4 Best Hotels in Northern Belize, Belize

The El Gran Mestizo, now the top place to stay in the Orange Walk, is known for its riverfront location and intimate setting and has both standard and premium cabins—the premium cabins are more spacious with kitchens and riverside views—with comfortable beds and lots of native wood, air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, and cable TV, all just steps from the New River. It also has a separate hostel dorm. The on-site restaurant, Maracas Bar and Grill, has a local following serving a range of comfort foods.

This family-owned place is a step up from other hotels in central Orange Walk Town, and the low rates for the standard rooms with air-conditioning, free Wi-Fi, cable TV, and continental breakfast put it among the best values in northern Belize. Nicely furnished premium rooms have queen beds and flat-screen TVs. The hotel arranges trips to Lamanai as well as tours that include cave tubing, the Baboon Sanctuary, Belize Zoo, and Altun Ha. The owners, Orlando and Cindy de la Fuente, also own El Gran Mestizo and Maracas Bar & Grill.

With balconies perched above the New River, this Belizean-owned resort gives guests the feeling of being in the jungle—keep an eye out for the river crocs that often spend the night under the hotel—while conveniently located just south of Orange Walk Town. The private balconies and riverfront views create a secluded ambiance and The Deck, the hotel's newly revamped restaurant and renamed restaurant, is housed in a thatched pavilion. Signature dishes include smoked wings and an assortment of tapas. The restaurant's skilled bartenders are often adding creative cocktails to the menu. Board a boat here and in 1½ hours you're at the Lamanai Maya site.

On a quiet street near the Banquitas House of Culture and backing up on the New River, this family-run hotel has simple but clean rooms, with tile floors and brightly colored bedspreads, at very affordable rates. Of the hotel's 21 rooms, 16 have air-conditioning. The rooms' TVs are now equipped with media streaming devices. The rooms in the garden annex are the best choices. The back gardens are attractive and alive with tropical plants, and you can relax in a thatched palapa with picnic tables next to the river.