Four Seasons Developing Luxury Resort on Private Island in Belize

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts revealed plans to develop a luxury property in Caye Chapel, a private island in Belize, as the hospitality company continues to expand its footprint in the Caribbean.

Scheduled to open in 2021, Four Seasons Resort and Residences Caye Chapel, Belize will house a mix of 100 guestrooms and suites, including a collection of overwater bungalows, 50 private estates, and 35 private residences.

It joins Four Seasons’ expanding Caribbean portfolio; the company opened its third resort in the region last year in the Bahamas, joining properties in Nevis and Anguilla. A fourth, Four Seasons Cay Largo in Puerto Rico, is slated to open at the end of the year. 

The island will feature an 18-hole golf course designed by World Golf Hall of Famer Greg Normanin; and a Fabien Cousteau nature and conservation institute, which will be home to research and education initiatives that guests and residents can participate in. The 280-acre site will also include health and wellness facilities, two beach clubs, multiple dining and bar options with sea views, retail outlets, a marina, private air strip, and tennis courts.

Located in the Belize archipelago in the Caribbean Sea, Caye Chapel is adjacent to the UNESCO World Heritage Belize Barrier Reef System, the largest reef system in the northern hemisphere. For luxury developers, these 450 atolls of the country’s coast that form the archipelago provide a paradise setting similar to those found in the South Pacific, but are within a shorter distance for North American travelers.

“It really does remind me of the Maldives,” says Michael Crawford, Four Seasons’ president of portfolio management and owner relations, told Bloomberg. “It’s pretty rare to find places like this, where you can create an entire destination unto itself on a private island, much less one that’s proximate to the U.S. — and with good infrastructure.”