This Providenciales Resort With a Balinese Spa and “Yacht Suites” Is the Best-Kept Secret in Turks and Caicos 

The story of tourism in Turks and Caicos begins with Grace Bay Beach. It’s the beach that started it all in Providenciales, the one where the first resorts opened their doors, the white sand where travelers still make a beeline — and deservedly so — it’s a world-class stretch of sand. 

But as Turks and Caicos has surged in popularity in recent years, travelers are starting to discover that there are more and more layers to the destination — and the lodestone is starting to shift. 

That includes a nearly 40-room boutique hotel in the Venetian Road area of Providenciales: the Kokomo Botanical Resort, a property that just might be the best-kept secret in all of Turks and Caicos. 

The resort is set in one of the most lush locations on the island: it’s a leafy, serene garden resort, with a mix of luxury cottages in a low-density, laid-back layout. 

You wake up to the sound of shaking leaves and birdsong. You walk through a tree-filled trail to the waterfall pool and yoga deck, before sitting down to an exquisite Asian fusion meal. 

Then there’s the Lovina Spa, a single, stunning stone treatment room. This is not your ordinary Caribbean spa. It’s an authentic, faithfully designed, authentic Balinese spa, with a roster of high-level masseuses straight out of Bali itself (the “fire and ice” is one of the most unique, transcendent spa treatments I’ve gotten in the Caribbean. 

The cottages are charming and comfortable, from the classic cottages to the sleek, modern “yacht suites,” replete with high-tech appliances in the kitchens and beautifully tiled bathrooms. 

Then there’s that restaurant: it’s called WE Market Cafe, which stands for “west meets east.” It’s an impressive menu, with a slate of international fare (including some outstanding panini). But it’s the Asian menu that really stands out. But this isn’t the textbook Asian fusion spot. It’s authentic. It’s real.

The sushi is marvelously sourced, the rice perfect. The steamed vegetable dumplings are right out of a street cart in Shanghai. The “Chinese longevity fried noodles” are, well, you’ll want to stay around longer. They even source herbs from the on-site garden at the hotel. 

 It’s easily one of the top places to eat in Turks and Caicos, particularly if you try the chef’s table experience. It also comes with Kokomo’s brand of room service, which the team calls “cottage service.”

The location is a short drive from Grace Bay — but as the team here will tell you, it’s close to everything but “miles away.”

“A lot of our guests tell us they think they’re the only ones here,” J. Kelly Sullivan, managing director of Alive and Well Resorts tells Caribbean Journal. “It’s the secret that’s not a secret.”  

Even better? Kokomo has its own private beach club on Grace Bay, meaning you can take the quick hotel shuttle and arrive to your beach chairs (the ones you’ll never have to fight for), with a beach attendant ready for any request. It’s something that makes Kokomo the best of both worlds.

After an afternoon at the beach and the bustle of Grace Bay, it’s a delicious feeling to come back to Kokomo, hear nothing but the leaves and the birds, feel like you have the whole place to yourself and take a dip in the hot tub or the pool. 

Things are just different here; the emphasis is on the vibe. It’s a resort where the wellness isn’t just on the massage table — it’s about the way the resort makes you feel. 

Sullivan has cultivated a resort where everything is placed just so, where the detail goes into everything, where even the design of the resort’s wall is meant, as he says, to “keep the energy in.” 

“People come here, they unwind,” he says. “It’s like everybody knows do not disturb.”

True to its name, it really is a place to get away from it all. 

Prices start around $315 right now. What about flying to Turks and Caicos? Airlift is strong, with numerous routes on carriers like American Airlines, JetBlue and United. That includes fares like $357 from Newark right now, according to Google Flights.

For more, visit Kokomo.