COMO Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos

Beautifully designed in a signature COMO style, the Parrot Cay by COMO resort is one of the most exclusive private island resorts in the Caribbean.

It’s the kind of place that’s written about an awful lot, and its name pops up not just in the travel pages but in celebrity profiles and the society pages as well. Some of the big names in travel got that way by delivering an experience that’s just head and shoulders above the norm—and COMO Parrot Cay is one of those places.

For such an exclusive resort—it’s situated on its own private island in Turks & Caicos—Parrot Cay is surprisingly easy to get to, with daily direct flights from New York and Miami, and an effortless transfer from the airport that compares quite favorably to travel conditions elsewhere in the Caribbean. But once you’re here, it’s a world apart—there’s nothing on the island but the resort at one end, and the private residential villas at the other.

It’s self-sufficient, right down to its own desalination plant, and while the original old resort building and its traditional rooms offer a social space for chance meetings among guests, the newer, almost Spartan modernist-style villas are splendidly secluded, perfect for honeymooners, paparazzi-dodgers, or just getting away.

You can thank the new owners for that, and for a lot of Parrot Cay’s other charms as well. Since the Como group took over, the resort has been re-engineered to fit the Asian chain’s house style—the cuisine is far beyond what most Caribbean destinations are capable of offering, as is the service, and the spa rivals many in the Asia and Pacific.

Add a perfect, uncrowded beach, some of the clearest water in the region, modest but steady winds (perfect for water sports) and you’ve got a resort experience that’s worthy of a little name-dropping.

Main text (above) via Tablet Hotels, edited to fit the format.

in our opinion

What we love

• Accessible by boat only, the COMO offers a private island experience in a glorious natural setting. The beautiful villas are carefully blended in and secluded, and the resort is spread out over 1000 acres—it feels very private even at full occupancy
• Asian-inspired, healthy COMO Shambhala cuisine, which focuses on organic food and emphasizes raw ingredients
• The fantastic COMO Shambhala Invigorate amenities, created on formulas free from petrochemicals, artificial fragrances, and colors
• World-famous spa in COMO Shambhala Retreat, which also offers Pilates and yoga (including daily complimentary classes in a special pavilion overlooking the island’s wetlands)

What you should know

• For the active-minded, a fully equipped gym and tennis courts are available, and the resort offers snorkeling as well as diving and fishing trips. Snorkeling might not be the best in the Caribbean, but the off-site diving is said to be fantastic
• The resort is well prepared to welcome families with children
• Transfer from the Providenciales International Airport to the resort includes a 15-minute drive to the Leeward Marina and a 35-minute speedboat journey to the island
• Prepare for a hefty bill: a stay on Parrot Cay is expensive
• There is a 3-night minimum stay requirement
• Check-Out is at Noon; the earliest check-in is 4 pm. Both are flexible, subject to availability (and an additional fee for late check-out).

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