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Announcements

Increased Tax Announcement

One Percent Accommodations Tax Increase Takes Effect for Turks and Caicos Islands Hotels and Resorts On July 1st, 2013

Providenciales, Turks & Caicos (March 2013) – Effective on July 1st, 2013, all Turks & Caicos hotels including The Sands at Grace Bay will implement a one percent accommodations tax increase (raising the tax from 11 to 12 percent) for all new hotel bookings made for stays beginning July 1st, 2013. Due to this government mandated increase, the 12 percent accommodations tax will be reflected in the total room rate quote for all new reservations made at The Sands at Grace Bay for stays beginning July 1st and moving forward. The Sands at Grace Bay offers travelers affordable low-season rates, starting as low as $195 per night (excluding taxes) for stays between April 1st through December 21st, 2013. The resort also offers its popular 4th Night FREE promotion during this low-season travel period, valid for all room categories for bookings of three consecutive nights or more at this top Turks & Caicos resort. To offer travelers even more savings this spring, summer and fall, The Sands at Grace Bay provides guests with the following freebies during their stay: complimentary use of watersports equipment – including kayaks, windsurfing equipment, stand-up paddle boards, snorkel gear and Hobie Cats; free bicycle use for island exploration; a Tuesday Manager’s cocktail party; three free-form swimming pools, tennis courts, and much more.
For more information on the resort’s 2013 rates and to book a stay at one of the Caribbean’s top hotels, travelers can visit at www.thesandstc.flywheelstaging.com – or call toll-free from the U.S. (877) 777-2637; from Canada (800) 567-5327; or contact a travel agent for reservations.

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About The Sands at Grace Bay The Sands at Grace Bay is situated on the world-renowned 12-mile crescent of powdery white sand known as Grace Bay Beach. Named one of the, “Top 30 Hotels in the Caribbean & The Atlantic” by the Condé Nast Traveler’s 2012 Readers’ Choice Awards, this gracious, family- friendly 114-room resort offers accommodations in studios and 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom suites ranging from 1,000 to 1,600 square feet, all of which combine comfort-focused amenities and spectacular natural surroundings. Each suite also comes with a fully equipped kitchen, dining and living room areas, a screened-in private balcony, washer/dryer and much more. The Sands at Grace Bay is the home of Hemingway’s Restaurant and Bar – a legendary beach-side venue and local favorite – where guests can enjoy gourmet selections and island specialties seven days a week. Spa treatments by Spa Tropique are also available by appointment.

Media Contact:
Cassie Dittrich, (802) 522-0714,

Categories
Things To Do In The Caribbean

Turks and Caicos Cruises: Glow Worm Tours

For a few nights following the full moon each month, the shallow waters around the Caicos Banks to the south-west of Provo are the scene of a wonderful natural phenomenon: millions of glow worms come together and emit green flashes of light that is visible from the surface of the water.

It’s all part of a mating ritual, unique in the Caribbean, that begins shortly after sunset.

To join a glow worm tour, please contact us.

The glowing lights are produced by a marine worm called Odontosyllis enopla, aka the “Bermudian Fireworm.”

Odontosyllis enopla, known locally in the Turks and Caicos as glow worms, can only be found in shallow waters around the Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, and Bermuda to the north. These worms are known as “glow worms” because of the green luminescence that accompanies their spawning cycle.

Female glow worms release eggs that float to the surface seas. The eggs give off pulses of pale green light. These pulses of light are the signal for the male worms to dart among the eggs to fertilize them. The whole spectacle lasts for just fifteen minutes and is visible on the surface of the ocean.

The timing of the glow worm mating ritual is tied to the lunar cycle. The females begin releasing their eggs roughly two to three days after the full moon. The spawning activity generally goes on for two or three successive evenings.

Glow worm tours

Each month our friends at Reef Peepers offer a Glow Worm Sunset Cruise that promises a magical evening aboard a glass-bottom power catamaran.

Tour times

Glow worm tours are determined by the lunar cycle, and tours occur several days following the full moon. (For a lunar calendar, please visit fullmooncalendar.net). Departure time is approximately 30 minutes before sunset from Turtle Cove.

Categories
Turks Caicos Information

Adias Mereus, Sands at Grace Bay Employee, Named “Ambassador of the Year”!

We are delighted to congratulate our very own Adias Mereus, a dedicated and hardworking employee here at The Sands at Grace Bay, who was named the 2012 “Ambassador Of The Year” by the Turks & Caicos Hotel Association at their annual Star Awards ceremony – which honors the “shining stars” in the TCI hospitality industry.

Adias consistently takes the initiative to assist guests and his fellow colleagues, and truly brightens our resort with his warm and friendly personality, ear-to-ear smile and gracious, eager to please service. Adias’ gracious, humble and kind personality and his incredible commitment and dedication to resort guests and fellow staff members make him a “shining star” at The Sands at Grace Bay, and throughout the Turks & Caicos Islands.

In 2012, Adias received over 50 mentions on TripAdvisor and from our guest comment cards, he was a regular recipient of our “Certificate of Excellence” award, he took home the “Team Player of the Year Award” during our annual holiday celebration and our staff elected him as an Employee of the Month.

We are so delighted that Adias has received this much deserved recognition and Star Award, and we are especially grateful to have him on our team at The Sands at Grace Bay! Congratulations Adias!

 

Categories
Turks Caicos Information

3 Caribbean Travel Blogs to Help Plan Your Vacation

caribbean vacation planning
Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikemcholm/3150001442/

Looking for some travel tips and resources for planning a Caribbean vacation? Or do you just want to get a better idea of what’s in store for you? These blogs might help.

Uncommon Caribbean

Our own Da Conch Shack, one of the “Thousand Places to See Before You Die” and “one of the world’s sexiest beach bars”, is also reviewed by Uncommon Caribbean, the go-to resource for all things Caribbean. According to Steve, the creative driving force behind Uncommon Caribbean, devoted to a celebration of the undiscovered charms of the Antilles.  Steve and Patrick Bennett, two brothers from St. Croix changing the way people think about travel to the Caribbean by putting authentic aspects of island life and the region’s unique cultural heritage in the spotlight ahead of the glitzy, one-size fits all tourist trap image popularized over the years.

Want a good map of the Caribbean? You’ll find it on Steve and Patrick’s website. Caribbean rum recipes? It’s all here.

Caribbean Escape Blog

The Caribbean Escape Blog, run by Rumshop Ryan, is also another useful resource for planning a Caribbean vacation. This recipe for conch salad, taken directly from Provo, should hit the spot.

Caribbean Cruising Blog

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to cruise from port to port in the Caribbean, the Caribbean Cruising Blog has some great pointers and some great photos. Written by Megan Singleton who has been working as a travel writer for nearly two decades, the blog is a great resource for planning a vacation.

Categories
Turks Caicos Information

Spring Into Summer Savings With Our 4th Night Free Deal – Beginning April 1st!

We are offering our popular 4th Night FREE promotion one month earlier this year, allowing spring travelers to score incredible savings on their Turks & Caicos vacations for stays between April 1st through December 21st, 2013. As an added benefit for spring vacationers, we recently completed several property-wide enhancements including total bathroom upgrades in all luxurious 114 studio and suite accommodations, featuring new Travertine stone shower & bathtubs, Kohler fixtures and more, as well as the addition of an expansive retractable awning at the award-winning Hemingway’s Beachfront Restaurant – for an even more enjoyable open-air dining experience!

Boasting an ideal spring break travel destination, The Sands at Grace Bay is situated on Providenciales’ world-renowned Grace Bay Beach, voted the #1 Beach & Sun Destination In The World by Trip Advisor’s ‘Traveler’s Choice’ Awards and named the Caribbean’s Leading Beach Destination by the 2012 World Travel Awards. To offer travelers even more savings, we provide guests with the following freebies during their stay: complimentary use of watersports equipment – including kayaks, windsurfing equipment, stand-up paddle boards, snorkel gear and Hobie Cats; free bicycle use for island exploration; a Tuesday Manager’s cocktail party; three free-form swimming pools, tennis courts, and much more.

Our 4th Night FREE promotion is valid for new bookings made on all room categories at The Sands at Grace Bay, for consecutive stays of four nights or more started and completed between April 1st through December 21, 2013. You can book this offer online at www.thesandstc.flywheelstaging.com, using the promo code “4NF” – or call toll-free from the U.S. (877) 777-2637; from Canada (800) 567-5327; or contact a travel agent for reservations.