Three Turks and Caicos Resorts Offer Hurricane-Related Refund Policy

The Hartling Group, owners of three luxury resorts in Turks and Caicos recently created its new “No-Hassle, 100% Refund Policy,” in the event of a hurricane threat.

The Hartling Group’s trio of luxury resorts are The Sands at Grace Bay, The Palms Turks and Caicos and The Shore Club on Long Bay Beach.

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“While no one can predict the likelihood of a hurricane making an appearance at your favorite destination, we at The Hartling Group wanted to be proactive and reduce the stress for persons who are planning to travel if a hurricane watch or warning is issued in Turks and Caicos,” Karen Whitt, vice president of sales and marketing at The Hartling Group's Development, told TravelPulse.

If the threat of a hurricane prevents travel to Providenciales, or otherwise interferes with the guest’s vacation, the luxury hospitality group will offer a 100 percent refund of any unused portion of the resort stay.

According to a new release issued by The Hartling Group, if the National Hurricane Center (NOAA) says that the Turks and Caicos Islands are under a Hurricane Watch or Hurricane Warning and inside the “3- Day (72-hour) Zone of uncertainty, inside the white cone” for a Hurricane (code “H”) or Major Hurricane (code “M”), guests may elect to cancel their stay and receive a full refund.

“While we cannot place any guarantee against mother nature, we are happy to provide a little peace of mind for the investment made into the vacation,” said Whitt.

The policy is in effect for hurricanes only, not for lesser impacting tropical storms. Confirmed guests who wish to cancel their reservation under this hurricane guarantee must contact the hotel or the travel professional who booked their vacation package directly and specifically reference The Hartling Group's hurricane guarantee policy.

Here are additional guidelines for every possible scenario:

Tropical Storm Warning

If the Turks and Caicos Islands are under a tropical storm warning and this impacts guest’s ability to travel to the island, they can elect to receive a credit for a return stay of the same value, valid for one year. There will be no refunds issued for tropical storms.

Pre-arrival Cancellations

Guests who choose to cancel the entire duration of the trip due to hurricane conditions (based on terms and conditions outlined) will be fully refunded with no cancellation penalties.

In-House Guests Departing Early

Guests who choose to depart early from Turks and Caicos will be credited for the “unused nights” and fully refunded.

Missed Flights and/or Delayed Arrivals

If hurricane conditions cause guests to miss a flight, and/or otherwise arrive one or more days late to the resort, guests will receive a full refund for any such days, or you may have the option of extending your vacation to the original planned time, based on availability.

Airline ticket holders are subject to the airlines’ policies and guidelines.

Evacuation Orders

In the event that the Turks and Caicos government issues a mandatory evacuation order, guests will receive a full refund of any days for which they are unable to use the resort resulting from the evacuation order.

Guests who are unable to depart due to airport closures will be offered a distressed rate if the hurricane makes landfall resulting in a disruption of services at the resort.

Post-Hurricane Damage

If the resort is damaged by a hurricane and is temporarily uninhabitable while repairs are being performed, guests will receive a full refund of those days booked.

Confirmed guests who wish to cancel their reservation under this Hurricane Guarantee must contact the hotel or the travel professional who booked their vacation package directly and specifically reference The Hartling Group hurricane guarantee policy.

Turks Bounces Back

And Whitt also added that the destination in general has since recovered from the minor damage caused by last year’s storms.

“Despite the impact of last years storms, our resorts are all boasting very robust occupancies, rivaling our top years,” she told TravelPulse. “We are blessed to be in such a dynamic destination where we work closely together as a community with our hotel partners and tourism authorities, and Turks and Caicos as a whole is enjoying stellar first and second quarters, and looking for the trend to continue into the late summer and fall.”