The Best Luxury Hotels in Belize

These big hacienda-style villas on the edge of popular Placencia village in central Belize are luxe and comfortable. The swishest – on the seafront – have lovely sunrise-over-the-water views from the balcony-fronted bedrooms. There are two pools, a barefoot-style restaurant facing the sea and a wooden deck that leads to offshore adventures such as sailing and whale-shark spotting, with free bikes, kayaks and paddleboards for exploring, whether on land and sea.

Set in a lush, shady tropical garden on a peaceful stretch of Placencia’s long beach, Francis Ford Coppola’s Indonesia-inspired mini resort offers intimate barefoot-chic stays in palm-thatched palapa cabins, garnished with fine food and wine (much of it from the Coppola estate). Coppola himself is an occasional guest, and the cabins (especially C1) are secluded enough for a celebrity.

With a pool and lounge perched over bird-filled rainforest and modern villas and canopy suites (with modish neutral tones, comfy sofas, netted beds and pool lighting) nestled in the trees, Copal immerses you in wilderness. There’s plenty to do – onsite jungle hikes, river kayaking, snorkeling and dive excursions on the reef – and a cocktail bar and spa for soothing post-adventure R&R.

There may be more intimate by-the-beach locations in sleepy Hopkins village in south Belize, but if you’re here with the family, this balcony-fronted mini-resort is a good option. Its range of large rooms and big villas (in taupe tiles and whitewash, with four-posters and furniture in rich tropical woods) are right on the sand, with a generous pool and plenty of activities and excursions for all ages.

Large villas and rooms in a tropical garden; a beach bar, restaurant and spa; jungle safaris, dives and boat excursions…. Belizean Dreams offers guests all they need in Placencia. But step outside the lobby and you’re in one of Belize’s prettiest small villages, with a smattering of wood-shack bars and low-lit restaurants and a lively Afro-Belizean Garifuna culture to tap into.

Set in pine forest and straddling a steep ridge near the Big Rock Falls in the rugged uplands on the Guatemalan border, Francis Ford Coppola’s second luxury resort in Belize offers bucolic style with superb bird and wildlife-watching. Cabin rooms in tropical hardwoods, with towering, domed thatched roofs, come with private plunge pools and waterfall views. The wealth of activities include horseback-riding, wildlife-spotting and river kayaking.

In rainforest wild enough for jaguars, trilling with hundreds of species of rare tropical birds and with a Mayan temple on site, Chan Chich has long been Belize’s premier jungle lodge. Cottages are tastefully appointed, flooded with light from large ceiling-high windows, and they come with boutique-hotel touches: Egyptian cotton sheets, designer-crafted ensuite bathrooms with his-and-hers showers and huge make-up mirrors, plus the tours are superb.

With cayes in Belize so tiny you could walk around them in a few minutes, some of the country’s all-island resorts can feel cramped. Not the Royal Palm, whose simple, brightly painted (and very Belizean) shutterboard casitas sit under the palms on a caye with its own knitted mangrove woodland, white-sand beaches and turtle-swum reef. The sunsets and sunrises over the water are magical, and the resort offers plenty of excursions.

The Sirenian is geared up for families seeking a fuss-free tropical beach break with comfort and amenities. Big villas come with private swimming pools. Bungalows have space to spare. And both have fully equipped kitchens, large living areas and room enough for big families. It’s all-inclusive, too, with meals, pick-up from Placencia airport, kayaks, paddleboards, bicycles, beach toys and games included for bungalow guests, among other helpful highlights.

Set on a caye in an expanse of shallow, turquoise ocean and with a wealth of light adventure activities – from diving and snorkeling to kayaking through the mangroves – King Lewey’s puts guests right in the heart of Belize’s pristine Caribbean wilds. It may be tiny – barely covering an acre (0.4ha), with a stamp-sized beach – but it more than makes up for it with its ethos of desert-island decadence, free paddleboards, snorkeling gear and kayaks and a parade of passing marine life.