There is a rare retro motif resort nuzzled on the spectacular beaches at the north end of Hopkins Village. Its name is Kismet Inn and it is run by the wild and wooly businesswoman Tricia Wipfler.

The Kismet experience is definitely strange and its nostalgic eccentricity definitely isn’t geared to conventional or mainstream tastes. In the past certain employees at BTB were thrown for a loop by the resort’s bizarre ambiance, Tricia’s bohemian dress and cynical sense of humor. Humor that is very similar to the colorful vulgarity that was Black comedienne Moms Mabley’s forte. Picture Tricia, the stereotypical (and ageable) Jewish American Princess spouting off quasi-scatological one-liners on an assortment of socially charged topics in the same spunky, ribald delivery as the irrepressible Mabley and you got an inkling of  her nonconformist style-personality.

 Entrance to Kismet Inn 

For this reviewer Kismet is an innovative, trailblazing idea that has created its own unique niche market. The trailblazing idea is to recreate the environment and mood of the Hippie era. There are millions of Baby Boomer ex-hippies that abandoned the cultural-social radicalism of their youth to make big bucks in corporate America. Now that they are nearing retirement age some might like to take a nostalgic stroll back to their long lost radicalism- Kismet is the perfect place to relive those wild bygone days of cultural experimentation and challenging the status quo. 

Baby Boomer stockbrokers can dust off their fringed, deerskin vests, madras headbands, love beads, peace symbols and bell bottomed blue jeans, pack them in a second hand G.I. duffle bag, catch the next flight to Belize and hightail it down to the coastal Garifuna village of Hopkins to hang out at Kismet for a few days. Under Tricia’s guidance the sixty-ish corporate executives will be able to relive their radical hippie daze, get mystical all over again, learn to dance the Punta, grow organic vegies and more than likely, love every minute of it.

To repeat, Kismet is a truly different experience. It is not your typical resort both structurally and spiritually. The rooms are all spic-n-span though eccentrically furnished. Second hand chic. And thanks to Tricia’s off-the-wall personality the vibes are authentically ‘summer of love’. Both are not conventional and not for straight laced or punctilious travelers. Though for this sixty-ish ‘boomer’ who grooved at Woodstock, Kismet Inn is a thoroughly enjoyable experience. After staying there a couple of hours Hippie jargon like “far out”, “what’s your sign”, “cosmic dude” and “the man” inadvertently crept into my speech.

Rumor is that the BTB has been hinting at closing down Kismet Inn. Word is that Kismet and Tricia are too non-conformist for staid bureaucratic tastes. What a terrible loss. I hope they reconsider. A quality tourism product should include a wide diversity of resorts from the 5-star to the no-star. From the swank to the kookie; from the Armani suit set to the tie-dye crew. And something as unique and innovative as Kismet should be coddled and promoted just because of its distinctiveness. BTB needs to allow room for Kismet’s free-wheeling, non-conformist style. Peace Dude.

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