Turtle Inn by Francis Ford Coppola

We had a lovely and relaxing time at Turtle Inn. The resort is beautiful, quiet and very well maintained. They pay great attention to every detail whether it be the Balinese decor, the fresh flowers that adorn the premises each day, or the grounds that are swept each day, all day. The staff is so friendly and attentive... they knew us all by name. I can't tell you how wonderful it was to walk out the door of our oceanfront cottage and the beach was truly right there. My most difficult decision of each day was whether to read in the hammock or walk a few steps further to sit on the beach. Of course, I did a lot more than that... there are plenty of activities to choose from in Placencia. The restaurants were delicious. We loved eating on the sand at Gaugin Grill and the vibe at Auntie Luba's Kitchen was fun and fabulous. The resort is a short distance from town and the airport, so getting places is extremely easy. Grab a bike and go into town or the resort will provide transportation for evening trips should you want to have dinner in Placencia. And of course, they provide transportation to and from the airport. It's all so nice and easy. Next visit, we want to go to Blancaneaux Lodge as well.

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.

What a magical place! We ate the Indonesian Rijsttafel on a monday, which was a great experience in their beautifull environment. The food was amazing, many different portions of Indonesian yumminess on a lazy Sue. Thanks Mr. Martin! QPO ;-)

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.