Hotel Review: The Ritz-Carlton Turks & Caicos

by Scott Laird
Last updated: 9:00 AM ET, Sat February 8, 2025

Sometimes the hardest thing about lounging by the pool is the “ouch walk” across the sun-baked pool deck to dip your toes into the cool water.

At The Ritz-Carlton, Turks & Caicos, they’ve solved that problem for guests with poolside cabanas by situating them right next to mosaic-tiled wading pools leading directly into the pool. The cabanas themselves are also massive, including both the back-set, shaded cabana with day bed and a dedicated pair of pool loungers located pool front.

It’s an excellent spot for a nap, but it’s also difficult to doze off when you have the white sand of Grace Bay Beach and the aquamarine ocean in your sightline. If a beach bimini is more your style, those are also serviced with food and beverage throughout the day. Beach services include snorkels, fins, and kayaks or stand-up paddle boards.

The hotel is three years old, but it still feels new. The tower is the tallest structure on the island, and it’s the first resort flagged by a global hospitality brand. That signature Ritz-Carlton service is there with polish, however, and fans of the brand will most certainly feel at home here.

The resort also takes up a refreshingly small footprint—it’s not one of those sprawling mega properties that require property maps or golf carts to get around. It’s simple and intimate, and guests quickly seem to be in society with each other, bonding over sports broadcasts in the sushi bar Noori in the Lobby Lounge (where you can also get luxe sushi featuring Wagyu beef or Alaskan king crab).

There are food and beverage options to sustain and entertain guests throughout the day. Pick up a morning illy coffee and a house-made pastry at Ritual Coffee Culture in the forecourt if you’re active or indulge in a leisurely oceanfront breakfast at Coralli if you’re more the late-and-languid breakfast type. The smoothies, in particular, are standouts here, and they come in both dairy and non-dairy versions.

In the evenings, Coralli turns into Casa Nonna, with traditional Italian cuisine. Think house-made pasta, perfectly done meatballs (one might almost call them “fluffy”), lovely seafood and a faithfully rendered beef carpaccio.

For guests seeking glitzier steaks and seafood, there’s an outpost of the BLT Steak chain at the front of the resort, next to the separate casino. The USDA prime beef shines but the sides are also delightful, ranging from jalapeño mashed potatoes (they come out an intriguing shade of green and have a pleasantly spicy botanical flavor) to truffle mac & cheese or perhaps a spicy corn-and-bacon succotash.

Guest rooms are Ritz-Carlton “resort” standard, with tiled floors, light-bright wood accents, and plush beds footed by chaise lounges. It’s easy to while away a morning sitting on the balcony staring at the ocean. Baths are oversized with rainfall showers and deep soaker tubs complemented with Diptyque Philosykos bath amenities, with notes of fig and cedar.

All but a few of the rooms have at least partial ocean views, and the higher-floor Club rooms and the 9th-floor Club lounge offer the most sweeping views of the sea. The Club Lounge, like at any Ritz-Carlton, is open throughout the day with a dedicated concierge and five food and beverage presentations from breakfast through dessert.

The gracious Ritz-Carlton service is also available right on the water. The concierge can arrange a daytime or evening sunset sail on the resort’s own Lady Grace catamaran. The evening sunset sail includes light bites and cocktails, as the boat sails up the coast with splendid sunset views. Plus, a good portion of the voyage is spent with the engine off, sail raised and only the sounds of the surf complementing the onboard conversation.

The resort is something of a departure from what has traditionally been the lodging option in Turks & Caicos, where intimate resorts done in British Colonial style have long been the norm. A high-rise resort in a rather modernist style with a major brand name over the door is a new concept here but it will be joined by others in the coming months.

In any case, the ladies and gentlemen of The Ritz-Carlton have succeeded in making it feel like home for the guests who choose this fantastic little slice of tropical Eden for their next Caribbean getaway.

For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.