Providenciales
Turks & Caicos


The Experience

Christine Ong's exclusive resort occupies an otherwise deserted 1,000-acre island in tropical Turks & Caicos, 35 minutes by boat from the main town of Providenciales, where untamed nature is at her sexy best. Fortunately, guest rooms and public spaces don't compete for attention: The look is understated tropical chic, with bleached woods and little embellishing to get in the way of the island brush and deserted beaches. The only thing that may steal the spotlight is the service.

The Rooms

Using only natural materials (there are miles of teak and stone), Parrot Cay gives Caribbean Colonial a modern spin. Four-poster beds are swathed in gauzy mosquito netting for a functional romantic touch. All the furnishings are made from natural ash or woven rattan. Spacious decks overlook the garden or the sea -- the only contrasting color to the all-white palette. Villas are positioned on secluded beachfronts, and have their own pool and dedicated butler. But the pièce de résistance is the estate, a private retreat-within-the-retreat with five three-bedroom beach villas, all with their own swimming pools.

The Service

Taking advantage of a loophole in local law, Ong imports most of her staff from Asia, where excellent service is a regional point of pride. Thus the concierge at check-in and the waitress at the restaurant take pains to present your wish before you have commanded it. Most impressive is the spa staff, who stick to what they know: A Japanese man performs acupuncture, a Javanese woman does the Lulur, a Bangkok expat gives Thai massage.

The Highlights

Therapists at the COMO Shambhala Retreat use fresh ingredients to create oils and lotions used in massages and facials; the restaurant follows a similar principle, emphasizing natural and organic Asian cuisine in dishes like lobster in lemongrass broth. The Terrace restaurant offers rich Mediterranean fare, but no worries: You can work it off on the floodlit tennis courts, at the 5,000-square-feet gym or at the fully equipped water-sports center, or with a swim in the deserted sea.

-- Heidi Mitchell

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