Our last trip we (wife and I) went to Turks and Caicos. Turks is a place I’ve been trying to visit for the last 10 years and my wait was well worth it. We stayed at the Regent Palms on Grace Bay. The Regent, from what I was told, recently experienced an owner change. I guess it was just “The Palms” and then Regent Hotels bought it. I could be way off, but that’s what it sounded like. No matter, it was one of the best hotels I’ve ever stayed in. While the staff wasn’t completely native, they were all extremely nice and willing to go the extra mile.

Hotel view from Beach

The hotel itself is absolutely beautiful. The building is white and it resembles a fort. You walk in to an open lobby that leads straight to a courtyard with a large fountain. Behind the fountain is the main restaurant/bar area. This is a two story building that a group (actually one of my college buddies was in this group) had a happy hour on our last day. It looked like it’d be a great place for a wedding cocktail hour or any other group informal gathering. Behind this building were the housing quarters. There were probably 4 different buildings, all 3 or 4 stories. Beautiful stone and marble tiles lead you to your room that is beautiful. Island hotels need to keep that island feel, while also having that certain sense of luxury. The bathroom was large and the bedroom was a perfect size for two. I’m a big believer of comfortable beds and have stayed in plenty of “luxury” hotels with terrible beds. This was not one of those. It was hard to get out of bed in the morning!

Upon arrival, we discovered our bags didn’t make the trip. This wasn’t of much concern to the staff at the airport, so I was a little weary of how this trip would go. Never the less, our hotel picked up the slack. I gave the baggage information to the front desk and they called the airport constantly, checking on our luggage. Another couple on the same plane had the same issues. We found them on the beach a couple days later. Our bags had flown in that morning and were promptly picked up by our hotel. They said the airport was going to be delivering their bags sometime that evening (their hotel wasn’t really helping them deal with it as much as our was).

Then there was Grace, our cleaning lady. She had the evening shift and we ran into her a couple of times as we were coming in from the beach. She was extremely nice and spent a bit of time talking with us. She was actually from Bahamas, but was there for 3 months at a time working.

After hearing some things from friends, we got the idea to bring a couple small bottles of Vodka from home to keep day drinking costs down. This was a fantastic idea. Jai at the bar will definitely take care of you, but like all places in the Caribbean, day drinking can double your hotel bill. We would generally take a drink down after lunch, get a few drinks at the beach, and then make a drink before dinner.

Pool view at Sunset

The Palms has many options for laying out and relaxing during the days. The hotel was probably only at 25-30% capacity while we were there, so nothing was crowded.  I got the feeling that even with more people, because of the layout, you probably wouldn’t notice for the most part a crowded feel. There are chairs all around the pool as well as large round loungers. Most of the people seemed to be honeymooners, so there was a general love in the air. From the pool, you walk down a wooden deck headed out to the beach. Half way there is a perpendicular deck with lounge chairs that are reserved for adults only. There weren’t many kids around, but if you want to be on the beach and not have to deal with kids, this is the place to be. Then you head down to the beach. They have double lounge chairs under half tents that are very nice. My wife is big on the quality of chairs. These were very high quality and very comfortable.

Speaking of the beach…  White super fine sand!  It’s like walking on flour.  I’ve been to many great beaches but I’ve never had anything like this.  The water is crystal clear.  This isn’t just something you say.  You can walk out 20-30 yards in the water and be at shoulder height.  And here’s the kicker… you’ll still be able to see your feet!  You can see everything down there.  The ripples in the sand from the water, little fish, little crabs, and other people’s footsteps.  I was a little scared to take my camera out there but it is definitely something you need to see!

We spent majority of our time at the hotel and only left for lunch at Hemingway’s, a short walk down the beach, and a conch tour.  The conch tour is something I highly recommend.  A boat picks you up a the beach and takes you about 30 minutes away to go snorkeling.  I’m not a big fan of snorkeling, but my wife loves it.  From there, you go to a conch farm and the guys on the boat give you a run down on conch and the area.  Conveniently, next to the conch farm, you get out of the boat and go ‘hunting’ for your own conch.  Most of the area is knee deep and you just reach down to pick up the dirt shells.  Hold it up in the air and they’ll tell you if it’s big enough or not.  Everyone on the boat (25 people or so) bring a conch.  Once that is done, everyone boards the boat and we head to Iguana Island.  Again, an amazing beach to explore.  While there, every couple selects one conch to keep and the rest are tossed back in the water.  The boat guys take the conch out of the shell, explain what everything is, and start cutting them up.  They give you the shell to clean up.  You can take 1 shell home per couple.  The inside is absolutely beautiful and when the shell is cleaned, it all looks awesome.  The guys cut up the conch and make a little salad with chips and some rum punch.  Bring your sunscreen and drink the punch.  The total trip is about 3 or 4 hours (I don’t remember, this is why you drink the punch) and you need to make sure you bring your sunscreen.

We didn’t do much exploring out of the hotel, so I can’t really comment on the rest of the island.  I will say, there is plenty to do at the hotel or nothing to do, whatever you want.  We prefer lounging around and just enjoying our time together while enjoying the amazing scenery. The food at the hotel is pretty good.  They have live entertainment at the outside restaurant most nights, which is usually pretty fun and the food there is great.

By Joshua Pramis

Caribbean hotels have always been a reliable standby for tranquility, crystal-clear ocean views, and amazing beaches. But now, many of the tropical islands are seeing fresher, chicer hotels sprouting up, bringing a new level of luxury to the entire region.

Take the Seven Stars Resort in Turks and Caicos, where even the smallest room—a one-bedroom studio—is a spacious 620 square feet. It’s plenty of room to fit a kitchen, which each room has—from a galley in the studios to a gourmet kitchen in the Presidential Suite. But if en-suite cooking isn’t what you had in mind, the resort’s restaurant, La Pergola, offers an array of international cuisines as well as Caribbean-inspired dishes. And to rub away the last vestiges of home, the on-property spa offers a wide range of treatments, including the option for in-room treatments and poolside massages.

If the Grenadines are your destination of choice, head to tiny Bequia and the even-smaller Firefly Hotel, which has just eight rooms. The resort overlooks 30 acres of vegetation—including the only banana plantation on the island—and a short trek through the on-property coconut grove will lead you to a secluded white sand beach (hint: the snorkeling gets rave reviews). For an off-property excursion, check out the old-school Caribbean look and feel of the island’s many shops and restaurants, where you can order anything from burgers and pizza to Caribbean classics like roti and callaloo.

Then there’s the classic Puerto Rican escape, La Concha. Built in 1958, the hotel just reopened after a $220 million renovation, bringing a modern, soothing look and feel to its public areas and 248 guest rooms, most of which offer an ocean view. For dinner, stop by the hotel’s signature clam-shaped, poolside restaurant, Perla, where you can indulge on contemporary American seafood dishes. Take advantage of the restaurant’s 4,000-bottle wine cellar, but don’t feel overwhelmed—the service staff attends weekly wine lessons taught by the restaurant’s chef, Dayn Smith, and can assist with your selection.

These are just three of the hotels making noise in the Caribbean.

From archetypal thatched huts with driftwood benches to chic waterside lounges on docks, T+L has found the islands’ superlative spots for outdoor evenings.

By Bree Sposato