Two very different resorts in the Turks & Caicos portfolio of Ultimate Resort Vacations have just picked up World Travel Awards honours — and together they show the range on offer across this Caribbean archipelago.
Ambergris Cay, a private island resort, has been named Caribbean's Leading Private Island Resort 2026, its fourth consecutive year taking the title. Alexandra Resort, on Grace Bay Beach, earned its first ever World Travel Award as Turks & Caicos' Leading Family Resort 2026. The World Travel Awards, running since 1993, are among the most established honours in hospitality, voted on across the industry.
The private island is the splurge option. Ambergris Cay's accommodation ranges from Beachfront Bungalows to private villas and the Dream Estate, plus a batch of 12 Waterside Bungalows that debuted in June 2026 — one- and two-bedroom waterfront units with private heated plunge pools and direct water access. New for the 2026 holiday season: a Wylder kids club for children and teens, a padel court, another pickleball court and two food trucks. Curated island picnics and a sushi experience add to the private-dining options, and the resort broke ground in September 2026 on a spa and wellness complex slated for 2028.
Alexandra Resort plays a different game — all-inclusive, family-first and right on Grace Bay, one of the Caribbean's best-known beaches. Recent upgrades include an enhanced kids club, Street Fest and Foam Party events, sushi-making sessions and a four-bedroom penthouse introduced in December 2025 for large or multigenerational groups. Two programmes stand out for value: kids aged 12 and under stay, eat and play free, and the Stay at 1, Play at 2 scheme gives guests complimentary access to the dining and facilities at sister property Blue Haven Resort.
For travellers, the takeaway is simple. If you want a whole island to yourself with service tuned to your group — weddings, milestone birthdays, multigenerational escapes — Ambergris Cay is the benchmark the industry just re-endorsed. If you're travelling with kids and want everything bundled into one predictable price on a famous beach, Alexandra Resort now has an award saying it does that job as well as anyone in the country. Either way, it's worth watching how both properties develop over the next couple of years, particularly once the new Ambergris spa opens.
