Images of The Phoenix: Breathtaking views, elegantly designed furniture, inviting pools, and stunning architecture overlooking beautiful landscaping. Join in the Rebirth of Paradise.

 


A sign from The Paradise Resort Hotel that thanked guests and encouraged them to come back soon.

Where It All Began

Long before there was The Phoenix, Jerry McDermott stood and stared at the beautiful white sand and palm trees at the north edge of a small, sleepy fishing village on a picturesque island in the Caribbean. On the land stood a building used as a retreat many years before by a group of Catholic Nuns from the mainland of Belize. Jerry could still read the name they gave to their escape, colorfully painted on a piece of driftwood: The Paradise House.

Rather than being daunted by the absence of power or running water, the man who came to Belize in the late 1960s in search of oil saw a very different opportunity. Soon thereafter, Jerry and his wife Linda built The Paradise Resort Hotel, choosing the name in honor of the history of the land. It was the second hotel in the town of San Pedro and on the island of Ambergris Caye. It was also an opportunity to share this Caribbean island with friends, family, and many others—the same place they now called home.

Sharing The Dream

For the next 20 years, largely due to its lively owners and friendly atmosphere, The Paradise’s bar and dock were a favorite among locals, while its thatch cabanas were exactly the rustic getaway many of the first visitors to Ambergris Caye were looking for. It's no exaggeration to say that the social life on the island revolved around The Paradise.

Because of the exposure The Paradise brought to Ambergris Caye and Belize, and his role in many other businesses on the island, Jerry McDermott is often cited as being the pioneer of tourism for San Pedro and Ambergris Caye.

After many enjoyable years of entertaining, the McDermotts decided to sell The Paradise to pursue new entrepreneurial challenges on Ambergris Caye and in Belize.

Paradise Reborn

Amidst the success they achieved in other endeavors, ranging from real estate development to landscaping to home furnishing, the McDermotts' desire to bring their first Belizean venture back to prominence never faded. When the opportunity arose, Jerry and Linda assembled a team of trusted family and friends—including their daughter Kelly, a successful businesswoman on Ambergris Caye—and reclaimed The Paradise Resort Hotel. Yet, just as the island had changed a great deal over the past 15 years, so, too, had their vision of the living experience they wanted to provide on Ambergris Caye.

From the ashes and rubble of The Paradise Hotel, The Phoenix has arisen. It’s one family’s dream come true: a beautifully designed and luxurious resort on the land so long associated with their name.

Once again, the McDermotts and the rest of The Phoenix family are thrilled to provide a memorable vacation experience.

What's different with The Phoenix is the McDermotts will also be giving other families the opportunity to purchase a condo and call Ambergris Caye and Belize home for part or all of the year--just like they have for the past 35 years. To provide this opportunity in an exclusive beachfront community, and in close proximity to charming San Pedro, makes it all the more special.