The Sands at Grace Bay

Three days into our trip. The room is nice but bit dated and in need of small repairs. The one restaurant (Hemingways) has some of the best fish tacos I've ever ate. Everything we tried has been very good. Unfortunately it typically takes over an hour to get food even if it's not busy if you order from the servers. Today we learned you can order direct from the bar and it's much faster. Front desk has no one answering or working early am. Gift shop has very limited supplies of things like bottled water so you need to go to local grocery store to stock up. Property is quieter and not much for kids to do compared to other resorts in the area. Best feature is that you can walk to other places to eat or hang out. Lots of great options in the area. Beach is beautiful and staff willing to help secure chairs.

We spent two weeks at The Sands and had a great time. I'm glad we booked without looking at some of these reviews. I don't know where people stayed that complained about the staff. They are uniformly friendly and helpful. We enlisted the services of the concierge to book a sunset cruise and a car, we also benefited from her knowledge of local restaurants. The front desk and valet staff were always ready with a smile whenever we walked through the lobby. The staff at Hemingways restaurant were delightful. Be sure to ask for one of Wes' famous mojitos! We had a one bedroom suite which was spacious and kept very clean by housekeeping. It was well stocked and though we didn't really use the kitchen much if we had opted for that, it contained anything we would have needed. The pool, the grounds, and the beach area are all well kept by friendly staff. Those who complained about the cost should look around. The Sands was one of the more affordable places in Grace Bay. Please note as you walk around the grounds the sheer number of staff it takes to keep a resort such as this looking beautiful everyday. All the trimming of the plants, the constant cleaning. for the noise from the construction of the St. Regis, I didn't find that it was all that bad, it was kept to normal work hours and seemed to fade into the background against the peaceful sounds of people enjoying themselves. We would definitely go back, this hotel is a keeper!!

To start, I would officially give a 4.5 star rating. ||The pros that make the Sands great are the beautiful grounds and lovely suites that include a screened in porch. For anyone that has traveled to somewhere tropical, the bugs can be the biggest headache so the screened in porch was a major bonus. The junior suite was clean and included a comfy bed with crisp linens and soft pillows. A mini kitchenette and stacked washer dryer allowed for at home amenities and connivence while away from home. ||The pools were nicely maintained and inviting but the real gem is the amazing beachfront that is steps away. The beach crew is friendly and helpful and the inclusion of all the water activities (snorkeling equipment, paddle boards, kayaks, etc.) was a major bonus. ||The onsite restaurant, Hemingway, is solid and great for breakfast, beach lunches, and a nice dinner. The sister property of The Palms is walking distance along the beach and offers extra dining options. ||The main reason for not giving the property a 5 star review is the fact that there was only one restaurant on property and the fact that the service was great in some areas but good overall.||As for the construction of the St Regis next door, it’s not intrusive. There is more noise in NY on a daily basis than there is from the construction site in my opinion. In general I was not aware of the construction unless waking passes it on the beach. ||Overall a great stay and a great value while visiting the beautiful waters and beaches of TCI.

Know before you go! We only booked The Sands because of the great reviews. Unfortunately, the relaxing vacation we were looking forward to was disrupted by construction on the property and next door, as well as the staff’s unprofessional behavior. On the first day, we requested no housekeeping for our entire stay and a do-not-disturb sign as a safety precaution for us and our belongings. Housekeeping came in anyways and claimed we were smoking in the room (none of us smoke but there is smoking on the property). It was very stressful to have to leave the beach for two managers to conduct an investigation and look around the room only to find functional fire alarms that would have detected smoking in the room anyways. The next day, they came into our room twice again but did not touch our items until the third time when our belongings were moved from their original locations. Again this caused severe stress to which it was reported to the manager and met without an apology. Mind you we had tipped every staff member from the first day we interacted with them which did not seem to change the poor attitudes toward us. Don’t tip the hotel staff and save your money for the beach guys who will actually put effort into your stay. I felt like a VIP on the beach but an unwelcome doormat otherwise. On the third night, the power went off for hours and there was no communication regarding this. The rooms became hot and so we slept on the patio. Despite all of this, we were met with a shoulder shrug and insincere apology at checkout. The food was even mediocre at best. Spend your money elsewhere on Grace Bay, there are so many better options!

The value of this resort is unmatched. First off, we started off our trip with an American Airlines nightmare-a delayed flight resulting in us missing our connection and having an overnight layover. We fully expected to lose the money from the resort for the first night, but they let us extend our trip by one day, so we didn’t lose the money. When we arrived at the resort, we were greeted by warm smiles, cold towels, and rum punch. We booked the cheapest room (junior suite, garden view-no washer/dryer), and were upgraded to a pool view suite with a washer/dryer free of charge. The room was cleaned everyday with extra towels and cleaned sheets. The resort is located on the perfect stretch of Grace bay near all of the other luxury resorts (Point Grace, Ritz Carlton, Seven Stars) and within walking distance to all of the great restaurants in Providenciales, so a rental car is not necessary. They have so so many employees that greet you with a smile and offer incredible hospitality. They have equipment (paddle boards, tubes, kayaks, snorkeling equipment, & more) that is complimentary for all resort guests. We had no problems getting a hut with an umbrella and we took our team getting down to the beach (sometimes at 11:00am). I saw the team putting up more chairs and umbrellas mid day to ensure there was extra for anyone that wanted one. The ONLY downside, by no fault of the resort, was the construction noise from the high rise buildings being built next door. It seems like the billionaires are all trying to capitalize off of this beautiful island-there are high rises everywhere and construction is constant everywhere you look. I’m hoping that they don’t ruin this piece of paradise through gentrification. I hope that the citizens of Turks and Caicos are not pushed out due to the rising cost of living and over tourism.

★☆☆☆☆ (I would give zero stars if I could) A Personal Account as a Solo Female Traveller I recently stayed at The Sands Resort in Grace Bay, Turks and Caicos, and unfortunately, my experience as a solo female traveler left me deeply uncomfortable and disappointed. I want to be clear that this review reflects my personal experience and how the behaviour I encountered made me feel. During my visit to the beach area, I had unsettling interactions with a group of male staff working there. What began as an unwanted pass quickly escalated into behaviour that felt intimidating and humiliating. When I was leaving the beach, they loudly called after me in a way that drew attention from others nearby, implying I wasn’t being truthful about something. Regardless of their intentions, the experience left me feeling singled out, shamed, and unsafe. As a woman traveling alone, I had hoped for a relaxing and respectful environment. Instead, the actions of those staff members ruined what should have been a peaceful beach day. Feeling secure is essential when traveling solo, and sadly, this stay did not provide that for me. Because of this experience, I personally would not recommend this hotel to other solo female travelers. Feeling respected and safe should be a baseline expectation, and I left wishing I had chosen a different place to stay. If I could give zero stars based on my experience, I would.

We really enjoyed our stay! We travelled with our 5 month old son and took advantage of the babysitting services arranged by the resort. They set us up with Janice who was amazing and looked after our little guy with so much care and love, sending pictures throughout the hours we were out! She put our minds at ease and made our vacation date nights more enjoyable. The resort itself was very nice but be sure to pack bug spray if eating outdoors!

Terrible, terrible, terrible. Before we booked this stay, we called the hotel and asked them if the construction that was mentioned in other reviews was still going on. I was assured that it would be over on December 17, 2025. We’ve been here three days and is still going on. If you want hammers and saws instead of waves, this is the place for you. Additionally, we booked an ocean view room, but can barely see the ocean.(a sliver- bring a telescope) After a less than pleasant discussion, we we're offered another room for an additional $5000. After 3 days we were offered another room with a similar view. The service is mediocre at best for a resort of this caliber. No food or drink service on the beach and if you want water in or out of the room, be prepared to pay for it. Overall a big disappointment. Stayed at the Shore Club before and there’s no comparison.