Hotel Review: Alaia Belize, an Autograph Collection Hotel on Ambergris Caye

At some point between tightening my fins and admiring fish swimming in sync, I gained a new snorkel buddy: a curious Caribbean sea turtle. We glided alongside each other, locking eyes, breaking the surface and, then, all too soon, parting ways. 

Although fleeting, this sea turtle swim was only a preview of the snorkeling experiences to come with nurse sharks, sting and eagle rays, eels, and colorful fish during my weeklong stay at the sleek new Alaia Belize on Ambergris Caye.

For water lovers, travel doesn’t get much better than Belize — and Alaia, a Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel that debuted in May 2021, offers a shortcut to the action. Upon arrival to Alaia, ocean enthusiasts will immediately clock the adjacent Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI) dive shop, which runs snorkel and scuba trips that depart straight from the on-site dock.

Alaia sits near the caye’s main town, San Pedro, and is just a 20-minute boat ride from two of the country’s most popular snorkel spots: Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley. These marine-life-rich spots sit along the country’s vast and biodiverse Barrier Reef Reserve System, the second-largest reef system in the world.

The First Marriott in Belize 

The first Marriott property in Belize, Alaia spans 20 acres and offers 155 guestrooms and more than 1,000 feet of beach access. My resting place between undersea outings was a signature Oceanview Vista Suite, 1,000-square-foot apartment-style digs with a stylish oceanview balcony — the perfect perch from which to catch the sunrise over my snorkeling playground.

Other Alaia accommodations include studios and three-bedroom suites in the main complex, and cozy family-style options in the property’s quieter and tucked-away Reef House complex, located near the K’in Spa & Wellness Center. 

Part of a new wave of high-end properties expanding the Belize travel experience, Alaia offers lodging that looks different from the other Ambergris Caye properties I visited. With a stark-white facade, modern decor and Belize’s first suspended rooftop pool and lounge, Alaia gives off serious SoHo vibes.

With a stark-white facade, modern decor and Belize’s first suspended rooftop pool and lounge, Alaia gives off serious SoHo vibes.

But this Autograph Collection property does add one authentically Belizean touch: nature. The sweeping windows and balconies, earthy color pops and ocean photography ensure that Ambergris Caye’s top asset — the Caribbean Sea — remains the star of the show.

Adventures Abound

The nature here is a stunning backdrop, but it’s not just for admiring. Alaia’s Adventure Concierge can coordinate a variety of immersive tours to get guests beyond the hotel grounds — and well outside their comfort zones. There’s everything from cave diving and ziplining to hiking to Maya ruins. Alaia is also one of the first Belize luxury resorts to offer on-site PADI scuba certification for guests. 

I stuck to snorkel trips during my stay, but dive certification to reach bucket-list spots such as the massive Great Blue Hole — a cerulean marine cavern reachable from Ambergris Caye — is a priority for my next visit. (Those more interested in seeing this beauty from above can book helicopter tours with outfitters in San Pedro.)

A Hard-Earned Happy Hour

The clientele at Alaia varies, ranging from couples and girls-weekend groups to families, but after the adventure du jour, many guests come together to swap stories during happy hour or post-dinner drinks at the on-site Piano Bar. 

Here, molecular mixologist Subhash Sankar turns cocktails into an engaging and conversation-starting science experiment. He shares a list of standard drinks, such as an Amaretto Sour, but he’s equally willing to concoct a custom beverage based on your favorite flavors, with a hint of smoke via liquid nitrogen infusions to top it off. 

The menu creativity continues at the property’s Vista Rooftop Pool & Lounge, where Sankar and Alaia sushi chef Jasmine Baker have collaborated on a cocktail-and-sushi nigiri sampler, with combinations such as Champagne snapper and Sakura Sours. 

Responsible Tourism

One thing you’ll notice missing from those rooftop lounge drinks — and any drinks on the property — are plastic straws. Alaia’s food and beverage team makes sustainability a priority, according to Emerson Castillo, food and beverage manager for the hotel. 

"We’re not using plastics,” he said. “We recycle everything, and I always buy [products] that are compostable.”

Castillo, a born-and-raised Belizean, joined Alaia when the property first opened, and he believes the resort’s debut was a bright spot for Belizeans in 2021. Tourism accounts for about 40% of the country’s employment, but COVID-19 nearly wiped that out, leaving many feeling jobless and hopeless. Alaia hired an almost entirely Belizean staff, Castillo said, noting that the opening did more than just give travelers a new way to experience Belize.

"It gave new hope to a lot of [Belizean] people,” he said.

What to Know Before Visiting

Like the rest of Central America and the Caribbean, Belize’s hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, which means coastal spots such as Ambergris Caye are vulnerable during these months.

Another important heads-up: Sargassum seaweed, a repugnant brown algae that affects shorelines across the Caribbean and Central America, often blankets the beaches near San Pedro from April to August. During Sargassum blooms, Alaia hires a cleanup crew to keep the hotel’s beachfront as pristine as possible.