“As we digested Belize and all it has to offer, we really believed that it deserved to be positioned at the top end of the luxury tier, aimed at the type of global nomad who's been on safari in Botswana, hiked glaciers in Patagonia, and now needs to find the true Belize,” explains Ronan Hannan, of the two new pool villas at eco-luxury property Ka’ana Boutique Resort, Belize, which he owns with his brother Colin. “With the villas, we challenged ourselves to create a truly world-class product that could sit alongside these great destinations and really put Ka'ana on par with the best of the best, and our own favorite resorts around the world.”

To that end, they took inspiration from their own trips and these favorite resorts around the world, as well as the local environment. “We wanted to make sure to embrace the local environment and culture but maintain the modern feeling that is present throughout the resort,” says Colin, director of Dimension Developments LLC. “We love the contrast of providing luxury amenities to guests while they are surrounded by the raw Belizean jungle. After a hike across rivers and exploring caves it's great to return to something clean and lush.”

Working with Parisian designer Eric Ledoigt, they combined bright colors and various woods—from mahogany and purple heart to cabbage bark and bamboo—for a layered look. “The difficulty wasn't so much in finding the materials, it was in turning the raw materials into something unique and outstanding,” explains Ronan, managing director, Dimension Developments LLC.

One standout includes the headboard. They started with a one-inch sample square of nubby bamboo end, and realized these samples could be turned into 12-by-12-inch tiles. Continues Colin: “It looked really multi-dimensional, textured, and so unique. We didn't know quite where to use it until we hit a snag with the headboards we'd initially planned, and we hammered out an idea to create two moving doors, fashioned from these individual pieces of bamboo, that could slide open to frame either side of the bed during the day, and slide in to look like a more traditional headboard at night. It allowed us to place a window above the bed that framed the view of the mature landscaping outside, which could be a visual focus during the day but hidden at night.”

Overall, there is an open, indoor-outdoor feel in both the one- and two-bedroom villa. Each villa has a private plunge pool, and folding doors that open onto lush gardens.

Next up, the brothers are working on their sister resort, which will be located at the beach in Placencia in southeastern Belize.