Overview
As soon as the plane buzzed over Placencia's Airstrip, a single
building leading to a grass-edged runway, we knew we had accomplished
our goal: finding a destination where the rainforest meets the
beach. From the air, we admired the cafe au lait-colored sands
fronting the Caribbean on one side of the Placencia Peninsula
as well as acres of mangroves laced with rivers and lagoons that
reach to the dense, green rainforest canopy on the peninsula's
mainland side.
Belize is a haven for eco-tourists. Families can explore rainforests,
rivers, Maya ruins and spectacular reefs. The Placencia Peninsula
provides access to these attractions and is home to Belize's best
beaches.
Located on the peninsula, the Inn at Robert's Grove is a find.
At this family-friendly resort, you can enjoy both eco-adventures
and up-market accommodations. Snorkel and dive to your heart's
content, swim with whale sharks in season, search for howler monkeys
in the treetops, look for jaguar tracks in the rainforest and
then relax on the beach.
This 22-acre resort stretches from the sea to the Placencia Lagoon
and has a long strip of beach, a PADI dive center, several tour
boats, two private islands, three pools and two restaurants.
The Inn began as a second home for Risa and Robert Frackman,
who happened upon the property by chance after a cold front in
southern Florida sent them to Belize in search of sun. Soon after
building their house, the Frackmans added a few guest cottages.
Officially, the resort debuted in 1997. Since then, the Inn at
Robert's Grove has grown to several two-story buildings containing
52 units. Along with standard and deluxe rooms and suites, the
resort offers two and three bedroom units, some of which have
kitchenettes. Most accommodations also come with large balconies
or patios.
Risa and Robert treat vacationers more like personal guests than
mere travelers, chatting with them in the lounge before dinner.
The Inn is a family-run business whose owners remain on-property
for much of the year and the staff members follow the Frackmans'
example of hospitality and attention to detail.
The Inn is upscale, but without pretension. Staying here, we
felt as if we were at a friend's wonderful Belizean getaway rather
than at a hotel. It's no surprise that the property earned the
Belize Tourist Board's 2008 Belize Hotel of the Year award.
The main inn building still feels very much like the home it
once was. There's no porte-cochere, pillared lobby or doorman.
Instead, you wind through the back garden, past Belizean green
parrots in a six-foot tall enclosure, around the first pool to
the building’s front that faces the water. The check-in
desk opens onto a corridor lined with glass doors that face the
sea and connect the bar, sitting areas and dining room. The tile
floors, ceiling fans, wicker and cane furnishings create an island
feel.
The Inn at Robert's Grove, the first luxury resort on Placencia,
welcomes families, along with couples, divers, honeymooners, fishing
buddies and girlfriends on getaway. It does not, however, offer
any organized activities for children. Come here to enjoy a laid-back
vacation with your family. The resort is best for beach and water
loving families, particularly those with older grade-schoolers,
tweens and teens who like snorkeling and diving as well as exploring
the rainforest.
Written by Candyce H. Stapen
