Fodor's Expert Review Turtle Inn

Francis Ford Coppola's second of three lodgings in Belize is nothing if not exotic, with the furnishings, art, and most of the construction materials bought in Bali by the film director and his wife. The entrance, on a footbridge over a small pond, leads you to a gorgeous open-air reception area, lobby, and restaurant. Splurge on a seafront cabana to catch the breezes, as there's no air-conditioning, and the units at the back can be very hot. Two-bedroom villas have not one or two but three bathrooms (two Japanese-style ones indoors and one in a walled outdoor garden). The restaurant, Mare, is great for pizza (baked in a wood-burning oven) and other Italian dishes, plus seafood and Neibaum-Coppola wines; a second restaurant, Gauguin, specializes in beach barbecue and a third in Belizean dishes. Service is warm and welcoming, as it should be for the price you're paying. You're only a short bike or taxi ride into the village to sample the restaurants there. There are two pools and a nice stretch of beach. You can add on a few nights at Coral Caye, an equally sumptuous Coppola property on a private island, eight miles and a 25-minute boat ride away.