Hidden Valley Wilderness Lodge — Hotel in Cayo District

I can't recommend this place enough. I waited to post a review until I had stayed in a few of the other high-end resorts in the country. I've been to a number of them now - you can guess the usual suspects. Hands down Hidden Valley was the best experience. We arrived late, close to 9pm, and as we drove up, bartender Kenny was waiting in the drive, with herbal drinks, cool eucalyptus hand towels, and a bottle of local rum should I wish to spice up my herbal beverage. Tiana was so kind, giving us a quick overview of the property, and then surprised us with an upgrade to a villa. I have never stayed somewhere so well thought out. They have every detail covered. The villa itself was gorgeous. The property is impeccable. At this lodge, it felt like an almost all-inclusive situation - they didn't nickel and dime you for little things. The mini fridge is stocked with complimentary beer and soda, they had a French press with local coffee, and they brought our milk of choice to the room (almond, oat, coconut). They even had little yeti coffee mugs you can take around the property to keep your hot or cold beverages safe. They have locally produced bug oil around the property, so you can cover yourself - it smells amazing. The local producer is a genius - we didn't get bitten once. The soaps, lotions, conditioners, and shampoos are made by the same local woman. They source everything locally. They will bring you your complimentary continental breakfast to your room free of charge, or you can eat by the pool. We did both. They were able to easily accommodate our dietary restrictions, assuring us that it was their pleasure to make their traditional food in a way we could eat. They had complementary tea and coffee, and pastries in the lodge all day. It was a complete experience. My kids' favorite part was that they would drive you anywhere on the 7200 acre property in one of their ATVs or trucks to take you to waterfalls and hidden pools. They give you a radio so you can call when you want to be picked up. I truly felt the staff liked working there; they were eager to attend to you. When they picked us up, they would offer to drive us to lookouts or other areas. I really hope the staff is as well cared for as it seamed. The lodge is so well thought out. And the food... words can't do justice. I actually found the lodge by reading the reviews of Sap and Slate, and it surpassed my expectations. The chefs have studied culinary arts around the world, and bring that experience back to their grandmother's recipes. We had the most amazing, elevated meals, and modified to our dietary restricted needs. They have a pastry chef who invented treats for us, both for breakfast and for our bedtime treat, left on the pillow during turn down. The head chef told me a number of times that they were happy to make special accommodations for us, and I believe him - different than the other places we have stayed where it felt a bit like we were an inconvenience or needed to leave the lodge to eat local food that could accommodate us. Not a Sap and Slate - they were the best. We met another guest, an 8-year-old who wanted dijon mustard with his meal, so they made him dijon mustard. I think they would make anything you could imagine. My only regret is that we didn't stay longer. I would suggest a week here to explore both the property and the surrounding area. I am sure I will return. I am so grateful to the staff for their extraordinary care. And the lodge is...

Hidden Valley Inn is a nature lovers paradise!!! We booked our room here specifically for Butterfly Falls to take our elopement photos and celebrate our honeymoon, we are so happy we did. A lot of people do not like the drive to the Reserve but I think getting there is an adventure itself! You get to experience a part of Belize a lot of people don't know about including some of the locals from the beach areas!! To start off the staff is extraordinary! I had so many questions because I have never been to Belize, and the staff never made me feel like I had a silly question. This is a huge plus to me! The staff treats you like family! Edwin, Maisel, and Gladness are there to help you with anything you could think of! I have to say one special moment that I hold dear to me is that Gladness reached out to me on the day of our photo shoot to see if I needed help with hair, makeup, or maybe a cocktail. She defiantly wanted my morning to be stress free and her actions showed it. We spent 3 nights at Hidden Valley and wish we would have stayed longer. I do suggest getting the breakfast and dinner included in your rate! We did not leave the reserve the 3 nights we were there because there is so much to do! My husband was lucky enough to see a Tapir on our first night there on one of our hikes. Our last full day there we spent 9 hours of hiking to 12 different waterfalls on the property and at the end of our day we were happy they send you with a walkie talkie radio and will pick you up wherever you are on the property, complementary of course!! We loved the outdoor shower, the enclosed patio that is close to the size of our living room here in the US, but one of my favorite things was the ice cold water they bring to your room throughout the day! When you are constantly on the move the complementary water is a huge plus. I would recommend ear plugs if you are not familiar with staying in a jungle setting, extra bug spray, and bug lotion for the itchy nights. They do provide a natural oil that does help with the bites but I could have used something extra. Also, for the younger couples, bring a case of Belikin or ask the bar of a bucket of beer to have on your enclosed patio. The only downfall, If I absolutely had to pick one, would be the other couples staying there at the time were 20+ years older than us and didn't appreciate us being at the bar even though it closes at 9 or 10pm. Be ready for early nights, but at the same time be ready for early mornings because the sunrises are unforgettable and the cooler temperatures are something to be grateful for at Hidden Valley. We definitely will be back.

PS If you need a photographer that works wonders look up Lupita at Frozen...

My wife and I had an absolutely incredible time staying at Hidden Valley Wilderness for our honeymoon!

Hiking: the resort privately owns over 90 miles over gorgeous trails filled with waterfalls and natural pools to swim in. Each day you pick trails (they provide maps) and the staff drops you off at the trailhead with a radio to call for pick up. Trails had a range of difficulty but none exceptionally difficult (we are two relatively in shape late-20’s). You also have the option to take a guide with you on the hikes or do special birdwatching excursions. By far the most amazing part was that you were alone on the trails, running into maximum 1 other small group during the hike. While there were options to do activities off the property, we were plenty busy with just the lodge-owned trails, all included in the price you pay for accommodations.

Accommodations: we stayed in one of the smaller cottages which was very clean and had daily room service. The windows had screens to protect against bugs. No AC but the fan kept us cool at night (very pleasant in December). Very pleasant.

Food: We are Jewish Modern Orthodox and keep strict Kosher. We informed the staff ahead of time and they purchased entirely new equipment to prepare meals for us. They were incredibly accommodating, flexible, and eager to help us with our Kosher. dietary restrictions. The food itself was delicious - we got a complimentary breakfast each morning and purchased dinner at the restaurant 2/3 nights.

Staff: everyone was super friendly and kind during our stay. Belizian staff was eager to share their history and culture with us and their advice on the best nature trails.

We would HIGHLY recommend this place to anyone looking for a romantic or solitary getaway. The environment is peaceful, relaxing, and had such easy access to...