Beaches Turks & Caicos review: Is it worth the price for families?
When we booked our trip to Beaches Turks & Caicos, I was pregnant with our second baby, and my husband had never been to the Caribbean. We wanted one last relaxing family vacation before becoming a family of four.
I had one non-negotiable requirement: a kids club that accepted my 2½ year old son.
That sounds simple, but it's surprisingly difficult to find. Most Caribbean resorts advertise kids clubs, but they often start at age four and require children to be potty trained. That eliminated a lot of otherwise great resorts.
After way too much research, we landed on Beaches Turks & Caicos.
So...was it worth it?
What We Loved
The beach
Specifically the water.
I've traveled fairly extensively throughout tropical destinations, including the Philippines, Guam, the Bahamas, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and these were some of the clearest turquoise waters I've ever seen.
The water temperature was perfect. It wasn't so warm that it felt like bath water, but it wasn't cold either. The sand was bright white, soft, and beautiful.
If I'm being picky, I expected the beach itself to be a little wider. At high tide there was only about 15 feet of sand between the water and the resort. That never felt overly crowded, but it was less expansive than I had imagined from photos.
The ease of an all-inclusive
One thing I underestimated was how mentally relaxing it is to never think about money.
No checking menu prices.
No calculating tips.
No debating whether dessert is worth it.
You simply order what sounds good and enjoy your vacation.
Our nightly frozen yogurt tradition became one of my favorite little vacation memories because we never had to think twice about it.
The property
The resort is enormous.
There are multiple villages, pools, restaurants, bars, and ammenitites to explore. Even after 3½ days, there were sections of the property we never made it to.
Despite being incredibly family-oriented, it never felt overrun with children. That said, I personally wouldn't choose Beaches if I were traveling without kids. There are plenty of adults-only resorts that would better fit that type of vacation.
Our Favorite Amenities
We tried to take advantage of as many included activities as possible.
Snorkel boat excursion
The snorkeling trip lasted about 90 minutes, which was perfect. Long enough to enjoy it, but short enough that it didn't become exhausting.
Sesame Street shows
Our son absolutely loved these.
We attended two different performances. If your kids are Sesame Street fans, don't skip them.
Professional family photos
This almost didn't happen.
Our room had nearby construction, so the resort gave us a $250 resort credit. We decided to put it toward a family photography session.
I'm so glad we did.
These are arguably my favorite family photos we've ever taken.
Childcare
This was honestly the reason we booked Beaches in the first place.
The staff-to-child ratio was solid, and the caregivers seemed experienced and genuinely engaged with the kids.
They even offered evening childcare, which allowed us to enjoy an actual date night.
Tennis lessons
I attended the beginner clinic while my husband joined the advanced lesson.
We ended up being the only participants, which turned both sessions into free private lessons with the tennis pro.
Definitely one of the more underrated perks of the resort.
The Food
Let's set expectations.
You're at an all-inclusive resort, not a Michelin-starred restaurant.
That said, the food exceeded our expectations. I'd give it a solid B+.
Our favorites, in order:
Sky (adults 12+ only and perfect for date night)
Kimonos (hibachi, reservations required)
Soy Sushi Bar
Neptune's
Bayside
Schooners
Nothing completely blew us away, but we never had a disappointing meal.
Our Room
We stayed in the Caribbean Village because it was the most affordable option.
Before arriving, I'd read countless reviews calling it the oldest and least desirable section of the resort, so I kept my expectations low.
Honestly?
I was pleasantly surprised.
Our room was clean, spacious, had a comfortable sitting area with a large couch, and worked perfectly for our family. We booked a first-floor room, which made life much easier with a toddler and stroller.
Would I pay thousands more for a different village?
Probably not.
Was It Worth the Price?
We paid approximately $4,600 for four nights, after stacking several promotions plus the military discount.
At first glance, that's a lot of money.
So I tried to estimate what we actually received in value.
Estimated Included Value
Meals (2 adults + 1 toddler)
Four breakfasts
Three lunches
Four dinners
Approximately eight alcoholic drinks (my husband, I was pregnant ;) )
Activities
Snorkeling excursion for two
About 16 hours of childcare
Two private tennis lessons
Round-trip airport transportation
That comes to roughly $1,600 worth of food and activities that we actually used.
That means we effectively paid around $3,000 for four hotel nights, or roughly $750 per night for the room itself.
You can absolutely find nicer luxury hotels for $750 per night.
You can also find comparable hotels for closer to $500 per night.
So what are you paying for?
You're paying for convenience.
You're paying for never opening your wallet.
You're paying for not making decisions all day.
You're paying for your kids to be entertained while you actually relax.
There's real value in removing all of that mental overhead.
One amenity we didn't use, but would have dramatically increased the value, is scuba diving. Certified dives are included, and those can easily cost around $150 per person elsewhere. If I hadn't been pregnant, my husband and I absolutely would have taken advantage of that.
My Final Verdict
Would I recommend Beaches Turks & Caicos?
Maybe...for the right family.
I don't regret booking it for a second, and we had a wonderful vacation.
That said, I'm not sure I'd return.
Turks & Caicos is one of the more expensive Caribbean destinations. As our kids get older, we'll have many more resort options because they won't need childcare for toddlers. Destinations like Mexico also become more appealing since we'll be able to venture off property to explore cenotes, Mayan ruins, and local towns.
Who Should Book Beaches?
I think Beaches is an incredible fit if:
You have young children and need childcare for kids under four.
You genuinely plan to use the included amenities.
You're escaping a cold winter and simply want to relax.
Your kids are old enough to enjoy the water slides, pools, and activities independently (I'd argue ages 6+ is the sweet spot).
If your goal is simply to sit on a beautiful beach with a frozen drink, there are more affordable options throughout the Caribbean and Mexico.
For us, Beaches delivered exactly what we needed: a stress-free vacation, incredible water, quality childcare, and precious family memories before welcoming our second baby.
And honestly, that's hard to put a price on.