June 8, 2009

CARIBBEAN | TURKS & CAICOS

Cosmo Caribbean

By Sandra Ramani

Gansevoort no. 3 tries to take the provincial out of Providenciales.

view map

Attention Turks & Caicos fans: hipness has officially hit the archipelago. Long a low-profile hideaway for A-listers, the recent opening of the Gansevoort Turks & Caicos on Providenciales means quiet days are over. Gansevoort brings the minimalist-chic decor of its New York and Miami locations (a marked departure from the islands’ many homages to colonial architecture), as well as its signature see-and-be-seen vibe.

On a recent visit, globorati spotted TV starlets and Gotham media types who had come for a three-day fitness workshop led by the founders of Exhale — the hipster mind-body spa and gym franchise that now has an outpost at the resort. And already, the Gansevoort’s beachside lounge, sunken bar and central pool area have become hot meeting spots for local ex-pats (who can resist the pool’s “floating island” daybeds?).

While the Gansevoort Hotel Group likes to say it brought the first “urban resort” to New York in 2004, the Turks and Caicos property is their first island resort. And it’s brought plenty of familiar company: In addition to Exhale, the Bagatelle restaurant — also a Meatpacking neighbor of the New York hotel — serves up béarnaise-topped filet mignon and French apple tarts. (Suddenly, there’s a local scene not centered around conch!)

It remains to be seen how long the Gansevoort can hold on to its cool cache, since the building boom is far from over on Turks & Caicos. This Thanksgiving, the Veranda Resort — managed by the folks behind the Grace Bay Club — will bring plunge pools and beachside villas to the islands, while Delis Cay and The Tanai will unleash over-water bungalows and the Caribbean’s largest infinity pool, respectively, in 2010.