Meet the Team at Chan Chich Lodge

Chan Chich Lodge is often described through its setting: a 30,000-acre private reserve deep in Belize's Maya Forest, home to jaguars, hundreds of bird species, and a Maya city that's never been excavated. But guests who return year after year will usually tell you the real draw is the people. Chan Chich runs on a local Belizean team, many of whom have spent decades in this reserve, working together every day so a stay here feels effortless. Here's a look at who's behind that experience.

Leadership Rooted in Teamwork: Malcolm Robinson, General Manager

In 2025, Malcolm Robinson was named one of the Top 10 Most Influential General Managers Reshaping Hospitality by Entrepreneurial Outlook Magazine, recognition for redefining what luxury means at an eco-lodge built on conservation and community. Malcolm is quick to deflect the credit:

"It's an honour, but really, it's about the people here. Chan Chich runs on teamwork, from the guides to the kitchen staff to the maintenance crew."

For him, sustainability isn't just policy, it's people.

"Many of our staff have been here for decades. They know the land, the guests, the systems. They're now training younger Belizeans who want to build careers in conservation and hospitality."

Asked to define the lodge's brand of luxury, he points to something simpler than amenities:

"It's not about having more, it's about experiencing something real. Guests eat food grown at Gallon Jug Estate, drink coffee roasted nearby, and wake up to the sounds of the rainforest."

The Calm at the Center: Elejio Coh, Lodge Manager

Elejio Coh has been part of the Chan Chich family for over four years, though his path in hospitality started well before that, working front desk, reservations, and concierge roles both here and at other lodges before stepping into the Lodge Manager role. What he loves most about the property is the balance it strikes: "Luxury blends naturally with the wilderness here. You wake up in a handcrafted cabana, enjoy great food, and step into pristine jungle filled with wildlife, surrounded by a 3,000-year-old Maya site. It's peaceful, remote, and authentic." His hope for every guest goes beyond a good stay: "I want the peacefulness of the jungle, the wildlife, and the soul of Chan Chich to give them a sense of renewal that stays with them long after they return home."

The Kitchen

Behind every meal at Chan Chich is a culinary team built around a true farm-to-table philosophy, using ingredients grown right on the property whenever possible. Our executive chef, who's led the kitchen for several years, puts it simply: "It's not only cooking. It deals with leadership, creativity, and consistency, designing menus and ensuring what comes out of the kitchen is excellence on every plate." Living inside a protected rainforest comes with its own stories, including a memorable evening one of our chefs found himself face to face with a puma near his driveway: "Scary situation, but I didn't run. I just walked back slowly to my vehicle while keeping my eyes on the puma until I got back inside." Ask the kitchen team what to do while you're here, and the answer is always the same: don't skip the night drive, "you get the chance to see one of these cats in their natural environment."

The Guides and Wildlife Team

Some of the most quietly remarkable people at Chan Chich are the ones you might not meet by name but will feel the impact of every day: guides who've spent decades learning this reserve trail by trail. One member of our wildlife team has worked at the lodge for more than 25 years, starting as a gardener before a growing love of nature led him behind a camera. Self-taught, he now manages the lodge's trail cameras and leads the guest presentations that have become one of the property's most memorable experiences, walking visitors through footage of all five of Belize's wild cats. "There is no typical day," he says. "Every day is a new day, and always there are surprises with nature." Another guide has called Chan Chich home for 36 years, longer than almost anyone else on the property, and is the person the rest of the team turns to when something shows up on camera that nobody has seen before, including confirming the lodge's first-ever recorded sighting of a southern spotted skunk. Multiply those decades by the many other Belizean guides and staff who've built their careers here, and Malcolm's point about training the next generation starts to make real sense: this is a team built to outlast any one person's tenure.

Guides leading walks before sunrise, housekeeping turning over cabanas, gardeners tending the farm that feeds the kitchen, maintenance keeping a remote, off-grid property running every single day: these are the people behind Chan Chich Lodge. Come stay with us, and you won't just meet the rainforest, you'll meet the local team who's spent their careers protecting it.