159 Best Hotels in Belize

One of the oldest hotels and restaurants in northern Belize, Tony's Inn is still going strong, with spacious, refurbished rooms and a popular bayside restaurant and bar, all on beautifully landscaped grounds. For the most enjoyable stay, choose the upgraded deluxe rooms with modern baths, mahogany furnishings, comfortable beds, and new air-conditioning units.

Austrian-born owner Doris Creasey brings an eccentric flair and Teutonic cleanliness to this three-story colonial-style guesthouse, set back a ways from the sea. The decor mingles decades—silk flowers, a mysterious empty urn, stained glass—and the furniture can be a little firm. But if you seek a quiet retreat, this is a well-managed, affordable option. The small courtyard garden is a pleasant place to read or lounge in a hammock. Treetops is about 150 feet from the sea (though neighbors' plots are sometimes awash with smelly seagrass), within walking distance of most restaurants. A few guests rankle at the house rules and regulations enforced by the owner, who runs a tight ship: checkout is at 9 am; no outside guests; water bottle refills are BZ$1. But most find this to be a charming guesthouse.

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.

Gregorio Chun and his Mopan Maya family who've lived in this area for many generations provide affordable lodging in simple thatched cabanas. You stay here not for the accommodations, which are basic at best, but for its location near the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and to meet the Chun family. The Chuns provide a range of tours to Cockscomb and Maya sites, and simple but tasty homemade meals are available at a small restaurant.

Gregorio Chun and his family, Mopan Maya people who've lived in this area for many generations, provide affordable accommodations in simple thatch cabañas. The reason to stay at Tutzil Nah is not the accommodations, which are basic at best, but the location near the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and to meet the Chun family. The Chun family were among those who helped Dr. Alan Rabinowitz study the jaguars in southern Belize, resulting in his well-known 2000 book, Jaguar, One Man's Struggle to Establish the World's First Jaguar Preserve. The Chuns provide a range of tours to Cockscomb and Mayan sites, and simple but tasty homemade meals are available at a small restaurant.

This cluster of turquoise cottages, each with a hammocked porch, is steps from the sea, and while accommodations are simple---just above backpacker level---the Caribbean is your playground. Here, there's a bit more room for stretching out than at other lodges on Tobacco Caye, as the property extends from the sea on the east to the island's back side. A bar is set away from the cabins. Rates do not include Marine Reserve fees or transportation. 

Inland from the sea, this mellow B&B is draped with golden trumpet vines and oleander, and offers personal service to a T. The hosts want to make sure you enjoy your trip to Belize, so they’ll even lend a hand with logistics and planning your vacation. Homemade breakfasts on the rooftop—with winning views of the sea and village—are a lovely way to crack open the day. Being a block or two away from the water, Yocamatsu won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but for those seeking a quiet, pleasant retreat it’s just the thing. The property abuts the football field, so you can watch soccer games from your cabana porch.

Right in the middle of things, the Belcove is a popular budget hotel just south of Swing Bridge, literally at the edge of Haulover Creek. You can sit on one of the balconies of this three-story wood hotel, painted sunflower yellow, and watch the boats on the river. Some of the rooms are barely larger than the beds in them, but they're clean, and the staff is helpful and friendly. "Deluxe" doubles with a/c are around BZ$105 including tax, with cheaper budget rooms available.

The breezy Fort George seaside location of this hotel is its strongest point, and some would say its only one. Behind the charming colonial-style exterior—it was formerly a hospital—some of the rooms and public areas badly need upgrading and refurbishing. With a complete makeover, this well-located hotel could be a prime property in Belize City. For the time being, however, there's a lot that needs improving. Some scenes in the 1980 movie The Dogs of War were filmed here, and not too much has changed in the intervening years. Don't expect everything to work perfectly—your room's louvered windows might not close, defeating the air-conditioning, and you may share your room with a few six-legged friends.