The Regent Grand

Set on Pine Cay in the Turks and Caicos Islands, this resort is built around the useful things that matter once the fins are back in the bag: a beach, a pool, a restaurant, a bar and rooms ranging from single accommodation to suites for larger groups. The mood is more practical island resort than themed entertainment machine, with space for families as well as couples and solo travellers.

The Regent Grand has 25 rooms across seven floors. You can spend the day on the water, on the beach or moving very little at all, then return to air conditioning, a fridge and Wi-Fi in selected room categories. There is also a spa, a fitness room and concierge service, so the evening does not need much organising.

Pine Cay is the setting, with the resort directly beside the sea. The beach is white sand, with sun loungers, parasols and beach towels available for the familiar routine of shade, swim, dry off, repeat.

The hotel sits 13 km from the town centre, while Sibonne Beach is one of the nearby places to explore. For getting around, car hire is available and bicycles can be borrowed. The location suits you if being beside the water matters more than stepping straight into a busy town centre.

Parking is available on site. An airport transfer service also exists, with the arrangements made through the hotel.

The room choice is unusually broad, running from single rooms and studios to one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom accommodation, with suites reaching six-person capacity. Couples can keep things simple with a double room or double suite, while families and groups have the option of separate bedrooms rather than trying to negotiate sleeping arrangements around one large bed. Some categories carry pool, sea, ocean, garden or water views.

The basics are well covered in the standard categories: a private bathroom, fridge and Wi-Fi. A number of suites add more useful kit, including air conditioning, a television, safe, towels, toiletries and coffee-making facilities. Selected one- to three-bedroom suites also include a kitchen, microwave and dining area, and some have a balcony, private entrance and washing machine. That is the more practical choice when you want room to spread out or prefer not to eat every meal at a table downstairs.

The exact contents change with the category, so choose by what you will actually use rather than by the word attached to it. Air conditioning is listed for selected suites, while a few larger options also include a fan. Fridges appear in selected standard rooms and suites. All the better reasons to check the room details carefully before booking: a cool drink after a hot day is not a luxury, and neither is somewhere to sit without balancing your kit on the bed.

There is a restaurant and a bar on site, with room service for those evenings when leaving the room feels like an overambitious expedition. Coffee and tea, bottled water, a kettle and a microwave are also available among the hotel’s food and drink facilities.

Breakfast is included among the resort services. The meal arrangement attached to your booking determines the other included meals, so this is one detail worth checking before you arrive rather than discovering it while already hungry.

You have a place to eat, a place to have a drink and the option of room service. After a full day, that can be quite enough.

The heated outdoor infinity pool is the obvious place for a slow afternoon, with the direct beach access offering a second version of the same plan. Sun loungers, parasols and beach towels are available, which removes at least three small logistical annoyances from a day spent doing very little.

If your muscles need more than a horizontal position, the spa offers massage, while the fitness room covers the more energetic option. Tennis, cycling and golf are also available, with the golf course 3 km away. Bicycles can be borrowed for exploring at your own pace.

On the water, the resort offers kayaking, paddleboarding, boat excursions, windsurfing, fishing and snorkelling. Families are welcome, babysitting is available, and children have access to a dedicated TV channel. In other words, a non-diving companion can build a day around the beach, pool, spa or water without needing to follow your dive schedule.

Check-in runs from 15:00 to 23:00, with check-out at 11:00. The reception can help with concierge requests, vehicle hire and transfers, while luggage storage is available for the awkward gap between leaving the room and leaving the island.

English is spoken by the hotel team, so you can handle the useful conversations in English on arrival, at reception and when arranging services. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property, and parking is available without a separate parking charge. The resort also has lift access to the upper floors and accessibility facilities.

Air conditioning is available in selected accommodation, while room facilities vary considerably between categories. Some rooms include a fridge, and selected suites add kitchens, microwaves, dining areas, balconies or washing machines. Read the individual room description with the same care you would give a dive itinerary: the broad label tells only part of the story.

Visa, Mastercard and American Express are accepted. The resort services include breakfast, pool and beach access, beach loungers and towels, fitness access, bicycles, internet, parking, concierge or valet service, housekeeping and in-room coffee.