One of the first batches of hotel reviews we posted on Luxury Latin America when we launched half a decade ago was for Ambergris Caye, Belize. This included what many consider the top resort on the island, Victoria House.

Hotels evolve, expand, and upgrade over the years and it was time to get a new set of eyes (and a new camera lens) trained on Victoria House. So when one of our contributors was researching the Ambergris Caye Luxury Real Estate story we posted recently, he checked into both their ownership options and what it was like for hotel guests.

We’re happy to say little has changed on the service side, with the staffers—many of them here since before we posted the first review—still delivering personalized, friendly service with a smile. While the resort evokes the time of “British Honduras” when Belize was a colony of the queen, we’re facing the Caribbean after all, so stuffiness can only go so far.

What has changed on the physical side is the addition of several new villas, so if you’ve got a big family or a group wanting some space and a kitchen, you’ll be set here. This was partly driven by destination wedding demand: there are a lot of weddings in this tropical paradise. Dive on the reef, then dive into marriage.

For more information, see our updated review of Victoria House in Belize.

A bit of trivia for your next cocktail party: what’s the one nation in Central America where English is the official language? That would be Belize, which also happens to be one of the best places in all of Latin America for a foreigner to buy real estate. There are great incentives in place, the prices (though not what they once were) are a bargain compared to the U.S. or Canada, and the market has been far more stable than others dominated by buyers from up north.

Our latest luxury real estate feature focuses on Ambergris Caye, Belize, long the most popular destination for both tourists and those who come and then don’t want to leave. The main town on this easy-to-reach island is a mellow place with more golf carts and pedestrians than any other mode of transportation and nobody in much of a hurry. The second-longest barrier reef in the world is right off the shore.

Usually when we run these real estate stories, there’s not much connection to the local hotel scene, but in Ambergris Caye, some of the most desirable opportunities are via luxury hotels like Victoria House and Las Terrazas. Of course you can also find your own private paradise with a boat dock elsewhere, whether it’s something built to your designs or in an eco-friendly, chic enclave with some company next door.

Get a full rundown on the options in our round-up of luxury real estate in Ambergris Caye, Belize.

When most people think of Belize they picture Scuba divers or snorkelers exploring the great reef running along the coast, or they imagine enjoying beaches and tropical cocktails.

That’s just one aspect of this small but diverse country though and the interior of Belize is a land of adventure, jungle, and ruins. In the year pegged as the end of the Maya calendar, many have woken up to the fact that the ruins of this great civilization start in the Yucatan of Mexico and go all the way down into Belize.

If you’ve got the money and want to make your visit to the ruins something special, you can still do that easily in Belize, where crowds are pretty thin most of the time and inland luxury hotels like Ka’ana Boutique Resort have connections to get you in when the places are empty.

You’ve already missed the boat on their Caracol Overnight Luxury Camping trip since it only happened for the solstice, but you can still get in on their Yaxha ruins overnight trip. After spending a night in a suite at Ka’ana Boutique Resort & Spa, you and your companion(s) travel across the Guatemalan border to the Yaxha ruins. Here’s what’s included:

• Private Road Transfers to Yaxha, Guatemala
• Private Tour by licensed Archaeologist and Guide
• Personal butler
• Exclusive accommodations in Luxury Tent in the Plaza of Yaxha
• Turndown service
• Authentic Maya breakfast and dinner
• Sundowners with Cheese, Fruit and Sparkling Wine
• Boat Ride across lake to Topoxte ruins

This is just one of many excursions you can take from Ka’ana, however. They’ll also arrange trips to Xunantunich or Caracol ruins in Belize or Tikal in Guatemala. Adventure trips can explore caves, go birdwatching, or put you on river tubes or ziplines. See the full list of adventures here.

See our full review of Ka’ana Resort in Belize or visit their website to learn more and see current package deals.

....Kaana Boutique Resort pool villa in Belize

It’s hard to tell from tourism visitor numbers how many luxury travelers are headed to various places in Latin America. The overall numbers include shoestring travelers and billionaires, business travelers and honeymooners.

So it’s always kind of fun to look at our stats and see which countries are getting searched on the most. You can see them below.

Keep in mind this is always a bit flawed in several ways. Our audience is 2/3 U.S. and Canadian, so getting to Belize is a lot easier than getting to Buenos Aires. Also, search engine rankings are fickle, especially for content sites like ours not spending ad money with Google, so results can vary over the course of the year. Nevertheless, here goes.

Belize Luxury Hotels – This page is consistently at or near the top, throughout the year, with readers checking out reviews of resorts like Ka’ana, Turtle Inn, and Cayo Espanto to find their perfect spot in the sun.

Luxury Hotels – For those figuring out where they want to go and where to stay.

Luxury Destinations in Latin America – Ditto, with links to each country.

View from Finesterre Suites pool in Panama City

Panama Luxury Hotels – The long shot moves up the ranks as more upscale places to stay keep opening. What recession?

Costa Rica Luxury Hotels – Beat out by Panama this month, but usually near the top.

Luxury Tours – Detailed features stories on tours run by upscale adventure companies, wine tour leaders, and more.

Upscale Travel in Mexico – Resorts, tours, and a plethora of vacation/retirement real estate stories.

Upscale Travel in Ecuador – Quito, haciendas, and the Galapagos

Real Estate in Latin America – More for your money and better weather on top.

This will undoubtedly change as the year goes on from shifts in travel patterns and vacation schedules. Right now Colombia is moving up ahead of Travel Mart Latin America and my recent trip to Nicaragua brought a boost to Jicaro Eco Lodge and Aqua Wellness Resort.

I’ll be in Chile in November doing a tour with Explora, so more to come from the other end of the hemisphere…

One of the most popular sections of our site is the luxury hotels in Belize section and it’s easy to see why. English-speaking Belize is a short hop by plane and offers better deals and diving than most of the Caribbean – but with the same warm and beautiful waters.

Most of the resorts there don’t have much of a beach though. If you strip out all the sea grass the reefs get damaged and the reefs are what bring in all those divers and snorkelers. A few high-end resorts have a decent beach though and we’ve just added a review of one that also has a beautiful pool complex and large suites with room to spread out.

Las Terrazas is relatively small and low-key, like most hotels on Ambergris, but it has a larger footprint and roomier rooms.

The 37 one- to three-bedroom accommodations of the resort are housed in two-story, modern design buildings that overlook the beach and dock, or the 70-foot lap pool, which is lined with comfortable lounge chairs some semi-submerged on the pool’s edge. Most rooms have a split-level layout, with a living room (complete with two sofas and a flat-screen TV), a dining room, a fully equipped kitchen, and a king size bedroom upstairs. Although the look is decidedly modern, Belizean artwork on the walls and colorful furnishings add a local flair.

This is not some barely staffed condotel though with limited services. Restaurants, bars, and watersports are on site and the staffers can arrange all kinds of excursions on water or land.

See our full review of Las Terazzas in Belize.