Sibonne Beach Hotel: Intimate hospitality on booming Grace Bay

With room inventory in the Turks and Caicos expanding with each high tide and the landscape on Grace Bay Beach on main resort island Providenciales beginning to resemble the Miami Beach skyline, old-time properties stand out as much for lack of size as for restrained architecture.

Sibonne Beach Hotel, originally named Le Deck, was the first hotel built on Grace Bay Beach, and it still is the property closest to the water.

Bordered on either side by much newer and bigger neighbors, including the Somerset, the Palms, the Alexandra Resort & Spa, the Sands and Beaches Turks and Caicos, Sibonne remains a traditional Caribbean retreat, albeit one hidden in the shadow of upscale megaresorts and condominium developments.

The 28-room, two-story hotel is nestled amid a garden overflowing with aromatic flora. Despite its small footprint, Sibonne has nooks and crannies where guests can kick back, undisturbed, with a good book.

The low-key atmosphere draws an eclectic clientele of honeymooners, divers, families and a high number of regulars, according to managers Ken and Sandra Macleod.

Old-school ambience

The Macleods point out to potential guests that Sibonne is not the best choice for travelers in search of a hotel with wireless Internet connections, state-of-the-art gyms and a variety of restaurants and bars.

However, a short walk along the beach reveals a selection of water sports operators, spa offerings and kid-friendly fun at the neighboring resorts.

Local dive operators provide transportation to and from Sibonne. Guests also can hop on the Gecko Shuttle, the island bus, to sightsee or shop. Shuttle prices are $4 a ride or $11 for a multiday pass.

Sibonne's guest rooms are understated, comfortable and a relative bargain, with rates from $175 a night in high season.

Second-floor rooms have ocean views from the balcony, and ground-floor rooms offer garden views from the patios.

The hotel was refurbished in 2002, adding air conditioning, ceiling fans, cable TV, minifridges, coffeemakers, direct-dial phones with dataports and in-room safes.

For those looking to splurge, Sibonne boasts two oceanfront premier rooms on the beach as well as a one-bedroom beach unit with a full kitchen and a living-dining area with sofa-bed.

Winter rates for the oceanfront rooms are $235 per night, double. The apartment starts at $375 per night. These units sell out quickly and should be booked months in advance.

Continental breakfast, which is included, is served at Sibonne's Bay Bistro. The restaurant is casual for breakfast and lunch but transforms into an elegant room each evening.

The dinner menu is an eclectic mix of continental cuisine. One of the tastiest entrees is the vegetable tart with roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts and grilled zucchini on puff pastry filled with ratatouille and topped with melted brie.

Jutting onto the beach overlooking the bay, the restaurant offers panoramic views and attentive service. Reservations are recommended.

A three-course dinner for two can be pricey, upwards of $100, but the quality, service and setting are worth it.

Sibonne's setting offers a great vantage point for sunsets, whether over a cocktail at the Bay Bistro or in a lounge chair on the beach with a bottle of wine.

These spectacular light shows accentuate the experience of staying in a landmark boutique hotel reminiscent of the Caribbean of yesteryear.

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