‘Eco-tourism:’ The Amazon next for Coppola’s growing rain forest resort hotel chain

By Juontel White

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 8/29/07 – Five-time Oscar-winning director Francis Ford Coppola is fast becoming an eco-resort mogul.

With several Californian wineries, resorts in Guatemala and Belize, and an Argentinean hotel boutique already under his belt this investor is now skimming through Brazil as a possible location for his next resort, according to Brazilian land resource officials.

What is this next investment? A tourist resort to say the least, according to media reports. Coppola arrived in Florianopolis, a southern Brazilian city, this week to look for land to build a resort, said G1.Globo.com news site.

“Coppola is among the pioneers of upscale ecotourism,” according to USA today.

His Blancaneaux Lodge located in Cayo District, Belize is a luxurious jungle get away. The lodge sits amidst Belize’s natural forest, containing a variety of exotic animals along with Ancient Mayan ruins.

The lodge is complete with a horse riding stable, a private islander aircraft, and the Privassion River flowing directly through the lodge, widening at points to become quaint turquoise wading pools.

All of the food at the lodge is prepared from the chef’s organic 3-acre garden and also includes traditional Coppola family recipes.

Such a natural habitat is an even more present theme at Coppola’s Guatemalan resort, La Lancha.

“At night you’re going to meet the howler monkeys,” said Coppola in an interview with USA Today. “They’ll wake you up with a roar that sounds like a lion.”

La Lancha sits in the Guatemalan rainforest, overlooking Lake Petén Itzá. Its high ceiling and open sides allow guests to feel surrounded by parrots and toucans while eating; even occasionally see a tarantula scurry across the room.

With resorts like Blancaneaux Lodge and La Lancha as references one can only expect the Amazon basin to blend with a little luxury at Coppola’s newest endeavor.

His latest movie, “Youth Without Youth” staring Tim Roth and Matt Damon is set to open in December.