Honduras does not have a long history as a luxury travel destination. It has only recently started to attract the kind of wealthy, upscale scuba diving enthusiasts that Belize has hosted and the nature lovers that Costa Rica brings in by the planeload.

There are really two faces of Honduras: the islands and the mainland. The Bay Islands of Roatan and Utila get the bulk of the foreign visitors to Honduras. Long touted as great diving destinations for those on a budget, Roatan especially is moving upscale as the word gets out and more expatriates and retirees make the Caribbean island their home. Anthony's Key Resort remains the top choice, but we expect someone to come along and open something fancier in the coming years. Some of this more discerning tourism traffic is spilling over to Utila as well, so here we cover the best hotel on the island, Laguna Beach Resort.

Most of the travelers coming to the two largest cities in Honduras are business travelers, while tourists tend to only stay a necessary night while flying in or out. None of the hotels in those cities are going to bowl anyone over, but we review the two best ones here.

A few forward-looking entrepreneurs are building interesting hotels with character, however, with two taking advantage of the enormous eco-hotel potential in a country with so much protected land. We also highlight an upscale inn near the Maya ruins of Copan. Browse the "best of the best" hotels covered here and enjoy your trip to Honduras!