Beaches Turks and Caicos FAM Trip

I recently returned from another travel agent familiarization trip, called a “FAM.” Last month, I had the privilege of visiting all 3 Saint Lucia Sandals Resorts. This time I had the exciting opportunity to visit the Eastern Caribbean again on this Beaches Turks and Caicos FAM trip. It was my second time visiting the Eastern Caribbean and I must say I was blown away by this resort! Admittedly, I always get sticker shock when I am quoting this property to clients. $5000 for a couple for like 5 nights?! But after staying here I can honestly say it is worth the funds… as long as you have the funds.

Here is a breakdown of my Beaches Turks and Caicos FAM trip. Hope this will help prospective clients see all that this resort has to offer and help other agents see the structure of the FAM trip.

Pro tip: When participating in FAM trips, be sure to give yourself a few extra nights on the front end or back end so you can relax at the property for a bit and really enjoy it like a consumer. Also, if you have not yet subscribed to www.famtravelforme.com I highly recommend it. The cost is $25 for the year and if you use it at least once you’ll easily make that $25 back.

Day 1 Arrive at the Resort

After arriving to the resort, I had nothing scheduled for the day since I booked a few pre nights before the FAM began. This first thing I noticed at check in was the beautiful lobby and grande dame entrance. The front desk service team members we also incredibly friendly. I’m still confused as to the proper name for people who are from Turks. Some say they are called “Belongers“, others refer to them as “Turks and Caicos Islanders.” Well either way, they are some of the friendliest people you will meet.

After checking in, my concierge host walked me to my room which was located in the Key West Village. I stayed in a 1 Bedroom Key West Concierge level cottage. It was located right in front of a quiet and small pool. Very lovely. This property is so large there are actually 5 different villages in this resort complex:

1. Key West Village
2. Italian Village
3. French Village
4. Caribbean Village
5. Seaside Village

Each village is unique and has something different to offer clients, which I will point out along the way. So on Day 1, I spent a good amount of time in the Key West Village since it was right near my room.

Key West Village

The Key West Village is done up in blue and yellow paint that looks just like the buildings you would find in Key West. The main buffet, Bayside Restaurant, is located here. SO much food you won’t know where to begin. Bayside offers up incredible views of Grace Bay Beach, one of the top beaches in the world (and rightfully so). This beach is out of this world and my pictures really don’t do it justice unfortunately.

 

Italian Village

Later in the afternoon, I went for a swim at the lively pool located in the Italian village. This is where the weekly Manager’s Cocktail party is located. There’s a swim up bar here as well as a pool bar nearby. There’s also an English pub, pizzeria, and Italian restaurant here. The pool is nice and warm but there’s also a hot tub whirlpool here as well for when it gets dark and gets a bit cooler. The pool is a good size too – lots of room to find your section without being bothered by others in close proximity. Full disclosure: I traveled here in September which is their slower season so the amount of crowds will vary depending on when you go.

If you’re looking for a bit more privacy you can rent cabanas. For those staying in butler level suites, you can ask your butler to take care of this task for you. All that swimming made me hungry and I went to Barefoot by the Sea restaurant for dinner. There are picnic tables set up in the sand and it’s a beautiful place to watch the sunset while chowing down on super fresh seafood.

After a long day of traveling, I was beat. Went back to my room and watched some Netflix.

Pro tip: You’re able to watch Netflix in this country. Yay!

Day 2 Explore the Resort

Day 2 of my Beaches Turks and Caicos FAM trip was all about exploring the resort and seeing some additional villages. This resort complex is so large you really have to spread all of this out on your visit.

I always recommend travel agents visit the resort a few nights before or after their FAM trip so they can truly discover what it’s like as a consumer and see everything firsthand. Let’s call it “research.” It’s a great time to start asking yourself questions:

1. Which type of client is this resort good for?
2. Who would I sell this resort to?
3. Were there ADA accessible rooms for those who have mobile limitations?
4. What is the food like? Any favorite restaurants?
5. Which village is your favorite? Least favorite? Why?

French Village

After some early swimming and catching up on my mystery novel, The Woman In Cabin 10, I was ready for lunch. Beaches Resorts takes pride in their 5-Star Global Gourmet dining and this particular property offers you 22 different restaurants. Even a week long stay here, you may not be able to try everything. I know on my Beaches Turks and Caicos FAM trip I did not get to experience all restaurants. For lunch on Day 2, I did try the famous Mac and Cheese truck in the French Village.

I tried the blazin’ buffalo mac, the original, and  the crab mac. I wasn’t a fan of the crab. The original was actually my favorite. Apparently they also serve lobster mac occasionally so keep an eye out for that.

After sampling the delicious macaroni and cheese flavors, I took a swim in the French village pool. That pool is not nearly as lively, but it is great for relaxing. Right next to the pool, there’s a little stage where kiddos can do a meet and greet with Sesame Street characters. For professional pictures with the characters the cost is $50 per photo. It’s a little pricey but if you have a large family and you’re splitting the cost it’s not so bad. They can send it to you digitally.

Pro tip: This pool has a nice zero entry for the little ones. This is a nice slow pace for families with small children or adults looking to catch up on reading and get some peace and quiet.

This property is really ideal for multi generational families and people of all different ages and interests. There really is something for everyone here. I walked around some more, being mindful of the “traffic” here. Geckos everywhere!

The French village overall is very lovely. In the evenings on Sundays at 9:00 pm (subject to change) there is a chocolate buffet. So heavenly. Marshmallows dipped in chocolate, served with chocolate martinis. So yummy! If you’re here on a day they are offering this make sure to stop by.

After being in the blazing sun checking out the resort, I went back to my room to shower, charge my phone and catch up on emails. Dinner that night was spent at the adults only restaurant Sapodillas. I enjoyed the surf n turf. Crazy to think that lobster and filet mignon are included at this resort – no up charge! After dinner, there was a hosted cocktails party for all of the travel agents. A “meet and greet” if you will. It’s always nice to network and mingle with other agents in this field. After an hour of mingling, it was bedtime.

Pro tip: For my travel agents reading this, be sure to bring lots of business cards with you. While you may not be getting anyone’s travel business you’ll get some lifelong connections which may come in handy one day. I love seeing how others market themselves on social media after we become “friends.” I get some ideas that way of how to improve.

Day 3 Marketing Forum and Resort Tour

Day 3 of my Beaches Turks and Caicos FAM trip started very early. Grabbed breakfast at the buffet near my room and hopped in a golf cart with other agents for our meeting.

The meeting was based on what’s new and happening at Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts. We also discussed an overview of how to market our business. After our meeting, we began our resort tour. I won’t mention the Italian, French, and Key West Villages as I already mentioned them above.

Caribbean and Seaside Villages

We were able to tour the Caribbean and Seaside Villages as they’re sort of grouped together. There are many delicious restaurants in that area such as Arizona’s Restaurant and Schooner’s seafood restaurant. There’s also the Jerk Shack if you’re just feeling a little peckish and need something to snack on. It’s great because they are open from 11:00a – 5:00p daily so those weird in between hours like 4:00p where it’s after lunch but before dinner they got ya covered!

There’s lots of recreational activities around this area such as basketball and by the beach is the water sports center. Beaches includes non motorized water sports like Hobie cats, sailing, and provides snorkeling equipment. They even offer free scuba diving trips to those who are PADI certified. For those who are not, you can pay the fee and get certified onsite.

Pro tip: Make sure to sign up for the particular activities and water sports ahead of time. They are on a first come first serve basis at the resort. You can not pre-book anything prior to checking in at the resort.

The group was able to see inside some of the most coveted units with butler service. We even met one of the butlers. For those looking for butler service, please note that these butlers are trained by the Guild of Professional English Butlers one of the most elite training programs.

I also wanted to point out that all butlers are promoted from within, meaning they worked at the resort prior to becoming a butler there.

We continued on our journey to visit the little ones at the kids center. This center is monitored by a great trained staff who can handle infants up to ‘tweens. They even offer fun enrichment activities like baking cookies with Cookie Monster

After the tour, our afternoon and evening was spent at leisure. I decided to try Mediterranean cuisine at Neptune’s for a late lunch. I enjoyed a Greek salad, chicken souvlaki and mini donuts for dessert. Yum!

After lunch, I swam in the beautiful Grace Bay Beach. The water color is blinding almost. It’s so sparkly and beautiful.

The rest of the evening was spent at leisure.

Day 4 Day at Leisure

Day 4 of my Beaches Turks and Caicos FAM trip was spent at leisure. This is a day that the Sandals rep is usually good about. Making sure you have time to relax and see the resort as a consumer. As I mentioned earlier, it doesn’t hurt to book a few extra nights on the front or back end though just in case they don’t offer any downtime.

Pro tip: During the days at leisure, I recommend agents participate in tours. Island Routes is the preferred tour operator for Sandals but there are other tour options as well. Tours make up a good amount of business so you’ll want to be knowledgeable on at least 1 tour in that destination. Also, be sure to post your travel adventures to your social media account. That helps establish your credibility as an agent. People want to book from someone who is knowledgeable and who ideally travels themselves.

Use your day at leisure wisely. I don’t recommend lounging by the pool all day. If you tack on spare nights before or after the FAM that’s when you can truly relax. But when you are there on their dime it’s important that you are making the best use of your time.

Even spending relaxing time at the crystal clear Grace Bay Beach, I’m looking to see if I notice a seaweed problem (I didn’t!) and notice anything else that clients will inevitably ask me about later on.

The last night included dinner spent at leisure. I went for the Italian restaurant Mario’s. It was a nice buffet selection of salads, pasta, and bread plus a nice a la carte selection of seafood, lasagna, and more. Delicious wines… what could be better?

Day 5 Return Home

Day 5 of the Beaches Turks and Caicos FAM trip was essentially spent on checking out of the hotel, catching the shuttle bus back and spending time reading my book at the PLS Airport.

Overall, it was a very informative trip. I’m grateful for the opportunity to visit this beautiful resort and I now understand the price tag associated with this luxurious property.

Heading to Turks and Caicos and need some assistance with planning? Please give me a shout at cassandra@accent-on-travel.net.

Thanks!

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