The Ocean Club West is one of the best Turks and Caicos family resorts. The resort is a great option for family vacations. It’s the kind of place you’ll want to return to over and over again. Golfers will want to reserve at Ocean Club East.
One Bedroom Deluxe Suite
Ocean Club Resort West
Ocean Club Resort West
Table of Contents
The Accommodations
Ocean Club Resorts offers accommodations in a variety of sizes and views. They have island, garden, ocean, and pool views. The apartment-style set-up of the suites makes it possible for the adults to have their own room. Studio Suites are the smallest option, along with the Deluxe Studio Suites. Each features kitchenettes and outdoor spaces. Fully equipped kitchens and kitchenettes make meal preparation easy. These smaller spaces are great for couples on a romantic island getaway.
The junior suite is another good option for two. It offers a combined bedroom and living area, a fully equipped kitchen, washer and dryer, queen or king bed, a living area, and a large patio or balcony that is screened and furnished.
My One Bedroom Deluxe Suite at Ocean Club Resort West
I had a one-bedroom deluxe suite with a garden view—a queen bed in the bedroom and a queen pullout sofa in the living room. The bedroom and living areas were separate. It had one and a half baths, which included a walk-in shower and no tub. It was perfect for me, as I have mobility issues; however, each suite is styled differently, and I’m sure some have tubs available.
I had a fully equipped kitchen with a blender for making those island rum cocktails. I could enjoy those on one of the two large, screened-in, furnished patios. They had an ensuite washer and dryer, so coming with only a carry-on bag was fine. The living-dining area was spacious and included a desk. Usually, this is for two people, but the sofa bed would have worked with another two. I could easily see this working for a family with small children. I’m not sure about the square footage of this space, but with all the screened-in area, I felt like my family, with four adults and one child, could have easily stayed here and still felt like they had plenty of room.
Larger Deluxe Suites
The two-bedroom deluxe suites each have a fully equipped kitchen, a washer and dryer, two and a half baths, and a spacious living-dining combination. You’ll find a queen or king bed in one of the bedrooms and two twin beds in the second, with a mattress topper available. There’s also a queen pull-out sofa in the living room.
The three-bedroom deluxe suites feature three separate bedrooms with an additional king or queen bed and an additional full bath. It has a large patio or balcony that is screened and furnished. These are perfect for a larger family.
As one of the best family resorts, the kids will be invited to participate in a Safari at check-in. They’ll have fun learning about the flora and fauna in this scavenger hunt around the resort. While offering age-appropriate activities, you’ll find fun for the whole family at Ocean Club Resorts.
If you can’t leave work behind, you’ll find business centers and complimentary wireless internet in suites.
Photo Courtesy of Ocean Beach Resorts
Green Globe Certification
The resorts were the first properties to be Green Globe Certified in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Leading the way in sustainability, the resorts passed rigorous eco-friendly tests and audits that ultimately deemed them certifiable by the globally recognized Green Globe program in late 2021. Some eco-forward initiatives that made the resorts eligible for the certification include putting cloth reusable shopping bags in each suite, replacing plastic straws with paper, and Styrofoam containers with paper boxes. They also use LED lighting and encourage guests to reduce water and energy use waste.
The Turks and Caicos resorts purchase eco-friendly products, partner with like-minded vendors, and make sound eco-operation decisions while continuing to provide a high level of service for their guests. Ocean Club Resorts‘ latest step toward eco-forward initiatives includes implementing and testing the power sourcing of solar panels at Ocean Club East. Ocean Club West will follow in 2025.
Restaurants on Property
Ocean Club Resorts offers three on-site restaurants—Solana, Cabana Bar & Grill, and Opus, plus the Solana Beach Bar. Local fish in Providenciales include grouper, snapper, conch, and lobster. I also found shrimp, especially coconut shrimp, readily available.
Solana Restaurant
Solana, the beachfront restaurant at Ocean Club Resort West, offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I tried all three meals while I was there and enjoyed them all. The Solana Teppanyaki & Sushi Bar features a wide variety of sushi.
I had buttermilk pancakes and bacon served with a mixed berry compote for breakfast. They also offer fresh squeezed orange juice, which is often difficult to find. I chose a simple lunch of shrimp nachos and vanilla ice cream for dessert.
I attended a group dinner at Solana and wasn’t disappointed. The conch chowder was a fan favorite with our group, with several declaring it the best they’d ever had. I held out for the conch fritters and was equally pleased.
For my entrée, I had the Caribbean snapper filet topped with a tropical mango salsa. The chef served it with peas and rice and steamed broccoli. The snapper was golden brown on the outside and moist and tender on the inside. The fruity mango salsa complemented the fish by adding a tropical flair.
Cabana Bar & Grill
Ocean Club Resort has two great restaurant offerings, depending on your mood—the Cabana Bar & Grill and Opus.
Lobster is in season from August 1 through March 31, and Cabana Bar & Grill is one of the best places to order it. They have a wide range of options. I ordered the lobster tacos and wasn’t disappointed. They had great flavors. They served two lobster tacos in soft flour tortillas, chunks of cracked lobster, shredded lettuce, topped with diced tomatoes, mixed cheeses, diced onions and peppers, Pico de Gallo, and Baja sauce. I added a side of guacamole to amp things up even more. This was one of my favorite meals since I love lobster and dining outside with ocean views.
Another yummy-looking dish was the Caicos salad, which started with crispy romaine lettuce, a mound of grilled lobster, mashed avocado, Bermuda onion, tomato, hard-boiled egg, and topped with ranch dressing.
Opus Bar Grill
Opus Bar Grill is the resort’s upscale, fine-dining option open for dinner. The meal I had here was fantastic. The food and service were excellent. Opus was the only indoor dining option on the property, but they also offered outdoor seating.
We had a variety of appetizers for the table. The tropical conch ceviche consisted of fresh, locally caught conch, red pepper, tomato, shallots, cucumber, and fresh pineapple mixed with citrus dressing. Oysters on the half shell were another offering. We had tuna tartar on avocado and seaweed salad topped with quail egg yolk and citrus soy dressing. We ate the tuna on sesame crackers. My favorite appetizer was coconut shrimp tempura with pineapple chili sauce.
For my entrée, I opted for the eight-ounce black Angus tenderloin topped with green peppercorn sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, broccolini, and baby carrots. The chef also garnished the potatoes with plantain chips. I have to say, this was the most Instagram-worthy dish we had.
While the menu was seafood-centric, they do offer vegan and vegetarian options. One vegan option was the red Thai curry vegetable that included zucchini, squash, carrots, spinach, onions, and sweet peppers in curry coconut sauce. It came with jasmine rice and mango chutney. This dish was also gluten-free.
The handmade desserts are all created in-house. I enjoyed the rum cake for a hint of Caribbean flavor. The restaurant also features a stellar wine cellar.
Piper’s Pro Planning: The resorts have a shuttle that takes guests from one property to another, so having a meal at the sister property is easy. Just jump on the shuttle.
Read More: How to Plan a Vacation: 7 Ways to Pack More Travel into Your Over-Scheduled Life
Things to Do at the Ocean Club Resorts
Ocean Club West is pedestrian-friendly and centrally located near most Providenciales’ shops and restaurants, while Ocean Club is adjacent to Provo Gulf Course. Other outdoor play areas include tennis courts and pickleball courts. Grab your snorkeling gear and head to the beach. Other water sports include sailing, snorkeling, diving, fishing, and parasailing.
Of course, there is always the option of simply relaxing under one of Ocean Club’s signature pink beach umbrellas with a good book.
You can also indulge in spa treatments, like massages. For a rainy day, the well-equipped fitness center will allow you to get in your daily workout.
Rum Tasting
In addition to meals, Solana Restaurant offers guests an afternoon Rum Tasting experience. It includes select bites and three to four top-tier selections to taste, including one to two blends native to the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Piper’s Pro Planning: You can book this activity directly with the Solana team by emailing them at solan[email protected]. You’ll coordinate with them and your group for a date and time during their stay accordingly.
High Wave Tours
The resorts recently began working alongside High Wave Tours to provide guests at both property locations access to complimentary kayaks and SUP boards for rental directly on Grace Bay Beach, steps away from the Ocean Club East and Ocean Club West. The island tour operator also provides catamaran and additional opportunities to explore the region further along the coast.
One option with High Wave Tours is the Caicos Sunset Cruise, where you’ll experience the magical colors of a Turk’s sunset from the water. You can cruise along the crystal-clear waters down Grace Bay and the neighboring island, Little Water Cay. Then, you’ll stop off at the secluded Turks sandbank to watch the sun descend into the sea (weather permitting). While you take in the sights, you’ll have two bottles of champagne to put you in a celebratory mood. This incredible experience includes up to eight people, an informative Captain, and two bottles of Prosecco.
Piper’s Pro Planning: High Wave Tours are weather-dependent. If the water is rough, the tour won’t go, so make plans for an alternative activity, along with an alternative date for the tour.
Activities Around Providenciales
Turks and Caicos Reef Fund
Ocean Club Resorts’ involvement encourages guests to support the organization and learn about the coral reef system. The Turks and Caicos Reef Fund was created on the island about 15 years ago. They currently oversee 180 corals with 11 species.
In November 2024, Ocean Club Resorts began partnering with the Turks and Caicos Reef Fund to offer guests an opportunity to learn about coral and the organization’s efforts to educate and protect the coral reef ecosystem. You can directly donate two dollars per stay night to the Turks and Caicos Reef Fund. Additionally, the resorts can help coordinate for guests to go to the center and learn about the organization on Wednesdays when they feed the coral reefs or daily to learn. You can take a tour that provides background on the reef fund’s goals and purpose and how people can support it.
Piper’s Pro Planning: The resorts will help coordinate transportation and appointments to help guests visit the center and learn about the organization. Remember that they only feed the coral reefs on Wednesdays, but you may visit any day to learn more.
Thursday Night Fish Fry
Every week, the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourism Board hosts the Thursday Night Fish Fry, gathering culinary favorites from around the island, crafted goods, live music, and traditional Junkanoo. Entry is free and an excellent opportunity to enjoy the island’s highlights.
What is Junkanoo?
Junkanoo can be traced back to West African culture. It combines music and dance with colorful costumes and tall feather-plumed headpieces—the instruments—such as saws, maracas, and drums made from goat skin. What stood out to me was the high-pitched shrill of the whistles. The junkanoo could be the highlight of your Turks and Caicos vacation.
The Fish Fry
While each food vendor offered specialty dishes, I had coconut shrimp with corn on the cob and plantains. I was able to order my two favorite sides to accompany the shrimp. You approach the counter service vendors and then take your food to one of the available picnic tables. I recommend finding one along the main corridor so that you will have a good view of the Junkanoo.
Piper’s Pro Planning: If you want to see the Junkanoo event, that typically begins at 7:30, so most likely, you’ll want to plan to go to the fish fry around 6:30, so you’ll have time to get your food and begin eating before the experience begins.
If You Go
The official language is English, and the official currency is the US dollar. The electricity is 110 volts/60 cycles AC, the same as in the United States. With the same currency, language, and electrical voltage as the U.S., Turks and Caicos make an easy island getaway with little extra preparation. However, you will need a passport to visit.
Best Time to Visit
The best time for a Turks and Caicos vacation depends on several factors. Like other Caribbean islands, the peak season is from December to March. However, you’ll find fewer crowds and lower prices in April and May. I went the first week in December, and the Ocean Club Resorts weren’t crowded, but I’m sure it would be when the kids were on holiday break.
Getting There
You’ll want to fly to Providenciales International Airport (PLS). Most major airlines have direct flights from southern US cities, such as Charlotte, South Carolina, and Miami. Providenciales is in the Turks & Caicos Islands, British West Indies, and is a short 85-minute flight from Miami.
Getting Around
Airport Transfers
Taxi service to the Ocean Club Resorts costs about $18 to $20 per person, based on a shared ride. Taxi rates are government-mandated and available throughout Providenciales.
Shuttle Service Between Resorts
As a guest of Ocean Club Resorts, you can take a complimentary shuttle between Ocean Club and Ocean Club West. This makes experiencing the restaurants at the sister property as easy as the ocean breeze.
Bicycles
The Ocean Club Resort offers complimentary adult bicycles to explore the Grace Bay area on a bike.
Piper’s Pro Planning: While the islands only sell reef-safe sunscreen to protect coral reefs, if you bring sunscreen from home, be sure to purchase reef-safe sunscreen.
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While Piper is a lifelong Michigander, she’s had adventures worldwide. Bomb-sniffing dogs chased her in the middle of the night in Bogota (working late), gate agents refused her boarding to Paraguay (wrong visa), and US Marshals announced her seat number on a plane while looking for a murder suspect (she’d traded seats). It’s always an adventure! She even finds exciting activities in her home state of Michigan, where she lives in Lansing with her husband, Ross Dingman, her daughter, Alexis, and two granddaughters.
This all looks wonderful! I have small children and think this property would be perfect for a family vacation. The coral conservation initiative looks wonderful too.
i’m ready for fish now!
And it was so good!