Turks and Caicos 11 Best Family Hotels
The Turks and Caicos is an amazing destination for a family vacation. Our calm turquoise water, picturesque beaches, and exciting water sports appeal to all ages. Picking the right hotel can make a huge difference in how enjoyable your stay in paradise is, as the various beaches, locations, and accommodation amenities differ in terms of convenience, dining, and ocean conditions.
Several of our larger resorts also have professionally managed kid’s camps, clubhouses, and eco-tours, which can occupy children of all ages for hours.
What Makes a Great Family Hotel?
In our opinion, a great beach location, some onsite activities, accessible dining options, and sufficient room and outdoor space are all essential to a great family accommodation. Amenities such as a kitchen and clothes washer also help to make a stay comfortable and easy for everyone.
Villas in Turks and Caicos
When visiting the Turks and Caicos with a family, it’s also worth considering a vacation villa. Our islands offer a very wide collection of properties, with beautiful homes on secluded beaches, expansive luxury villas, and spacious inland houses that can be a great bargain.
The Setting and the Beach
Another important aspect when choosing a resort for a family vacation is the accommodation’s location and beach setting. The many beautiful beaches in the Turks and Caicos vary widely with regard to water conditions, snorkeling, and water sports use.
Some hotels, such as the Windsong and Coral Gardens, are located at snorkeling reefs that start in the shallow water off the beach and are easy for kids to explore. The ocean conditions at the beach are another consideration, with some beaches being located at sheltered spots where waves and currents are uncommon.
Dangers and Hazards
The Turks and Caicos does not have many hazards and dangers. As is the case anywhere, it’s important to be cautious when at and near the ocean with children. Many coastal areas are relatively calm, yet currents and atypical conditions can create hazards everywhere. Channels between islands often have water movement due to tides, and the wind can move floating objects rapidly. With regard to dangerous animals and plants, and sharks, the Turks and Caicos is comparatively safe, yet there are a few things to be aware of.
Ocean Club
A counterpart to Ocean Club West, the original Ocean Club is likewise a great choice for families, and for much the same reasons. This site is located on the quiet eastern end of Grace Bay, which tends to be calm and has fewer people around than at other parts of the beach. The same range of amenities and services found at Ocean Club West are also provided at the original Ocean Club. Onsite is the Cabana Bar & Grill, and within easy walking distance is the Opus steakhouse and wine bar, Ricky’s, and 19 Bar and Restaurant at the Royal Turks and Caicos Golf Club.
One and two-bed studios, and one, two, and three-bedroom suites are available. Studios have kitchenettes, and suites have full kitchens. Kayaks, paddleboards, a fitness center, and tennis courts are available to guests.
What's Good
The hotel is on a beautiful and quiet section of Grace Bay Beach, and is within walking distance of secluded Leeward Beach. Several restaurants are nearby.
The Windsong
The Windsong is one of two mid-sized hotels located directly at the Bight Reef, the other being Coral Gardens Resort. This snorkeling site is home to large numbers of colorful reef fish, as well as turtles, stingrays, and the occasional nurse shark. The beach fronting The Windsong is typically quite calm, especially so a little to the west. Paddleboards and kayaks are available for guests. Room options include studios and one, two, and three-bedroom suites, and penthouses. All-inclusive stays are also offered by the hotel.
Jojo’s Café, the restaurant onsite at the hotel, offers a good range of sandwiches, salads, tacos, burgers, seafood, and other grill foods, and the popular Somewhere Café is located directly adjacent at the Coral Gardens hotel.
What's Good
The Windsong is excellent for snorkeling, the two adjacent restaurants are great, and all-inclusive packages are available.
Beaches Turks and Caicos
The all-inclusive Beaches Turks and Caicos, probably the best-known resort in the country, can claim to be the best family resort due to its huge collection of onsite attractions and activities, and its great array of dining choices.
The dining options and things to do at Beaches is unrivaled. The 21 restaurants offer a full range of cuisines, and include establishments such as Bobby Dee’s, a 1950s-style diner, and two pizzerias. Activities and attractions include a water park that’s complete with water slides and a pirate ship, a full collection of non-powered water sports equipment, snorkeling and boat tours, a game arcade, and land sports that include tennis basketball, volleyball, and croquet.
The accommodation choices at Beaches are quite wide, with options ranging from stand-alone villas, to studios and suites of up to four bedrooms.
What's Good
Beaches offers an unrivaled range of activities and attractions, a great all-inclusive dining policy with access to 21 restaurants, and has a family-oriented atmosphere.
Kokomo Botanical Resort
The Kokomo Botanical Resort enclave features quaint and comfortable cottages surrounded by verdant gardens. This full-service resort is located in the center of Providenciales, and a 5-minute drive from many of the island’s best beaches, restaurants, and shops.
Kokomo resort also features a complimentary beach shuttle for guests to the Bight Beach, which runs every hour and on special request.
At the Bight Beach, Kokomo Resort has the Beach Club, which has umbrellas, loungers, and towels for the use of their guests.
The stand-alone cottages at Kokomo Resort are perfect for families, and offer plenty of space while maintaining privacy.
Grace Bay Club
The luxury Grace Bay Club combines a great stretch of beach with an elegant atmosphere. Once the only luxury resort on world-famous Grace Bay Beach, this company has over the years greatly expanded, and now also manages catered villas elsewhere on Providenciales. Property choices include studios, one, two, and three-bedroom suites, and stand-alone villas.
The Grace Bay Club is home to Kids Town, which offers eco-education and activity programs for children of most ages. Programs may include off-site kayak or paddleboard eco-tours, sailing lessons, and Scuba lessons.
What's Good
Grace Bay Club provides high levels of service, has great onsite restaurants, and is located on a beautiful section of Grace Bay Beach.
The Sands
The Sands, located on the eastern side of Grace Bay, combines a contemporary beachfront resort, casual atmosphere, great pool, and spacious grounds. Accommodations include studios, and one and two-bedroom suites. The popular Hemingway’s restaurant is located on the beach at the resort, and is a favorite with visitors and locals alike.
Onsite amenities include a spa, hot tub, tennis courts, air-conditioned fitness center, and the use of paddleboards, kayaks, snorkel gear, and Hobie Cat sailboats.
Although located to the west of the Grace Bay ‘Strip’, The Sands is still within walking distance of several of the main plazas, including Le Vele Plaza, The Saltmills, and Regent Village. Many shops, restaurants, and services are found in the area.
What's Good
The hotel is on a beautiful and quiet section of Grace Bay Beach, and is within walking distance of secluded Leeward Beach. Several restaurants are nearby.
Alexandra Resort
Alexandra Resort is an all-inclusive property on the western side of Grace Bay Beach, and is a good choice for those seeking an all-inclusive stay at an otherwise typical Grace Bay hotel. The resort features a spacious layout with a large lagoon pool, and all-inclusive packages that include meals, unlimited drinks, and access to the counterpart all-inclusive Blue Haven Resort, located at Leeward.
As the hotel is located near Beaches, the section of Grace Bay fronting the Alexandra can be busier than most other stretches. Room choices include studios and one, two, and four-bedroom suites.
What's Good
Alexandra Resort offers an all-inclusive stay, with access to another sister all-inclusive resort. Great complement of location, amenities, pool, and beach.
Coral Gardens
Coral Gardens is a small hotel located directly at the popular Bight Reef snorkeling spot, and at the transition where Grace Bay Beach becomes the Bight Beach. The beach location is great for kids, as there’s the snorkeling reef, and the beach to the west of the resort is typically quite calm.
Somewhere Café is located at Coral Gardens, and Jojo’s Café is found directly next door at The Windsong. The restaurants located at West Bay Club and Wymara are also within easy access. One, two, and three-bedroom suites, complete with full kitchens, are available.
What's Good
Rates can be quite competitive at Coral Gardens, and the hotel is very convenient for snorkeling.
Seven Stars
Seven Stars is another excellent luxury hotel for families. This centrally located property is within easy walking distance of many shops and restaurants on the Grace Bay ‘Strip’, and a great stretch of Grace Bay fronts the property. Seven Stars is home to two popular restaurants, the gourmet Seven, and The Deck located at the beach, and also has a Kid’s Camp for children. One, two, and three-bedroom suites are available.
Onsite activities include the use of kayaks, paddleboards, Hobie cat sailboats, tennis, basketball, and pickleball. Within easy walking distance is the Graceway Gourmet supermarket, Ports of Call plaza and its shops and restaurants, The Terrace, Turk Kebab, Bella Luna, and the Saltmills and Regent Village plazas.
What's Good
Seven Stars has a great central location, a beautiful beach, a large pool, and excellent onsite restaurants.
Vacation Villas
The island of Providenciales supports a full collection of vacation rental villas and homes, and there are many that are perfect for a family vacation. A large number of these properties are located on some of the island’s lesser-known and smaller beaches, many of which are excellent for children due to their shallow and calm waters. Such coasts include Turtle Tail Beach, the Bight Beach, Smith’s Reef, and Taylor Bay Beach.
Villa amenities may include everything from swimming pools, water sports equipment, game rooms, great indoor and outdoor lounging spaces, and property designs and layouts that are simply fun and conducive for a great stay.
Ocean Club West
Ocean Club West is a great choice for several reasons, with very competitive rates. The hotel is located in central Grace Bay, and there are some great restaurants and shops within walking distance, including the Patty Place ice cream shop and Graceway Gourmet supermarket, which serves a wide selection of prepared foods and baked goods.
The beach fronting Ocean Club West, due to its location on the eastern side of the Grace Bay region, typically is more sheltered and calmer than properties on the central west side of the coast. Like many of the larger hotels on Grace Bay, available for guest use are kayaks, paddleboards, and other beach amenities.
Ocean Club West offers studios and one, two, and three-bedroom suites. Onsite is a large lagoon-like pool, the Solana restaurant and bar, and bicycles, kayaks, paddleboards, and beach toys for guests to use.
What's Good
Ocean Club West often has great rates for a Grace Bay beachfront hotel, an excellent stretch of beach, a fun lagoon-like pool, and a central location that’s within walking distance of a grocery store and many restaurants.