Itz'Ana Resort & Residences

Blown away. Fairly new resort but feels like a timeless, historic mix of Hemingway, colonial and Caribbean. The interior design, materials and grounds make it one of the nicest places I've ever stayed. Absolutely gorgeous and literally on the beach. From inside to outside, there were no disappointments and entirely delightful. We took pictures of every room in the lodge and every bit of the exterior dining and pool area to remember how beautiful it was. The service staff were excellent; all wonderful people. Extremely attentive, friendly and caring. But, the front desk and concierge service lags behind a bit. Not quite as energetic, not as on the ball, and made a few errors with our transportation and excursion schedules. So, keep on your toes with them. Food was fresh and very good, but not as creative and delicious as their sister resort Ka'ana. Drinks are good, but the wine list is really bad, even by the bottle. Unbelievable pool and beach areas. Fun snorkeling and fly fishing excursions were arranged by the resort and easy from the hotel marina across the street. Placencia town is short 15 minute ride and good for a night or two. We also dined at Turtle Inn, which was a treat. I've always wanted to stay at Turtle, but now having seen both, I'd vote for Itz'ana. Overall - Thrilled with the place, people and experience!

Whether you’re ordering drinks from Freddie at the bar, food from CiCi, getting a ride from Dwight, or receiving a courteous hello from the room cleaning crew, the staff at Itz’ana is first class. They all work tirelessly to make your stay special. The amenities are beautiful, the room even smelled like you were staying at a spa. We really enjoyed the food, the resort, and the staff!

Such an amazing stay at Itzana Resort during our first Belize Vacation. The architecture of the resort was no other place. Very chic and amazing. Food was delicious, the staff was friendly. The resort is large but not crowded and it has large pool and beach that make the vacation so relaxing. I would totally comeback here again. The most amazing vacation.

Had a great stay in a huge condo style loft room. Super clean and comfortable. Lots of towels, shampoo, full kitchen with oil and vinegar and lots of utensils if you want etc. Fridge stocked with pay as you drink beverages of all types. Bed super comfy overlooking the ocean. Pretty much private beach to ourselves. Paddle boarding in the morning encountered flying fish, and manatees! Pool was super nice on the beach. Watched iguanas eating while we sipped our Coco- Logos. We ate mostly continental breakfasts which was included in our package, good but could have had a more daily variety. Dinners and lunch were excellent. We rented a golf cart to give us flexibility to eat at other restaurants and do some exploring down town. Guest services were excellent. You can book excursions through their concierge, they add a few dollars. They also coordinate a few guest activities, some got cancelled without notice so you need to check what is still on. Overall, fantastic stay.

Itz’ana was renovated in 2018. Has a chic modern bohemian vibe. The hotel is gorgeous, the property is stunning & the staff very friendly. Loved the infinity pool. Beach bar served fabulous drinks & lunch which waiter brings to you. Beautiful indoor / outdoor restaurant with delicious foods. Hotel is right on the ocean. Water is clear but not turquoise. You have to visit one of the islands to get turquoise water. But there was no sea****! Loved the hammock on the beach. Rooms were beautiful & spacious. Loved the huge shower. Very romantic place! Offers bikes or golf carts so you can head into Placencia Village. A fun town with bars, restaurants & shops. Lots of Americans & Europeans walking around. You can resort hop too. Loved it!!

We had an absolutely gorgeous and amazing 3 bedroom villa for 4 nights. Super modern, well equipped, right on the beach. Couldn't be better. We rented a golf cart that got us into town and to various restaurants. Had one dinner at the hotel and it was the best meal we had while we were in Belize (9 nights). The place is pricy, but this hotel is top of the line.

This is a lovely resort, reasonable in size so as not to be overwhelming and easy to be at. We really liked the outdoor eating area, nestled between the resort buildings on 3 sides and the pool and ocean on the other. What was really great was that there were trees all around so it felt almost like we were eating in a park, but sitting at lovely tables. It was just lovely. The waitstaff was very friendly and accommodating. We thought the breakfasts were excellent and reasonably priced, the lunches were limited and way overpriced, and the dinners were good.The pool area was just perfect, both intimate and beautiful. We rented a golf cart to get to town and travel to restaurants, which was really helpful.

Our recent trip to Itz'ana was amazing. We stayed in a 2 bedroom villa, which was incredible. Yes, the resort is a bit on the expensive side for Belize, but compared to what you get for that price in other parts of the world, it is outstanding value, in my opinion. The Pros: The pools (private with the villas and the main pool) and beach setting are stunning. The people are friendly and competent, from front desk to housekeeping to food service to beach maintenance. The Cons: The only negative to note is we didn't have great dinner meals at the resort restaurant. Service was a bit spotty even by local standards, menu is limited, and the food wasn't good value. Hints and Tips: The resort arranges shuttle service to the village for USD $5 per person each way. It might seem steep, but the payback is positive, as meal prices in the village were easily USD $10 less per person. My suggestion would be, unless you are just exhausted from the day's activities, don't eat dinner at the resort. Go downtown. We went to the Tipsy Tuna and Rumfish. Both were better than the hotel and the USD $10 round trip shuttle easily paid for itself. There is a grocery store called Publics (I don't think it is the same as the Florida-based grocer) about a 5 minute bike ride from the hotel. The store has drinks and snack items to stock up on and sundry items at or below US prices. Check out my other write-up on the tour company we used - Truly Wild Belize - and contact them directly to arrange tours. We didn't do this, but the company that rents the golf carts is called Captain Jaks. The price for a 4-seater is $65 per day with tax and insurance plus $10 for resort drop off and $10 for pick up or you can take a 20 minute bike ride to save the $10. If you are only going to use it to go to town once per day, it is actually a better deal for 4 people to take the shuttle round trip. It seemed odd to us at first that the beach doesn't have beach loungers, but it isn't really an issue. The beanbag chairs are way more comfortable than they look. The pool generally isn't overwhelmingly crowded, and the hammocks are usually available. So, don't go out on the beach your first day and be miffed that there aren't beach chairs. You won't miss them. We had one of the villas that was the furthest from the main pool which as it turns out was probably desirable. It is not a far walk, like literally less than 2 minutes, but even that kept you away from some of the music and noise associated with the bar, particularly in the event that there is a wedding or large group. Bottom line - if you've come this far to read this review, don't stop. Book your vacation at Itz'ana, you won't regret it.

We wanted to like Itz'ana more than we did. The hotel itself is absolutely beautiful and stunning with a perfect setting. The bartenders and wait staff were so friendly and great. But something was missing. First off, I think the front desk and concierge need more help or more resources. Pretty much everything we asked for they seemed like they wanted to help but the hotel couldn't (like an early breakfast because we had to get on the road early, or recommendations for dinner or a spa in town.) Also, the really cool bar they are famous for was closed for construction while we were there. I know construction can be unavoidable, but some locals in town told us the bar is like never open anymore because of staffing issues. One final gripe, the massages cost upward of $200 for 90 minutes. That's more expensive than NYC, SF, and LA. I simply cannot understand why they would be so expensive, especially since the massage room is just a converted hotel room.