Review: The Ritz-Carlton, Turks & Caicos

Over the summer, a meme that invaded social media was “very demure, very mindful, very cutesy” — and I couldn’t help but keep riffing on that theme during my recent visit to The Ritz-Carlton, Turks & Caicos. A sprawling mega-resort, this is not, and it fits in perfectly with the other resort properties on the island. 

Turks and Caicos has long been an enclave populated by intimate, independent luxury resorts, and the three-year-old Ritz-Carlton property is Marriott’s first foray onto the island. In fact, it’s the first property from a global hospitality brand to set up shop, and it’s evident the developers took pains to create a style that would be distinctive but not intrusive. 

The hotel tower — the tallest structure on the island — is rather modernist, a departure from the Caribbean stylings of the island’s other properties. The resort footprint is also small; outside the main hotel tower, there’s a compact lawn, a beach area with adult and family pools and a single oceanfront building housing a bar and restaurant. 

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On the land-facing side of the hotel tower, there’s another restaurant and a casino. It takes about 20 minutes to get oriented to the property’s layout — rather unlike sprawling Caribbean resorts that take days to figure out. It’s perfect for the no-fuss clients who want to start relaxing right away. 

Rooms and Suites

Guestrooms in the hotel tower face the ocean, and rooms on higher floors are considered oceanfront. Bathrooms are outfitted with freestanding soaker tubs and glass-enclosed showers stocked with Diptyque Philosykos amenities. Balconies have comfy oversize chairs, and most rooms also feature a table, chairs and a chaise longue.

The property also offers a Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge with sweeping views of Grace Bay Beach and the ocean, serving five food and beverage presentations each day for Club designated rooms. The lounge also has a dedicated concierge on duty throughout the day. 

Dining

The Ritz-Carlton, Turks & Caicos offers an outpost of BLT Steak, serving up American steakhouse classics — often with a twist. Steaks are presented with fanciful sides like mashed potatoes with jalapenos added so they turn green, or spicy corn succotash with bacon. There’s also sleeper hit Ritual Coffee Culture, a coffee shop with pastries, yogurt parfaits and sandwiches — great for guests wanting to grab something quick before heading out for a day off property. 

For leisurely breakfasts and lunches, the indoor-outdoor Coralli is situated oceanfront, with buffet or a la carte breakfast (the a la carte menu has large selection of dairy and non-dairy smoothies made with fresh fruit). Lunches might be sandwiches, nachos, conch fritters or fresh local fish. In the evenings, the space becomes Casa Nonna, an Italian eatery with house-made pastas and habit-forming house-made meatballs. 

For lighter meals, Noori at The Lobby Lounge has a lengthy sushi menu with generously sized sushi rolls, nigiri sushi and sashimi, in addition to hot Japanese-style appetizers. And they’re served in Ritz-Carlton style: King crab and wagyu beef make their appearances on the sushi roll menu. The convivial bar spaces also tend to be popular in the evenings with sports fans, as there’s typically a North American sports broadcast shown at both The Lobby Lounge and the oceanfront bar at Coralli. 

Resort Amenities

The property’s more secluded adults-only pool offers serviced cabanas available for rent that come with a daybed, shaded lounge chairs, a bottle of sparkling wine, bottled water and a chilled fruit plate. Cabana guests can also order off the Coralli food and bar menu throughout the day. The towel station stocks complimentary sunscreen, aloe vera gel and after-sun gel. 

There are also two rows of sun-shaded loungers on the unbelievably soft white sand of Grace Bay Beach. Guests who want to get out on the water can grab snorkels, fins or kayaks, or they can book the resort’s catamaran Lady Grace for daytime snorkeling excursions or evening sunset sails. The evening sailings include a full bar and light appetizers as the sun sets and the catamaran lazily skirts the famous strip of beach. 

As with most Ritz-Carlton properties, it’s the personalized touches and the staff that make the stay memorable. On the last night of my visit, housekeeping delivered a customized farewell card at turndown that featured photos from my Instagram account and wishes for a fond farewell. 

After several nights of eating great food, lounging next to the well-attended pool and being looked after by the warm, intuitive employees of The Ritz-Carlton, Turks & Caicos, I was already looking forward to my next visit.