Francis Ford Coppola's Turtle Inn

SEND TO A FRIEND

12 FEBRUARY 2004
If you've ever dreamt of holidaying with the stars, or relaxing like them at least, you'll want to check out our tantalising selection of celebrity-owned hotels which starts this week.

From movie director Francis Ford Coppola's stunning eco-friendly lodges in Belize, to Sir Richard Branson's private Caribbean island or Formula One ace David Coulthard's chic boutique hotel in Monaco, we'll be showing you just what you can expect when you check into dream properties like these. And while there's no guarantee you'll spot a famous face as you sip a cocktail at the bar, you'll certainly be treated like a VIP.

"Welcome to your own Caribbean paradise", is how you're greeted at Francis Ford Coppola's Turtle Inn, situated on the southern coast of Belize, in Central America. After jetting in from the capital on the Inn's own private plane, Sofia, you'll catch your first glimpse of a stunning white sandy beach fringed with pristine coral gardens. Belize is, after all, home to the world's second largest reef.

The hotel, set in lush tropical gardens, offers a variety of accommodation, ranging from charming thatched cabañas with exquisite furnishings, to luxury two-bedroom, two-bathroom villas right on the beachfront, all with Balinese-inspired decor and furnishings.

After a day lazing around on the shore with a book, you can chill out in the sunken sand-floor bar with a glass of one of Coppola's own label wines, while for dinner, you can sample his family's traditional recipes cooked on an Italian wood-burning oven in the open-air dining room. For a truly romantic evening, you can even ask for a candle-lit table for two by the edge of the sea. As for the produce you'll enjoy, it comes straight from the ocean and from the sister lodge's three-acre organic garden, which grows an impressive array of vegetables, herbs and tropical fruits.

For those who enjoy an active holiday, the hotel has beach bicycles and sea kayaks at guests' disposal and can also arrange a number of excursions, ranging from snorkelling and diving, to a day in the local village of Placencia, or a trip to the mouth of the nearby Monkey River to spot wildlife. And if you like what you see on the river, you can book into the Inn's sister lodge, Blancaneaux, a jungle retreat surrounded by pristine rainforest, waterfalls and Mayan ruins, where recent celebrity guests have included Hollywood siren Cameron Diaz, who was captivated by its tranquil surroundings.

Coppola originally bought the property as a retreat for his family and friends, but finally decided to open Blancaneaux as a hotel in 1993. "When I first visited Belize I was searching for the same jungle paradise I'd enjoyed while shooting Apocalypse Now in the Philippines. I found it tucked away in the Maya Mountains," recalls the director.

If you want to check out Coppola's paradise, visit www.blancaneauxlodge.com and www.turtleinn.com for more information.