71 Best Hotels in Belize

Hugging the Corozal Bay in the Orchid Bay area, Orchid Bay Resort boasts silky-soft sands, a tranquil sea view, and 18 thatched-roof cabanas all artfully decorated with local wood decor. The property itself is known for the tropical gardens that house 200 species of orchids. Perhaps the resort's most alluring feature is that it's directly in front of the water. While there may not be much to do, the hotel can arrange fishing or snorkeling tours to the reef. Orchid Bay Resort sits an hour's drive away from Corozal in a secluded area of Chunox Village. 

This small beachfront resort with rooms in earth tones arranged around a courtyard with a pool is an attractive option if you don't need all the amenities of the larger resorts but want an excellent restaurant. Chef Rob's Gourmet Café, with multiple dining concepts, is one of the best restaurants in the entire country. Parrot Cove also has two two-bedroom units in a beach house next door.

This luxury-meets-adventure resort embodies Belize as a destination: cabanas with ragged crowns of thatch, wonderful people, imperfect beaches, and, when not plighted by sargassum, exquisite water. The exteriors and pool are showing their age, but the rooms are unlike anything back home: they feature tropical hardwoods, sultry doorless bathrooms, handpainted sinks, and bamboo bed frames. Honeymooners and families alike are welcome. The Green Parrot Bistro has decent food at special-occasion prices; you may want to explore other dining options up north. Portofino has a dive shop, spa, and all the other trappings of a seasoned resort.

One of the first and most famous resorts on the island, Ramon's really is a village, with its many buildings paneled in furry palmetto and canopied footpaths that you can get lost in. At the south edge of town, the popular resort attracts an active crowd who take their virgin daiquiris to the pool (no alcohol sold here, though guests may drink in their room or on the beach). You may find rates surprisingly spendy for the size and amenities, but you're paying for the setting. The grounds are lush, green, and flowery and the 500-foot beach is among the best in or near town. Snorkeling is decent off the long pier around its artificial reef. Across from Ramon's sits the small sister property Steve & Becky's, which has cute colonial-style cottages. The main restaurant, Pineapples On the Beach, serves so-so food and seems to import Las Vegas kitsch with its looming 16-foot Maya head.

Variety is the spice of beach life here, with an assortment of rooms, suites, and villas, some of which can be combined into uber-suites for families. Butterflies, the full-service spa here, is located next to the hotel's coffee shop. Complimentary bikes and kayaks are available. The same management group operates several hotels in the area and around the country and can arrange combo packages that include stays at its beach and rainforest properties.

Robert's Grove is one of the largest (44 units including standard rooms, suites, and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, and lagoon-side villas) and most complete resorts in southern Belize, with kayaks, windsurfers, small sailboats, and boats for diving. Or, you can laze on the beach, check out the gym, relax at the spa, take a yoga class, or swim in one of the three beachside pools. The resort has a dive center and marina. There are three restaurants: the main hotel restaurant, Seaside; Habanero at the marina on the lagoon side; and Sweet Mama's, a Belizean-style eatery. All-inclusive and other packages are available.

For an all-inclusive, family-friendly option, this playful getaway---the only thing on the 6-acre caye---is a special experience. Sea kayaking around the mangrove biome, swimming, and playing chess on a giant chessboard make great activities for kids. You won't be roughing it: newly renovated comfortable cottages, set fairly close together, have turndown service, TV, and other amenities. Decor and furnishings feel a little sterile, but you're unlikely to hang out in your room much. The 2022 face-lift brought about a spacious gym and an indoor, air-conditioned hangout spot ideal for children. Families with kids can enjoy movie nights at the Coral Room or simply wind down while reading a book. Though not quite as polished as some luxury island resorts, the casual, intimate atmosphere is what makes it lovable. The boat ride is a mere 25 minutes.

Sister property to the extravagant Grand Caribe, Sunset Caribe is a stunning resort facing the leeward side of Ambergris Caye. Its most recent building is home to a top-notch café as well as a gorgeous lobby facing two unusually expansive pools. While you won't be in front of the sea (which can be a hidden blessing during sargassum season), the striking sunset views will take the sting out of it. Each bedroom comes with its own balcony that allows you to admire the bay, and if you need some fresh air, the rooftop terrace on the seventh floor allows you to gaze all the way to Secret Beach. Guests can cross the street to Grand Caribe to dine at Rain or Aqua, but if you'd prefer to cook in your kitchenette that comes with every room, Sunset offers grocery delivery from their Beach Basket store as well. 

High above a bend in the Macal River is this remarkable, relaxing lodge whose grounds are right next door to the 45-acre Belize Botanic Gardens. From a vantage point 30 feet above the forest floor on the covered deck and canopied walkway, you'll see iguanas sunning in the trees. You can swim and dive off the rocks from the sandy river beach below. The food is excellent, and there's always a vegetarian option. The lodge also offers horseback riding and a full range of tours.

Thatch Caye is all about you and your private-island vacation; after a day of sea adventures return to elevated bungalows, some entirely over water, at this adventure lodge. Stylish accents like distressed wooden bed frames and sliding barn doors make the design more chic than on many islands, though it can feel too rustic for some guests. Cabanas have high, open-air widow's walks where you can watch the sunrise. You can walk the island from end to end in less than half an hour and poke around the three small natural beaches; however, shore snorkeling isn't very good. Expect to get social at meals (eaten together at a long table) and cocktail hour at the over-the-water Starfish Bar. A host of packages are available, but the basic all-inclusive package runs BZ$350 per person per day. A resort in the Muy'Ono hotel group, Thatch Caye has five sister hotels all over Belize and has a strong eco-conscience.

The sound of the surf is the only night noise at this smart, red-roofed resort, where you'll commune with others who love fishing and other water activities as much as you do. Opened in 1981 by Karen and Craig Hayes, Turneffe Flats sits on the northeastern side of the atoll on a private point with a white-sand beach and a wadeable bonefish flat. It has earned accolades for its focus on sustainable tourism. The lodgings, fitted with elegant hardwoods, are a far cry from the bare-bones fishing camp that occupied this site in the early '80s. You probably won't spend much time in your room, in any case. The social heart of the resort is a lodge with bar, dining room (meals are served group style), and two levels of decks with sea views. You can dive at Turneffe Flats—dive boats are on standby and the reef is only 200 yards from shore—but the ubiquitous fishing-pole racks suggest that bonefish, permit, and tarpon are still the main draw. For these fish you usually go out on 16-foot flats skiffs, with two anglers and a guide per boat. You pay a pretty penny to indulge your passion, however. Fishing and dive packages are available, the latter costing somewhat less.