Turtle Inn by Francis Ford Coppola

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!

Turtle Inn was remarkable. My wife and I went on our honeymoon. Almost every villa has some view of the ocean. Waking up to bird chirping, breakfast in the room for free, looking at the ocean was remarkable. Conceirge was excellent at not just arranging activities but importantly suggesting things we might like and really listened to us describe what we wanted. Every guide was wonderful - snorkeling, hiking, birding etc. Food also remarkable. Great bar. Would 100% return.

I have stayed at Turtle Inn four times now: 2012, 14, 22, and 2025. This time, we traveled with our two children, ages 6 and 8. It was a fantastic stay once again. Martin and the staff do a great job of perfecting "barefoot luxury." The resort offers an elegant setting without being overly stuffy or pretentious. All meals at Turtle Inn were fantastic. Kids camp was a great break for the kids, and it let them experience a few things they otherwise may not have at Turtle Inn. It is difficult to describe the facility. Each villa or cottage is its own dwelling, creating the feeling of being on a secluded tropical beach that you just don't get with traditional multi-story buildings at other resorts. It feels as if someone built an open-air home and turned it into a place to relax for guests. However Turtle Inn came to be, they executed the quintessential secluded beach vacation perfectly. Once again, my recommendation is that you stay ocean-front, as air-conditioned spaces are limited to a few of the garden-view villas. The pool is great, and so is the oceanfront bar. The staff has never disappointed, and the outdoor shower is one of the unique attributes that continues to bring us back. Another unique aspect of Copolla Resorts is that they don't use plastic. Garbage bags are replaced with paper, water is in glass containers, to-go boxes are paper, straws are bamboo or metal, plastic container are woven baskets and so on. It's a nice touch that helps the planet and adds to the elegance the resort strives to achieve. Bugs are an issue depending on the time of year you visit. The closer you are to the rainy season, the worse they can be. Pricing at the restaurants and bars is comparable or cheaper to any run-of-the-mill restaurant in the States. It's not dirt cheap, but it's not expensive either. Be careful traveling into late May, The rainy season is fast approaching. That said, the rain is a great reprieve from the midday heat. Placencia village. Much of the charm comes from the lack of modern amenities. Restaurants are all open-air and simple. Food is excellent, drinks are cold. It's a really neat spot to visit.

After visiting the wonderful Blancaneaux Lodge for intense outdoors and Maya site visits we were looking for a few relaxing days (including a snorkel trip). Turtle Inn exceeded all our expectations, a huge difference to crowed beach resorts. No bling bling, no glitzy environments, but eco-chic luxury. Staff was super friendly, when something small happened the front desk reacted immediately and resolved it. Better and faster than in luxury chain hotels. The service in restaurants was outstanding, personal and we had wonderful conversations with locals in all areas of the inn. And we don‘t want to forget the brilliant cocktails at the beach bar. Thanks a lot. And like turtles we will return to the same beach soon.

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.