Meridian Club, The - Turks and Caicos

Home » Caribbean » Turks and Caicos » Pine Cay

Know Before You Go!

Have you visited Meridian Club, The? We'd love to know what you think...
Please write a review with as much detail as possible. Tell us about the amenities, facilities and staff.

Click Here to post your review for Meridian Club, The.

Once again, the Meridian Club shines! Visited: November 2008 Posted by snorkeler This was our fourth fabulous vacation with the folks at The Meridian Club on Pine Cay -- 20 minutes by boat and a world away from Providenciales. There were only 26 guests and a smattering of friendly vacation homeowners sharing one resort's incredible two-mile beach, sapphire blue water with sandy bottom, and great reef just a little ways offshore. There were 12 large duplexes, one bedroom beachfront units, and one cottage, with ceiling fans, king bed, a couch and chair, a refrigerator, a screened porch overlooking the beach, patio, indoor and outdoor shower, two sinks and a dressing area. There were also outdoor tables under thatched umbrellas for breakfast, lunch, and several island theme dinners each week. They served fabulous appetizers, meals, desserts, and snacks -- all included in the daily rate. Multiple entrees and desserts were on offer each night; buffet lunches and cook-to-order breakfasts. They also had an outdoor bar. There was an airy dining room with an upstairs bar and game room, and an open air porch for watching sunsets. Beach activities consume your days: daily snorkel trips on a great snorkel boat with friendly captains, hobie cats, kayaks, bicycles, bone fishing in the sand flats, game fishing, picnics and beachcombing on deserted beaches, swimming, reading, and sunbathing. There is also a pool if you want a change from salt water. Night time activities? Nightcap at the bar after a fabulous dinner and/or a romantic stroll down the two-mile beach. There is also the Saturday night "jump up" after dinner until 10 pm. The Meridian Club has indescribably friendly and caring staff and on site management! 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was a once in a lifetime experience. Visited: April 2007 Posted by jds21 My wife and I just returned from a glorious five-day vacation at the Meridian Club. Here, they offer something that few other places can in this day and age: a place where you can go and enjoy one of the most unspoiled, beautiful beaches in the Caribbean. But the Meridian Club is not all about its marvelous beach. It's about a great Caribbean experience from the warm hospitality offered by managers Wally and Bev Plachta and the local staff to the wonderful varieties of prepared food. It's about an environment conducive to sharing some romantic quality time with a significant other. It's about providing an atmosphere where one can totally unwind, heal and recharge your batteries. It's basically pure tranquility. There's a rustic elegance here that's very hard to duplicate. One of the unique things about the Meridian Club is its size. Because it's small, not only does the staff take the time to get to know you, you have the opportunity to get to know the other guests. They definitely cater to a certain style. Though its casual pace isn't for everyone, in my opinion, everyone could use a little taste of it. This creates one common bond amongst its visitors. We sincerely enjoyed meeting and getting to know some of the other guests while having quiet time to ourselves as well. I'd like to conclude by saying if you're looking for a vacation, a place where you can truly relax, unwind and take in one of the most scenic beach environments the Caribbean has to offer - look no further than the Meridian Club. 11 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was the best! Visited: December 2006 Posted by tyman492 I went to Pine Cay with my parents. We had the best time! You can wake up any time you would like, and there is always breakfast at the buffet. And if there isn't? Then you can ask someone, and they'll do anything from going to cut down the ripest pineapple on the island, to cooking up some french toast for you. The service is just amazing, as well. At lunch and at dinner, they will ring the big bell to let everyone on the island know that lunch or dinner is being served. The island is so peacful, that when you go to bed at night, there's no need to lock your doors. I must warn you, though, that on New Years Eve, everyone who lives in the resort (The Meridian Club) throws each other into the pool. So, if you don't like privacy and tons of kind hearted people, do not come to this island or resort. 13 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was the perfect secluded honeymoon hideaway. Visited: May 2006 Posted by mrsmith1 If you want all of your needs taken care of in a truly romantic setting, but hate others dictating your honeymoon schedule or allowing annoying distractions from your beautiful bride - this is the destination for you. If you want late night attractions or hi-tech entertainment, stay away! This resort is all about peace and quiet. The Meridian Club excels in the finest beaches, food, facilities, and staff. The offshore reef snorkeling trip is worth visiting every day. Sand dollars and beautiful conch shells are in abundance. Long walks on the "pillow sand" beaches are a pure joy. The ocean water is as clear as a swimming pool. Trips sailing up and down the island in one of the resort’s Hobie Cats is a dream. The gracious staff quickly met every request and special need that my wife and I had. I highly recommend the Honeymoon package, which included things like breakfast in bed, a private lunch on a deserted island, and a romantic private dinner on the beach. We spent eight days there, and although it was not cheap, what we received was worth far more than we paid. We stayed in the Sand Dollar Cottage and loved the seclusion it offered. One caveat: if you stay in the early summer (May or June), it sometimes gets around 90 degrees with high humidity, and there is only one ceiling fan in the Cottage. There is no air conditioning in any suite at this resort. This forces you to either take a lot of showers together (not too bad a prospect for newlyweds), or spend a lot of time in the water. That was the only negative point about our entire stay. If you want to book this resort during the cooler months, be prepared to book at least a year ahead. The evenings and sunsets are perfect. Bring “business casual” clothes for the dinners. The dinners are very refined, but not pretentious. Think: barefoot with sundresses or slacks. The food is so good; you will never miss a meal – even if you are still full from the last one. Hint: always order the seafood, it’s as fresh and varied as you have ever had. 14 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This is a special place where tranquility takes over. Visited: April 2006 Posted by nancy2 The Meridian Club is a club that is quite special. It is where one can say goodbye to the hustle and bustle. One can relax and enjoy the outdoors whether it be swimming in the crystal clear waters, snorkeling, bone fishing or finding sand dollars. The staff is kind and see that all of one's needs are met. 10 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was the absolute getaway experience! Visited: July 2005 Posted by jdsmity7 This was my first trip traveling alone to the Caribbean. Quickly, my apprehension of feeling alone vanished when I arrived on this absolutely gorgeous island. I loved everything! From the spacious breezy club room to the conversations with the staff and other guests. I truly believe the ultimate experience came when I spent my first night here, and begin to seriously unwind. The peace and quiet was remarkable. The Meridian Club had a no cell phone and TV policy, which meant the outside world influences were minimum. I had no choice but to relax. And I sure did. I slept so hard. The morning walk on the beach was incredible. The food was phenomenal and the activities were minimal, but fun. Overall, I will recommend this very private island for couples looking to spend that quality time together. And singles, needing a place to come and relax from the trials that life brings you. Thanks to all the wonderful staff. I had a great time! 10 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was the best! Visited: January 2005 Posted by lisa_lohnes We loved the Meridian Club! There were only thirteen rooms, and they were elegantly rustic. We stayed in the Sand Dollar Cottage which could not be beat for privacy. Also, the beach at the Meridan was the nicest we have been to - anywhere in the Caribbean. It was over two miles long with blazing white sand. We stayed ten days and felt as though we had the beach to ourselves every day! Dinners were excellent. Breakfast was great as well. Lunch was a buffet every day and I am not one for buffets. We did learn later in the week that the chef will make anything you like for lunch, so we will take advantage of this when we return. Also, food times were more structured than we are used to. Coffee was available at 7:30 am with breakfast from 8-9, lunch from 1-2, and guests were expected to arrive for dinner between 7:30-7:45 pm. The weather here was slightly cooler than the more southern Caribbean islands, which was just fine with us! Day temps were low 80's with evenings in the 70's, and very low humidity. There was a commissary on site which allowed guests to buy any alcohol, water, etc. Lastly, everything that we could possibly need was in our room - glassware, ice, books, and plenty of towels. Also, rooms were cleaned before 11:00 am. 10 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? The Meridian Club offered peace and solitude. Visited: January 2005 Posted by lisa_lohnes Gerry and I just returned from the Meridan Club and it was everything that we expected. We stayed in the Sand Dollar Cottage. It was very secluded and quiet. The beach was no less than two miles long and there were many days that we had it all to ourselves. Service was impeccable and we enjoyed the understated elegance of the island. It was a very unique and a place that we will visit again. 9 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Meridian Club provided an isolated and idyllic escape. Visited: March 2003 Posted by egbrust My husband and I joined another couple to escape to the Meridian Club in March for a long weekend. What special place! Although meal times were very social with the other guests - all lovely people who came to enjoy the quiet, panoramic views - our days were spent on the most exquisite beach that was virtually empty. The food was delicious, and "Bang Bang", the club's bartender extraordinaire, made us his icy drink specials during the lazy afternoon that guaranteed a nap on the beach! We were able to arrange a massage - very good - and the boys went on a fishing excursion. But mostly, we just spent our time reading and taking in the beautiful environment. The cottages were simply furnished, and to be honest , the outdoor shower was nicer than the indoor bath. But that was a minor detail to an otherwise perfect getaway. 8 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? A little slice of heaven! Visited: March 2002 Posted by cookiechik This private island resort brings new meaning to the word "getaway"! It is truly that, with 12 duplexes situated on a breathtaking two-mile long beach. If you are looking to relax, eat, relax, sleep, walk, eat, snorkel and relax, this is the place. If not, I truly suggest going somewhere else. The rooms are in private semi-attached duplexes decorated with beautiful Haitian art, and have a shower, a screened in porch, a sitting area and an outdoor shower. There are ceiling fans, but no a/c. They are a great vantage point for some beautiful sunsets. Daily activities include a snorkeling trip, sunning, shelling, and relaxing. A bell is rung to signal the serving of lunch and dinner. Food is excellent and is varied nightly. Also, once a week the club organizes a jump up which is sort of an outdoor barbeque with entertainment. Shoes are always optional! The staff does everything to make you feel at home, but are never intrusive. I highly recommend the Meridian Club and would return in a heartbeat. From the excellent service and the food, to the relaxed atmosphere and the sparkling turquoise water, I can see why their guests return year after year. I can't wait to go back. 6 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? A private island gem - heaven on a desert isle Visited: February 2002 Posted by dudley Pine Cay is a private island (about two miles long) and is owned by the approximately 40 homeowners on the island. In addition to the ten rooms at the Meridian Club, there are also several houses that are available to rent when the owner is not in residence. We opted to rent a house as they did not have two rooms available for the time of our visit. You arrive at the Meridian Club either by boat or very small plane (Global Airways). The resort will tell you how you will be transferred prior to your arrival. They make all of the arrangements for you and the transfer is free with a stay of at least seven nights. If you don’t stay seven nights, the transfer is charged to you and I believe it is about $145 each way. We rented a house that overlooked a freshwater pond and past that there was a view of the ocean. It had two bedrooms and a pull-out couch in what could be a third bedroom. There were three full baths and a laundry room. The restaurant is excellent. Dress is casual during the day and men wear collared shirts and slacks at night. Shoes are optional at all meals. There is usually a visiting chef who helps keep things new. The meals are included with a stay in the guestrooms, but are an additional $90 pp per day if you are renting a house and choose to get on the meal plan. We thought this was money well spent. The only negative comment I have ever heard was that a guest requested crème brulee and they did not prepare it for her. They served it several times during our stay. I cannot say enough positive things about the staff. They were extremely friendly and welcoming. They quickly learned our names and went out of their way to make our stay enjoyable. The ten guest rooms have recently been remodeled. There are very nice outdoor showers with bamboo screening. The guest rooms are not fancy, but they are bright and cheerful and are designed to take advantage of the almost constant breeze. All ten ground floor rooms are beachfront. I was told that the rooms were very quiet even though they are built in duplex fashion. The typical guest seemed to be a very financially secure and well-traveled person nearing or in retirement, although there were some guests in their thirties. The guests were all very friendly and down to earth and most gathered for cocktails before dinner. We were the only first-time guests during part of our stay, but this did not prevent us from interacting with the other guests, many of whom had been visiting annually for more that ten years. 7 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Excellent and well-deserving of the applause! Visited: December 1969 Posted by KarenW531 This was my second trip to T & C as we usually only vacation during the winter months and due to its location, I feared that it would not be warm enough for me! But having been blown out of Cap Juluca by Lenny in February sent us in search of an alternative and one of them was the Meridian Club. My passport reminded me that the previous visit was early December 1995. Now, two planes connect from Miami and the connection can be hair-raising as we found out on our trip home with an unpleasant and unexpected stay in Miami. There are also charters that fly from various airports directly into Provo but since they are weekend flights, it did not fit our plan for a 10-day stay. This time we flew from Provo to Pine Cay, a short 5 - 7 minute flight but it is accessable by boat as well. The private island is owned by the Homeowners who have homes scattered about the island and the 12-room, one cottage that is the Club sits beachfront on a long wonderful natural sandy beach. Some of the homes can be rented as well. Rooms are divided into the sleeping area, a sitting area, a bath (showers only) and a wonderful screened porch. The SandDollar Cottage sits a bit apart from the other rooms offering more privacy, a huge shower, a coffee pot (for "real" coffee as opposed to the instant hot shots in the Club rooms) and more comfortable porch furniture in a larger unit. Each unit faces the beach and west so sunrises are not a treat ... but those sun sets...Wow! The green flash is a nightly occurance! Electric ceiling fans and louvers are the natural air-conditoning as the steady tradewinds blew through. It was wonderful (although a bit chilly some nights). Tiki huts were placed along the beach, tucked between the dunes and natural scrub, so that you felt that you were alone on the beach. Unmanicured grounds and the beach offered long walks, shelling and finding glorious sand dollars at Sand Dollar Point and all the other lovely shells! Activities included an expedition daily to nearby cays or out to the reef for snorkeling or diving, biking or hiking the island, exploring the fresh water ponds or snorkeling the "aquarium" at the end of the cay, a long walk to Salt Cay, a picnic lunch of a lobster sandwich, tennis, golf carts for circumventing the island - no cars allowed - and just relaxing. Not much to see from the beach although the water is sparkeling clear but reports from snorkelers were great! Also the customary water toys are provided: windsurfers, kayaks, etc. Food was served and when the ship's bell rang, it was time to eat again! Breakfast can be served on the porch of your room but lunch and dinner are served in a Club House adjacent to the pool. One nite is a bar-b-que and "jump up" (possibly the most quiet one I have ever been to). Staff stay on island and return to their North Caicos homes when they have time off. Food was good, prepared by a caring staff and supervised by a visiting chef who happened when we were there to be at the Ritz on St. Thomas when we were there the previous December! Only one night did the food not please (and I am hard to please) but I ordered a lobster salad instead of the entree choices and that was no problem. Breakfast was buffet style with the hot entree served, lunch was buffet and dinner was four course with coffee and after-dinner drinks upstairs in the Club Room. Tea was offered daily but other than when returning from shelling or a trip, we did not regularly attend but that was because a cooler with refreshments accompanied us everywhere! Well stocked commissary for the homeowners and guests alike and Doris has a small but well stocked shop but shopping in these islands is so limited anyway! Two things that I was disappointed with was that the creme brulee that I requested never made it to the menu during my stay and I did so want to go check out the new Parrot Cay for the day. Despite the $85 day charge plus $75 for lunch, I did want to go see what all the hype was about. But I had to be content to view it from the boat as we went by as we were told that they were not accepting "day guests" at that time! Certainly worth a return look-see if not a stay! But doubt that those who would love Meridan would love Parrot Cay and visa versa. It is a magnificent property but Meridian just seems like it is more low key and less fussy. Sharon and Jim Shafer are the management team and do an outstanding job of keeping it all together and the staff is the warmest hospitable staff I have found in the Caribbean. I suspect that is because of the uniqueness, the intimacy and the majority of retuning guests over the years! If it is true R & R you seek this is the place for you with no intrusions unless you happen to tell someone the fax number. There is one phone and sometimes it works, sometimes not, down by the tennis court! You might want to schedule your trip to coincide with the monthly "full moon nights" and the glow worm cruise five nights later! But schedule it soon! 9 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful?