Surrounded by 10,000 acres of wild tropical forest at the foothills of the Maya Mountains, The Banks is a riverfront resort in central Belize and the newest in the series of luxury resorts, lodges and vacation villas from hoteliers The Belize Collection. Fourteen one-, two- and three-bedroom villas present a soothing, peaceful vibe amidst contemporary, design-forward indoor-outdoor living. No crowds here, just the sounds of ice tinkling in a glass or the splash of someone enjoying the solitude of their private plunge pool.

Public spaces are gorgeous—airy and carefully curated with artisanal Belizean trimmings. A large-scale interactive art installation made of purple heartwood—“Ah Puka’an Garrobo” by Uruguayan artist Diego Haretche, meaning “iguana below the ground” in Maya—stretches across the front of the property and flows into the lobby.

Street cred: It’s all about location

The Banks is in the geographic center of the country on the winding Sibun River, about 90 minutes from Belize City and the airport, and about 30 minutes from the capital city of Belmopan. Tours travel for just over an hour to San Ignacio near the Guatemalan border, heading to the Mayan historic sites. The road the resort is on is called Hummingbird Highway, due to the fact that it zig-zags its way through the countryside as a hummingbird would dart about a garden.

Who hangs here: Is this hotel for you?

This is an affluent crowd to be sure, very used to private holiday resorts, mainly quiet and much to themselves. They know how to relax and if they have kids, they know how to behave. (This is a perfect multigenerational travel destination.) It’s very likely that these same people have previously stayed at nearby sister Belize Collection property The Rainforest Lodge at Sleeping Giant.

The straight goods: What’s in the room?

The suites comprise an open living space with lounging, dining and kitchen areas, and sliding doors leading to patios with private plunge pools and to green alcoves. High ceilings and ample natural light (with automatic drapery!) lend airiness. Artisanal décor elements are built on jungle motifs and natural colors, with rich woods and wicker accents. My one-bedroom suite was about 800 square feet. As the sun is relentless in this part of the world, I was delighted to have a cooler of filtered water right in the main space.

Bragging rights: What else has it got?

The big add-on is what’s going on next door. The Banks guests also have access to the considerable amenities at Rainforest Lodge. These include a larger pool, a riverside beach with complimentary kayaks and paddleboards, extensive hiking and biking trails and horseback riding. There’s an actual stable.

Other pluses include vetted tour companies offering trips to the Xunantunich Mayan site, cave kayaking and tubing, snorkeling, even a jungle hike after dark. On property, currently on Tuesdays, wellness pursuits can include Vinyasa-inspired yoga, running and mobility work with a trainer in the mountains or a nervous-system reset with a sound bath.

Good eats: Cocktails and cuisine

Humo Restaurant & Bar encompasses a beautifully designed dining room plus an open-air riverbank dining area with a little bar tucked in the corner. Chef Rahim and the kitchen team draw on generational culinary wisdom (i.e. grandma’s techniques) and local farmers and fishers to create an authentic Belizean menu. Aged beef and flame-seared local prawns are cooked via aromatic craboo and citrus woods. Passionfruit and citrus reductions come from nearby orchards and the Mayan chocolate sent chills up my spine. Breakfast was also amazing.

A few of our favorite things: What stood out?

Definitely, the coziness of these suites is the big stand-out. After a day of touring around, it felt so great to come “home” to what is essentially a flat, with a kitchen that has absolutely everything in it. I also liked the L-shaped format of our particular space, wherein the wee swimming pool was reachable from the living area, but also from the bedroom. It was a truly secluded experience, like a private residence.

Parting shot: If we could change one thing

Practice makes perfect, and I’m sure things change over time, but improvement could be made with the staff. While pleasant and absolutely well-trained, many of the young staff members need more experience and seem too shy. Oftentimes, it felt like there was no real “adult” watching the dining rooms and attendants/servers walking around with their heads down. I just wanted to say, “Hello? I’m looking at you! Can you see me?”

Standard rooms in June from C$325 (USD$235), breakfast excluded.

Lead photo courtesy of Doug Wallace

Doug was a guest of the hotel during his stay. The hotel had no editorial input for this review.