Turtle Inn by Francis Ford Coppola

Our family had a wonderful stay at Turtle Inn. The staff was fantastic, the grounds warm and welcoming, and the food at the restaurants was outstanding. The vibe at the resort is very slow and laid back, which made for a relaxing stay. I appreciated the fact that the staff was responsive, but not in your face trying to be of too much assistance. The only knock is that there’s no real beach as erosion forced them to create a sea wall - but there really aren’t many true beaches around Placencia, and the sea wall creates a nice level area for bocce ball and chairs to enjoy the view and sea breeze. Plus the pools were nice and were never crowded. We stayed in a 2-br seaside villa which worked out great for our family of four. The lack of AC wasn’t an issue at all as the breeze and ceiling fans kept us cool enough at night. The unit had a sitting area which was good for playing games and enjoying cocktail hour - and both rooms had private outdoor showers in the back. There’s not a lot of action at the resort, which I fully appreciated but can be a bit of a challenge for kids. Turtle Inn is a special place that I look forward to visiting again in the future.

We just got back from a fantastic stay at the Turtle Inn with our family of four from Brooklyn—and we couldn’t have asked for a better trip. The setting is beautiful and relaxing, the food is genuinely excellent, and the vibe is laid-back but polished. We spent plenty of time unwinding by the beach and pool, but the real highlights were the adventures: zip lining and river tubing in the rainforest, plus snorkeling with lunch on a private island—both totally unforgettable. Turtle Inn made it easy to combine relaxation with once-in-a-lifetime experiences. A perfect, well-rounded trip. We’re already talking about going back.

The scuba and trail/birding/Mayan guides were the best we’ve ever had. Hands down the best!!! If you stay here go on an excursion! However, the front desk was terrible. The whole trip they didn’t get any reservations for anything correct- EVER. The food wasn’t good and the breakfast service was awful- out of five breakfasts not one time did we get what we ordered. We ended up canceling all on site restaurants to go into town and even then they concierge didn’t know what restaurants were open on what days. The grounds staff, bar staff and housekeeping were also great. It’s very clear there is a lack of management at the front of house and maybe a lack of interest from the owner. It definitely feels like a resort on the decline which is a real shame for the guide department where there is some extreme talent.

From the moment we arrived to the time we left Turtle Inn was a fabulous experience. Their incredibly friendly and personable staff went above and beyond in everything they did and were very helpful. Our Seafront Cottage was comfortable, spacious and exquisitely decorated. The food and drink choices were wonderful with a nice variety and there were multiple excursions to choose from. Not to be missed is the half-day snorkeling to Laughing Bird Caye with fellow travelers and Javier and the Sunset Cruise in the Dolce Vita. We loved everything about this charming, idyllic resort and will surely be back!

Second time to the Turtle Inn. Another fantastic time. Got upgraded by the friendly folks at the front desk. The villa was unbelievable! First class service by all of the staff. Can't remember all the names but a few I remember are Jimmy, Jonathon, Bamboo, Rooney. Food was excellent as expected. Try the pizza parlor on Sundays! Great snorkeling led by Marlin who was a blast. Lots of friendly people staying there also. The beach bar was our favorite hangout. Highly recommend!

I just returned from Turtle Inn - this is a hidden gem! I am a 50 yr old solo female traveler. I prefer adult only resorts, quiet, off the beaten path locations and authentic, upscale resorts. I am always researching vacations and looking for boutique properties that cater to those looking for a more refined experience – can’t believe I had not found this property before. Here are my Pros and the few minor Cons regarding this lovely resort: Location - First time in Belize, easy hop from BZE to Placencia, the resort picked me up, 5 minute drive to property. The town of Placencia is fairly remote. It was a little grungier than I expected since Turtle Inn caters to a more upscale crowd. It was a short 10-minute bike ride (bikes provided free) from the hotel. A couple of shops and restaurants. I didn’t find it appealing personally and decided to stay on property for the remainder of my stay. I bought one cute bag to contribute to the economy. The Chill Out coffee shop serves hand-dipped ice cream and is very close to the hotel. There was a cute bakery that had sandwiches and pastries for sale that looked good. Property – So lovely, grounds immaculate, lots of paths for meandering, wonderful organic garden and a new coffee/tea cottage is about to open – so cute. Loved the adult-only pool on the day when some kids were at the main pool. It didn't look like there would be enough loungers and I was afraid people would start staking their claims but somehow they never ran out. I had a lounger put down by the beach one day. They have the BEST floating pool lounge cushions. Thrilled that there was only some soft music in the beach bar that you can barely hear at the pool and that the bar shuts down when dinner starts. Property was whisper-quiet by 9pm. I spent several hours sitting on a bench swing watching the stars after dinner and enjoying the breeze and the sound of the ocean. While the property is situated east-facing on the water, it isn’t what most people think of as beachfront. A seawall was constructed to prevent erosion and though there are access points to the water, it was a little murky and not many people were in the water. That said, there is some packed sand and since you have the pool (which was the most lovely cool temperature), it was good enough for me. Accommodations – Outstanding in every way, so much bigger and better than expected based on website photos. So many thoughtful bespoke details from the provided beach bag to the foot wash out front to the candles and fragrant incense in the evenings. Two sanitized yoga mats were provided so I did beach yoga every morning. Mosquito netting was an option which I chose to take advantage of (because even 1 mosquito at night is too many). For me, the mattress was a bit too firm but that’s being very picky. The seaside and ocean front rooms do not have A/C yet (coming soon) so if you need to be cold to sleep, get a garden room with A/C. The ceiling fan and breezes in my seaside pool cottage w