What In The Heck Is Up With Little French Key in Roatan?

[ARandomTraveler]

I was reading reviews in the port section about Roatan Honduras, and came across a thread about Little French Key being under siege, burned down, taken over etc. 

 

Some posters are saying they were just there this week, while others are saying they've seen pictures of it being burned to the ground.

 

So I did a quick Google search, which didn't turn up much, but did lead me to Trip Advisor, where the majority of the most recent reviews seem to be coming from fake people (people who have never posted before, so may or may not be real reviews). One had a response from management where the management was basically saying that the review wasn't real, that the place was under siege, and that it wasn't safe.
 

However there's a couple reviews from people with reputable accounts who say they've been there. What the heck is going on???? 
 

Does anyone have any background on this, with details about why one side or the other may have differing info or are choosing to lie? 
 

I've attached a photo of the trip advisor review. And here's a link to the cruise critic thread (mitsugirly is a well known RC contributor so I would tend to trust her post more than any of the rest I've seen, but her post didn't give much background either so I'm confused).

 

 

Edited May 1, 2022 by ARandomTraveler

[smokeybandit]

Sounds more like their TripAdvisor account got hacked.

[ARandomTraveler]

13 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Sounds more like their TripAdvisor account got hacked.

Got hacked by the person claiming to be the manager? If so, why is @mitsugirlyalso saying that the place is under siege? 
 

Or do you mean that the people doing the reviews are the hackers? I need more info with these opinions 😂

[smokeybandit]

If their trip advisor account says its closed, then shouldn't their website, too?

[dcgrumpy]

According to their FB page they are closed and under siege

[ARandomTraveler]

10 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

If their trip advisor account says its closed, then shouldn't their website, too?

That's why I'm confused. The trip advisor account says "temporarily closed" even though people were posting positive reviews only 2 days ago. 
 

The  website says it's open.

 

Cruise critic "ports of call" section has a thread where someone said they were just there a couple days ago, but mitsugirly commented that they have spoken to the owner and saw pictures that the place was under siege. 
 

Is there a conspiracy here? I'm confused 😂 I haven't seen anyone on the RC threads saying anything about it, and RC still has Roatan on their cruise routes, so it must not be too dangerous there, but the fact that something dangerous seems to be happening (or not?), at least at Little French Key, makes me think I should stay on the ship at that port. 

Edited May 2, 2022 by ARandomTraveler

[dcgrumpy]

3 minutes ago, ARandomTraveler said:

That's why I'm confused. The trip advisor account says "temporarily closed" even though people were posting positive reviews only 2 days ago. 
 

The  website says it's open.

 

Cruise critic "ports of call" section has a thread where someone said they were just there a couple days ago, but mitsugirly commented that they have spoken to the owner and saw pictures that the place was under siege. 
 

Is there a conspiracy here? I'm confused 😂 I haven't seen anyone on the RC threads saying anything about it, and RC still has Roatan on their cruise routes, so it must not be too dangerous there, but the fact that something dangerous seems to be happening (or not?), at least at Little French Key, makes me think I should stay on the ship at that port. 

 

 

Their FB page says they are closed and they have posted pictures of burned down buildings.

Edited May 2, 2022 by dcgrumpy

[ARandomTraveler]

3 minutes ago, dcgrumpy said:

 

 

Their FB page says they are closed and they have posted pictures of burned down buildings.

Weird. Why are people making posts encouraging people to go there? Are they trying to kidnap people? Rob them? Is it just Little French Key that this is happening to, or is Roatan as a whole an unsafe port right now?

Edited May 2, 2022 by ARandomTraveler

[dcgrumpy]

3 minutes ago, ARandomTraveler said:

Weird. Why are people making posts encouraging people to go there? Are they trying to kidnap people? Rob them? Is it just Little French Key that this is happening to, or is Roatan as a whole an unsafe port right now?

 

I have no idea. I also follow Victor Bodden and Daniel Johnson on FB and there is no mention on their pages. 

[dcgrumpy]

Now I'm reading that it is open. That supposedly the old owners are still in control of the Facebook page and are posting fake stories to keep people away. 

 

[firefly333]

I've read from someone claiming to be the original owner who says they are rebuilding. She lost control but has it back legally. Give her time to fix it back up. I believed her. 

 

I'd give it some time. 

[smokeybandit]

30 minutes ago, dcgrumpy said:

 

 

Their FB page says they are closed and they have posted pictures of burned down buildings.

That whole thing seems very strange. Overtaken by gangs of thieves but the photos show people casually watching buildings burn.

 

[KB Cruisin]

I don't trust this port right now because I can't verify safety.  We really wanted to do the sloths but there is too much conflicting information. 

[smokeybandit]

10 minutes ago, dcgrumpy said:

Now I'm reading that it is open. That supposedly the old owners are still in control of the Facebook page and are posting fake stories to keep people away. 

 

This would explain a lot

[dcgrumpy]

After searching FB I see tons of photos from the last week or two of people that seem to be legit, enjoying LFK. 

[ARandomTraveler]

It's all very strange. Is there anyone on a cruise this week who is going to Roatan? I wouldn't ask anyone to drive by there to see if it's open (or burned down), but I'm curious if RC is canceling the port or giving anyone any safety advisories.

[dcgrumpy]

It looks like the phots on the FB page are from 2018 https://cruiseradio.net/fire-destroys-popular-caribbean-cruise-destination/

 

So I'm starting to believe that it's all BS

[ARandomTraveler]

4 minutes ago, dcgrumpy said:

It looks like the phots on the FB page are from 2018 https://cruiseradio.net/fire-destroys-popular-caribbean-cruise-destination/

 

So I'm starting to believe that it's all BS

That does seem like old news. I wonder why the trip advisor "management" is telling people not to go there as of 2 days ago. 
 

If it's an old owner, why would they want to sabotage a business they sold? 
 

I don't make a very good detective. 

Edited May 2, 2022 by ARandomTraveler

[dcgrumpy]

Just now, ARandomTraveler said:

That does seem like old news. I wonder why the trip advisor "management" is telling people not to go there as of 2 days ago. 
 

If it's an old owner, why would they want to sabotage a business they sold? 

 

I don't know, but it seems like there is some sort of dispute going on between and the owners and someone else. Whether it's old owners or government officials, I don't know. https://roatan.online/little-french-key-fire

[firefly333]

33 minutes ago, ARandomTraveler said:

That does seem like old news. I wonder why the trip advisor "management" is telling people not to go there as of 2 days ago. 
 

If it's an old owner, why would they want to sabotage a business they sold? 
 

I don't make a very good detective. 

Why not allow some time to fix the place back up? Idk if it was a court battle, or a divorce. .. I read thru a very long explanation and to me, I'm waiting until its reopened. 

 

I'd guess it was a month ago someone purporting to be the real owner posts oodles. I'll wait to go. 

[gmerick]

34 minutes ago, dcgrumpy said:

 

I don't know, but it seems like there is some sort of dispute going on between and the owners and someone else. Whether it's old owners or government officials, I don't know. https://roatan.online/little-french-key-fire

That roatan online piece is 4 years old:

Given in the port city of Roatán, on the 15th day of the month of August of the year 2018.

A lawyer

Myril Yannell Brooks Municipal Secretary

[ARandomTraveler]

51 minutes ago, dcgrumpy said:

 

I don't know, but it seems like there is some sort of dispute going on between and the owners and someone else. Whether it's old owners or government officials, I don't know. https://roatan.online/little-french-key-fire

Thanks for sharing the article. Maybe this is an ongoing issue that's rearing its head again recently. 

Edited May 2, 2022 by ARandomTraveler

[dcgrumpy]

32 minutes ago, gmerick said:

That roatan online piece is 4 years old:

Given in the port city of Roatán, on the 15th day of the month of August of the year 2018.

A lawyer

Myril Yannell Brooks Municipal Secretary

 

Yes. I said in earlier post that the photos were from 2018. It seems to be an ongoing issue

[Havin'fun]

9 hours ago, KB Cruisin said:

I don't trust this port right now because I can't verify safety.  We really wanted to do the sloths but there is too much conflicting information. 

I was on Roatan last week with Royal.  I did the sloths and island tour through Daniel Johnson and felt totally safe.  Such an amazing and fun time at the sanctuary!  The sloths are so soft and cuddly, and the monkeys are hilarious.

 Like anywhere else on the globe, you just have to be aware of your surroundings.  We had asked about safety on the island as it is a question that is asked on every island, he replied that overall it is a very safe island.  No tour company is going to ruin their business by putting their customers in any type of danger.  Go and have fun. 

[GEORGIEGIRL]

I posted this update to "Little French Key" that I received in my email a couple weeks ago to a different board.

FYI:

 

Here it is again.

Little French Key    

Company Update!
Dear guest,

We hope you are doing well and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience recent events may have caused you and your family. Little French Key is indeed open and operating, and we have recently undergone a change of management now headed by original ownership and operator, Larissa Lahijani since April 7th, 2022.

 

We have been posting informing to our visitors and guest via CCPPF about the changes.

 

Unfortunately, the previous administration had and still is fraudulently collected payment for packages while they no longer operated LFK. We understand the hardship that has been caused due to these unforeseen circumstances, and we are dedicated to ensuring that you and your family have a wonderful vacation here in our little piece of paradise.

 

The previous administration is still in control of our social media- Facebook, Instagram, and our main webpages.

 

We highly encourage all customers who have booked a package with Little French Key after April 7th, 2022, contest these payments whether via PayPal or credit card transaction, as these funds have been embezzled by the prior admins and will not be reaching current LFK admins to help pay for the operational costs of your visit.

 

If you have any further questions or concerns, please reach out and we will get back to you as soon as possible given the circumstances of reorganization.

 

PLEASE EMAIL ME DIRECTLY WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR BOOKINGS AT : lllarissa7@gmail.com

Thank you

Larissa Lahijani

Little French Key    
Gen. Mgr. Joel Silverman 346-304-8923

Little French Key
info@littlefrenchkey.com
Roatan
Honduras