• Victoria House (Ambergris Caye): Casual elegance and attentive service await you at this Ambergris Caye resort. A varied collection of rooms, suites, and villas is spread around an expansive piece of land planted with lush tropical gardens. The hotel also has one of the best restaurants in the country, as well as a wonderful patch of soft white-sand beach.
  • Mahogany Bay Village (Ambergris Caye): Belize’s first truly large-scale this “townlet” is brand new and holds nothing back when it comes to providing a high-end experience, with an on-site spa, private beach club, and beautifully-appointed colonial rooms with modern amenities.
  • Cayo Espanto (just off the coast of Ambergris Caye): What could be more decadent and luxurious than staying in a private villa, with a private swimming pool, a private dock, and a personal butler, on an almost private island? (There are six villas here, although you can rent out the whole island if you like.) This place pulls out all the stops, providing all the modern conveniences and pampering possible on a desert-island getaway.
  • Turtle Inn (Placencia): Building on the experience gained from his Blancaneaux Lodge, and building upon the ruins of a hotel destroyed by Hurricane Iris, director Francis Ford Coppola has upped the ante on high-end hotels in Belize. The individual villas here are the most beautiful and luxurious in Belize. The hotel is set right on an excellent stretch of beach, and the service and dining are top-not
  • Copal Tree Lodge (Punta Gorda): This is by far the most luxurious option around Punta Gorda, and one of the nicer rain forest lodges in the country. This place features a series of large and plush individual cabins set on a thickly forested hillside.
  • Belize Boutique Resort and Spa (off the Old Northern Hwy.): This small resort and spa is set in a patch of lush forest and flowering gardens. The whole operation is an eclectic orgy designed to please the eyes and all other senses. The individual villas here are spectacular. A wide range of spa treatments is available, and excellently and professionally done. Don't miss out on their signature Mood Mud Massage, perhaps one of the few massage experiences for which you'll want to bring a camera.
  • Chaa Creek (off the road to Benque Viejo, Cayo District; tel. 824-2037; www.chaacreek.com): A pioneer nature lodge in Belize, this collection of individual and duplex cottages was also a pioneer in the whole concept of rustic luxury. Cool terra-cotta tile floors, varnished wood, thatched roofs, and beautiful Guatemalan textiles and handicrafts are elegantly yet simply combined. The property is set on a steep hillside over the lovely Macal River. Service is very friendly and personable, and the lodge provides easy access to a wealth of natural adventures and ancient Mayan wonders.
  • Blancaneaux Lodge (Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve, Cayo District): Francis Ford Coppola's first Belizean mountain retreat remains one of the most elegant and luxurious nature lodges in the country. The hotel is set on a steep pine-forested hillside, overlooking the Privassion River and a series of gentle falls. The individual cabanas are all spacious, are beautifully decorated, and feature a private balcony or deck designed to take in the excellent views. The hotel recently added a wonderful riverside spa facility.
  • La Lancha Resort (Lago Petén Itzá, Petén): Set on a steep, high hillside overlooking the lake, this is the plushest option close to the amazing ruins of Tikal. Another of Francis Ford Coppola's regional resorts, the rooms here are once again decorated with style, featuring furniture and artwork from around the world. The food is also excellent.
  • Copal Tree Lodge (Punta Gorda): This is by far the most luxurious option around Punta Gorda, and one of the top rainforest lodges in the country. This place features a series of large and plush individual cabins set on a thickly forested hillside.

 

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.