I have been to a lot of places but Turks and Caicos was the a lot different from Caribbean places I have gone too. My husband and I stayed at Beaches. It is almost difficult to write this review because I don't know where to begin. As soon as you
more +get there, like most places now, you were greeted by the wonderful staff with a warm wet towel to refresh yourself. They took our bags so we could get signed in. They offered a buffet for us until it was actually time to check in.
As we walked around to get familiar with just a small part of the hugh resort; it was such a sight to see little kids running around the park just for them; I found a fruit smoothie bar and was able to enjoy a real "fresh fruit smoothie". We then were taken to our room that was absolutely out of this world. When we entered the room - my husband and I looked at each other with such a smile; the room had a balcony door that opened and was facing the beach with a palm tree and right under the tree; chairs to sit on while outside. We hurried into our bathing suits after thoroughly checking out the room. We honestly did not know where we wanted to go first. A Hugh floating pool with swim up bar or the beach. Well of course we went to the beach and never left it until at least 4 hrs later. We then went to the pool for a bit. Then we had to decide where we were going to eat...okay - here is the real winner!
The choices for dinner were crazy. We ended up going to the hibachi grill where we had the food cooked in front of us. We enjoyed sitting with other families and the chef was a riot. So after a wonderful full-filling dinner, we walked all the way down the beach to see the rest of the resort and it was amazing to see how many other restaurants; pools; and other amenities we found to do the next couple of days. The sunset was everything and more. After 30 years, I have fallen head over heals again with my husband at T&C. There was evening a wedding be performed on the beach as we sat and watched the sunset and we kind of renewed our vows between ourselves while the couples wedding was going on. Needless to say, when it was time to leave, we were so relaxed but so sad that it had to end. But even the staff did not stop any attention to detail as they were always just a call away; helped us get our luggage to the holding place to be picked up to go back to the airport. Even the holding area had cookies and drinks and was full of laughter from everyone that was on their way home from a wonderful, relaxing and BEAUTIFUL place. I look forward to returning their again someday (soon). C Weber, Baltimore, MD
Date of Stay: 05/19/2011
Children in Party: 1
We stayed at Beaches, Turks and Caicos from June 17-23. My husband, 38, myself, 42, and our 3 children, 10,9, and 6, are from California so we took two flights to get to Providenciales. Beaches is a near perfect all-inclusive resort! We have taken
more +a few family cruises and love to cruise but this year decided to try an all-inclusive ON LAND. We were not disappointed at all. Compared to cruising, it is a tad more expensive but you get alcohol, activities (like scuba and snorkeling) and we didn't feel cramped or had to wait in lines! The weather for the week was perfect! The forecast showed thunderstorms each day and that was a concern but when we arrived it was in the 85-90's with very little humidity. We did have two lightening storms at night which were pretty to watch and one 20 minute rain shower. That was it! Pretty perfect for this time of year!
The Room
Our room was a superb fit for for our family of 5. We stayed in a 4th floor Tuscan suite in the Italian Village, room 3431. We were in a corner with a view of the pool and a glimpse of the ocean - great location! The rooms were very neat and luxurious. No towel animals, as we didn't get the Butler service (though I tried last November but it was already sold out), but the room was cleaned twice a day. We had a full bar in our room that we never used except for bottled waters. The bathroom had a large jacuzzi tub and a shower. They will supply you with a generous amenity bag filled with aloe, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, and soap. There is no need to bring a hairdryer as the one they supply is salon top-quality with a diffuser. Our balcony was a bit small but we only used it to hang our clothes and to just sit for a bit. The kids had an XBOX and TV in their room and so much storage! They had a bunk bed with a trundle and their own vanity with sink. We had a large screen television yet we never turned it on once. Our room and location to the elevator was great. I would choose it again. No noise or much traffic. The beds were extremely cozy, the best I have ever had in a hotel!
The Pools
The only pool we hung out at was the Italian Village pool and largely due to the proximity to our room. It was huge and clean! We never had a problem getting chairs with shade or towels but we woke up early and ate breakfast early so we were able to start our pool days at a prime time. The bar was enjoyed by us all and I would recommend the Pina Colada, Mudslide, Coconut Cooler, and Hummingbird drinks. The bartenders were a mixed lot with some being incredibly friendly to some being short and moody but I never let it both me as we all have bad days and I try to be polite no matter what. Next time I will be sure to bring blow-up beach balls and rafts for the kids. They sell them in the gift shop but they are expensive. The water was a nice comfortable temperature. We did see the other pools and they were clean and large too. Next year I want to give them a try.
The Water Park
This was a hit with the family. They had 4 slides and a smaller pirate ship play area with slides. There was a flow rider that you can surf on. Just be careful as adults fall HARD! It was easy to get towels and chairs and it was nice and cool. The lazy river was a wonderful way to relax, they just need bar service as you float by! Everything was clean and there were many lifeguards on duty. Bobby Dee's diner is in this area and we visited often and every day! They have great ice cream and cotton candy! The burgers and fries were good as well. There is also a kids swim-up bar that they can order chocolate shakes from. In this area are the kid's and teen rooms that have pool tables and such. There is also the huge XBOX Garage with plenty of games and consoles. We would let our kids play here while we got ready for dinner. We would then pick them up on our way to eat. Bring walkie-talkies as they helped a lot!
The Amazing Beach
Yes! The water IS the glorious color one sees in the pictures! The sand is also soft and clean! Loved that there weren't any annoying vendors hanging around the beach. The bananna boat and parasail vendors are nice and don't bother guests. There is security around and many lifeguards. They are always cleaning the beach too. The cabanas are plentiful and can be used by non-butler guests. Many chairs, towels and shade. There are water bikes, paddle boards, windsurf boards, canoes,and hobie cats. The only thing I was disappointed in was that we couldn't take a Hobie Cat out with the 5 of us by ourselves. Only 4 at a time. You may bring your own snorkels or get them from the dive shop for 2 hours at a time. We brought our own snorkel stuff but next year I will just use Beaches gear as it took a lot of valuable luggage space. We saw many fish from the beach and the boat dock. The water is so clear and just pure clean & refreshing. The best!!!
Snorkeling
We went snorkeling off the Beaches boat every day. You have to sign up the day before and they have many trips per day. They are very safe and helpful. They take you out about a mile to one of the many reefs. The fish are so plentiful and the reefs are so healthy. We all enjoyed the snorkeling!
Scuba Diving
My husband and 10 year old son paid for the 300 pp PADI course to get certified for 40 foot dives. They spent two half days doing this and it is so worth it. Now they can dive anywhere in the world at 40 feet! Beaches provides all the gear and they went diving in the ocean 5 out of the 7 days we were there! The instructors stress safety and are very knowledgable. My daughter will turn 10 next year and I will get verified with her. It would have been faster if they took the book portion of the certification at home but it worked out fine and everyone was extremely satisfied. They saw 2 reef sharks, a nurse shark, a turtle, JoJo, lion fish, and other wonderful things!
The Food
Wow,what a selection - 16 dining venues and we didn't try them all. We went to most of the restaurants and had our favorites: Marios, Schooners, Bobby Dee's, the Sushi Bar, Cricketers, Giuseppes, and Cafe du Paris. We never had a chance to eat at the adult places since didn't use the nannies or the Sesame Kids Club. Service was positive and the food selection was immense. They always offered my kids coloring pages and crayons to keep busy. We encountered no lines at all and no waits.
Kitty Kat Cruise
We splurged and paid for the Kitty Kat Cruise excursion. It cost about $340 for the 5 of us. It is a snorkeling and sightseeing trip aboard a huge catamaran for 3 hours. They served sandwiches and had a bar. We snorkeled far from the resort and it was the best and most fruitful snorkeling site I have ever been to. We then went to Iguana Island and played in the water and explored the cay. Take note! - the iguanas are to the right of the island and yet we went to the left! (No one said where they would be!) Even though we didn't find any sand dollars or see iguanas, it was a nice outing and we enjoyed water sliding off the back of the boat. I would recommend this excursion to everyone.
Nightlife/Other Activities
We would turn in rather early around 9PM so we didn't try the family disco but that is a must for next year. They do have shows on the stage near the French Village but they seemed a bit cheesy for our taste. A nice way to end the evening was to get ice cream at Bobby Dee's or get chocolate fondue from Cafe du Paris. Each evening there was a Sesame Street show but it was always during our dinner hour at 6:30PM. We did catch the Sesame Street Parade and that was fun to watch especially with the Junkanoo musicians trailing behind the characters. The Sesame characters walk the grounds daily and the accompanying employee was always nice and either let us take pictures or took the pictures with our camera themselves. On Friday nights there is the Beach Party and the food served is local fare and very plentiful. The Sesame characters put on a show and then there is a dance/limbo party. There was also a bounce house and some carnival style games. Just watch for the biting bugs that evening!
Overall, we had an amazing vacation at Beaches! So good, in fact, that we booked a trip for 2012! We plan on taking some other family members and sharing our good experience with them. It was a pleasure to place our wallets in the safe the day we arrived and not take them out until the day we left. We were treated well from beginning to end and also encountered no problems at the airport as we traveled during the week. It is nice if you have the money to splurge on butler service but I saw that it was only that, and not essential to a good time. We never had a restaurant wait or had any problem getting on a snorkeling trip. We also found plenty of chairs in the shade. Either way, you will have a great time! We also never felt the need to leave the property as we were constantly busy and had so many things to see and do. They do hold a craft market right outside the guard gate which I will check out next time. Have a great time and thanks for reading!
What to pack: Swimwear, sundresses, polos & shorts, sunscreen, bug spray, walkie talkies, swim shirts (we got burnt so we were forced to buy these at the gift shop for over $45 a piece. Get them at a sport's store before you arrive.) Large sun hats, inflatable beach ball/ swim rafts & toys, many small bills for tipping porters and drivers as they are not employed by Beaches, swim goggles, heavy hair moisturizer, water-proof watches, plastic bag just for the beach, clothes that match for family photos.
Date of Stay: 06/23/2011
Children in Party: 1
Kids (3-6) Kids (7-9) Tweens (10-12)
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