Salterra, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, South Caicos

We had the wonderful pleasure of spending six days and nights at Salterra, a Marriott Luxury Edition property, located in South Caicos in the Caribbean. This was our first time to South Caicos; however, we were inspired by the good reports that we reviewed and the prospect of going to a more relaxed island in comparison to Provo. Two key points of context to set the stage: - While we have two older sons, the majority of the time, our travels consist of myself, my wife and our 12-year-old daughter. - We have had the good fortune of staying at some incredible properties from Ritz Carlton (hotels and Reserves), St. Regis, Four Seasons and many others around the world. I only share this as the bar that we have become accustomed to is fairly high. With exposure to such properties, I must say that Salterra has earned a special place in our heart and is absolutely right up there with the best of the best. Consistent with other great properties, the experience of checking in was so wonderfully pleasant with pick-up service at the airport that is about 5 minutes away, followed by welcome drinks, cold fragrant hand towels and a special welcome by Tony, the butler who covered our room during our stay. While I don’t recall all of the front desk representatives, Kingsley and the woman that he worked with were positively delightful and eager to make sure our stay was the best that it could possibly be. There is a lot that I can share and in the interest of time, I felt compelled to focus on five of the most distinguishing aspects of our experience at Salterra. And while this is an incredibly positive review, I will also provide a few constructive points as well. 1. The property is beautifully laid out with wonderful and spacious rooms and a very contemporary décor. We started in a 1-bedroom suite and then were upgraded to the 2-bedroom suite and both were very special for different reasons. We were particularly fond of the ground floor as the patio leading to the outside is spacious and very comfortable. 2. The facilities, including the pools, the workout facilities, the Pickle Ball courts, the beaches and so much more, are truly world class and I would offer up beyond what experience at the Ritz in Provo the prior week. I also must add that the Spa was absolutely spectacular. The facilities were wonderful and only to be outdone by the therapists; even warranting a second trip back to the spa for all of us! 3. The six restaurants were all great in their own unique and special ways. However, the bar once set incredibly high when we dined the first night at Brine, their flagship restaurant. From the moment you enter Brine, you immediately sense that something special is about to commence. My wife and I enjoyed a wonderful tasting journey paired with wine and they surprisingly offered a kid’s menu for our daughter. But Brine is much more than the food, the entire experience, from the décor and ambiance to the pace by which you are served, was simply amazing. However, what once again took it to another level was the off-the-charts service that was provided by Cristiano, Gian and a number of the others who worked there, including the Chef, who came out to greet us. These people worked as such an incredible team, tending to our interests and making sure that our entire journey was the absolute best that it could be. We were so smitten with Brine that we elected to come back our last night. When we were told that the same tasting menu would be in place (understandably), Cristiano suggested that they could prepare a custom menu for us. We took he and the chef up on the offer and we were simply blown away by the experience on our last night when we dined once again at Brine. From a printed custom menu with our tasting journey that welcomed our family, to a special room that they reserved for us, followed by non-stop attention by the team and ending on another visit from Chef to thank us for coming, this was probably one of the best fine dining experiences we have ever encountered. As a point of context, we hit a lot of Michelin star restaurants and Brine was unquestionably the best restaurant we have ever encountered in the Caribbean and one of the top 5 tasting journeys we experienced globally. The night concluded at Brine with the team presenting us with a special edition book of “Salt: A World History” by Mark Krulansky and it was signed by Michael Tibbetts, the Co-founder and Managing Director of Salterra. You cannot make this up; it was truly one of the most spectacular dining experiences that we ever had. 4. What Brine is to fine dining, the Adventures by Salterra dive shop/sports center is to the world of diving, snorkeling, water sports and so much more. Led by Anna and Joey with Denzel, Marvin and so many other talented experts and professionals, these people were equally as impressive as the team at Brine. Their concern for safety, followed by fantastic suggestions and even an invite to a local restaurant, was as enjoyable as it was authentic. We will absolutely not forget how wonderful they were on the Caicos Bank adventure as well as how Denzel did such an amazing job teaching our daughter how to scuba dive in the pool for her first lesson. 5. Last but not least, and in a slightly redundant capacity, I cannot stress how impressed I was with the cohesive nature of the entire team. These people who come from around the world are here with a unifying mission. From our vantage point, the energy and chemistry in watching them dedicate their time to building this spectacular property was really unique. You sensed their excitement at being at the starting point of the hotel as they rounded the corner of their first-year anniversary and it was pretty infectious as we felt a similar energy and commitment to sharing how special this place is. And as much as we thoroughly enjoyed, I do need to balance out our wonderful experience with a few minor, but material suggestions, that will truly take Salterra to even greater heights. First, the pool/beach servers are lightly staffed and this led to longer than expected wait times for drinks and food. Second, we ate one night at the super cool food truck on property called Jack and Jenny’s. The concept is interesting; however, the food was mediocre. Once again, people were great, music/band was great, it was just that for that price point, the food was not on the same level as the other restaurants. Third, during our visit, there was a good deal of wind which prevented us from diving or snorkeling while at the property. It would be great if the hotel could find another location to bring guests to which would be a bit more protected from the elements. And on a final note, the big question that we always ask ourselves when we reflect upon a stay such as this… would we return? And the answer is an unequivocable YES! Salterra team, you truly make experiences very special and thank you for going the extra mile(s)!

There is so much greatness to share about this resort...from my pre-trip planning with the excellent Concierge Team to our seamless welcome at the South Caicos airport to our champagne arrival to our amazing suite to the delicious food and, most of all, the superb staff and service. Every single person who we encountered at the resort was special in their own right. We were always made to feel like we really mattered and were important. I would highly recommend Salterra for families, couples, small business groups and anyone else who is looking for a top notch experience.

This is a lovely oasis of unique proportions. The ambience is relaxed, and the service is extraordinary. This is an amazing place to bring family, as there are plenty of children, but well behaved and not an annoyance. The food here is fantastic, and the executive chef is prepared to customize and create dishes around dietary restrictions. The spa is a great retreat for solitude and is highly recommended. Plan on staying on the property, as there is little to see in town, but excursions are recommended if you want to explore. A couple of suggestions to management: 1. Turn off music on Sisal and Regatta patios as it competes with the music piped across the resort speakers, which are located everywhere. It's very distracting and unpleasant. 2. Add hooks in the suite showers, as there is no place to hang them or a robe. 3. Delay firing up the resort music until 9 am as 8 am is a little aggressive while one awakes with their coffee, trying to enjoy the sounds of the ocean and local environment. Your staff is amazing, and you should be commended for their desire to please and attend to guests' requests. Thank you for a great vacation. Bruce - Toronto, Canada

If you want a place that is high-end and top-notch service and restaurants, this is the place to go. As a family of 3 with a college student, it was a perfect place for us to decompress and just relax. I would highly recommend it. There is no downtown to shop. South Caicos is very simple. The kayaking and outside activities perfect! They have a great gym and morning yoga. And as a Bonvoy Titanium member, I was able to take advantage of the membership amenities

Im a seasoned hotelier who have traveled around the world, stayed at some of the world's luxurious hotels. While the Salterra was in development, I knew I had to experience this resort. On the day of my arrival, my flight from New York was delayed. I was in touched with the management and staff who was will to do everything in their control to get me into the island. Upon my arrival, I was upgraded to a one bedroom suite with an outdoor patio and hammock. I was given a personal butler who took care of all of my restaurant reservations, tours and coordinate everything. We were celebrating our 40th anniversary, we were given complimentary champagne, chocolates and daily amenities. This hotel is the perfect venue to celebrate an occasion, very safe, romantic, quiet yet lively. Although the resort is privately located, there is no reasons to go outside, there are several restaurants and bars catered to all different food. The pool is outstanding and the beach is the best in the world. The pool and beach is cleaned and maintained every single day. The best part of this resort is the excellent service from all of the management and staff, they continue asking if everything is OK and if you are having any issues. They are serious about taking care of their guests. They spoil you with kindness. After my first day, I have made about five new friends who are staff members. I had the privilege to meet the General Manager John Hazard who was there to welcome us and interacting with all of the guests. Many of the staff whom I don't remember but I like to acknowledge Arup in the breakfast room who knew exactly how I like my coffee and what I would usually eat. He spoiled us with his kindness. Also, Sohoni in The Inroom dining, she found out I was looking for fresh water coconut, she went out of her way to find a few for me and my wife which was truly appreciated. This is what hospitality is all about. In summary, I highly recommend this resort and try getting the one bedroom suite on the ground floor which is easily accessible to the beach, pool and restaurants. I'm already making plans for a second visit. Thank you Salterra to the management and Staff. Trip type Vacation Travel group Couple Rooms: 5 Service: 5 Location: 5 Rooms Spacious and luxurious Nearby activities Snorkeling and numerous beaches. Safety Very safe and private Walkability Endless length of beach to explore Food & drinks Numerous restaurants and bars with a variety of food, wine and cocktail choices Noteworthy details Best room of choice is the one bedroom suites on the first floor with the outdoor patio and hammock. Hotel highlights Luxury, Great view, Romantic, Quiet, High-tech