Turtle Inn

Style

Shore-shack chic

Setting

Balmy Belizean beach side

Brightly coloured hammocks slung between slanted palm trees, Balinese-style beach huts, and the sun-sparkled waters of the Caribbean are at the heart of Turtle Inn hotel in Belize. One of Francis Ford Coppola's trio of Central American resorts (its siblings are Blancaneaux Lodge and La Lancha in Guatemala), this is a rustic retreat with a sprinkling of glamour.

Facilities

Rooms

25.

Checkout

Noon, although later can be arranged, if available.

More Details

Rates include Continental breakfast.

Also

Kayaks and paddle boats are free. You can have them brought to you at the beach, or pick them up at Tides dive shop, where you can also arrange scuba or snorkelling trips. The diving’s best between April and June, when whale sharks visit.

Free Internet Access

Spa

At the Hotel

Thai spa, PADI dive center, small library, free WiFi throughout. In rooms: iPod dock, minibar, hand-made organic toiletries.

Our Favourite Rooms

All Turtle Inn’s villas and cottages are roomy and boast rustic Balinese decor, but for sheer romantic grandeur, the Chinese Matrimonial Suite is the hands-down winner, with a tranquil setting steps from the sea and a 200-year-old hand-carved four-poster fertility bed. When Francis is in town, you’ll find him in the two-bedroom Pavilion House, enjoying an intricately tiled private pool, dramatically carved doorways, and a bamboo-railed terrace.

Poolside

Turtle Inn has two pools; one a sea-green circle on the lawn by the bar, moments from the sea, the other a triangular infinity pool nestled between the cottages.

Packing Tips

A mask and snorkel will be handy for sighting sea life, although you can always buy them from the boutique. You can deflect the unwelcome attentions of sand flies with a squirt of baby oil.

Also

There’s a two-night minimum stay during high season and a four-night minimum at Christmas and Easter.

Children

Under-12s stay free – the eight two-bed villas are ideal for families. Extra beds are $50 a night (plus tax). Babysitting is available, if you notify staff at check-in.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

Nab a spot on the outside of Mare’s vaulted cabana where you can gaze at the ocean uninterrupted, or, have a private table set up on the beach and be served under the stars.

Dress Code

Beaches and gleam.

Hotel Restaurant

Choose between classic Italian dishes and wood-fired pizza at the Mare restaurant, char-grilled seafood at the beachfront Gauguin Grill, and Auntie Luba’s traditional Belizean cuisine. Mariachi bands and Garifuna dancers perform weekly at Mare.

Hotel Bar

The Laughing Fish beside the pool is a laid-back beach bar with a barefoot, sand-floored vibe. A little more formal, the Skip White attached to the Mare restaurant serves up Coppola’s own wine labels and an array of lime-spiked rum cocktails.

Last Orders

Mare is open until 9pm; Auntie Luba’s and the Gauguin Grill are open between noon and 8.30pm (reservations required).

Room Service

Meals can be brought to your room until 9pm.

Planes

Belize City is the nearest airport, served by American Airlines (www.aa.com), United (www.united.com) and TACA (www.taca.com). From the UK, you can fly via Miami, Houston or Atlanta. There's a departure tax of about US$35. Internal flights make in easy to get around within Belize; Maya Air (www.mayaislandair.com) or Tropic Air (www.tropicair.com) fly from Belize City to Placencia. The journey takes about 40 minutes, and you’ll be a two-minute drive from Turtle Inn. You can also charter three-, five- and 12-seater Cessna planes to private airstrips; planes can be chartered through Javier's Flying Service (www.javiersflyingservice.com).

Automobiles

It’ll take at least four hours by car to tackle the 175 miles from Belize City. Be warned, roads can be shoddy at times. There’s free parking.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

With its subtropical climate, unspoiled atolls, and the largest barrier reef in the western hemisphere, Belize is considered one of the best diving locations in the world. Luckily, you won't have to go far to experience it – Turtle Inn has its own PADI dive center offering certification courses for both novices and more experienced divers as well as top-spec scuba and snorkelling equipment. If you're lucky enough to be visiting during a full moon week in April, May or June, you may get an up-close encounter with a whale shark – the largest fish in the ocean glides through these waters yearly. The hotel has a full roster of land-based adventure, too: visit a jaguar preserve, discover ancient Maya architecture at Nim Li Punit, soar through the trees on a zipline in Bocawina National Forest or go horse-back riding through citrus orchards.

Closer to home in Placencia, you can collect wooden handicrafts such as the distinctive ziricote animal masks, jaguar sculptures and coconut mermaids from little stalls along the sandy sidewalk.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .