Looking for luxury (but less developed) resort in Turks and Caicos
 

Hello there! I've been doing a lot of research on Turks and Caicos, which island to stay on, and which resort to choose.

I'd appreciate any information on which part of Provo is "slightly" less developed? In looking at the resorts on the map, it appears that West Bay Club and Windsong (on the west side) and Royal West Indies (on the east) side, may be slightly removed from the busier resort area? Since they are not right in the center of it all..

We're not looking for total seclusion...Still hoping to find a resort like experience, hopefully with an infinity pool. I like the sound of Grace Bay Club but in watching a video it felt too resort-like, and not Carribean/local enough for what we're looking for.. We both liked the look of Ocean Bay West, and the river pool, but have read the rooms are a little on the older/in need of a remodel. Ideally, I'd love to find a resort with the same "vibe" as Parrot Cay - luxury but more low key? Any advice on a nice resort in Provo (or other islands in Turks and Caicos) would be much appreciated.

We're planning to visit this May, with a limited budget of about $3,000 for 4-5 days. Just my husband and I, no kids, the honey moon we didn't have (a year later!) Also considering some of the "out" islands in Bahamas.

After many years of staying at West Bay Club, we switched over to The Venetian on the east end of Grace Bay beach, and absolutely loved it. It has everything on your checklist, but I think it will be over budget, even in May.

Ocean Club West is two doors down from The Venetian. Yes, some of the rooms are in need of a remodel, but I think there are certain units that have been upgraded. Maybe the TCI expert, Blamona can tell you what to look for. Good luck!

Thank you WWK for the reply, very much appreciated. The Venetian does look beautiful! (like you said, likely over our price range even in May.) It's good to know about the Ocean Club West, I'm going to check into further. I hope to hear from Blamona too!

It does sound like that side of the island may be a little more remote. Thank you again.

Because of your budget, this might be a job for

turksandcaicosreservations.com

They know all the specials, deals, and can recommend with your must haves.

Have you ever been to TCI? It's not built up like other islands you might be use to--yes it's a long beach, with resorts next to each other, but most resorts are 3-4 stories high, not very big.

Everywhere in Caribbean will be above your budget for a Parrot Cay type setting, nature of Caribbean, quiet comes at a price.

Somerset has an Infinity pool, but will be above your budget (or settle for a 3 story English Cottage overlooking croquet lawn)

If you're willing to forgo infinity pools (although still gorgeous) check out Villa Renaissance. There are some units on vrbo that can save money too.

oh, I forgot, there are some luxury properties in Out Islands of Bahamas that might work for you, but it's more seclusion.

So I think anywhere in Provo (TCI) would work for you.

Thank you very much Blamona! The Turks and Caicos reservation group was very helpful, and gave me some options...

Alexandra, a studio room at West Bay Club, Royal West Indies and LeVele.

Would really appreciate your recommendation? I have read the studios are small at WBC but could be ok if they aren't too small. I was hoping to have a restaurant on site...It sounds like the pool is nice at Ocean Club West but possibly older rooms, more crowded? Appreciate any advice on these options.

Not Blamona obviously, but here's my take... The studios are small at WBC, but the beach in front of the hotel is one of the widest, least crowded stretches of Grace Bay. So it really comes down to how much time you want to spend in your room with that beach awaiting you! Plus you are within a very short walk of CORAL GARDENS, major snorkeling site, and SOMEWHERE CAFE, which has excellent Mexican food and margaritas.


I'm not a huge fan of The Alexandra. It's a big complex that can seem very busy, and the pool is only OK. However, it is home to MANGO REEF, which is one of the island's most popular restaurants.

Good luck!

Interesting, we found this really helpful, thank you...The large beach and Somewhere Cafe sound great! A busy complex is something we were hoping to steer away from, so that is good to know. We like a little bit of the social environment, and looks like a nice restaurant and small bar at WBC. I like the look of Royal West Indies but not sure about the rooms.

One question I had on WBC, do we have to rent a car to stay there or would a taxi and bikes work out ok? I do know the taxis are expensive and need to be careful with rates etc.

It would be best to rent a car if you're staying at WBC. The cheapest rates we negotiated with a long time driver/friend were $15 per person round trip, so that quickly adds up. The hotel is not walkable to many places other than The Gansevoort next door, Coral Gardens, and Somewhere Cafe.

I love West Bay Club, I think it comes closest to what you want. Alex and RWI are busy!

Yes you need a car for there, the better restaurants require transportation.

I like Le Vele on the inside, rooms are gorgeous and for a bargain, but I can't get over the modern look outside.

You might want to check Villa Renaissance too.

I thought this might be the case...I think adding the rental car could push West Bay Club over our budget. But I am going to try and re-look at that! :)

It sounds like I should keep an eye on the prices or look at different dates to see if I can make WBC work.

I had the same thought about Le Vele, being more modern on the outside and ideally looking for more a of a carriabean feel. I'll keep an eye on Villa Renaissance prices too.

Blamona, can I get your opinion on the rooms at Ocean Club West and if they are on the older side? I'd love to know, between OCW, Alex and RI, which would be your pick? I'm going to re-look at our dates and keep an eye out for a bargain at WBC or Villa Renaissance!

Thanks again, this forum has been so helpful, :)

Jenn

I'll comment here on OCW as we've stayed there 5 times. 4 times we rented through VRBO and had very nice units. Yes, a bit older and not the luxury I think you are wanting(especially the bathrooms) but the layout of the condo especially the huge screened balcony, and the lovely grounds plus wide beach area are all exceptional.

The one time we rented through the resort we were not happy with the unit we had, although we chose the lowest price. I guess you get what you pay for. So my advice is to definitely upgrade to a junior suite or 1 bedroom overlooking the pool (or beach view if it's in the budget.)

What we like about OCW is the low rise buildings, so no walking through a huge lobby or taking an elevator. The restaurant is right on the beach. Again, the beach is wide and there are always enough chairs & umbrellas. On either side is Grace Bay Club and Seven Stars for all the luxury drinks & food you could want. The river pool is attractive with an island in the middle but again not as luxurious as it's 2 neighbors.

Look at the choices on VRBO as most of the owners have updated quite nicely and you'll get a better deal no matter what resort you choose.

As far as The Alexandra---huge and just not very attractive to us but for the restaurant.
RWI---again older but pretty grounds. It's closer to the Club Med resort so the loud music at night can sometimes be heard at night.

The other resorts you've mentioned are definitely higher end than OCW, but if you get the right unit, you will be happy with the location.

Either way, TCI and Grace Bay beach are our favorite of 20+ islands we've visited.
Have fun, and I'll be watching for your TR.

To add, the rooms at RWI are quite nice for the money, I think it's best bang for the buck.

But to let you know, first, there's not a bad place to stay, all are nice for their price points. Some more luxurious than others, but all are clean and well maintained.

You're not going to get champagne at beer prices, it's an expensive island.

Crowd and seclusion are relative. 12 mile long beach means most can spread out, not crowded when compared to other island destinations.

The 3 in your price range are not secluded, good deals for the prices, but when compared to other properties are "crowded" they tend to sell out more than the first ones mentioned.

So you need to decide must haves and compromise. You're not going to get less developed and more luxury at those prices.

You will get very nice middle of the road resorts in the middle of the hub.

Yes you need a car for WBC.

And if you can't afford a rental car, you might have to think long and hard about eating there, it's grossly expensive, including supermarkets.

Have you considered a villa? Although they all need cars, they are priced lower than most resorts, at least for the luxury you get, plus full kitchens to help keep costs down.

I really like the Leeward area, beach stretches are gorgeous there, and only minutes by car to the main hub.

Another popular area is Turtle Cove for villas.

Both can be found on vrbo.com or Flipkey.com (owned by Tripadvisor)

If you don't mind staying a block or 2 off the beach, Grace Bay Townhomes are an excellent value, pure luxury at rock bottom price. They are in the middle of the hub, so you can walk everywhere, but backed up so it feels private.

Be warned though, villas and Townhomes feel totally different than resorts. Trade off you get more luxury and room for the money, you give up water toys and a resort feeling.

Thank you again TPAYT and Blamona. I have a new idea and am working with the Turks and Caicos agent to see what we can put together. I'm looking into if we can spend 3 nights at RWI or OCW (or maybe Grace Bay Townhomes) and 2 nights at WBC (or something comparable.) So we'd be able to experience the resort like experience and still stay within budget. Ideally the hotels will be close together so not too many logistics involved. And need to make sure there are not 3 night minimums.

I'm hearing so many comments about how beautiful Turks and Caicos is so I really want to find a way to make this our destination!

By the way, my husband said I should change my headline to "Looking for luxury on a shoestring budget". : ) Thanks again for the help on this forum!

RWI and OCW are the same as WBC, condos in rental pools treated like resorts, so all will give same feeling. (WBC is upscale luxury, other 2 are comfortable)

Grace Bay Townhomes has a 7 night minimum

For only 5 nights, I say stick to 1 place, check in at 3 check out at 11, why bother? If longer I'd say split.

OCW and RWI are still resorts!

I agree about staying in one place if you only have 5 nights. Changing hotels cuts into beach time. One of the benefits of staying at OCW is the free shuttle to the original OC which is on the eastern end of Grace Bay. You can use the facilities/restaurants at both when you stay at either.

I agree too, with the advice above. The studios at WBC are OK, but probably not worth switching to for such a short stay.

I see, that is true...After reading this we were thinking about increasing our length of stay, so we could experience both RWI downtown and WBC (and increasing our budget...)

But I also started reading about a slight increase in crime and think am just looking for a little reassurance from those who have been there? Specifically wanted to see if either RWI in the hub of things or WBC would feel/be safer? I read that it's better to stay at the resort, not walk in remote areas at night, go down the beaten path etc. Not sure if I should be moving us around to two different locations. And was trying to figure out our best bet from a security perspective also. Appreciate any advice!

Hi, JennTurks,

Me again. We've been to the island five times, most recently in January, and had no problems. There's really no need to confine yourselves to the resort, especially during the daylight hours. If you use common sense, and don't wander around in the dark at night, you'll be absolutely fine. We have gone all over the island during the day- Taylor Bay, Chalk Sound- without thinking about it. We've also visited most of the islands restaurants, either by rental car or taxi. Again, no problems.

BTW, these crimes aren't unique to TCI, so I'm not sure why the island has been singled out.

Have a great trip!