Ka’ana Boutique Resort, Belize

Our room

We just finished an exquisite dinner at Ka’ana Boutique Resort, a truly lovely hotel just outside of San Ignacio, Belize. I’m not even sure what a ‘boutique’ resort is, and I think I’m supposed to know, because no one else asked, and they were nodding their heads like they understood… but maybe it means the best of everything, because that is obviously what they are shooting for here.

Two-level pool with waterfall

It has everything you would expect a super high-end resort to have with a few surprises: perfectly tended grounds, spacious rooms complete with small sitting area, a glass-block window in the shower, iPod docks in each room, wifi everywhere, and the swimming pool has two levels and a waterfall spilling from one to the other.

Belizean masks and scrubs

Their intimate spa uses only Belizean products for the masks and scrubs (coffee, cacao and sugar), and each room has a flat-screen TV (although why anyone would want to watch TV in a $400/night room is beyond me), welcome air-conditioning, delicious smelling lotion in the bathroom, and a deck on both ends of our casita. Our room also has an espresso machine, but sadly neither myself or my roommate know how to operate it. The room has a safe, although their staff is so good I would fall over in shock if anything were missing. And possibly the nicest touch of all, our back deck has a yoga mat sitting there in a basket waiting for you; a very thoughtful touch.

I loved my dinner, we had a choice of four entrées, all provided as part of the tour. I had the Garifuna Sera soup. WOW, fantastic. Our gracious hostess, Joanna Evans, born and raised in Dangriga, Belize, told me she would send me the recipe (!) Now THAT’S service. And for dessert I had corn gelato. Yes you heard me right. It tasted just like corn on the cob. It was kind of strange, although delicious. Ryan Kalous of The Mark Travel Corporation ordered the berry flavor, a fruit name I can’t remember, and he let me taste it. That is what I should have ordered, had I been smarter.

I just asked my roommate what a boutique resort is. Yvette Restrepo works for a luxury travel agency named BigFive.com. A boutique resort is a small resort, and there’s only one – as opposed to a chain. It’s high luxury, like a boutique clothing store, which only sells a few of each item, and each item is superb.

Beside the pool at Ka’ana