New Luxury Turks and Caicos Villas Offer Ideal Escape

Caribbean luxury villas have emerged as highly viable – and popular – options for upscale travelers seeking increased space and privacy as essential post-outbreak vacation elements.

Luxury villa brand Beach Enclave Turks & Caicos is the latest entrant among Caribbean-based deluxe villa resorts, recently opening its third location, Beach Enclave Grace Bay, on the territory’s most popular beachfront.

Stephen Scott, CEO of TravelHub365, described a recent stay in an Instagram post: “The service and chef-cooked meals were excellent and the property is beautiful,” he said.

“The thing that set it apart was the dedicated onsite butler,” said Scott. “He wasn’t shared between other villas, he was there to take care of us. It really makes a difference.”

We spoke with Borges recently to hear his thoughts on this new Caribbean vacation option.

TP: Why do you think there has not been a newly built resort in the T&C until this property was completed?

VB: Due to the scarcity of land available and the high premium for it, Grace Bay, one of the world’s top beaches, has not witnessed a new build-development in over a decade. Therefore, we are incredibly proud to have completed Beach Enclave Grace Bay, adding a new luxury villa-resort community to this much sought-after destination.

TP: What do you mean when you say, “Space and privacy are the new luxury.”?

VB: What we have seen in the luxury segment, particularly during and likely well after the pandemic, is that today’s affluent travelers are favoring private homes and villas over large resorts and crowded destinations. The pendulum has swung from trendy hotspots where it is in fashion “to see and be seen” towards more exclusive, hidden retreats where guests can safely gather with their loved ones, all under one roof.

TP: How does the Beach Enclave property address this new standard?

VB: Our villa-resort concept uniquely provides ample space and privacy without sacrificing on the amenities and services of a five-star resort. Beach Enclave guests can choose to have as much or as little interaction with the outside world as they would like. Each villa is well-attended to by a dedicated butler and offers its own private infinity pool and beach access. Personal chefs, in-villa spa services and private instruction for a myriad of watersports are also available.

TP: What else can guests expect?

VB: Our gated communities each provide their own level of space and exclusivity. Our nine new villas at Beach Enclave Grace Bay also boast plenty of space to spread out, with a full acre for each home. Meanwhile, the restaurants and nightlife of nearby Grace Bay are within easy reach. Beach Enclave Long Bay [also] has ideal conditions for year-round kiteboarding and windsurfing.

TP: How does the new villa resort take advantage of Grace Bay Beach’s landscape?

VB: Beach Enclave Grace Bay is a stunning example of our design ethos to blur the line between indoor and outdoor living. Entering through a private, gated drive, guests experience a real sense of arrival, greeted by a one-and-a-half-acre dune garden in the heart of the property. We have also created an open-air yoga pavilion, exclusively for the use of our residents and guests to enjoy the sea breezes and take in their natural surroundings.

Each villa is set on its own full acre of lush, verdant gardens and natural, tropical landscaping. The architecture and interior design have been thoughtfully designed to bring the beauty of the outdoors in. Spanning 6,300 to 10,000 square feet, each villa features an open living space, private infinity-edge pools, signature outdoor showers and multiple terraces and decks for al fresco dining.

TP: How did you develop the “Runway to Villa” program and how do you anticipate guests will react to this option?

VB: With an increased focus on health and sanitation, coupled with the development of new platforms and open marketplace technologies, travelers who had never previously flown private are now able to do so. Through our exclusive partnership with Provo Air Center FBO, our guests arriving by private jet are greeted on the tarmac by their butler, who personally handles customs and immigration documentation and clearance. Upon completion, they are then whisked away directly to their villa by their butler and driver, in total privacy and style.

TP: How is the Turks & Caicos territory rebounding, in terms of visitor arrivals and tourism activity, from the pandemic shutdown?

VB: We were grateful that Turks and Caicos reopened its borders so quickly and that the government handled the reopening so well. While borders have been open to international visitors since July of 2020, visitors have been required to submit proof of a negative COVID test and health insurance upon arrival, providing a great deal of confidence for all. Tourist arrivals have been at record levels for the first half of this year. While official records are not yet available, we anticipate 2021 to be even stronger than 2019, which had 500,000 tourist arrivals by air.