Ocean Club Resorts in Turks & Caicos honored by Travel + Leisure magazine

Right about now I could use some TLC from Ocean Club Resorts.

There’s no snow on the ground, but it’s plenty cold here in Michigan. To make matters worse, I’ve been holed up for almost three weeks writing stories in my office with little break.

I didn’t need the readers of Travel + Leisure to tell me that the two OCR properties, Ocean Club and Ocean Club West, were special places on Grace Bay Beach on the island of Providenciales in Turks & Caicos. I experienced swimming and snorkeling in the crystal blue waters last year (read about them here, here and here).

Nevertheless, it was good to see the magazine’s supposedly well-traveled readers have finally discovered the place. The magazine’s January issue, featuring the 2013 T+L 500 guide, officially ranked Ocean Club Resorts as the “Top Hotel for Location in the Caribbean,” naming Ocean Club and Ocean Club West among the Top 500 Best Hotels in the World for the first time. This recognition follows Ocean Club Resorts’ debut in the World’s Best Awards in July 2012 when it came in No. 14 among the Top 25 Resorts in the Caribbean, Bermuda and Bahamas.

The two all-suite properties, located just one mile apart, are that special. Golfers will find infinite challenges at the narrow Provo Golf Club across the street. I also indulged in a spa treatment, sailing with Sun Charters on the schooner Atabeyra and dining on the beach. Away from the resort, Da Conch Shack and Rum Bar on Blue Hills Beach is one of my all-time favorite places. I was so busy I didn’t have time to try two of the resort’s signature activities, exploring the island with a free bike rental or lounging under an inviting pink beach umbrella set in the soft white sand. If all this sounds too good to pass up, contact the resort directly by calling (800) 457-8787 or visit www.oceanclubresorts.com.