Longtime Placencia Hotelier Transitioning to Farm Life

By JOLIE POLLARD Editor in Chief The Placencia Breeze pollard.jolie@gmail.com

Jacki Tipton is selling her property in Placencia Village. It’s a newsworthy move as the well-known fiery and outspoken red head has been nurturing her beloved hotel at the spot since she opened her first room 20 years ago in 1998. Jacki says she is proud of what she has created, but now she plans to open a new chapter in Belize with farm life.

Jacki was born in Bethesda, Maryland in the United States, but eventually gained Cali status after some time living in Northern California where she worked as a clothing and fabrics designer.

Jacki Tipton opened Casa Placencia in 1998. The U.S. native said the decision to sell did not come easily.

BEN KIM/ESOTERIC PHOTOGRAPHY

It was in the 1980s when she made her first visit to Belize after a friend had purchased property in the Mountain Pine Ridge of the Cayo district, that she felt the calling. “I always knew I would live here, something about the sweet smelling air, soft sea breezes, genuine and friendly people of all cultures and the gracious, laid-back lifestyle so appealed to me,” Jacki recalled. “I considered the challenges of moving to Placencia with no road. Back then we took a boat into the village from Independence across the Placencia Lagoon, and there were little or no services.” The pros outweighed the cons for Jacki and looking back, she said it’s been an adventure that she has enjoyed tremendously.

Jacki has been no stranger to property management. It’s in her blood. She comes from a lineage of strong North American women with both her great-grandmother and grandmother serving as landlords in the Washington, D.C. area and Florida. “I grew up around it,” she asserted.

Casa Placencia Ecotique Resort began as Jacki’s home in 1997 when she first designed and began developing and landscaping her spacious lot with beauty, comfort and ecological living in mind. Jacki says she has enjoyed running her hotel. Over the years it has afforded her the opportunity to learn about different countries and cultures, as well as share her love for the people and “basically everything” about her beloved adopted country of Belize. While Casa Placencia is up for sale, she and her two helpers continue to work as a team. “I mainly work in the gardens and at my farm. I bake for and welcome guests, handle bookings and accounting and do whatever is needed. “I LOVE my ‘job.’”

Rooms at Casa Placencia have been attracting travelers on a budget and prospective home owners on the Peninsula for years.

BEN KIM/ ESOTERIC PHOTOGRAPHY

A stroll through the yard at Casa Placencia reveals Jacki's love for gardening and hints at her passion for farming.

BEN KIM/ ESOTERIC PHOTOGRAPHY

The landscaping at Casa Placencia has a tendency to surprise visitors. “Almost everyone ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ as they enter our gates, appreciating our lush, tropical gardens with flowers blooming everywhere,” Jacki said. She has ripe bananas, coconuts and mangoes ready to pick in her yard and is enamored with the colorful mosaic walkways she’s taken the time to put together. These walkways lead to her yoga and relaxation deck and an above-ground pool with distant sunset views of the Placencia lagoon.

Her garden rooms have been attracting travelers on a mid-level budget for years. Casa Placencia has also been a favorite for those taking the time to consider making a life in Placencia or need a place to stay while their homes are under construction.

The decision to sell was not an easy one for Jacki. “This is my baby, which I personally designed and built over many years, but I will visit Placencia often with my fresh fruits, veggies and flowers for sale,” said Jacki whose farm, Ageable Acres, is only 35 minutes away from the Peninsula. “Look for me in my horse drawn buggy coming down the road,” she joked.▪

A fully furnished apartment sits atop Jacki's garden rooms on the second floor at Casa Placencia.

BEN KIM/ESOTERIC PHOTOGRAPHY