We were at Beaches from Thursday, January 29, until Thursday, February 5. We’d been told this wasn’t a busy time of year at the resort, and we were pleased to find that, yeah, it wasn’t busy at all (one afternoon, I was the only person in the French pool hot tub). Our airport arrival experience was quite smooth, with around a 30-minute wait at customs and maybe a five-minute wait at security when we left ( I’m glad we skipped the express pass).
Unfortunately, while we had luck with the crowds, we were unlucky with the weather. We had lots of wind and clouds, resulting in red flags on the beach every single day. That meant no water toys, no snorkelling trip, no glass-bottom boat. And while that was disappointing, given the state of the ocean, it was the right call.
Thankfully, the resort overall wasn’t disappointing, at least not to me. I know Beaches Turks and Caicos gets mixed reviews, and I suspect some of that is the result of unrealistic expectations. This is not a true luxury resort; it’s a higher-end, family-focused resort with over 800 rooms (once Treasure Beach opens). A true luxury resort is about a frictionless experience, one that feels effortless. That’s not Beaches. Yes, it’s expensive, but what you’re paying for is the amazing location and lots of options: Tons of food and drink choices, multiple pools and waterslides and, weather-permitting, lots of water toys and activities.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of what we liked and where there’s room for improvement.
The Good
- The service: I’m starting here because I’ve seen multiple complaints about lacklustre service, but we didn’t experience that at all. Staff were friendly and helpful and generally prompt (and when we did have to wait, it was because it was obviously busy).
- Some of the food: This was a mixed bag, and I now understand some of the criticism shared about the food. We did have some standouts. We especially loved the iced coffee and the many different treats at Café de Paris. The frozen yogurt was also a huge hit with my family (the pink lemonade flavour was delicious). Sky was our favourite spot for breakfast (smoked salmon waffles!), lunch was best at Arizona’s (those chicken nuggets are really good) and dinner… That’s a tough one. We loved our meal at Mario’s (the focaccia bread is amazing), and my husband and daughter both loved the steak at Arizona’s. We also really enjoyed Barefoot by the Sea, which probably had the best atmosphere. Oh, and the jerk truck is a must-eat.
- Our room: We stayed in a ground-level French Village room, and I really liked it. The updated décor is fresh and pretty, and the room is well-equipped with a comfy bed and a giant dresser perfect for organizing our clothes. Our room had two sinks, one inside the bathroom and one outside, which was very practical.
We never heard our neighbours once in our room, but we would hear the evening shows unless we were running the A/C. Once that thing was turned on, you couldn’t hear any external noises. Also, the shows were always done by 10 pm.
We were at the very back of the French Village (I think in the Dijon building), so “far” from the beach, but it was still a very manageable distance and really, because of the weather, we weren’t at the beach that much. I would stay here again.
- The pools: Some of the pools are actually heated! We were at Atlantis a couple of years ago, and its “heated” pools weren’t that heated. So, it was nice, especially since the weather was cooler, that some of the pools aren’t ice cold. There are also hot tubs that are (usually) warm. Our favourite pool was the French one; we could always find chairs, and it was easy to get a drink. The layout is also great for kids who have different swimming abilities (there are shallower and deeper areas, and it’s easy to keep an eye on the whole pool at once).
Our second favourite was the Arizona pool, which was warm, quiet and had cute bird visitors (you could also easily pop out, dry off and get lunch at Arizona’s). But this one gets deeper (maybe the deepest pool on the property), so it’s not the best for little kids.
- Other things we liked: We enjoyed the little pop-ups that would just appear, like the tie-dying (bring your own shirt to save money). The street party is a must-do, and while the shows were short, any that involve fire are worth watching. I also liked how quick the check-in was and that it was easy to change our departure time when our flight was delayed.
Side note: I’ve seen people complain about the Italian pool being really loud/being a “party pool”), but personally, I didn't find it loud at all. However, it could be busy, and it was the only pool where we had issues finding chairs.
Could Use Improvement
- Housekeeping could have been a little bit better
- As noted by others, the bathrooms in the French Village need updating
- The waterpark could do with a facelift; it’s probably the roughest-looking space at the resort. The lazy river is also a bit too lazy, and the water is so cold
- Okay, back to the food. I was surprised at how limited the buffets were. They were also often bland. Everything I had was completely edible, and nothing was bad, but we did have multiple items that were just kind of there. That blandness, unfortunately, extended to the mac and cheese truck (though it did have good chicken tenders). There is definitely room for improvement with the food
Overall, I recommend this resort; you just need to go into it with the right exceptions!
