
Situated toward the eastern end of the island, 12 km from the airport and just a five-minute stroll from Provo Golf and Country Club, this place was Provo's first plush condominium property, and it remains reliably recommendable.
Commanding 20 km of white-sand beach at Grace Bay, the hotel comprises nine pale-gray and pink buildings that form a horseshoe around lavish and well-tended flowering gardens with lush lawns. The layout and design impress, with the three-story plantation-style buildings cleverly angled to guarantee ocean views from all rooms.
The courtyard shelters a large, free-form pool. The sales office effectively doubles as the lobby, with a couple of boutiques, a minimarket and a car rental agency among the conveniences.
Diners head to the casual
poolside Cabana Bar and Grille for light fare from sunrise to sundown, and to the more elegant Gecko Grill for a full international menu at dinner, served outdoors by candlelight or similarly within walls of glass. Live local music is featured on Wednesday and Sunday evenings. The Grill is in the adjoining Ocean Club Plaza and is open to the public.
A tennis court, the nearby 18-hole golf course, a second, smaller freshwater pool shaded by palms, a whirlpool and the spectacular beach provide diversion. Exercise facilities are available on the property and a full watersports center and dive shop await the most energetic.
Massages can be arranged at the hotel's modest Spa Tropique. A casino is located near the hotel and is open nightly. Books and videos are on loan from the lobby library, and airport transfers are included in the rates.
Guests have use of the facilities at Ocean Club West, the resort's newer sibling, and free shuttles run there every half-hour, although a 10-minute amble along the beach is the preferred way to go.
The property's large, tastefully appointed condominiums comprise studios and one- to three-bedroom apartments with air-conditioning, phones with data ports, VCRs, TVs and marble baths with hair dryers.
Decor here opts for less than impressive sponge-washed bamboo furnishings and tropical floral fabrics. Deluxe units boast kitchens with every appliance imaginable, washers and dryers, hair dryers, safes and large, screened balconies, plus more stylish contemporary furnishings. Smaller studios have kitchenettes and tiny balconies (some facing the parking lot).
Housekeeping
is daily at this tranquil, stylish resort, perfect for families seeking quiet. Pets are not permitted, and room service is not offered. A few maintenance issues persist, but nothing out of the ordinary from the traditional Caribbean condo resort.
The hotel closes for a month in the fall for basic renovations. Wireless high-speed Internet is available in the lobby and restaurant.
In comparison to its sister property, this hotel offers accommodations for budget-minded guests, but both are equally pleasant in terms of recreational options, although the Ocean Club West offers more facilities and will appeal more to those looking for a livelier venue closer to the heart of Grace Bay action.