Belize and Turks and Caicos are both resort havens that are growing in popularity as vacation destinations. However, they are not typically thought of as all-inclusive hot spots in the way Jamaica, Mexico, Dominican Republic and other Caribbean countries are.
Yet Ultimate Resort Vacations sees opportunities in those destinations and is aiming to make the most of them.
Miriam Niembro, director of marketing and communications for Ultimate Resort Vacations, said the company is owned by Waterloo Investment Holdings, which has another operator in Waterloo Hotel Management in addition to URV. Waterloo Hotel Management oversees the hospitality operations, while URV manages the commercial services platform including sales, marketing, reservations, revenue management, strategic brand support and guest experience development across the portfolio. The five Waterloo-owned properties include Ambergris Cay, Alexandra Resort and Blue Haven in Turks and Caicos along with Fort George Hotel & Spa and Alaia Belize, Autograph Collection in Belize.
Alaia is not part of the URV services, but it is part of Waterloo Hotel Management’s portfolio. Reef Haven Belize, which would be considered the sixth property, operates with a management contract but is owned by a third-party asset manager. Both Waterloo Hotel Management and URV provide commercial support services to Reef Haven Belize.
Ultimate Resort Vacations saw the potential in Belize and Turks and Caicos “to bring a more elevated and experience-driven all-inclusive concept into destinations that have traditionally leaned more towards boutique independents,” Niembro said.
Today’s traveler “is looking for effortless travel and convenience, but they also want authenticity, personalization and a strong sense of place,” she added.
The all-inclusive model works particularly well in destinations such as Turks and Caicos and Belize, “because guests can enjoy the ease of having dining, activities, wellness and experiences seamlessly integrated into their stay, while still immersing themselves in the destination itself,” Niembro said.
In the case of Reef Haven Belize, there are fewer surrounding tourism hubs and restaurant districts nearby, “so creating a more fully integrated resort experience allows us to provide guests with everything they need in one place — without sacrificing quality, cultural connection or local character,” she said.
Ultimate Resort Vacations also believes in the long-term growth potential of these growing resort markets, Niembro said. And there's a level of care that goes into making each resort in its portfolio feel unique.
“We never wanted our properties to feel standardized or mass-market,” she said. “Even within the all-inclusive space, each resort maintains its own identity, design style and guest demographic.”
For many travelers, especially families, couples and luxury travelers, the value of convenience and predictability is increasingly important, she said. At the same time, these markets also naturally lend themselves to experiential travel — wellness, marine activities, culinary experiences, cultural immersion and outdoor adventure — which integrates naturally into the all-inclusive model.
“Rather than operating large-scale resorts with hundreds of rooms, we focus on more intimate hospitality experiences with strong individuality across each property,” Niembro said.
For example, Ambergris Cay is a fully all-inclusive private island with one of the longest private runways in the Caribbean, allowing guests to arrive directly onto the island by private jet. The resort offers different ways to stay — from beachfront and newly introduced seaside bungalows to luxury villas all the way up the 11-bedroom Dream Estate villa— creating a level of exclusivity and flexibility, which she said is rarely seen within the all-inclusive space.
Within the Turks and Caicos Collection, Alexandra Resort and Blue Haven offer a “Stay at 1, Play at 2” experience, allowing guests to enjoy two distinct resort environments during one holiday, she said. Both resorts also strongly cater to the family travel market.
Reef Haven Belize takes a more intimate and slow-paced approach centered around wellness, cultural connection, heartfelt hospitality and access to the Belize Barrier Reef, Niembro said. The resort also appeals to multigenerational travelers and families, with children under 11 staying free.
“Our approach is less about volume tourism and more about curated lifestyle experiences that feel personal, immersive and deeply connected to the destination,” Niembro said. URV differentiates itself “by combining independent-property character with the sophistication and commercial discipline typically seen in larger hospitality brands.”
“Our centralized commercial services platform allows us to stay highly proactive and agile across marketing, sales, revenue management, distribution, reservations, public relations, technology and evolving travel trends,” she said. Independent hotels “often do not have access to that level of integrated expertise or resources on their own,” she added.
Ultimate Resort Vacations also benefits from strong operational efficiencies and economies of scale while still maintaining a boutique hospitality mindset.
“That combination allows us to continue expanding strategically while preserving the personality and authenticity of each destination and resort experience,” she said.
Each property is positioned within the upper tier of its respective market, Niembro said, whether luxury private island hospitality, boutique all-inclusive, marina-front resort experiences or urban lifestyle accommodations.
Fort George Hotel & Spa will transition to Marriott's Autograph Collection bramd in the fourth quarter of this year.
“It was a natural fit for the Autograph Collection brand given its strong sense of place, heritage, waterfront location and deep cultural connection to Belize City,” she said.
As the first branded Marriott hotel in Belize City, Fort George “represents an important milestone for the destination’s evolving hospitality landscape,” Niembro said.
Autograph Collection properties are known for their individuality, which aligned naturally with Fort George’s vision, she said. The guest experience is designed to immerse travelers in Belizean culture through local cuisine, nearby islands and access to major Mayan archaeological sites located less than an hour away.
Unlike the other properties within the broader portfolio, Fort George is not an all-inclusive product, Niembro said. Instead, it blends business and leisure travel “through a more lifestyle-driven hospitality approach,” she said. The property is home to the Lord Ashcroft Conference Centre, accommodating up to 400 attendees. A new tower coming soon will add 64 guestrooms, along with a new main lobby, restaurant and pool.
Reef Haven Belize was previously operated as a Margaritaville property. The transition in late 2025 “focused on creating a more boutique and experience-driven hospitality concept centered around wellness, local culture, personalized service and connection to the destination,“ she said.
That resort's conversion included a move to all-inclusive, and within just a few months of the rebrand, Reef Haven was already outperforming year-over-year results from when it operated under the previous branded model, Niembro said.
URV “is always open to strategic growth opportunities, both within its existing destinations and in new markets that align with our hospitality vision and long-term portfolio strategy,” she said, adding the company's focus is less about rapid expansion “and more about identifying properties and destinations where we can create differentiated guest experiences and add long-term value through strong commercial and operational expertise.”
Niembro said future hotels and resorts the company adds to its portfolio will not necessarily be all-inclusive.
“While all-inclusive hospitality has been a very successful segment for us and is something URV understands well operationally and commercially, the operator is not tied to a single model,” she said.
In addition, the company is open to additional management and commercial partnership opportunities “where we believe our expertise in on-property hospitality management, branding, marketing, sales, and revenue strategy can help drive long-term growth and positioning.”
She noted that Reef Haven Belize is an example of a property “where we provide commercial services and strategic support to a third-party asset manager ownership structure through both [Waterloo Hotel Management] and URV.”