These days, it seems that most hotels and resorts prefer to go through a service company so that their staff don’t have to spend a lot of their time on the phone. You will usually find lower prices offered through these on line services, so that’s where I start. If you viisit Belize n the off season, however, you can just walk in and cut a deal with hotels that aren’t full. So, for instance, you could book for a night or two, scope out the area, and get a better deal at a hotel that you like. Of course, that takes some precious time away from your visit. But if you are staying for a few weeks this is a good way to save. The low season is May through November.
Personally, I usually start out on Trip Advisor, to check for recommendations. Trip Advisor then transfers me over to whatever discount brokers the resort is using, like hotels.com. I think that’s the one that reserves your spot without actually charging you, which is a great feature.