British colony in 1862. In addition to nineteenth-century civic and religious landmarks like the Government House and St. John’s Cathedral, many traditional houses of the same period survive today in Belize City. Most, like One South Place Hotel, are raised above the ground, clad with weatherboarding, and covered with steeply pitched corrugated metal roofs – a style appropriate to the tropical climate that has been called “Creole Colonial” in architectural terms.

Belize City was founded as “Belize Town” in the mid-1700’s by English lumber harvesters. Belize Town was ideal for the English as a central post because it was on the sea and a natural outlet for local rivers and creeks down which the British shipped logwood and mahogany. Belize Town also became the home of the thousands of African slaves brought in by the English to toil in the forestry industry. It was the coordination site for the 1798 Battle of St. George’s Caye, won by the British against would-be invaders, and the home of the local courts and government officials up to the 1970s. For this reason, historians often say that “the capital was the colony”, because the centre of British control was here.

One South Place hotel is located just off Regent Street on South Street which was originally named Front Street and Albert Back Street in the 1820s before they received their present names. Regent borrows from the similarly named street in London, which was named for the Prince Regent, later King George IV.

History of Southern Foreshore and One South Place Hotel

Since the turn of the Century, the elegant building that is now One South Place Hotel has passed through several owners, including the folk-legend Cap’n Foote (1920-1940), the Bradley family and most recently the owners of One South Place Hotel and Meg’s Corner Café, Judy and David.

David grew up literally “across the fence” through Forman’s Alley off Regent Street and had admired this house for many years until he got the opportunity to purchase it in 2009. Renovation of the “Big Yellow House” started in 2018 and was completed in 2022 when they opened for business as an 8-bedroom Hotel and Café.

One South Place Hotel overlooks the Belize City Harbour and just a few dozen feet away from the hotel is the well-known suburb of Southern Foreshore. The sun rises over the Baron Bliss Lighthouse a historic and picturesque strip of lovely homes and superb views of the harbour and the Cruise Tourist Village.

Former One South Place resident:
Captiain R.E. Foote (Cap'n Foote)

“Captain Foote’s most enduring contribution to Belize came early on – the lobster trap. This happened in the course of operating the first successful canning operation for lobster meat...”