The Sands at Grace Bay - European Plan

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

2532 reviews

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  Not for couples or people who like peaceful and relaxing atmosphere

  Nice location but unfortunately a new skyscraper hotel is raising next door so the noise is terrible. The staff is good specially concierges and maids On the contrary the employees of the reception are cold and impersonal, nobody gave us a smile and an orientation Maybe is a good place for big families but not for couples who like quiet and relaxing atmosphere No one controls poorly behaved kids who scream everywhere and at any time or adults who smoke cigarettes and cigars on the beach or swimming pools despite the ban

  Aug 13, 2025
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  Beautiful beach and room , poor reservation experience

  Start with the best and then some complaints , also some general comments on Turks and Caicos Room and cleaning service: the room was great (full kitchen , full living room, washer and dryer which means packing less) and the cleaning service was on top of it . The porch was large, screened in with a table to dine at. All rooms seemed to have similar vibe, just different sizes some where very large some where smaller . Note: TV didn’t work and they said they would send somebody and they never did. Was ok as we had wifi and iPad when we needed it. Pool and beach: cool design with pockets of small areas that were more private where family can get some chairs and swim around (3-5ft deep). Main pool is as nice too and had easy bar/ restaurant access. Generally clean. Beach had beautiful sand and clear water, not much marine life as there was no reef (closest one was bight reef) . Overall given the beach is why people come to the island as the water is perfect, this didn’t disappoint. Food and drink: only 1 restaurant and food was mixed bag. Lobster overcooked and chewy , tuna undercooked (practically raw). Fish tacos and grouper main hit the spot. Portions are enormous and a lot of dishes come with huge portion of fries. Order accordingly otherwise you’ll have 4 pounds of fries left over! Fries were good though just don’t need that much. It’s an island so throwing away food in general doesn’t feel great . Drinks - very heavy pours and heavy in sugar, no craft cocktails. Best part was beer and staff service , everything came back quick and staff was very friendly Notes on food options outside hotel: Nearby cafe i think called shay is great (coffees, breakfast and lunch) . Best food: Nearby is a restaurant called embers, best craft cocktails I had and best food . However it is extremely expensive , I live in nyc and am used to higher prices but this place 30-55 USD a main , 20 dollar drinks. Was it worth it, some of it, but I was satisfied with quality, service , flavor and decor. It’s vacation so if you want a date night spot and willing to splurge it’s good! Concierge : mixed , reservations for water adventures by the pool was easy and guys there had an awesome personality. . Front desk was a bit more DIY. They were very informative but they tended to say, Here is number I’ll call them you speak to them … Rented a car: company front desk gave was great. They delivered the car to the hotel and always were easy to call over the phone. Reasonable prices , didn’t need a fancy car just something to get around. They drive on opposite side as America so I recommend getting the car with the steering wheel on their side as well as it’s more natural to drive on the other side if the steering wheel is also on other side. Everything is a traffic circle so just approach carefully if your not sure who has right away they tend to have patience with tourists Reservations department: the worst part. We used a travel agent who provided us confirmation of our days. We arrived to hotel and they said they had our reservations for 3 weeks from that day despite our confirmations showing otherwise. Front desk said they would deal with it but updates were very slow. Took about 3 hours for them to get us in a room. This also seemed to happen to a few other guests who had to float around the lobby while waiting for some sort of screw up made by reservations. I appreciate the staff at the front desk cannot decide things on their own so they did their best but the initial manager lacked urgency and didn’t come back saying here is what we can do for you while we fix our mistake. I feel once the new manager showed up it was dealt with quickly . Either way not happy. Nothing was comped besides a rum drink. The place was not fully booked either so it was frustrating they couldn’t come up with a solution quickly . Frustrating way to start vacation and lack of clear communication and urgency was the biggest issue. Few people said they had issues checking in as well, so maybe the reservations department needs some work. Airport- customs was horrible, they have fast track for 75 a person. While it’s a complete rip off to skip line it’s available for people who want to splurge and not wait with elderly or children given customs line is very very slow. It is right when you enter airport and initially feels like a scam but those people cut the line and others waiting 1-2 hours just to get through customs. I got a stomach bug there , assuming water. So drink bottled water even though they say tap should be good (desalinated ocean water typically) . Sh&$! Happens ! Overall the island is being developed for bigger tourism , so it isn’t a pretty landscape outside the beaches . I am unlikely to go back to the island as I’m not a huge beach person but my better half and kid are so we will try another country or state when we do another beach trip again. Activities: it’s a beach island with water sports, snorkelling and diving , kayaking in mangroves , and lounging as the main activities. If you’re not huge beach people, 3 days is probably enough. sun is hot and outside of beach umbrellas not much reprieve from it The hotel was a 3 star for me but the price wasn’t too bad, and despite 3 star, I would recommend it as a middle tier short term stay given quality of room, pool, beach.l and service staff. My lower rating may have been my reservation experience , but as I stated few people commented on this too. Given it’s in grace bay you can access various food options close by and have access to boat adventures right on the beach.

  Aug 12, 2025
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  Construction noise ALL day (July 2025)

  Construction next door was annoying. The Sands is a great family resort. Staff is great, amenities are fine and room had no issues. Construction noise next door is no fault of this hotel, but it is certainly apperent. Beach and pool guys are spot on and worth the tip for a waterfront umbrella and chairs. But the construction noise goes all day. We have been here before and will come again when we are sure the resort next door is completed.

  Jul 30, 2025
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  best experience EVER🤩🤩

  So much fun free beach free pool beds super comfy food is great at hemingsway definitly would come again!! I would recommend staying here for anyone coming to turks and caicos soon!

  Jul 29, 2025
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  Shhh...let's keep this gem our little secret

  I hesitate to give a 5-star review because I want to keep this resort a hidden gem. This was our 5th stay at The Sands and we are already planning our 6th stay. It has a perfect location on the best beach in the world: the beach is deep, the sand is soft, the water is clear and calm, and its only a 10-minute safe walk to the Salt Mills. Service is always fantastic. I do not recall everyone's names but three that stand out who I recall are Waldo at the beach, Glaidyra at the front desk, and Rose at Hemingway's.

  Jul 20, 2025