Testimonials

See what our guests are saying about Trade Winds

“A hidden, wonderful, gem of a place!”

The grounds are like a garden, and the place is so quiet and private that you can lie on your chaise on the patio at night and see the stars without light pollution. It’s beautiful!

Location could not be better. It’s practically next door to Salt Mills Plaza (Yoshi Sushi! YUM!), and a brief walk to shops, car rental, restaurants, and grocery (Graceway Gourmet – recommend the Scottish fresh salmon, the Irish butter, the locally grown watercress and lettuce, and fresh bakery bread). The incredible beach is a short distance away, and this stretch is quiet, uncrowded, and very clean. The beautiful turquoise water was the best swimming experience I’ve ever had.

These are one-bedroom condos (the sofa also turns into a bed) and they are fully furnished – down to shampoo and coffee and dishwasher detergent, plus plates and pans, etc. – and have interesting decorative touches. The bathroom has only a shower, not a tub. There is a washer/dryer combo. There is also a Weber gas grill on the grounds; I took 4 Wagyu steaks in a cooler and they grilled up great! (by the way, all Customs requires is that you check the “meat” box; they don’t care about the value if it’s for your own personal use). The pool is very nice – though I swam only in Grace Bay, other guests were enjoying it. My neighbors during my stay were Europeans (an Italian couple and a German couple). Because each condo has its own private path from the patio to the pool, and separating hedges, there is a marvellous feeling of privacy.

If you are looking for a large, flash, noisy resort with crowds, this is not the place for you. If you’re there for the beach, the island, the beautiful flowers, and peace and privacy, then you’ll love Trade Winds. Also, it’s not expensive.

As other travelers have, I must also mention Michael Bailey. His charm and competence are the heart and soul of Trade Winds! I had emailed him through the Trade Winds website before I came, and he promptly replied. Hurricane Irene went through while I was there, and I was never scared. Michael had already informed me that the patio door glass would withstand 200 mph winds, he kept me posted as to the progress of Irene, and when my worried friend emailed him, Michael sent a prompt reply. These are among the most secure buildings on the Island. Also, the groundsmen were there the day after Irene, to make the grounds immaculate again. Another great thing about Michael is that he can hook you up with a taxi/tour driver who is polite, reliable , and won’t rip you off.

I’d hate for Trade Winds to be “discovered” to the point that I couldn’t get a spot there next trip. However, I used TripAdvisor to research my own trip, and found others’ experiences to be so useful; I feel obligated to share my own experience, too.

I loved those pink condos! Trade Winds is A+ in my book.

August 2011
Abilene, Texas

“friendly, clean, convenient – highly recommended”

i meant to post a review right away, but somehow it got past me.
we stayed in feb 2011, having chosen tradewinds based largely on positive reviews here. nothing negative to say. it’s not a resort and not fancy or posh…but if you don’t need that, this is a great place

positives -
very clean and cleaned daily
very spacious
intimate/charming pool area
convenient location – 5 min walk to beach, walk to cafes and grocery. short taxi for other resorts or casino. (we actually took walk on the beach to other resorts for drinks/dinner.)
excellent manager, very kind and helpful
sweet balcony
we loved having kitchen facilities

negatives – ZERO

February 2011
NY, NY

Paradise if you’re looking for peace and relaxation

Just back from Provo and wanted to leave a quick review and a big thank you to Mike (the Owner/Manager). Unfortunately our stay was cut really short due to a death in the family. We only had the opportunity to spend 2 nights there. Mike was most helpful and understanding of our situation, and we just want him to know how much we appreciate that.

Before booking this trip, I did a lot of research on Trip Advisor for accommodations. Usually, I will never book accommodations less than 4 star, but all the reviews were so positive, I decided to go with The Tradewinds. So happy I did.

The rooms were spacious and very clean and well kept. We had a third floor room (which I requested at the time of booking). There is a full kitchen with everything you might need if you are eating in. The bathroom is spotless, clean shower with great water pressure too! There is a washer & dryer in the apartment. The balcony is large with a table and chairs and 2 lounge chairs. There are beautiful flowers on the balcony. The view is ok. You can see the ocean in the distance. This place is extremely quiet and peaceful. Except for the fact that there were cars parked in the lot, I would not have believed that there were other occupants in this hotel, that’s how tranquil it is. It is a 3 min easy walk to a very beautiful beach with the softest sand and clear turquoise water.

We opted to rent a car at the airport ($65 per day, gas excluded). The taxi/van service was asking $13 per person for a one way trip from the airport to the hotel (which is at most a 15 drive). It was very easy to get around by car, and gave us a lot of freedom to explore a little.

There is a wonderful grocery store (Graceway) very close by, just a couple of min by car..with everything you might need to eat/cook. I was a little nervous about what things would cost after reading some reviews, and so we packed a few staples in our luggage, which in the end was not necessary. I disagree with other reviewers about the cost of food. I didn’t find it so outlandish at all. Maybe some things were a tad more expensive than at home, but that was about it. Just to give you an idea. A rotisserie chicken was $9.99. I bought a large container of cut cantaloupe for $3.99. Nothing terribly unreasonable. They have a lot of prepared foods there and specialty items. The other IGA closer to the airport is larger, but less ” fancy”…less specialty items.

We enjoyed a Japanese dinner/sushi almost directly across the road at Yoshi’s. We also had the opportunity to eat beachside at the “Conch Shack”, nice friendly service and ate fresh blackened grouper. YUM!

We will be back in the future to experience a complete vacation when the timing is right.
If you are looking for a quiet getaway, don’t hesitate this place is for you!!

August 2011
Montreal, Canada

A delightful oasis amidst the large resorts

We were seeking a quiet, economical alternative in a convenient location and Trade Winds was it. Our suite was clean, modern and well appointed. We would have preferred two bedrooms, but the pull-out sofa was comfortable. A very friendly and attentive staff. The landscaping is tropical and lush and the pool was just steps from our unit. A spectacular beach, shopping and dining are all within easy walking distance. My friends and I have been traveling to the Caribbean for many years and Trade Winds TCI is absolutely a favorite.

March 2011
New Hampshire, USA

A Special place next to the Beach

Trade Winds Condotel was a wonderful experience from arrival to departure with our host Mike Bailey. After many hours of review and research, we chose Trade Winds Condotel and we were not disappointed. You can’t go wrong with the rates and it’s a 4 minute walk to the beach. Our room was on the third floor and we had a very nice view. The room was well maintained and the staff was extremely pleasant. They have their own beach lounge chairs and they can provide you with beach towel, umbrella, cooler and beach chairs if you want to go to a different beach.
We could walk to lots of restaurants in a few minutes. We had breakfast on the balcony every morning. There is a grocery store IGA (brand new) within a 10 minute walking distance. Our favorite restaurant was definitely Yoshi Sushi Bar.
We highly recommend Trade Winds Condotel.

February 2010
Mississauga, Canada

Tradewinds Condotel – A Hidden Gem!

We just got back from Provo. We were first timers to the island and we did a lot of research on where to stay. We wanted a reasonably priced condo hotel in Grace Bay within walking distance to the beach as well as restaurants since we would only rent a car for half the trip. We decided on Tradewinds Condotel on Grace Bay Road, and it was the perfect choice!

There weren’t too many up-to-date reviews on the Tradewinds on Tripadvisor in November last year when we booked our trip for February 17-24. We took the risk and based our choice on the past reviews and it paid off. The friendly folks on the Tripadvisor forum were also very helpful in answering my questions about the island and the hotel. That also helped us in our decision. So for those who are considering this hotel, here’s our review and some photos of the place:

BOOKING: We booked direct through Tradewinds Condotel and Mike, the owner was very prompt with his responses. We could have secured a lower rate through Expedia but we wanted the top floor which was not available through that site. We emailed the hotel directly and were able to book a corner unit on the top floor (Unit 231) at a slightly higher rate.

LOCATION: We would recommend Tradewinds Condotel for it’s convenience. It’s across from the Salt Mills Plaza and next to the Regent Village. We walked to Graceway Gourmet (the supermarket) to pick up groceries on the days we didn’t have a car, and then we walked to Grace Bay Car Rental to pick up our car for 3 days to discover the island.

We walked to the restaurants at night and felt perfectly safe since that stretch of Grace Bay Road is the brightest lit with the street lights.

It’s also a very short walk to the beach which is between Point Grace and Regent Grand. It is a very quiet stretch and one of the widest too.

We used Wikimapia to figure out where exactly Tradewinds Condotel was and then figured out how far the walk to the beach was. You can use this link to measure how far the walk is to the supermarket, restaurants etc. It’s fun. (http://wikimapia.org/15453595/Tradewinds-Condo-Hotel)

RESORT: It’s a self catering condo hotel which is not as fancy as Regent Grand or hip as Gansevoort, but it’s just the right place for us – clean, quiet and very comfortable. There are only 18 units in the two buildings, and provided us with the privacy that we wanted. There is a nice pool with mature landscaping surrounding it.

We were in the corner unit on the third floor (top floor) which had a balcony with lounge chairs and a flowering bougainvillea. They did not advertise beach view but we did have a glimpse of the ocean (that’s only if you’re on the top floor like our unit).

The condo is very spacious. There’s a king size bed in the bedroom and a sofa bed in the living room. For those who want soaker tubs, take note, there is only a shower in the bathroom- but that’s all we wanted. We never even use the soaker tub at home. The full kitchen is very handy for breakfasts, and we even cooked surf and turf one night, buying steaks and lobster tails from Graceway Gourmet.

The resort is not brand new, but it gives you a clean, crisp feeling. There is daily housekeeping and we also saw people cleaning the pool on many days.

We were told by the lady at the office that there would be some beach chairs belonging to Tradewinds on the beach, but we couldn’t find them. That didn’t matter since they also provided us with two beach chairs and a portable beach umbrella that we could take from the condo for use on the beach. That proved very handy since we took them to Coral Gardens when we went snorkeling, and also to Taylor Bay where we spent a relaxing day.

There was also free wifi at the condo. They actually have two routers on site, and the signal was very good in our unit.

SERVICE:  The owner is also the manager who lives on site. There is another lady who also worked at the office during the day. They are always there to answer your questions, exchange beach towels, and give advice on excursions. We felt that we had more personable and friendly service at Tradewinds than many other bigger hotels that we’ve stayed in. Even though there were no security guards, we felt like we have 24 hour security with the owner living in the building right at the entrance.

Overall we had a very relaxing vacation at Tradewinds. The guests there were all polite, quiet yet friendly. The staff was courteous and friendly. It was exactly the atmosphere we were looking for. The self-catering condo plus the internet access made us feel very at home, and made our stay very enjoyable. The hotel is one hidden gem in Provo, and we highly recommend it.

February 2010
Toronto, Canada

Wonderful place to stay!

February 2010
USA

Affordable, Comfortable and Convenient

e had a wonderful stay at the Trade Winds in room #131 (3rd floor, ocean view). It was a very quiet stay; I couldn’t believe it when we were told the hotel was fully booked. Our stay was very serene and relaxing.

Condo Interior: AC was great and very quick to cool things down, bed was comfy, kitchen had enough of what we needed to cook on a daily basis, TV w/ cable in bedroom and living room, balcony with table/chairs and ocean view, even a few niceties like candles, books and dish soap. We brought our own frozen and dry food, actually enough to last for the week and it really saved us a lot of money as we only went out a few times. For frozen we brought steaks, bacon, pork roast, hamburger, dogs, veggies, loaf of bread and kept it frozen with frozen water bottles. We also brought cheese, instant tators, rice mixes, ice-tea, lemonade, coffee, granola bars, pancake mix, EVOO, mayo,mustard, chocolate and some spices. Saving so much on food we were able to dive more, which was our priority! We also enjoy cooking together so everything worked out perfectly.

Condo Exterior: The ground keeping was simple, but tasteful. There was a lot of fauna that is indigenous to the area. The pool was almost always empty and refreshing. There were umbrellas and chairs all around. There was a hose/shower by the pool for rinsing after the beach. There was a grill near the pool area and it was great to cook and eat outside at the picnic table. The beach was a very short walk (a few minutes) and Trade Winds had chairs there (bring the umbrella provided in the room for more shade). No elevator, but this didn’t really bother us.

Condo Staff: I can’t say enough great things about Michael. He was a wonderful host and was able to provide us with not only a few items that we needed, but with some great advice and conversation. He was great for all of my pre-travel questions and very responsive. Thanks Mike!

Getting Around: It was great not renting a car, Caicos Adventures (CA) picked us up every morning that we were diving and then dropped us off in the afternoon, Matt from CA even dropped us at the super market and picked us up after his last drop-off, more than once. The Islanders make extra money providing informal car services. When we needed transportation, we just went outside and didn’t need to wait long for someone to toot their horn, probably not the best idea for families, but it worked great for us. We just made sure to only get in cars with one driver and felt pretty safe between the two of us. Just agree to a price and off you go! It was also nice to take a break from driving and not need to navigate driving on the other side of the road. We only needed to use the informal taxis once for the airport and another day when we wanted to go to Coral Gardens to snorkel.

Diving: We went diving with Caicos Adventures (CA). After reading a lot of reviews, they seemed to be the best (even if they were a bit pricier). I believe Trade Winds has a deal with Dive Provo, which also got good reviews. CA would pick us up each morning in a bus and take us to the dock. The staff signs you in and assigns you a cup for the day. It was a nice, eco touch. They set up your gear, if you like, and then you just relax on the boat until you get to the first site. Between dives, sandwiches are provided for lunch (there is even packets of mustard/mayo). The boat was very comfortable, even when a bit crowded. It was great leaving the gear on the boat overnight and having it rinsed, dried and set up for the next day. No need to lug it back and forth every day. You could dive with your divemaster or buddy dive, whichever your preference. We mainly went to W. Caicos, but never to the same site. On every dive we saw at least one grey reef shark (4-7 feet), most dives we saw turtles, we also saw scorpion fish, tons of lion fish (pretty, but sad since they are so invasive) and we even saw a pod of dolphins when we were topside…they raced the boat.

Other Activities: The snorkeling is really limited. We did see a few sting rays in front of the hotel, but in front of Coral Gardens hotel was the only real spot for snorkeling. There is another reef a bit further, but we stuck with Coral Gardens. We walked back from Coral Gardens along the beach and stopped in a restaurant for a snack/drink before arriving back at Trade Winds. The condo is in walking distance to shops, restaurants and a super market with a good selection (as expected everything is at least double, if not triple the US price). We went on a pirate cruise with Captain Bill as well. It was very scripted, but nice to take a break from diving and have a few drinks (about $100pp and only offered on Wednesdays). There was unlimited beer, rum punch, lemonade, 151 and sodas/water. We were able to see some pirate carvings, pirate cove, snorkel at a few stops and have a nice lunch with bbq chicken and hotdogs (tube steaks).

All in all, a very relaxing vacation!

January 2010
Philadelphia, USA

The Trade winds condotel

Nous revenons tout juste d’une magnifique semaine aux îles Turquoises. Nous avons bouqué nous même notre vacance via le site Expédia.ca. En arrivant au Trade Winds, nous avons été agréablement surpris ! Un petit condo, 3 1/2 et tout équipé (air climatisé, vaisselle, serviettes, chaises longues, mobilier de patio etc…) L’endroit est parfait pour les voyageurs indépendants qui ne recherche pas les tout inclus. Il y a une femme de ménage qui vient nettoyer l’appartement à tout les jours, qui change les serviettes et s’assure que tout est fonctionnel. Si vous désirez faire la “Grâce matiné” vous devez mettre le carton à l’extérieur “do not disturb”, car elle commence son travail à 8h30. Notre chambre était la #211, au rez-de-chaussé et c’était très bien. Nous la recommendons fortement, car nous avions un petit jardin privé et accès direct à la piscine. Le gérant du Trade Winds est vraiment gentil et vous donne des conseils sur les restaurants et les activités.

La plage est à moins de 5 minutes à pieds et est magnifique !! Une plage de sable blanc et l’eau turquoise ! La plage est très tranquille et pas très achalandé. Idéal pour du repos. Des chaises longues appartenant au Trade Winds sont disponibles sur la plage. Plusieurs activités sont disponibles, tel que Parasailing, snorkling, croisière etc.

Ce qui est agréable avec le Trade Winds, c’est que nous pouvons cuisiner nous même nos repas. Le supermarché le plus près est à 15 minutes à pied “Graceway supermarket”. Mais attention, c’est vraiment dispendieux ! (ex: un paquet de pâtes 500 g = 4.50 $ us.) Gardez en tête que la plupart des magasins et boutiques sont fermés le dimanche et les magasins qui sont ouverts ne vendent pas d’alcool le dimanche. Nous recommendons la location d’une voiture, pour aller faire les courses un peu plus loins au “IGA Graceway Supermarket” car les prix sont plus accessible (max 15 minutes en voiture). Vous trouverez dans le secteur des hôtels plusieurs compagnies de location de voitures tel que Grace Bay rental cars, Caicos Wheels, Avis etc. Nous recommendons Avis, car ils offrent la protection complète, tandis que les compagnies de la place, offrent une protection partielle. Attention, vu que c’est une île qui appartient au Royaume-Uni, la conduite se fait à gauche !

Avec la location de voiture, vous pouvez explorer un peu les environs, tel que la marina Turtle Cove et son restaurant Tiki Hut. Blue Hills avec le populaire “Da Conch Shack” vous pouvez aussi acheter des coquillages nettoyés et poli à moindre coût (5$ au lieu de 30$ près des hôtels de Grace Bay).

Les îles Turquoises est une destination de repos, avec une très belle plage. Si vous rechercher un endroit avec un night life ou une destination shopping, vous risquez d’être déçu.
Pour votre départ, si vous voulez réserver un taxi, vous devez appeller au moins 3 heures d’avances pour la réservation et le coût est de 13 $ par personne pour vous amener à l’aeroport.

March 2010
Montreal, Canada

Parfait!

“Ein MUSS für jeden Urlauber / Geschäftsreisenden in Providenciales”

Als wir das Zimmer zum erstenmal sahen konnten wir es kaum glauben. Da bist du schon im Paradies und darfst auch noch im Schloss übernachten.
Die Ausstatung ist überwältigend, da es an nichts fehlt. Wenn man kein Problem damit hat sich selbst zu versorgen ( der Supermarkt ist gerade mal ne Strasse weiter ) dann kann die Wahl nur das Trade Winds sein.
Das Preis / Leistungsverhältnis stimmt voll und ganz und mit dem Bestizer Mike kann man wunderbare Abende am Grill verbringen.
Was ich an der Stelle noch vergessen habe… Der Strand ist genau 5 Minuten weg und ganz einfach zu Fuß zu erreichen. Für alle die den Weg zum Strand scheuen ist der Pool im Garten eine ideale Alternative. Ruhig und doch familiär.
Wenn sich die Möglichkeit nochmal bietet werde ich auf alle Fälle das Trade Winds buchen.

Skywillow
March 2010
Villingen