Sofia Coppola is said to bring an understated, balanced perspective to the otherwise male-dominated arena of film, creating a softer, more elegiac work into which viewers could be seduced. But that experience doesn’t end just in that industry: Sofia Coppola understands the transformative power of a hotel better than most, being the daughter of famed filmmaker and makeshift hotelier, Francis Ford Coppola. With a slew of hideaways in Belize under the Family Coppola brand, Sofia tells Hugh Garvey for Conde Nast Traveler all about her favorite destination while here; after all, Coppola spent a healthy chunk of the pandemic actually quarantining at her beach house. When Sofia Coppola wants to check out from the hustle and bustle of A-list life, it’s at her family’s Turtle Inn resort in Placencia, Belize, that she checks in.
Afternoon hammock naps at Turtle Inn. Photo by Andrew Durham
To get familiarized with Belize, let’s lay down its geography: on the Caribbean coast of northern Central America, this English-speaking nation shares a border with both Guatemala and Mexico. With the lowest population density in the region, Belize is also known for its extreme biodiversity and distinctive ecosystems. Offshore, you’ll find over 400 islands—locally known as cayes—that stud the 185-mile-long Belize Barrier Reef.
While Turtle Inn’s signature style is thatched beachside cabanas, Coppola’s own contribution is an oasis of chic yet comfortable minimalism. When a lot next to the hotel became available, she hired Laurent Deroo, a French architect she’d met while shooting Lost in Translation. His stripped-down, wood-based designs have since become a hallmark of the A.P.C. clothing line’s retail spaces, and in Belize, the simple two-story house he built has a modern, organic, weathered, indoor/outdoor feel. Meanwhile, sliding glass doors open onto the pool, a barbecue area, and a space dedicated to Ping-Pong. It’s to this retreat that Coppola and her family come to recharge each winter and spring.
Coppola with her niece Pascale, foreground, and daughter Cosima on the beach in front of her house. Photo by Andrew Durham
Sofia’s Beach House actually consists of an entire compound: hers is the main, while two more self-enclosed guest bungalows lie steps away. Coppola’s house features a full kitchen with an open-air living and dining room, a seafront media room, and a full bathroom on the main floor. The media room can be converted into a seaview open-air bedroom with a queen-size bed. Upstairs, the master bedroom boasts an en-suite bathroom and an adjacent children’s bedroom (bunk beds suitable for children up to age 12). The two, separate guest houses are each furnished with a king-size bed, an en-suite bathroom, and a deck.
“My mom’s into textiles, so she picked out the fabrics in Guatemala,” she says to Conde Nast Traveler. “The whole Bali vibe is my dad.” But the design even spanned to her sibling: brother Roman designed the nautically themed Lagoon Bungalow on the property and uses it as his vacation home when in town, but guests can book his hideaway, optimized for 2 adults and 2 children.
Equally as perfect for creative spirits as Sofia’s Beach House, Roman’s Bungalow is cleverly designed with a mirror and wall which open up on either side of the bedroom for an open-plan feeling. With a full view of the Maya Mountains that stack like a watercolor painting, its interiors feature a full kitchen, an expansive living room and bedroom, and a private pool and large deck offering spectacular sunset views.
A seafront cottage at Turtle Inn in Placencia, Belize. Photo courtesy Coppola Hideaways
If you’re in pursuit of the real Caribbean—unhurried, unpretentious, and undiluted—then look no further than Southern Belize. There’s a population of maybe 1,500 residents, if that, in Placencia, Belize. The Placencia Peninsula on the southeast coast culminates towards the tip with a traditional fishing village peppered with resorts and restaurants, but ultimately boasts more than 16 miles of beaches perfect for peace and quiet.
A Placencia sunrise on the beach. Image by Kevin Quischan Photography
“In Paris, you have to be more put together, or at least try to be. You get real privacy in Placencia. It’s nice to be able to be a bit of a slob and feel fully relaxed in a place so removed from busy, modern life.”
Tutti Frutti Gelateria in Placencia Village. Image via BTB
“But really, the big activity for the day is to ride bikes into [Placencia Village] for gelato,” Coppola tells Hugh Garvey for Conde Nast Traveler. And not just any gelato: This gelato is made by a transplanted Milanese couple who make yearly trips to Italy to source top-quality nocciolo and other ingredients. Sofia’s favorite is the silky and naturally sweet flavor made from just-picked local bananas; interestingly, that’s owner Tiziana’s favorite and first suggestion to Tutti Frutti first-comers, too.
Fun fact: The Guinness Book of World Records recognized the “Placencia Sidewalk” as the Narrowest Street In The World. Image by Duarte Dellarole
Guests at Sofia Coppola’s Beach House can enjoy all of Turtle Inn’s amenities: two swimming pools, a private dock, a dive shop, three restaurants, a bar, a gelato stand, a spa that specializes in Thai massage, and a boutique. At the doorstep of her father Francis’ villa, Sofia’s Beach House is a modernist tropical hideaway just a few steps from Belize’s Caribbean shore and the beach town of Placencia.