HotelChatter

Well before the celebrity hotel bandwagon got into full swing, movie director Francis Ford Coppola started developing Blancaneux and Turtle Inn in Belize. Last year he opened La Lancha Lodge on Lake Peten in Guatemala, giving his Belize guests somewhere to stay when they wanted to make the trip over to see the spectacular ruins of Tikal. (See all three hotels at the Turtle Inn site.)

This "rustic luxury" hotel spills down a steep hillside from a gravel road, meaning if you have one of the lakeside villas with the best views, you'd better put in some time on the Stairmaster before booking. They're at the bottom of a long winding flight of stone stairs. The walk is worth it though, with this killer view photo shot from Lakeview #3. These rooms are also more spacious, with a sofa bed and a rain shower big enough for two.

All rooms have a furnished deck with a hammock, however, and if you're not facing the lake you'll probably be watching toucans landing in the trees and other birds making a racket when the throaty howler monkeys get close. Rooms don't have phones: instead if you need something, you press a button and talk into a big conch shell. Someone at the top talks back and gets you what you need.

No matter where you sleep, there is a killer view from the restaurant as well, which is probably the best and most romantic in the whole area. (Naturally, all the Coppola wines are stocked.) Throw in a pool with another view of the lake and it's hard to go wrong. Did we mention that rates for a double are only $110 to $270 per night?

Related Stories:
· Hotels in Guatemala [HotelChatter]
· La Lancha review [Luxury Latin America]