Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / Belize / Ambergris Caye / Matachica Resort & Spa
Matachica Resort & Spa
Ambergris Caye, Belize · The Lighter Collection · Core Luxury
Canadian owner Daniel Lighter, a former Montreal prosecutor and defence attorney, grew this Ambergris Caye resort from a small 11-room beachfront hotel into a village of thatched casitas and villas about five miles north of San Pedro, facing the barrier reef. Montreal brothers Byron and Dexter Peart, co-founders of WANT Les Essentiels, led a 2019 redesign with an adults-only, sustainability-focused positioning.
- Opened 2006
- Rooms from 350 sq ft (33 m²)
- Interiors: Byron and Dexter Peart
About Matachica Resort & Spa
- It grew from a small 11-room beachfront hotel acquired by Canadian owner Daniel Lighter - a former Montreal prosecutor and defence attorney - who expanded it into the colourful, village-like resort of thatched casitas and villas it is today, with the company dating its founding to 2006.
- Matachica is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World and part of The Lighter Collection, which also includes Gaia Riverlodge in the Mountain Pine Ridge.
- Entry-level rooms start at 350 sq ft (33 m²).
History
Matachica Resort & Spa sits on a beach about five miles north of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, Belize, facing the barrier reef. It grew from a small 11-room beachfront hotel acquired by Canadian owner Daniel Lighter - a former Montreal prosecutor and defence attorney - who expanded it into the colourful, village-like resort of thatched casitas and villas it is today, with the company dating its founding to 2006.
A redesign completed in 2019 by the Montreal brothers Byron and Dexter Peart (co-founders of WANT Les Essentiels) refreshed the property with a sustainability focus and an adults-only positioning. Matachica is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World and part of The Lighter Collection, which also includes Gaia Riverlodge in the Mountain Pine Ridge.
The setting
About five miles north of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, facing the barrier reef. San Pedro is a boat or golf-cart run; Belize City is across the water.
Amenities
- Spa
- Pool
- Private pool
- Hot tub
- Water sports
Awards
- MICHELIN One Key (2026)
- Belize's Leading Villa Resort 2025 (World Travel Awards) (2025)
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