Hotels

The growing preponderance of high-end boutique resorts in Provo means that consumers looking for a budget island getaway should reserve well in advance for the handful of moderately priced options. It's also useful to be on the lookout for package deals on hotel websites, online travel-booking sites such as Orbitz, Expedia, and Travelocity, or massive travel search engines like Mobissimo and Kayak. Check this guide's hotel reviews before you book, and see what other travelers have to say about TCI lodgings on Frommers.com message boards.

In contrast to what's available on Provo and Parrot Cay and Pine Cay (two privately owned Caicos Cays islands with hotel resorts), moderately priced lodgings are currently the only option in the rest of the Caicos islands. Of course, high-end resorting is just over the horizon for the less-traveled islands. Construction on the following continues apace: the Royal Reef Resort in North Caicos and the Turks & Caicos Sporting Club in Ambergris Cay (South Caicos). Expected to open in late 2008 is the long-awaited Ritz-Carlton resort complex on West Caicos. And at press time construction had begun on the multimillion-dollar Mandarin Oriental hotel and resort complex on previously uninhabited Dellis Cay.

Hotel School

Change has come fast and furious to TCI, and with it the business of hospitality, with resorts working hard to meet the exacting standards of a growing international clientele. Some businesses have responded by outsourcing staff from such faraway places as the Philippines and Bali. But the folks at the Grace Bay Club believe in developing staff locally, and as such have created a Hotel School at Grace Bay Club to train TCI workers and eventually staff from other islands in the hospitality and tourism business. "I strongly believe in being able to hire locally," says Grace Bay Club General Manager Nikheel Advani. "It helps retain our feel and it's doing the right thing. We want to become the premier hotel school in the Caribbean -- that is our vision for the school and the island." For more information about the school, go to www.gracebayclub.com.

Keep in mind that the government imposes a mandatory 10% hospitality tax, and many resorts charge an additional service charge of 10% or more. Also note that during high season -- and the Christmas holidays in particular -- resorts have minimum-stay requirements. Hotels throughout the Turks & Caicos accept most major credit cards, except where noted.

Finally, as you can see when comparing winter and summer rack rates listed below, visiting Provo in the off season can be considerably more economical than a high-season winter vacation. Be sure to check each hotel's website for money-saving package deals any time of year.

Providenciales

Provo's 19km (12-mile) Grace Bay is where the majority of the islands' resorts and hotels are situated. Provo's lodgings are an easy 10- to 15-minute taxi ride from the airport. And by the time you read this, several new properties -- condo hotels by and large -- will have opened along Grace Bay, including Windsong (www.windsongresort.com) and the Regent Grand (www.theregentgrand.com). The Veranda (www.verandaturks.com) is also being developed on Grace Bay, but new ownership seems to have stalled the construction.

Northwest Point

Those in the know say that this section of Provo represents the future of the country's hospitality industry. Unlike Grace Bay's long, developable stretch of beach, the beaches at the Northwest Point are serendipitous little coves with pockets of powdery white sand and turquoise seas. As the area develops, the plan is to create a lot of green-belted area and ensure no structure over three stories tall is built. The waters along the Northwest Point are part of the Northwest Point Marine National Park, a protected 8km-long (5-mile) reef system that features some of the world's top wall and reef diving.

Currently the Northwest Point has only two accommodations: Amanyara , and the Northwest Point Resort condominium hotel (www.northwestpointresort.com). To reach either, you travel through the delightful Blue Hills neighborhood. Make time to stop at one of the beachfront shacks to enjoy supremely fresh conch dishes, good music, and a sunny barefoot vibe.

Turtle Cove

The Queen Angel Resort, a 56-unit condo hotel that lies across from Turtle Cove and is a 5-minute walk from the beach, is an attractive and reasonably priced option in both high and low seasons. It features suites with full kitchens and has a nicely landscaped pool; the resort plans to open a restaurant and bar (tel. 649/941-7907; fax 649/941-7908; winter $250-$575/£125-£288); fall $150-$460/£75-£230).

In the development stages is the Third Turtle Club (www.thirdturtleclub.com), a luxury condo-hotel resort with a secluded beach and marina. It's being built on the spot where the Third Turtle Inn, the first hotel on the island, formerly stood.

Dellis Cay: From Sand Dollars to Mega Dollars

This previously uninhabited 560-acre island was best known by visitors as a lovely, solitary spot to beachcomb and look for snowy white sand dollars. These days, the little cay is being groomed and shaped by some of the world's greatest architects as a mega-resort rises on its shores. Included will be a stylish Mandarin Oriental hotel designed by Piero Lissoni and homesites starting at $1.7 million. Phase I should be completed by 2009. Check it out at www.delliscay.com. Are you ready for your close-up, Dellis Cay?

North Caicos

Rural, green, and charmingly slow-paced, North Caicos has its share of gorgeous powdery-sand beaches, which at press time you could enjoy with a few other lucky souls during stays at modest, moderately priced lodgings. Construction has resumed, however, for the luxury Royal Reef Resorts (www.royalreefresort.com), on heretofore uninhabited Sandy Point, after funding issues caused delays.

Middle Caicos

The largest island in the TCI is also the least populated, and hotel/motel-type lodgings -- not to mention restaurants, grocery stores, and shops -- are currently almost nonexistent. Many visitors stay in rented villas. For a selection of villas, go to www.tcimall.tc/middlecaicos.

Tip: Don't forget to bring mosquito repellent, especially if you plan to visit some of the Middle Caicos Lucayan caves.