ROOMS & SUITES: 60

Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos is the northern Caribbean's pre-eminent private island. It combines nature – 1000 unspoilt acres, including a mile-long beach. Located in a tiny corner of its own uninhabited island within the Turks and Caicos, British West Indies, Parrot Cay offers the rare experience of a natural Caribbean paradise.

In December 1998, COMO Hotels and Resorts – also behind Cocoa Island in the Maldives, as well as city hotels, including Metropolitans in Bangkok and London – opened its first private island resort, in the Turks and Caicos. Called Parrot Cay, this landmark opening brought COMO’s vision of privacy and stylish beach living to the Caribbean.

The Turks and Caicos are located in the northern Caribbean, an archipelago of eight principal islands and more than 40 smaller cays, of which Parrot Cay is one. The islands are positioned some 575 miles south east of Miami, which is a 70-minute flight away. International flights come into Providenciales, the main island, from where it is a 35-minute speedboat ride to the resort.

The resort itself is made up of a principal building – whitewash with coral-pink roofing – set back from the beach on raised ground. This is where reception is located, in addition to concierge, the resort shop, bar, ‘Terrace’ restaurant, and library with Internet access, a pool table and private verandah.

On one side of this central building lies the tennis court; on the other lies an accommodation wing housing 11 Ocean Facing rooms, four COMO Suites and 31 Garden View rooms which open out on to a gently sloped lawned area. All have terraces and are generously sized, with the smallest double measuring 60 square metres.

Some 200 metres closer to the beach are the Beach Villas and Houses. They comprise six one-bedroom beach houses and three one-bedroom villas all of which have plunge pools, two two-bedroom Beach Villas, and one three-bedroom Beach Villa. These are low buildings, steps from the sand, with weathered wood cladding and decking.

The resort’s main pool is behind the beach – infinity edged, measuring some 5,500 square feet, flanked by cream teak sun loungers and two Indonesian-style thatched bales at each extremity. ‘Lotus’ restaurant, the Beach Bar and watersports centre are positioned near the pool.

The interior aesthetic is by Keith Hobbs, whose company United Designers was also responsible for the Metropolitan, London. The warm, contemporary look with a colonial-style finish is achieved with soft white cottons covering chairs, cushions and four-poster beds. Further design motifs include teak furnishing, terracotta tiles and Indonesian loungers. Windows are shuttered, and bathrooms are white tongue-and-groove with wooden surfaces.

Parrot Cay Estates complements the resort’s main accommodation. This recent project is a collaboration between Parrot Cay and private owners, who place their properties, which are designed and built by Parrot Cay, in a rental pool. They are landscaped to maximise privacy, and have commanding views of the leeward lagoon. Each is configured around a pool and has substantial private decks. Interiors share a pared down aesthetic, combining the neutral colours of sun-bleached oak and pale Caicos stone with white cottons.

ACCOLADES & ARTICLES

Read New York Times article: 36 Hours in Turks and Caicos

LEISURE

On-site: 5,500 sq. ft. infinity edge swimming pool; Two floodlit tennis courts; Gymnasium; Nature trails; Library; Resort boutique; Hobie Cats; Windsurfing; Snorkelling; Canoes; Waterskiing

Shambhala - The hilltop spa and retreat is the venue for mind-and-body treatments, therapies and classes, with an emphasis on Eastern-inspired therapies. Treatment rooms and cabanas look out over the spa pool and sundeck towards the sea, while shady gardens, and the yoga and Pilates pavilions create more quiet spaces. Taking a softer, more natural approach to health and wellbeing, COMO Shambhala is the perfect environment for meditation and contemplation, while the island as a whole is an ideal setting for nature walks and wildlife watching.

The island of Providenciales provides a challenging 18-hole championship golf course and an attractive Clubhouse for members and non-members alike, the Provo Golf Club. The 6,560 yard, par 72, superbly conditioned course is considered the jewel of the Turks & Caicos Islands and is ranked in the 10 best golf courses in the Caribbean.

EXPLORE

Eight pristine islands and more than 40 smaller cays together create the Turks & Caicos Islands located at the end of the Bahamas Islands chain. Whether by sea or air, there’s much to be explored. On Little Water Cay, a nature reserve, iguanas are the main attraction. An extensive cave system is to be found on Middle Caicos, which also features Ocean Hole, a dark blue circle thousands of feet deep surrounded by shallow light green seawater. Salt Cay, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was once the core of the islands' salt industry. Dive 'the Wall', a 7000 ft (2100m) offshore trench that keeps the Turks and Caicos on the world's top 10 dive list.

Crystal clear turquoise waters surround sugary beaches with groves of cacti, entwining scrub, spreading mangroves, and abundant wetlands that accent the beauty of the island's secluded acreage. At Parrot Cay, guests will experience archetypal island climes, an exclusive locale, exceptional resort facilities, and opulent services.

AIRPORT

Providenciales International Airport (PLS)

HIGH SEASON

January
February
March
April
November
December

GETTING THERE

A host meets your flight at the airport and transports you to the Leeward Marina, where you are met by the resort's 48-foot boat for a 35-minute run to Parrot Cay.