If you follow me on social media, you know that we took a belated honeymoon to Turks & Caicos in late July. We stayed at the all-inclusive Alexandra Resort for a week and a half. This was our first time to the Turks & Caicos Islands and our stay was absolutely amazing.

THE RESORT

The Alexandra Resort is located on Grace Bay beach in Providenciales. Grace Bay is by far the most beautiful beach I’ve ever been to. With its white sand and crystal clear water, it was named the #1 beach in the world in the 2016 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards. Last year the resort started offering their all-inclusive vacation packages which include meals, drinks, snacks and room accommodations.

Alexandra Resort is about a 10-minute car ride from the Providenciales International Airport and we already had a shuttle service booked so it didn’t take us long to get to the resort. Upon arrival, we received a schedule of daily events and themed parties, a list of restaurants, a map of the local shops and attractions, and their shuttle schedule. The Alexandra Resort has two sister resorts nearby: Beach House (which is an adults-only private resort) and Blue Haven Resort – both are also all-inclusive. They offer a free shuttle to transport guests between all three resorts during the day and evening. The staff was so friendly and hospitable. After checking in, a staff member gave us a tour of the resort and led us to our suite. The grounds are beautiful, so clean and well-maintained. It is a smaller resort, so no matter which building you are staying in, you are always in close proximity to the pool, restaurants, bars and the beach access.

OUR ROOM

We stayed in a two-bedroom ocean view suite. It had a full kitchen equipped with everything you would need – dishes, utensils, pots and pans. The staff kept the refrigerator stocked with beverages. Our suite also had three balconies with beautiful views of the ocean, as well as overlooking the pool.

WHAT TO DO

We spent a lot of our time relaxing on the beach and lounging by the pool, but we did make time for some water activities. Alexandra Resort offers guests non-motorized water sports equipment free of charge including kayaks, paddle boards, snorkels and a water trampoline. On the beach, you can find independent vendors that offer parasailing and tubing, and you can work with a coordinator at the front desk to arrange various excursions including jet skiing, scuba diving, boat tours and fishing. As I mentioned, the resort offers a free shuttle to transport guests to and from the nearby Beach House (adults only) and Blue Haven Resort. Guests of the Alexandra Resort have access to the pools and private beach at both of these resorts.

The resort has two tennis courts, a fitness center, and spa that offers massages, body scrubs and wraps, facials and nail services. Keith and I took advantage of some of their daily specials and got massages. I also spoiled myself with a facial and a pedicure.

One of the things I loved about this resort was the entertainment. Each day had a different event or theme that involved live bands, food and entertainers – Caribbean night, karaoke night, chocolate buffet, a fire dancer show to name a few.

I recommend taking the resort’s complimentary bicycles for short ride to the local shopping center on Grace Bay Road to check out the cafés, restaurants and shops. We went to the Salt Mills Plaza and The Regent Village to explore art galleries, gift and jewelry shops, and salons. We had so much fun walking around and checking out all of the shops and finding little treasures. I could have stayed there all day! If you are in the mood for some gambling, the Casablanca Casino is located a little further north on Grace Bay Road.

WHERE TO EAT

Because the Alexandra Resort is all-inclusive, we had most of our meals on the resort at their main restaurant, Asú, and their beach side restaurant, Sole, located on the back deck. The food was delicious. We also had dinner at Fire & Ice (Blue Haven Resort) and Kitchen 218 (Beach House) which are a part of the all-inclusive package. My favorite meal was at Kitchen 218. It was Brazilian night that evening and they served a prix fixe menu of seasoned meats and fish with a delicious corn salad, potatoes and vegetables. It was ah-mazing!

Poolside view of Asú restaurant.

View coming from dinner at Fire & Ice restaurant at the Blue Haven Resort.

View of Beach House while taking a stroll after dinner at Kitchen 218.

If you venture into town, you have to check out Lemon 2 Go coffee shop (shown below). It’s a quaint little shop that offers coffee, teas, smoothies, kombucha, and snacks to go. It is attached to an adorable gift shop. This was the our first stop when we rode into the shopping district. We grabbed some tea and kombucha (and coffee for Keith!), and sat outside on the comfy lounge chairs.

My only regret is that we didn’t spend more time off the resort to check out some of the local restaurants. Other guests and local residents had recommended the following places to us:

  • The Grill at Grace Bay Club – American and Caribbean cuisine.
  • Solana Restaurant – Asian cuisine, highly recommended for their sushi.
  • Lupo Restaurant – known for their Italian comfort food.
  • Hemingway’s Restaurant – beachfront with a variety of menu options, located at The Sands Resort.
  • Turkberry – yes, frozen yogurt! Located in the shopping district at Salt Mills Plaza.

TRAVEL TIPS

  • Note when going into town nearby that many of the shops open later, between 10:00-11:00 AM.
  • Pay attention to the resort shuttle pick-up and drop-off times and plan accordingly.
  • Taxi meters are not used in Turks and Caicos. Fare is usually charged per person (with a minimum charge for two people), therefore it will vary based on the number of passengers and the distance to your destination.
  • When making a lunch or dinner reservation at the Beach House, same-day reservations are required; the same applies to use their umbrellas and lounge chairs by the pool or on the beach.

Overall, our stay at the Alexandra Resort and our experience in the Turks and Caicos Islands were fantastic. Friendly staff, delicious food, beautiful resort with lots of amenities – I highly recommend the Alexandra Resort and we look forward to staying there again in the future.

Thanks for stopping by!