In the know
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
Current offers
- Smith card offer
- A 30-minute Thai-style massage each
Turtle Inn
Belize, Central America[view map]
- Style
- Shore-shack chic
- Setting
- Balmy Belizean beach side
Brightly coloured hammocks slung between slanted palm trees, Balinese-style beach huts capped in thick thatch, and the sun-sparkled waters of the Caribbean are at the heart of this boutique hotel in Belize. One of Francis Ford Coppola’s trio of Central American resorts (its siblings are Blancaneaux Lodge and La Lancha in Guatemala), Turtle Inn is a rustic retreat with a sprinkling of glamour.
Need to know
- Rooms
- 25.
- Rates
- Low season, $385–$1,600; high season, $400–$2,100, including Continental breakfast. Rates exclude 19 per cent tax and service charge.
- Check-out
- Midday, although later can be arranged, if available.
- Facilities
- Thai spa, small library, free WiFi throughout. In rooms: iPod dock, minibar, hand-made organic toiletries.
- 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.
- Eco-friendly
- The hotel keeps its carbon footprint down by not using air-conditioning or other techno-trappings. All its villas and cottages are built from locally sourced material (thatch, bamboo, limestone and wood) and kitchen ingredients are grown on site.
- Also
- There’s a two-night minimum stay during high season and a four-night minimum at Christmas and Easter.
Food & drink
- 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.
- Dress code
- Beaches and gleam.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Other facilities
- 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. More…
Smith card offer
A 30-minute Thai-style massage each
If you're a member of Mr & Mrs Smith, you can get special privileges at every Smith hotel you book through us. Just show your Smith card at check-in to claim the offer featured on every hotel page (like the one above).
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Book this hotel
To book this hotel please click here, or contact our travel team on 0845 034 0700.
Turtle Inn
Placencia
Stann Creek District