We just got back from Provo. We were first timers to the island and we did a lot of research on where to stay. We wanted a reasonably priced condo hotel in Grace Bay within walking distance to the beach as well as restaurants since we would only rent a car for half the trip. We decided on Tradewinds Condotel on Grace Bay Road, and it was the perfect choice!

There weren’t too many up-to-date reviews on the Tradewinds on Tripadvisor in November last year when we booked our trip for February 17-24. We took the risk and based our choice on the past reviews and it paid off. The friendly folks on the Tripadvisor forum were also very helpful in answering my questions about the island and the hotel. That also helped us in our decision. So for those who are considering this hotel, here’s our review and some photos of the place:

BOOKING:
We booked direct through Tradewinds Condotel and Mike, the owner was very prompt with his responses. We could have secured a lower rate through Expedia but we wanted the top floor which was not available through that site. We emailed the hotel directly and were able to book a corner unit on the top floor (Unit 231) at a slightly higher rate.

LOCATION:
We would recommend Tradewinds Condotel for it's convenience. It's across from the Salt Mills Plaza and next to the Regent Village. We walked to Graceway Gourmet (the supermarket) to pick up groceries on the days we didn't have a car, and then we walked to Grace Bay Car Rental to pick up our car for 3 days to discover the island.

We walked to the restaurants at night and felt perfectly safe since that stretch of Grace Bay Road is the brightest lit with the street lights.

It's also a very short walk to the beach which is between Point Grace and Regent Grand. It is a very quiet stretch and one of the widest too.

We used Wikimapia to figure out where exactly Tradewinds Condotel was and then figured out how far the walk to the beach was. You can use this link to measure how far the walk is to the supermarket, restaurants etc. It’s fun. (http://wikimapia.org/15453595/Tradewinds-Condo-Hotel)


RESORT:
It's a self catering condo hotel which is not as fancy as Regent Grand or hip as Gansevoort, but it’s just the right place for us - clean, quiet and very comfortable. There are only 18 units in the two buildings, and provided us with the privacy that we wanted. There is a nice pool with mature landscaping surrounding it.

We were in the corner unit on the third floor (top floor) which had a balcony with lounge chairs and a flowering bougainvillea. They did not advertise beach view but we did have a glimpse of the ocean (that’s only if you’re on the top floor like our unit).

The condo is very spacious. There’s a king size bed in the bedroom and a sofa bed in the living room. For those who want soaker tubs, take note, there is only a shower in the bathroom- but that’s all we wanted. We never even use the soaker tub at home. The full kitchen is very handy for breakfasts, and we even cooked surf and turf one night, buying steaks and lobster tails from Graceway Gourmet.

The resort is not brand new, but it gives you a clean, crisp feeling. There is daily housekeeping and we also saw people cleaning the pool on many days.

We were told by the lady at the office that there would be some beach chairs belonging to Tradewinds on the beach, but we couldn’t find them. That didn’t matter since they also provided us with two beach chairs and a portable beach umbrella that we could take from the condo for use on the beach. That proved very handy since we took them to Coral Gardens when we went snorkeling, and also to Taylor Bay where we spent a relaxing day.

There was also free wifi at the condo. They actually have two routers on site, and the signal was very good in our unit.


SERVICE:
The owner is also the manager who lives on site. There is another lady who also worked at the office during the day. They are always there to answer your questions, exchange beach towels, and give advice on excursions. We felt that we had more personable and friendly service at Tradewinds than many other bigger hotels that we’ve stayed in. Even though there were no security guards, we felt like we have 24 hour security with the owner living in the building right at the entrance.

Overall we had a very relaxing vacation at Tradewinds. The guests there were all polite, quiet yet friendly. The staff was courteous and friendly. It was exactly the atmosphere we were looking for. The self-catering condo plus the internet access made us feel very at home, and made our stay very enjoyable. The hotel is one hidden gem in Provo, and we highly recommend it.

We stayed here for 5 days and must say that this place is a hidden jewel for those looking to save some money. We booked at West Indies Online and got a great deal. Each unit is its own apartment with washer/dryer included. It has a nice pool, but we never used it as we always walked the 3 minutes to Grace Bay. A little known fact is that the place does have free bikes to use and free beach umbrellas as well. It's walking distance from all the shops and stores as well as a grocery store. The cleaning staff was great (I don't know how they got all that sand out) and everything you need for your trip is already there.

Yes, its not on the beach, but if you're not willing to spend a fortune, why not book this place as its closer to the beach than some of the off beach rooms at the resorts are!

We had a wonderful stay at the Trade Winds in room #131 (3rd floor, ocean view). It was a very quiet stay; I couldn't believe it when we were told the hotel was fully booked. Our stay was very serene and relaxing.

Condo Interior: AC was great and very quick to cool things down, bed was comfy, kitchen had enough of what we needed to cook on a daily basis, TV w/ cable in bedroom and living room, balcony with table/chairs and ocean view, even a few niceties like candles, books and dish soap. We brought our own frozen and dry food, actually enough to last for the week and it really saved us a lot of money as we only went out a few times. For frozen we brought steaks, bacon, pork roast, hamburger, dogs, veggies, loaf of bread and kept it frozen with frozen water bottles. We also brought cheese, instant tators, rice mixes, ice-tea, lemonade, coffee, granola bars, pancake mix, EVOO, mayo,mustard, chocolate and some spices. Saving so much on food we were able to dive more, which was our priority! We also enjoy cooking together so everything worked out perfectly.

Condo Exterior: The ground keeping was simple, but tasteful. There was a lot of fauna that is indigenous to the area. The pool was almost always empty and refreshing. There were umbrellas and chairs all around. There was a hose/shower by the pool for rinsing after the beach. There was a grill near the pool area and it was great to cook and eat outside at the picnic table. The beach was a very short walk (a few minutes) and Trade Winds had chairs there (bring the umbrella provided in the room for more shade). No elevator, but this didn’t really bother us.

Condo Staff: I can't say enough great things about Michael. He was a wonderful host and was able to provide us with not only a few items that we needed, but with some great advice and conversation. He was great for all of my pre-travel questions and very responsive. Thanks Mike!

Getting Around: It was great not renting a car, Caicos Adventures (CA) picked us up every morning that we were diving and then dropped us off in the afternoon, Matt from CA even dropped us at the super market and picked us up after his last drop-off, more than once. The Islanders make extra money providing informal car services. When we needed transportation, we just went outside and didn't need to wait long for someone to toot their horn, probably not the best idea for families, but it worked great for us. We just made sure to only get in cars with one driver and felt pretty safe between the two of us. Just agree to a price and off you go! It was also nice to take a break from driving and not need to navigate driving on the other side of the road. We only needed to use the informal taxis once for the airport and another day when we wanted to go to Coral Gardens to snorkel.

Diving: We went diving with Caicos Adventures (CA). After reading a lot of reviews, they seemed to be the best (even if they were a bit pricier). I believe Trade Winds has a deal with Dive Provo, which also got good reviews. CA would pick us up each morning in a bus and take us to the dock. The staff signs you in and assigns you a cup for the day. It was a nice, eco touch. They set up your gear, if you like, and then you just relax on the boat until you get to the first site. Between dives, sandwiches are provided for lunch (there is even packets of mustard/mayo). The boat was very comfortable, even when a bit crowded. It was great leaving the gear on the boat overnight and having it rinsed, dried and set up for the next day. No need to lug it back and forth every day. You could dive with your divemaster or buddy dive, whichever your preference. We mainly went to W. Caicos, but never to the same site. On every dive we saw at least one grey reef shark (4-7 feet), most dives we saw turtles, we also saw scorpion fish, tons of lion fish (pretty, but sad since they are so invasive) and we even saw a pod of dolphins when we were topside...they raced the boat.

Other Activities: The snorkeling is really limited. We did see a few sting rays in front of the hotel, but in front of Coral Gardens hotel was the only real spot for snorkeling. There is another reef a bit further, but we stuck with Coral Gardens. We walked back from Coral Gardens along the beach and stopped in a restaurant for a snack/drink before arriving back at Trade Winds. The condo is in walking distance to shops, restaurants and a super market with a good selection (as expected everything is at least double, if not triple the US price). We went on a pirate cruise with Captain Bill as well. It was very scripted, but nice to take a break from diving and have a few drinks (about $100pp and only offered on Wednesdays). There was unlimited beer, rum punch, lemonade, 151 and sodas/water. We were able to see some pirate carvings, pirate cove, snorkel at a few stops and have a nice lunch with bbq chicken and hotdogs (tube steaks).

All in all, a very relaxing vacation! Please email with any questions :)

reserved last minute in Grace Bay Turks and Caicos, unit 233. Owner Michael is a living doll and very courteous. Met only 1 of his staff and they were very nice as well. This is not beach front but a 3 minute walk puts you on an amazing stretch of beach then head to the right. Best of the beach is towards that way. Very quaint ,clean, and well kept property which I am pretty particular about. Walking distance to grocery store which was helpful. Groceries are very expensive and limited but I found my Starbucks vanilla frapp and so I was happy. Was able to cook some meals with their equipped kitchens which was nice option. The pool area is nice, we didn't use it because of the close proximity to the gorgeous beach. There are chairs belonging to hotel on beach but they are cheap plastic loungers. Grace Bay is amazing and the place to stay on TCI. This is an island that I am glad to have seen but would not go back. This is not a place for nightlife, shopping, etc. It is a place to plant yourself down on a beach and not move for the week. They are experiencing a loss of government, their treasurer alledgedly stole all the islands money, stories of corrupt police were in their local paper, and there are empty buildings and storefronts everywhere. The prices that they are asking for properties out there really astounds me. Not many choices for adventure but we did take the ferry ($30.00pp) over to North Caicos and rented a car to drive to Middle Caicos. The cars are junk and about $70.00. Try to negotiate because they tend to break down and again they are junky. To see the bay on Middle Caicos was worth the drive alone. This is not an all day excursion and definitely eat and bring beverages and snacks prior. Also, I got about 30 bugbites on my legs etc and so did alot of other people vacationing. Gas was $5.20 a gallon. On Grace Bay loved the restaurant Lemon and the newly opened wine bar. Hemingways was ok. Wine and beer is expensive but the hard liquor is cheap. We used taxis to the airport and back.. The driver will look you over and then decide what to charge you so ask up front always. The prices kept changing. A car rental really isn't necessary and again Trade Winds is in a really great location so driving was minimal. This isn't a place to hook up with alot of people socializing, dancing, music playing, etc. so you better like your travel companion. It is a place to lie around, catch up on your sleep, and swim in the most beautifully colored water I have ever laid eyes on. I am extremely confident in recommending this hotel for an enjoyable stay on Grace Bay.