If you’re hunting for an all-inclusive Caribbean getaway built for families, Beaches Resorts is the brand you keep bumping into — and for good reason. Kids eat free, scuba’s included, Sesame Street shows up at breakfast, and every single property is a Certified Autism Center. But here’s the thing most blog posts still get wrong: there are only two Beaches resorts operating today — Beaches Turks & Caicos and Beaches Negril.
Beaches Ocho Rios in Jamaica closed a few years ago and is no longer part of the Beaches portfolio. So if you came here trying to pick between three resorts, good news: the shortlist just got a lot easier. The harder question is which of the two is the right fit for your family.
We’ve been to both. One is a sprawling 95-acre resort on the beach ranked #1 in the world, with six villages and 24 restaurants. The other is a laid-back 20-acre hideaway on Jamaica’s Seven Mile Beach that feels like an intimate beach house by comparison. Below, we break down both properties in detail, compare them side by side, and give you a clear answer on which Beaches resort is best for your family.
Quick Verdict: Which Beaches Resort Wins?
- Best overall — Beaches Turks & Caicos. Bigger, newer, more of everything, on Grace Bay Beach.
- Best for a laid-back beach vacation — Beaches Negril. Smaller, more intimate, an easier resort to “figure out” in a day.
- Best waterpark — Beaches Turks & Caicos — 45,000 sq ft and nine slides versus Negril’s 3,962 sq ft with two main slides.
- Most dining variety — Beaches Turks & Caicos with 23 restaurants plus three food trucks versus Negril’s 13 restaurants.
- Shortest airport transfer — Beaches Turks & Caicos, 15–20 minutes from Providenciales Airport (PLS). Beaches Negril is roughly 50 miles from Montego Bay (MBJ) — a scenic but longer drive.
- Best for toddlers and young swimmers — Beaches Negril. Jamaica’s Seven Mile Beach at Long Bay is calm and wadeable. (Grace Bay is beautiful but the resort is also much bigger to cross with a stroller.)
- Best for off-resort adventure — Beaches Negril. Jamaica has dramatically more excursion options than Providenciales.
#1: Beaches Turks & Caicos — The Ultimate All-Inclusive Family Resort
Why It’s #1
Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa sits on Grace Bay in Providenciales — a stretch routinely called one of the best beaches in the world. The resort itself is massive: 95 acres, six villages, 859 rooms and suites across 59 categories, and the brand-new Treasure Beach Village that just opened. Basically, anything a family could want on a Caribbean vacation lives somewhere on this property.
It’s also the easiest Caribbean all-inclusive to get to from the U.S. Providenciales International Airport (PLS) is just about 6 miles away — a 15- to 20-minute transfer, and transfers are complimentary for every guest, regardless of room category. You can be drinking a rum punch on Grace Bay less than an hour after your plane lands.
Key Features & Amenities
Grace Bay Beach
- Fronts a 12-mile stretch of Grace Bay — soft white sand, turquoise water, and minimal seaweed most of the year.
- Marketed as the “World’s #1 Best Beach” by TripAdvisor travelers and it genuinely lives up to the hype.
- Complimentary watersports: kayaks, Hobie Cats, paddleboards, windsurfing, snorkeling with equipment, and the Underwater Vision boat.
Pirates Island Waterpark — the big one
- 45,000 square feet of waterpark, open daily 7:00am to 9:00pm.
- Nine waterslides, a lazy river, a surf simulator, water cannons, cranks, and splash zones for the little ones.
- 10 freshwater pools, 4 whirlpools, and a dedicated scuba diving pool across the rest of the resort.
23 restaurants + 3 food trucks
- The most dining of any Beaches resort. Cuisines range from French (Le Petit Château, adults and kids 12+) to Japanese Teppanyaki (Kimonos) to steakhouse (Butch’s Island Chophouse at Treasure Beach).
- Kid-friendly staples: a 50’s diner (Bobby D’s), a mac & cheese truck (Mr. Mac), a Jerk Truck, and frozen yogurt at Yoyo Froyo.
- Reservations required at Kimonos, Le Petit Château, and Butch’s Island Chophouse. Certain restaurants have a “resort evening attire” dress code for dinner — no shorts, t-shirts, sneakers, or flip-flops.
- 14 bars across the property, including swim-up bars at the Italian, French, and Treasure Beach pools.
Six villages, lots of accommodation styles
- Caribbean Village — the original part of the resort; standard rooms in the Main Building.
- Italian Village — Tuscan-themed; home of Pirates Island Waterpark and several pool bars.
- Seaside Village — grouped with Caribbean, with one- and two-bedroom villa suites in the Cay buildings.
- French Village — Concierge-heavy; Kimonos, Le Petit Château, and the resort’s 8 pickleball courts plus 2 tennis courts.
- Key West Village — the highest concentration of multi-bedroom Butler Villa Residences (some with private plunge pools, right on the beach).
- Treasure Beach Village — the newest section, officially open, with its own restaurants (Butch’s, Pinta Food Hall, BRU Coffee & Bar) and suites up to the 2,612 sq ft CrystalSky 4-Bedroom Reserve Villa.
Rooms come in three service tiers: Luxury (base), Concierge (champagne on arrival, stocked in-suite bar, preferred check-in), and Butler Elite (full personal butler, select categories include private airport transfers).
Kids, teens, and Sesame Street
- Camp Sesame nursery covers 0–11 months, 12–24 months, and 3–4 years, with locations in both the Caribbean Village and Key West Village.
- Kids Camp age groups: Toddlers 3–4, Navigators 5–7, Adventurers 8–10, Tweens 11–14, Teens 15–17.
- Meet nine Sesame Street friends — Elmo, Cookie Monster, Grover, Zoe, Bert & Ernie, Abby Cadabby, The Count, Rosita, and Oscar the Grouch. Sesame Street Breakfast Mondays and Thursdays at 8:00am; Sesame Street Live Parade Friday evenings.
- Xbox Play Lounge open 8:00am–11:00pm, and Shadow Lounge for tweens and teens.
- Certified Autism Center (all Beaches resorts are), with staff trained via “Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children.”
Watersports & scuba
- Unlimited scuba diving included for certified divers (Beaches has been a PADI partner since 1997).
- PADI Discover Scuba, Bubblemaker (kids 8+), and Seal Team (8–9) available at additional cost.
- Sailing Fun Experience in partnership with the American Sailing Association for kids 8+.
Who It’s Best For
- Families who want the biggest, most feature-packed all-inclusive in the Caribbean.
- Travelers who value a short airport transfer (15–20 min from PLS).
- Multi-generational groups needing two-, three-, or four-bedroom suites and villas.
- Food-focused travelers who want variety across 20+ restaurants.
- Anyone with kids begging for “the big waterpark.”
#2: Beaches Negril — Best for a Laid-Back Beach Vacation
Why It’s #2
Beaches Negril is the opposite energy. Where Turks & Caicos is sprawling and polished, Beaches Negril is intimate and easygoing. The entire resort is 20 acres (12 on the beach side, 8 on the garden side) with 197 rooms and suites across three villages — you can walk end-to-end in minutes.
It sits on what the resort calls the “widest stretch of Seven Mile Beach” at Long Bay, with 1,530 feet of white-sand beach. The water is calm, shallow, and genuinely wadeable — one of the reasons we rank Negril ahead for families with toddlers or hesitant swimmers.
The trade-off is the airport transfer. Sangster International in Montego Bay (MBJ) is approximately 50 miles away, and the drive winds along Jamaica’s north coast — beautiful, but not fast. Complimentary transfers are still included for every guest regardless of room category.
Key Features & Amenities
Seven Mile Beach at Long Bay
- 1,530 feet of white sand on Jamaica’s famous Seven Mile Beach — marketed as the widest stretch of that beach.
- Calm, shallow water perfect for young kids and beginner swimmers.
- Included watersports list is actually broader than BTC: kayaks, aqua cycles, windsurfing, Hobie Cats, paddleboards, the Underwater Vision Boat, snorkeling, banana boats, water-skiing, knee boarding, and wakeboarding.
Pirates Island Waterpark — the smaller version
Be honest with the kids: this is not the same waterpark as Turks & Caicos. Negril’s Pirates Island is about 3,962 square feet — roughly 1/11th the size — with:
- Two main slides, each 204 feet long (42-inch height requirement).
- Smaller slides for ages 2–4 and 4–6.
- Splash deck with pirate bucket drops.
- 92-foot meandering lazy river.
- Open daily 10:00am–6:00pm.
There’s no surf simulator and no water cannons. For a younger kid, it’s plenty. For a 10-year-old who’s seen the BTC waterpark, it’s a short afternoon, not an all-day destination.
13 restaurants, all resort-casual
- Jerk Shack — authentic Jamaican jerk for lunch, Jamaican seafood at dinner.
- The Mill Restaurant — international buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
- Kimonos — Japanese Teppanyaki (reservations required).
- Stella — Italian à la carte (reservations required).
- Yaku — Peruvian à la carte (reservations required).
- Mariachi — Mexican.
- Dino’s Pizzeria — Neapolitan wood-stone oven pizza.
- Soy — sushi and sashimi.
- Plus Bar B Q Park with late-night snacks until 3:00am, food trucks (Chick ‘N’ Dippers and Green Machine), Café De Paris, and frozen-yogurt/ice-cream counters.
- Every restaurant is “resort casual” — there’s no dress code escalation for dinner the way there is at BTC’s Giuseppe’s or Le Petit Château. Easier on packing.
Three villages, 29 room categories
- Calypso Cove — Montpelier buildings and the Eventide Penthouse Collection (newest category; up to four bedrooms, rooftop terraces on the 3rd floor, walkouts on the 1st).
- Reggaeville — Savannah buildings, home to most of the 1st-floor walkout Grand Butler family suites.
- Island Village — Santa Cruz buildings plus the Fire Sky Reserve Villa: a 3-story, 4-bedroom beachfront villa with its own private pool.
- All rooms include king beds, A/C, marble bathroom, safe, and in-room fridge. Same three tiers as BTC: Luxury, Concierge, and Butler Elite — butler suites get 24-hour room service and private in-room VIP check-in.
Kids, teens, and Sesame Street
- Kids Camp hours: 9:00am–5:00pm (Session I), deep-clean break, then 6:00pm–9:00pm (Session II). Reservations required — not drop-in like BTC. Book the camp when you check in.
- Age groups: Sesame Nursery 0–24 months, Toddlers 3–4, Kids 5–10, Teens & Tweens 11–17.
- Trench Town Teen Center — foosball, air hockey, bean bags; open 10:00am–5:00pm and 6:00pm–9:00pm.
- Club Liquid — nightclub with a DJ. Tweens and teens 10:00–11:00pm; adults only 11:00pm–1:00am.
- Eleven Sesame Street friends on property, three exclusive live stage shows, Sesame Street Breakfast Mondays and Fridays, and a Thursday Carnival Beach Party with Sesame Street parade and fire show.
Nightly entertainment lineup
Negril runs a different themed event every night of the week: Beaches Live (Sunday), Jamaica Day (Monday), Broadway Review (Tuesday), Love Hop chocolate-and-silent-headphone party (Wednesday), Carnival Beach Party (Thursday), Get Lit water show (Friday), and the Luminescent Pool Party (Saturday).
Who It’s Best For
- Families who want a smaller, calmer resort that’s easy to navigate.
- Parents of toddlers or new swimmers who want shallow, wadeable water.
- Travelers who want an authentically Jamaican vibe — reggae music, jerk food, island energy.
- Families who plan to get off-resort for excursions (Dunn’s River Falls, Mystic Mountain, Dolphin Cove, Rick’s Café, Blue Hole).
- Light packers — no evening attire required at any restaurant.
- Anyone who’s already been to BTC and wants a different flavor of the same brand.
Beaches Turks & Caicos vs. Beaches Negril: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Beaches Turks & Caicos | Beaches Negril |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Turks & Caicos (Providenciales) | Jamaica (Negril) |
| Beach | Grace Bay — 12 miles of white sand | Seven Mile Beach at Long Bay — 1,530 ft of beachfront |
| Resort size | 95 acres | 20 acres |
| Rooms & suites | 859 (59 categories) | 197 (29 categories) |
| Villages | 6 (Caribbean, Italian, Seaside, French, Key West, Treasure Beach) | 3 (Calypso Cove, Reggaeville, Island Village) |
| Restaurants | 23 restaurants + 3 food trucks | 13 restaurants + 2 food trucks |
| Bars | 14 | 5 |
| Pools | 10 freshwater + 4 whirlpools + 1 scuba pool | 3 freshwater + 3 whirlpools |
| Waterpark | 45,000 sq ft — 9 slides, surf simulator, lazy river (7am–9pm) | 3,962 sq ft — 2 main slides + kid slides, 92-ft lazy river (10am–6pm) |
| Airport | Providenciales (PLS) | Montego Bay (MBJ) |
| Transfer distance | ~6 miles / 15–20 min | ~50 miles / scenic north-coast drive |
| Transfer cost | Complimentary for all guests | Complimentary for all guests |
| Dress code | Some restaurants require “resort evening attire” | All resort casual |
| Kids Camp | Drop-in friendly | Reservations required |
| Best for | Ultimate all-inclusive, biggest waterpark, most variety | Intimate beach vacation, calm water, Jamaica excursions |
What About Beaches Ocho Rios?
If you’re looking for Beaches Ocho Rios, you’re looking at a resort that no longer exists under the Beaches brand. It closed several years ago and is not part of the current Beaches portfolio — which is why every up-to-date comparison (including this one) covers just Turks & Caicos and Negril.
If you specifically wanted a Beaches resort in Jamaica, the answer now is Beaches Negril. It’s on the other side of the island from Ocho Rios, on Jamaica’s most famous beach, and many of the excursions travelers used to book from Ocho Rios (Dunn’s River Falls, Mystic Mountain, Dolphin Cove) are still doable from Negril as full-day trips.
Which Beaches Resort Should You Choose?
Here’s the quick decision tree we actually use when families ask us:
- “I want the wow factor, the big waterpark, the world-famous beach, and as many dining options as possible.” — Go to Beaches Turks & Caicos.
- “We’ve got toddlers and we just want a calm beach, a simple resort, and zero dinner dress-code stress.” — Go to Beaches Negril.
- “We love scuba / watersports and want the most variety.” — Negril wins on included watersports (water-skiing, wakeboarding, knee boarding are base inclusions); BTC wins on dive pool access and sheer scale. Either is excellent.
- “We want to see Jamaica, not just sit at a resort.” — Go to Beaches Negril.
- “We want the shortest possible transfer with a toddler.” — Go to Beaches Turks & Caicos (15–20 min vs. ~50 mi).
- “We’re doing a multi-gen trip and need a big villa.” — BTC’s Key West Village and Treasure Beach Village have the biggest Butler Villa residences; Negril counters with the Eventide Penthouse Collection (up to 18 guests) and the Fire Sky Reserve Villa.
The honest answer: you can’t really lose. Both properties share the same Beaches DNA — Sesame Street partnership, Certified Autism Center, unlimited scuba for certified divers, Butler Elite option, Red Lane Spa, free Wi-Fi, free airport transfers, and “all tips, taxes, and gratuities” included. The question is just which flavor of Caribbean vacation your family is chasing this trip.
Keep Reading
- Beaches Turks & Caicos — full resort overview
- Beaches Negril — full resort overview
- What’s Included (and Not Included) at Beaches Resorts
- Beaches Room Categories: Luxury, Concierge & Butler Elite
- The Ultimate Guide to Beaches Butler Service
- Beaches Resorts’ Billion Dollar Expansion
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Beaches Resorts are there?
Two are currently operating: Beaches Turks & Caicos in Providenciales and Beaches Negril in Jamaica. Beaches Ocho Rios (formerly the third property) is no longer part of the Beaches brand.
Is Beaches Ocho Rios still open?
No. Beaches Ocho Rios closed and isn’t part of the Beaches portfolio anymore. If you want a Beaches resort in Jamaica, Beaches Negril is your only option.
Which Beaches resort has the biggest waterpark?
Beaches Turks & Caicos, by a huge margin. Its Pirates Island Waterpark is 45,000 sq ft with 9 slides, a lazy river, and a surf simulator. Beaches Negril’s Pirates Island is about 3,962 sq ft with 2 main slides and a 92-foot lazy river — great for little kids, but not in the same league as BTC’s.
Which Beaches resort is best for toddlers?
Both have Camp Sesame and a nursery starting from newborn, but Beaches Negril tends to edge out for very young kids because the resort is small and easy to cross with a stroller, the Seven Mile Beach water is calmer and shallower at Long Bay, and there’s no dress-code hassle at dinner. Note that Negril’s Kids Camp requires a reservation — book it at check-in.
How long is the airport transfer to each resort?
Beaches Turks & Caicos is approximately 6 miles from Providenciales Airport (PLS), a 15- to 20-minute drive. Beaches Negril is approximately 50 miles from Sangster International (MBJ) in Montego Bay — a scenic drive along Jamaica’s north coast that generally takes 1.5 to 2 hours. Round-trip transfers are complimentary for every guest at both resorts, regardless of room category.
Are Beaches Resorts all-inclusive?
Yes. Both resorts include all meals and snacks, unlimited premium liquors, Robert Mondavi Twin Oaks wines, scuba for certified divers, watersports, the waterpark, Sesame Street programming, Kids Camp, and all tips, taxes, and airport transfers. The main things that are not included are Red Lane Spa treatments, PADI certification courses, private candlelight dinners, Island Routes off-resort excursions, and private airport transfers. See What’s Included at Beaches Resorts for the full breakdown.
Which Beaches resort is cheaper?
Rates vary week to week, but in general Beaches Negril tends to price lower than Beaches Turks & Caicos at comparable room tiers, partly because BTC is the flagship property and partly because Providenciales itself is a more expensive destination. Check both resorts’ current offers side by side — promos (resort credits, free nights, spa credits, air credits) change frequently and can shift which one is the better value for your specific dates.