Hidden Valley is has so many things going for it, the staff are the nicest people we met in Belize and it seems a really happy place to work, this is really evident to the guests.

The location is fantastic, it's Belize's highest hotel and if you want to get far from the madding crowd, this is the location. I would have liked to spend more time here, we only stayed for 3 nights and it wasn't enough.

The food is fantastic! It was without doubt the best food we had in Belize, including any other restaurant or hotel during our stay. In fact I bought the hotel's cook book!

There is criticism in other reviews about the pine forest being ugly because of the beetle attack about 5 years ago, which decimated the forest. The place is definitely recovering now, the young pines are really coming back and it's such a beautiful place it adds to the atmosphere of this ecosystem to see how well it's recovering. It really is stunning - trust me don't be put off by other reviews critizing this - the location is just beautiful! When you're walking through the rainforest, you can't see the pines for most of it anyway, as you're fully emersed in the jungle!

The rooms are private, beautiful and the log fires are a really romantic touch.

Maid service is excellent. Pool is lovely and jacuzzi is great!

We didn't get bothered by mosquitos in our room, which was such a relief! Definitely one of the best things about the location is you don't tend to get many mosquitos there.

If you're a couple, especially on honeymoon, hire Orchid falls for a champagne lunch - it's the most relaxing day of my life spent there!!! No exaggeration, it's bliss!!

If I come back to Belize, it will only be to stay at Hidden Valley Inn, it's just the most welcoming, private, peaceful, beautiful, well equipped, pampering place you can stay in this country. Can't recommend it highly enough!! The road trip to the hotel is also facinating!

By the way they do the best pina coladas in Belize - make sure to try one!

We arrived at Hidden Valley following a stay at Pooks Hill. They are very different places, each with their own qualities.

Where Pooks Hill was simple, Hidden Valley was upmarket & exclusive.

The lodge and the rooms (set within a beaufiful garden) were all equipped to a very high standard (equivalent to many luxury hotels). You didn't feel like you were in a forest/jungle, more like in a lovely garden.

The service during our first two days was exceptionally good; though they had a change of staff and the servive became of a much more average standard for the second 2 days (If you went to ask front-of-house something you appeared to be a nuisance!).

The food was lovely, however it was possibly a bit over-the-top for a forest lodge. Whilst we thoroughly enjoyed it, by the end of 4 days we were glad to get back to simpler food.

The highlights of our stay were the horseriding and the waterfalls.

For the horseriding, we were taken to a nearby farm and we rode with the farmowner and his daughter. Despite the fact that we were relative novices, we were taken over some challenging terrain, however the horses behaved brilliantly, The farmer also took us into a Mayan cave on his land.

We were dropped off by jeep in the forest the next day with a 30 minute walk to Butterfly Falls. When you walk into the clearing and see Butterfly Falls you'll be speachless.. it is so beautiful and untouched. You won't see anyone else there whilst you're visiting and you can enjoy a great swim in the pool under the falls.

One thing that did impress me was the care taken to keep the hotel and its surroundings natural and beatiful. There was great attention paid to economy of resources and careful management of habitat destroying products (avoidance of plastic bottles etc within the hotel). Defintely Eco-Tourism!

My husband and I spent a full week at Hidden Valley for our
honeymoon. We decided to spend our full Belize trip at Hidden Valley based on the great reviews and my prior great experiences in Costa Rica. We were looking for adventure, but as this was our honeymoon, also some pampering. We weren't disappointed. In short, the staff was wonderful, the food delicious (especially the beef), the pina coladas fantastic, the rooms (each with their own fireplace) comfortable, and the grounds beautiful. The only disappointments we had were the biting flies (i was covered in welts by the end of my stay, although they didn't bother my husband too much) and the broken mountain bikes. The resort just began new ownership as we arrived, and they seem poised to make it even more spectacular.

While one week may seem like a lot of time to spend at the resort, we didn't run out of activities. Our itinerary included:
day one -- arrived
day two -- ATM tour. Not to be missed and a highlight of our trip.
day three -- Caracol. Rick was a great guide and the site was never too crowded.
days four and five -- Sightseeing on the Hidden Valley property. Definitely build time in to hike the property. My favorites included the hike to Devils falls and following the stream to the source past Butterfly and Secret Falls. The whole trip will take the better part of the day and is a great workout, but you can arrange a pick up if you get tired.
day six -- horseback riding. great guide and trip. another chance to see mayan ruins and caves. had the opportunity to gallop across the property. seeing the crowded public resorts and falls made us really appreciate the seclusion of hidden valley.
day seven -- rented orchid falls. would certainly recommend this over secret falls, as it is more secluded and has more amenities. plus, if secret falls is not booked, you can visit without renting.

Some helpful things to keep in mind before going there:
1) Bring your own bugspray. Skin so soft only goes so far. Lightweight long sleeves and long pants are the best protection
2) If you are looking for a romantic honeymoon, try booking for the off-season. With only 12 cottages and a vast expanse of land, it never gets really crowded, but it was even better having the whole property to only 6 guest by the end. We went in early May which was perfect weather. Only one hour of rain the entire trip (don't trust the online forecasts before you go -- they're never correct)
3) Have a sense of adventure. If you're looking for a luxury resort with full amenities, this is not the place. Here you are well taken care of by the attentive staff, but firmly within nature.

This hotel is awesome! My husband said it right on our second day there - "this place is the best hotel we've ever stayed." While the rooms and lodge are all very nicely done it's the staff that really makes this place special. From the moment we arrived we received personalized attention. Each evening during dinner the staff talks with each couple about their day and upcoming adventures. We learned so much about the local people from the staff. They're all so friendly and knowledgeable.

While we were there we celebrated our anniversary. The staff decorated our dining table with lots of fresh flowers and used flower petals to spell Happy Anniversary on our bed. They also found a box and wrapped a gift my husband bought for me in the gift shop.

The food was terrific - definitely exceeded our expectations. The meals were so good we never ate anywhere else. And it's very reasonably priced.

Orchid Falls is a must. It was our favorite day there - so relaxing and peaceful.

Our only negative about this place is the "dirt" road. My husband says "dirt" must be Belizean for "rocks and crags." It was rough going but so worth it when we got there. The good news is that they are opening an air strip on property so no more traveling there via dirt road.

I'd recommend this place to any couple looking for a romantic or adventurous get away. I only wish we had stayed longer.