DEPARTURES

LUXURY’S NEWEST NOTEWORTHY COLLECTION

Ambergris Cay, located at the southernmost end of the Bahama Archipelago in Turks & Caicos, is a brand-new, exclusive private island resort experience featuring ten luxurious beachfront suites and 24-hour butler service.

GINA SAMAROTTO

In the world of tropical splendor and luxury, options are as brilliant and plentiful as sunshine. Yet despite the myriad luxury choices travelers may have, there are those destinations with distinction enough to set them above the norm. Case in point, the resort at Ambergis Cay, part of The Turks & Caicos Collection and one of the brightest stars in luxury’s constellation.

The brand-new beauty, a gem known simply as Ambergris Cay, is an entirely private island that can only be described as a tropical heaven. With stunning privacy and exclusivity, chic style, impeccable service, and spectacular natural surroundings, Ambergis Cay is a unique, covetable, and utterly divine Caribbean pick. Perched on the southeast corner of the string of islands comprising the Turks & Caicos archipelago, Ambergis Cay is just east of Grand Turk Passage, where turquoise blue waters are so brilliant they can be seen from space. Here guests can expect an unforgettable experience where snorkeling, whale watching, diving, fishing, or even just relaxing in a tranquil environment is elevated to all new, exponential heights.

And in the case of Ambergis Cay, getting there truly is half the fun. Guests with private aircraft may take advantage of the full FBO amenities and clear customs and immigration on Providenciales – or ‘Provo’ as it’s known before heading directly to Ambergis, which offers its own airfield. While a stop at Provo is necessary as of now, the resort is working towards the ability to conduct customs and immigration duties directly on Ambergis in the future.

Commercial aircraft passengers landing at Provo are met on the tarmac before being chauffeured to the FBO area and one of the two private planes owned by the Collection. A quick, twenty-minute flight delivers them to the sultry Shangri-La with cocktails and warm welcomes before being shown to their exquisite accommodations. And what accommodations they are...

Guests can find top-of-the-line appliances in the multi-bedroom, oceanfront villas, including SubZero refrigerators and Viking ranges. Architectural details include vaulted ceilings and transom windows framing views of the Caribbean, and interior details include white-washed wooden flooring and elegant marble bathrooms. Guests can find top-of-the-line appliances in the multi-bedroom, oceanfront villas, including Sub-Zero refrigerators and Viking ranges. Indoor/outdoor living is de rigueur with tall French doors framing beveled glass panes lining the living space and ready to open onto alfresco lounges featuring access to the beach, private heated plunge pools, dining areas, and shaded chaise spaces await. Guests are ministered to by a dedicated staff member best described as part butler/part housekeeper/ part concierge who coordinates every detail one could hope for. From coordinating travel plans to arranging bespoke excursions (like boating out to a tiny, uninhabited island where guests can snorkel, lounge, and picnic), and from facilitating in-villa dining options (guests can cook, have their meals delivered directly to their villa or request to have a private chef made available) to securing reservations at the resort’s restaurants; anything a guest might wish for is handled well and efficiently – all the better to put you totally at ease and with all the necessary trappings for utter relaxation.

Guests requiring a smaller, more intimate experience are afforded Ambergis from one of ten elegant, exquisite beachfront suites. Beautifully designed and surrounded by glass on three sides, the suites have been individually created by the Collection’s in-house interior designer and reflect an upscale - yet laid back and comfortable - island vibe. Each beach suite is designed in its own signature color and features plush king beds facing the ocean, a well-appointed lounge area featuring custom furnishings, and gorgeously designed bathrooms where a double rain showerhead and luminous custom tile work sprawls across the entire rear of the suite. Adding to the sweet, suite trappings are recessed flat-screen televisions, Nespresso coffee machines, state of the art sound systems, a stocked mini-bar, and a wet bar. And while these freestanding accommodations are just steps from the pristine sand and warm, Caribbean waters, each suite also features a private plunge pool.

The rates offered by the all-inclusive Ambergis, of course encompass meals and beverages, but the offerings go beyond keeping guests well-fed; daily, thirty-minute spa treatments are also part and parcel of the Ambergis experience. In addition to the spa, the resort offers a small boutique, fitness center and to ensure that guests may explore the island freely - golf carts and/or bicycles. For on-island fun, guests can request a one of a kind bike ride where you can race across the private runways, take advantage of any of the resorts water sport toys, including snorkel equipment, kayaks, stand up paddleboards, sailboats or runabout powerboats – which comes complete with a complimentary beginner boating lesson. There are also tennis courts, an activities center at the Club House, and complimentary bone-fishing or kitesurfing lessons. And to help keep the little ones busy, there’s the Explorer’s Hut – an arts and crafts room for kids ages 4 – 12.

Dining on Ambergis Cay is an experience in and to itself. Guests can breakfast in their suite or villa courtesy of complimentary, 24-hour ensuite dining or choose to head out to Calico Jack’s, the resort’s signature restaurant, where both a buffet and ala carte choices are available. For lunch, guests join the fun at the Calico Jack Bar or head to the casual fun of the Club House, where burgers, salads, gourmet paninis, and grilled light fare are always on the menu. And dinner on Ambergis is always a celebration featuring international cuisine, gourmet à la carte fine dining, and themed meals where seasonal specials including seafood paella and grilled lobster take center stage.

To explore a bit more of the British Foreign Territory, we know as Turks & Caicos, the Collection offers three other resorts – all located on Provo. Beach House, an ‘adults only’ retreat, is known for being a posh (yet entirely unpretentious) boutique retreat catering to guests accommodated in just 21 rooms on the shores of Grace Bay. Blue Haven is next on the list and is known for spacious suites that meet gorgeous beaches.

And last but not least, Alexandra Resort is a family-friendly choice that offers fun in the sun. Four distinctly different properties share one distinctly fantastic destination; guests at Beach House, Blue Haven, or Alexandra may resort hop between all three, and Ambergis Cay guests are welcome to join in the fun at any property within the collection.

If making your home on a brilliant island is in your future, please contact the Turks & Caicos Collection to inquire as to the villas and suites currently available for purchase. For more information on making Ambergis Cay your next tropical destination, please contact the resort directly at www.ambergriscay.com or call 1.833.313.3172 to speak with a reservation specialist.