gail

Five day trip of 6 adults (family). Since this was a celebration trip, splurged on 4 bedroom, 4 bath oceanfront butler villa. This report is a good option for even people with no kids - we chose because wanted an AI and not all in group was part of a couple. Private airport transfer and check-in facilitated by butler. We were on the beach within 90 minutes after landing. Accommodations were magnificent. Service very good all around. Beach pristine and not crowded; pools similarly not crowded. Food good - but don't expect gourmet greatness like in a small inspired restaurant.

More details: We ate breakfasts at Sky (table service) and Bayside and Marios buffets. Breakfasts were the best meal of the day. Sky had interesting omelets and pancakes. Buffets had smoked fish, great variety of fruits and pastries, pancakes/waffles, made to order omelets. Only negative was bad coffee. For lunch we generally did sushi at Soy or a lunch buffet, depending on where we were on the property. We sampled several dinner restaurants. All very good except for Kimonos. Food was fine, but the noise level was intolerable - clanging on utensils on grills and strange singing of 1980s hits - so loud that conversation was impossible.

Having a butler was a nice perk. Each worked an 8 hour shift (so 2 per day) and kept us filled with snacks, alcohol, dinner reservations (only available to butler level accommodations) and reserving us covered area on beach or pool side cabana each day. Also took care of all details about reconfirmation of activities, boarding passes, excursions. You get a butler cell phone to call him/her.

Attire is very casual except for certain dinner restaurants. We never wore street clothing except for dinner - bathing suit, coverups, flip-flops. The sun is very hot - we blew through about 6 cans of spray and 2 tubes of lotion and still got a little burned. Happy to answer any questions.

schmerl

That butler service sounds wonderful. You certainly deserved this wonderful vacation Gail.

socialworker

Is the butler an on-call kind of thing? I immediately jumped to an image of Mr. French from Bachelor Father (the TV sitcom) but I am guessing that he did not just stay in your rooms waiting for requests?

Sounds like you really did a superb job of planning!

Caribzack

Sounds great. Did you leave the resort at all?

gail

Butler - you get a cell phone to use for requests. He always knocked loudly and waited to be let in. And he asked what we wanted - like "would you like some snacks by the pool at 11:30" There are 2 butlers, each working 8 hour shift.

Leaving resort. We were only there 4 days. I did not, but others did. My brother hired a taxi to drive him for an hour or so around the island just so he could sightsee. Saw hurricane damage, got a little history lesson and some insight into how people live. wish I had gone with him. Several in our group went across the island to go jet skiing (not allowed on reef side of island), also in a taxi. We hired a half-day boat tour (Island Vibes - they have a website) - so I guess that counts as leaving resort. They took us snorkeling on the reef, gave us a tour of the coastline and identified some of the spectacular beachfront homes, went to Iguana Island for a swim. One of the boat guys was born and raised on North Caicos and I enjoyed talking to him about life on a quieter island and how TCI has changed over the decades as it has become a tourist destination.