With Grace Bay Beach continuously topping lists of the world’s best beaches, including Conde Nast’s, it’s no surprise that we get a lot of demand for luxury villa rentals in Turks. Beauty always comes at a price, though. One of the major reasons the island’s managed to maintain its pristine beaches so well is due to the development restrictions placed by the government, which means that while there’s high demand for accommodation, there’s not always an equal amount of supply to meet it. Here are a few important tips you should keep in mind when renting a villa in Turks and Caicos to make sure that you not only find a place to stay, but that you’ll also have a smooth and unforgettable villa rental experience.
5) Ask about the A/C
While villas on most other islands include the cost of A/C in the rental rate, villa owners in Turks tend to charge a separate bill for air-conditioning at the end of the trip based on your usage. In general, most will offer you offer a fair allowance to start with, but it’s definitely something to consider for those who like to turn their living rooms into meat lockers.
4) Book from Saturday-Saturday
The vast majority of owners in Turks restrict their rentals to Saturday-Saturday dates. This can make Saturday afternoon a pretty hectic time at the airport, but it’s worth playing by this rule so that you’re able to choose from the widest selections of villas possible. Saturday-Saturday, in fact, is an appealing travel period for owners across the Caribbean, Mexico, the US, and Europe, so if you have to choose your vacation dates early for work, try to arrange a Saturday-Saturday work leave.
3) Book the Villa First
Similarly, don’t be tempted by seemingly low rates on flights – the reason those rates are so low, especially on weekdays, is because there’s so little accommodation on the island. You may think you’re taking advantage of a great deal by locking in a low price for a flight, but you may very will pay more than you saved when you have to move the dates around, or even cancel the trip because there’s nowhere to stay, so be sure you have a villa locked down before you get those flight tickets.
2) Stay 14 Nights During the Holidays
Because of the lack of villas, and because most of the working world has the same days off, the vast majority of owners will have strict 14 night minimums when it comes to renting during holiday season. If you can add a few days to your trip and make it two weeks, you’ll not only be able to browse some of the best villas in the Caribbean, but you’ll also have more than enough time to relax and take your time enjoying the island. If you can’t get 14 nights off work, then you may have to pay for nights you don’t use. If so, don’t feel like a sucker – it’s very common in Turks, and many repeat travelers simply consider it a cost of visiting some of the best beaches in the world.
1) Book Early
No matter when you plan on travelling, booking sooner rather than later is always a smart choice when renting a villa in Turks, especially for high season and holiday season. Repeat visitors, in fact, always try to book their holiday villas in February, which is right after the owners from the previous holiday season have had their right to first refusal expire. Even for high season, make sure you book as quick as you can (i.e. 12-9 months in advance) to take advantage of the best selection, especially if you insist on a beachfront villa (like Villa Oasis – a guest and staff favorite).
Honorable Mention
Make sure you’re dealing with the owner by asking to speak on the phone and adding the person to social media, or avoid that whole hassle by working with a well-reputed villa rental company (*ahem*) that always makes sure they work with professionally-managed properties that are inspected between stays and are rented at the lowest possible rates. Because of how popular renting a villa in Turks has become, and because of the overall lack of villas, some unscrupulous fraudsters put up fake listings for existing villas and claim they’re available, only for travelers to show up with nowhere to stay, so do your research (or lets us do it for you!).
Hope that helps! Please comment below if you have some other tips for renting a villa in Turks and Caicos and having an unforgettable experience.
2 Comments
I do like that you talk about booking the villa before the flight. After all, you want to make sure you have a place to stay once you arrive. It is generally easier to reschedule a plane ticket then a villa rental as well.
Thanks for sharing this information about Top 5 Tips for Renting a Villa in Turks & Caicos.