The Villa Book has just taken on two exclusive brand new villas within The Sanctuary, the private estate belonging to American fashion designer, Donna Karan, on magical Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos.

The Sanctuary Villas are adjacent four bedroom villas, on either side of a Balinese screened-in pavilion, which are available to rent for groups of up to 16 people, from the beginning of January. These villas are part of Parrot Cay’s ‘private villas’, accessible from the main part of the resort, but set in a more remote part of the island.

With British Airways flying direct to the Turks and Caicos island of Providenciales, via Nassau, a stay at Parrot Cay has become much more accessible as a holiday destination, and those in need of a completely relaxing break in idyllic surroundings need look no further. This 1000 acre paradise feels about as far away as you can get from the stresses of city life. On arrival in Provo, you will be whisked away by hotel staff in an air conditioned mini-bus for the 15 minute ride to the dock, then onto the hotel’s speedboat for the 40 minute trip to Parrot Cay. From the minute you arrive, it is as if a spell has been cast as you enter this tranquil, slow paced paradise. Whether it is something to do with the fact that most of the staff are gentle Balinese, the wonderfully indulgent Como Shambala Spa, or just the sheer beauty everywhere, it is quite overwhelming. It is so incredibly peaceful - the sort of place you can stay and feel as if you are totally alone – during our stay, we rarely ran into the same person twice, and sometimes the beach seemed to be almost totally deserted. Of course, if you stay in one of the villas here, either one of the villas in the main resort, or a privately owned villa, you will have your own private piece of beach anyway, furnished with sun loungers and umbrellas, and accessed by a short pathway direct from your villa.

The Sanctuary villas were designed by Donna Karan with Cheong Yew Kuan, the Singporean architect who designed the award winning Begawan Giri in Bali. The result is a perfect combination of natural materials and indoor/outdoor living. The rooms have limestone floors, cedar-panelled walls and floor to ceiling windows, opening up to terraces, and allowing for much natural light. Donna Karan’s love for the east is reflected in the Balinese teak furniture and a large art collection collected on her travels throughout Africa and Asia, all against a backdrop of white walls and furnishings. The highlight of each house is the second floor master bedroom/living area which has 360 degree island views. Each house has its own infinity pool and Jacuzzi. The pavilion also has a pool, as well as a dining and living area. Modern facilities include air conditioning, iPod docks, plasma televisions, fax and direct dial telephones, and WiFi internet connection. Guests will have access to all Parrot Cay Resort’s facilities, including the fabulous Como Shambala Spa with its wonderful range of holistic treatments. Accessed by a pathway lined with banyan trees, it consists of several buildings housing treatment rooms, yoga studios offering daily pilates and yoga classes, and several Jacuzzis and small pools. It offers a perfect ambience for just relaxing and feeling pampered, right down to the baskets of freshly laundered thick towels and bottled water at every turn.


At the moment, both The Sanctuary villas must be rented together as an 8 bedroom property, and the price is £10,000 per night, subject to 10% local tax. Prices for a 3 bedroom villa within the main resort, with private beach access, start at £11,200 per week. Minimum stay is 3 nights, except some high season periods, which require a minimum of 5 nights. The villas are fully staffed and the rate includes breakfast and two butlers. Other meals can be taken privately within the villa, or in one of the resort’s two restaurants.

For details of these and the other villas at Parrot Cay, visit
www.thevillabook.com