A master in the art of living well, Francis Ford Coppola has had unimaginable success in all his careers — film, of course, but wine and hospitality as well. Regarding the latter, he has slowly built up a portfolio of discreet, quietly luxurious hideaways in the Americas and Europe, which he offers for hire when not in residence. Most recently, he added his properties along the coast of Belize to the roster at Onefinestay, the highly curated holiday home-share platform. The five lush resort stays are now available for short-term rental through the site.
The big-ticket property is Coral Caye, Coppola’s private island five miles offshore from the diver’s haven, Placencia. The island sleeps nine people across two wood-sided villas, with a white-sand beach and mangroves where visitors can spot seahorses in the water. Rooms are furnished organically with local fabrics and a tiki bar with coloured glass pendant lights.
Coral Caye courtesy Onefinestay
Coral Caye courtesy Onefinestay
Coral Caye courtesy Onefinestay
Coral Caye courtesy Onefinestay
Roman’s Lagoon, courtesy Onefinestay
Roman’s Lagoon, courtesy Onefinestay
Roman’s Lagoon, courtesy Onefinestay
Slightly more affordable than Coral Caye’s £2,059 nightly rate is Francis’ Family Pavilion, a Balinese beach hut near Placencia with thatched awnings, contemporary artwork and its own in-ground pools within a private walled garden. The £1,686 nightly rate has space for five people and includes access to all the amenities and sports facilities within Coppola’s adjacent resort Turtle Inn. The nearby Roman’s Lagoon, named for the director’s son, is a nearby wood bungalow for five with two pools, a private beach and spa, from £554 a night.
Two additional Coppola properties are tucked away in the hills toward the Guatemalan border. The one-bedroom stone Enchanted Cottage, at £768 a night, overlooks the Privassion River waterfalls and a panoramic jungle vista from a pool deck and windowed verandah with its own telescope. And Francis Ford Coppola’s Villa, from £870 a night, is a thatched jungle retreat for four in the sweeping Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, where toucans fly overhead.
