The Meridian Club, Turks and Caicos

Overall we really enjoyed our vacation here, but there are a few things we wish we would’ve known in advance (even our TA was unaware…). Here’s the rundown of our April stay: The staff is incredibly warm and friendly, especially those from South America and Antigua. The cuisine is 5-star, service and hard product are 4-4.5 stars (more on that below). Every meal was amazing, just wish they knew how to make a proper espresso drink. The beach is STUNNING! Photos don’t do it justice. Oftentimes I would walk on the beach for an hour and cross paths with no one. Take a Hobie Cat to the sandbar and search for sand dollars - such a unique experience. The rooms were nice but not luxurious. Nothing more to say on the hard product. We loved the room setup, especially spending evenings relaxing on the screened porch. There’s no nightlife - not even live music. Zero. None. They don’t play music throughout the property and don’t allow you to play music unless in your room. There are no TVs on property. We’re active mid-40s DINKs and were bored out of our minds after two days. This resort is intended for those that want to truly disconnect and have no interest in anything other than good cuisine and a lovely beach… We’d love to go back for another visit when we retire. They tell you they offer butler service via WhatsApp. However, we often had to trek to the front desk because we rarely, if ever, received responses. Anytime we’d inquire about the status of our WhatsApp request, it was clear they hadn’t monitored WhatsApp. Hence my 4-4.5 star rating for service (+0.5 stars for the amazing staff from Antigua & South America). We’ve stayed throughout the Caribbean and understand service is generally slow-paced. We booked through my TA. Because we booked a Virtuoso rate we should’ve received a welcome amenity. We didn’t, so I inquired several hours after our arrival and was told since our stay was only six nights and not considered a full week, no welcome amenity was included. We paid $2k+/night to stay here and they couldn’t spring for a bottle of champagne on our arrival?! I contacted my TA and magically our welcome amenity arrived about an hour later. Supposedly this is a non-smoking property which is a complete lie. On our next-to-last day a chain smoker checked-in next door to us and ruined our final 24 hours. Our room stunk like cigarettes nonstop and we couldn’t enjoy our room’s outdoor spaces because the next door guest was outside nonstop smoking. Upon checkout we never even received an apology - just an assurance they’d add a notice on their web site for future guests (which to-date hasn’t happened). Even a Ritz-Carlton would’ve at least comp’d beverages for the inconvenience.

We celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary at Pine Cay, and the experience not only met our high expectations but exceeded them. Everything about the stay was amazing. First, the location is truly paradise and we spent most of the week on the beach and in the water, feeling like we had the entire beach to ourselves. Second, the food put together by Pablo and his team was outstanding in both quality and variety. Lastly we can't say enough about the staff and the incredible service they provided.

Pine Cay sits on an exquisite property with a perfect white sand beach stretching for in both directions. The mostly exclusive use of this beach is reason enough to rate 5 stars. We stayed in a room rather than one of the two cottages and this was private enough. We never saw the neighbours and only heard them once or twice. No major issue with mosquitoes despite recent rain (there are some, but controlled) The room is outstanding. Big kudos to the designer who thought of every perfectly placed element in the room. The only improvement would be better soundproofing for the toilet area. Loved the outdoor shower and screened porch. Cleaning staff were world class. The restaurant staff were lovely and always got it right. Everything was perfectly prepared and the desserts were next level. Strict vegetarians are catered for, but I found the options ho hum (pasta twice, pizza, risotto etc). Unfortunately, the activities were a disaster. Double bookings, no yoga, flooded tennis, cancelled snorkelling. For some, this would be a real issue. I was disappointed in the reef snorkel as the coral is all broken and I did not like the tour guide - he even stood on the coral! Thumbs down. There was some shore snorkelling that was cool and still healthy. I recommend Pine Cay despite the shortcomings of the activities. Whether or not it is worth the cost depends on how much you value privacy and a perfect beach. Top 3 Pros Near exclusive use of a perfect beach Outstanding desserts Thoughtful room design Top 3 Cons Activities not offered as promised Boring vegetarian food Pool design (you won’t use it)