159 Best Hotels in Belize

A pair of wooden Mennonite-style bungalows are set among palm trees here on a lovely beach, with each on stilts. Both have private bath and a kitchen where you can prepare your own meals. The owners can arrange to stock your refrigerator and pantry in advance, if you like, although there are restaurants and groceries nearby. Complimentary bikes and sea kayaks are available. Pickup from the airstrip is free.

A three-story boutique hotel, two octagonal cottages, and various \"tree houses\" (really just cabins among trees at the back of the property that accommodate up to five people) make up this popular laid-back, family-run beach spot. The beachside restaurant, Barracuda, which specializes in seafood, pizza, ribs, and smoked meats, is one of Hopkins's best eateries. The affordable rates include complimentary use of bikes and kayaks.

This collection of seaside villas is among the most upmarket accommodation choices on the Southern Coast. All villas have the same floor plans and furnishings, but some of the villas are directly on the beach, and the others have sea or garden views. The units, with hardwood and natural stone floors and custom-made cedar and mahogany furniture, can be reserved as a complete three-bedroom, three-bath villa or as a single bedroom or two-bedroom suite. All-inclusive packages with meals, some tours, and transfers also are available. The resort's Caribbean-style Woven Palms restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, although many guests enjoy the variety of dining choices in Hopkins too.

This suburban hotel, which mostly gets guests who don't want to stay in the downtown area, has pleasant pool, grounds, and rooms, though it's still a little shy of luxurious. Deluxe rooms, with upgraded carpets and mattresses and ice-cold air-conditioning, are worth the extra cost—they can run over BZ$400 at busy periods in season. The Victorian Room restaurant serves uninspired seafood and grilled steak. There is a guarded and fenced parking lot.   You'll find better rates if you book via the hotel's local website than via the international Best Western site.

From the verandas on the second- or third-floor rooftop terrace of this bright pink, waterfront hotel (beya means beachfront in the Garifuna language, although it isn't much of a beach here) within moderate walking distance of downtown Punta Gorda, you have expansive views of the sea. Despite the name, the hotel has mostly rooms rather than true suites, but they're modern, with tile floors, plaster walls, cable TV, and air-conditioning.

A patch of coral the shape of a pancake and not much bigger, Bird Island is a self-catering, real-life private island where the solitude and starry skies are exquisite. This \"Robinson Crusoe Adventure\" island is ideal for those seeking a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with Belize's ancient atolls. You'll need to bring your own food and drinks; the colorful cabins are otherwise well stocked. Housing a maximum of eight people, Bird Island won't be visited by anyone else during your visit, so it gets quiet. Take advantage of the complimentary kayaks, paddleboards, and other gear. Boat transfers are included.

Many of the 30 spotless rooms, all with air-conditioning and all recently refurbished, at this modern concrete hotel have expansive views of the lagoon. There's a two-story main building and an annex next door, covered with bougainvillea and other flowers, and you'll find that the friendly service is consistent with Belize's down-home reputation. The best rooms are the deluxe doubles on the second floor of the original building. Camping is available (BZ$20 per person). The hotel's dining room serves filling Creole and American fare ($$). The lodge also offers many kinds of tours, including a \"birding-by-boat\" cruise on the lagoon (BZ$300 for up to three people), horseback riding (BZ$50 an hour), and a croc-spotting night safari (BZ$450 for up to three). Transportation from the international airport is BZ$90 for up to three persons.

This Belizean-owned resort in a pleasant rural setting northwest of Belize City perches at the edge of the Belize River, where you can launch a canoe or kayak from the hotel's dock, or just laze about the riverside swimming pool and thatch-roof palapa bar. The air-conditioned rooms are large, with custom-made mahogany furnishings (all-inclusive rates are also available). The on-site restaurant serves good Belizean food (dinner around BZ$40). Black Orchid offers occasional web-only discounts.

The first traditional resort on this low-key island, Blu Zen sits on Caye Caulker's quiet north side and consists of starkly white, modern buildings, each filled with minimalist condos in gray and white tones. Some will love the clean lines and urban design, while others will find the units cold. With their vast square footage and full kitchens, the apartments let families and groups spread out. There's even a five-bedroom (ultra-expensive) penthouse for you and 15 friends! The resort boasts the fantastic global fusion restaurant Lotus, which serves creative dishes all day (at a high price point). There is also the new La Fogata serving wood-fired pizzas. At the high-end convenience store Mercado, you'll find wine, imported cheeses, local meats, and yummy snacks from the smoothie bar (an outpost of Namaste Café). A scheduled boat runs several times daily to shuttle you to and from the village. Though it’s not for every audience, Blu Zen offers a unique, luxury option on casual Caye Caulker. 

At this pleasant small spot overlooking the water, you can settle in and do your own thing in one of the six attractive self-catering flats, with kitchens or kitchenettes, spacious bedrooms, TVs, and verandas with hammocks. Complimentary bicycle use is included in the rate, as is a continental breakfast. If you don't feel like cooking, the guesthouse is within a short walk of several of Punta Gorda's best restaurants.

Located within the beautiful Mayflower Bocawina National Park, the Bocawina Rainforest Resort has comfortable accommodations that include four spacious deluxe suites (with two queen beds, a table and chairs in a sitting area with jungle views through large windows), two thatched casitas (one has two bedrooms that can be rented together or as individual units), and six standard rooms that share a single veranda. A combination solar, wind, and hydro system generates the lodge's electricity. The lodge's zipline complex contains 12 platforms, and the tour division offers a wide range of trips and tours including visits to the nearby Mayflower archaeological sites and miles of jungle trails and waterfalls.

A step above the mostly budget options in Placencia Village—but nowhere near as pricey as The Ellysian—is this all-blue-on-the-outside collection of condolike units. It lets you partake of all the in-town fun in a bit more style. Rooms are a mix of studios, and one-, two-, or three-bedroom suites. All rooms have a balcony, and suites come with full kitchen and make a great option for a housekeeping holiday with everything in the village close by.

Once you make it up the steep hill, you'll enjoy the best views in the Cayo at this hotel at the western edge of San Ignacio, near the Cahal Pech Maya site. You have a choice here of 78 thatched cabanas, rooms, and suites, all air-conditioned and with cable TV, plus beds in two student dorms. The restaurant serves Belizean and American fare in an open-air space with views of the town and valley below. Cahal Pech offers a variety of tours and multiday packages from the hotel. This resort is often heavily booked even in the off-season.

It may not be as modern as the island's newer resorts, but Caribbean Villas, with its gardens, pleasant beachfront, and fun two-story waterslide, is an affordable and low-key alternative to the glitzier developments. There's a happening pool and the Amber Beach Bar and Grill, which is great for a rum cocktail; mixed results for calamari. Choose from remodeled suites brightened with Guatemalan fabrics or the cheaper standard rooms. An artificial reef attracts fish to the end of the dock.

Casa Nova is an unexpected pocket of paradise just a stone’s throw from busy Secret Beach, but you'll feel miles away from earthly concerns at the intimate bed-and-breakfast. As a matter of fact, you are miles away from anything in San Pedro—about 3 miles on the bumpy, swamp-lined road, and another 3½ to San Pedro Town. Restaurants in North Ambergris, like Aji and Rain, are somewhat closer. Fortunately, Secret Beach offers plenty in the way of entertainment: karaoke, live music, swimming, paddleboarding, drinking in the water, drinking on the beach---did we mention drinking? Casa Nova's owners are a dynamic duo: architect Kevin Parel designed the beautiful wooden (and hurricane-safe) structure, while wonderful host Nova Parel will help you map out your getaway. Here’s one great way to spend the afternoon: take a kayak out and bar-hop along the shore of Secret Beach until sunset. Casa Nova is adults only, so the clientele is mostly couples. 

A practical, recently updated option with decent rates, this classic hotel hosts mainland businesspeople and foreign embassy workers. Belizean hardwood headboards and uplighting boost the rooms from superbasic to more contemporary. Rare on Caulker, the front desk is staffed 24 hours a day. The rooftop terrace boasts a great panorama of the island and horizon; now morning yoga classes are held there.

Cerros Beach Resort is an off-the-grid option for good food and simple lodging—there are just three small, solar-powered cabanas—on Corozal Bay, near the Cerros ruins. Expat owners Bill and Jenny Bellerjeau (Bill is the chef) offer expertly made local and American food. Don't miss the ceviche. Guests typically come by boat from Consejo or Corozal Town. Except after heavy rains, you can also drive here from Corozal or Orange Walk. 

A friendly family operates this good-value lodging in the tallest building in town—you can’t miss it in all its green and orange. Rooms in the main building are simple but bright and fresh with air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, and cable TV. If your budget is super tight, an adjoining building offers 10 economy rooms with fan only and shared bath. Go with the standard rooms, though. They're enough of a bargain.

The low gurgle of nearby Mopan River rapids is the first and last sound of the day at Clarissa Falls Resort. Warm and friendly owner Chena Galvez and her family have spent their lives on a cattle ranch here, a rolling 900-acre expanse of grassy pasture. Over the years Chena and family have built a small colony of homey thatch cabanas for visitors to stay in. If you're on a tight budget, there's camping available and, for students only, rooms in a bunkhouse with three meals daily. The open-air restaurant by the river serves tasty mestizo dishes at modest prices.

Inside the Cockscomb Wildlife Reserve, a small house and three cabins, each with private bath—the cabins have cold showers only—can accommodate up to four or six people (BZ$165–BZ$240 per house/cabin) and make for a rustic yet moderately comfortable way to experience nature here. If you want to go really rustic, you can also camp at one of three campgrounds in the reserve (BZ$20 per night per person), or stay in rooms in a dormitory with solar-generated electricity (starting at BZ$50 per person). The Belize Audubon Society in Belize City administers the reserve and its accommodations.

Bring your own food and water, as nothing is sold in the reserve.

This luxe resort gives the impression of a Mediterranean palace---or maybe a fun Las Vegas version---with its colonnades and grottoes rising from the swimming pools. Indeed, the two pools are the real pull at Coco Beach, but this top condotel also has lovely interiors, featuring Balinese rattan furniture and Spanish tiles in the various rooms and suites. Kitchens feature granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Five penthouses boast amazing views of the sea and Barrier Reef. The main restaurant, Cocoblanca, is a baroque display of chandeliers, alcoves, and silken upholstery. Unfortunately, the food is overpriced and underwhelming. Coco Beach and other Sandy Point Resorts often offer deep discounts, so check specials before you book.

It all comes down to this: recline in a hammock on your cottage veranda, sip a cold daiquiri, and contemplate the Caribbean at this intimate all-inclusive private-island resort. Aside from the traffic of geckos and pelicans, this 16-acre island will never feel crowded. But you'll make your share of friends with other guests, staff members, and maybe the nurse sharks that patrol the waters. Coco Plum, whose operation is famously well run, offers seafront cabanas that are remodeled, air-conditioned, and decked out in tropical colors. The fabulous chef, Miss Jude, prepares masterful, homestyle meals (served in a daily set menu, so choices are limited). Most rates include snorkel trips to the reef just a few miles out. Be aware that the included alcohol often facilitates a beach-party atmosphere. Coco Plum is definitely a place for all-inclusive travelers, not the independent adventure travelers that Belize often attracts. Coco Plum's sister resort Manta Island, which opened in 2021, has soft white sand, coral-rich waters, and the benefit of sitting on glorious Glover's Reef Atoll.

Almost all the units face the beach at this property made up of three different accommodation types—standard rooms, standalone cabins, and a guesthouse—and all are a step up from most lodgings in the village. This includes air-conditioning (a BZ$20 extra charge for daytime use), well-made furnishings, free Wi-Fi, and refrigerators. The staff is super friendly and helpful in arranging tours and transportation. Coconut Row offers a variety of packages and web discounts.

If you're looking for an unfussy, homey spot on the beach with personal service, charming Cocotal Inn could be just right. Our favorite unit is the casita, with its vaulted hardwood ceiling (capped with a cute cupola) and four-poster queen bed; it's closest to the beach and overlooks the freshwater pool. Darling cottages also make a pleasant retreat, and all have fully equipped kitchens so you can cook your own meals. Or, hop on a complimentary bike and ride to one of many nearby restaurants. The friendly, helpful owners are on-site. You can snorkel at the small artificial reef, right off Cocotal's enormous 200-foot pier. 

This stylish three-level, nine-room B&B is located in the middle of the somewhat off-the-beaten-path development in the village of Chunox just beyond the Laguna Seca bridge, catering both to the handful of visitors who find themselves on the road to Sarteneja. The air-conditioned rooms are attractively furnished, and there's a great view of Chetumal Bay from the rooftop terrace and bar. A full English breakfast is included (the owners are from England) in the rates. 

This birder's paradise family-run jungle lodge has a range of accommodations, from two simple rooms to a collection of traditional thatched cabanas with views of the Macal River Valley. It is operated by the Tut (pronounced toot) family—Mom and Dad Tut and their 10 children, and they make you feel like a part of the clan. Mom and the daughters cook and run the lodge, and several of the sons are accomplished guides for birding, caving, and river expeditions. The lodge also promotes its multinight birding and adventure tours.

With somewhat eccentric decor and televisions in every room, Dream Valley is not quite luxurious and not quite rustic, but guests enjoy its intimacy and quiet location right at the jungle's edge. Raised wooden walkways lead you between zinc-roofed cabins, a spa, and the main lodge. The location is removed enough that trips into Belmopan are challenging without a rental car, so your main dining option is the on-site restaurant, which serves tasty burgers but little Belizean fare. However, the staff is welcoming, views of Belize River are beautiful, and the best adventure tours of Cayo are within reach.

Nearly every hotel on Ambergris Caye claims that it can arrange fishing trips, but this resort, opened in 1974, has the best angling resources, plus plenty to do for companions with other passions (half the guests are snorkelers and divers). Ask the folks here about fishing and they'll rattle off lists of pancake flats, back-reef flats, turtle-grass flats, and all their inhabitants. Loosely described as a \"fishing camp,\" the main lodge is actually a handsome white colonial with comfortable rooms and a nice swimming pool. Adjoining the lodge in two groupings, each with a pool, are deluxe private villas. The restaurant has delicious farm-to-table (and sea-to-table) daily menus, with one seating for the prix-fixe dinner. Many guests arrive as part of a fishing package; check the website for package deals. The resort has a fly-fishing shop and offers lessons.

Lounge on the second-floor veranda of this small waterfront guesthouse and watch the fishing boats anchored just a few hundred feet away—rooms have air-conditioning and Wi-Fi included in the rate.