TCI News
Hilton Honors 218 Million Members Power Set to Transform Dellis Cay, Elevate North and Middle Caicos Tourism
By Deandrea Hamilton | Editor
July 18, 2025 – Hilton’s luxury footprint is expanding — and it’s bringing more than just a five-star resort to Turks and Caicos. With the debut of Waldorf Astoria Turks and Caicos Dellis Cay, a previously undeveloped private island will be reimagined as one of the Caribbean’s most exclusive getaways. And perhaps most significantly, it will become accessible to the more than 218 million members of Hilton Honors, the brand’s award-winning loyalty program.
For North and Middle Caicos — the two largest, greenest islands in the Turks and Caicos archipelago — this development promises a once-in-a-generation economic and infrastructural shift. As the closest inhabited islands to Dellis Cay, they’re already preparing to support what is expected to be a steady flow of luxury travelers drawn by Hilton’s global reach.
“We are delighted to introduce Turks and Caicos to our growing footprint of global destinations that will be home to the incomparable allure
of the Waldorf Astoria brand,” said Dino Michael, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Hilton Luxury Brands.
“The signing of Waldorf Astoria Turks and Caicos Dellis Cay marks a momentous milestone for Hilton’s expanding luxury portfolio,” added Pablo Maturana, Vice President of Development for the Caribbean & Latin America. “Our dedication to providing bespoke experiences will come to fruition in a one-of-a-kind retreat that harmonizes natural beauty and tranquility with refined sophistication.”
The 560-acre Dellis Cay, located just minutes by boat from North Caicos, will feature 62 hotel suites and 65 branded residences, including beachfront villas and luxury condominiums. The architecture is being purposefully designed to integrate with the natural landscape — sandy shores, shimmering waters, and tropical vegetation will remain untouched where possible. Lush greenery will flow into the resort’s layout, reinforcing a sense of calm and seclusion.
Guests will enjoy world-class amenities, including an all-day dining restaurant, a specialty fine-dining venue, a beach and pool bar and grill, and the brand’s signature Peacock Alley, a social hub offering craft cocktails and island-inspired light bites. The development will also feature a full-service spa, adult and family pools, and private event spaces.
But it’s Hilton’s global infrastructure and innovation that stand to truly revolutionize the experience. The hospitality group — which has welcomed over 3 billion guests in its 100+ year history — brings with it guest-facing technologies like Digital Key Share, automated room upgrades, and confirmed connecting room bookings.
Closer to home, North Caicos native Correy Forbes issued a public charge to his community via Facebook that’s been widely shared. He
highlighted the importance of readiness as the government and Ports Authority of the Turks and Caicos Islands (PATCI) near completion of Phase 2 of Bellefield Landing — a prestige marine terminal in Kew, North Caicos, that will serve as the departure point for luxury guests heading to Dellis Cay.
“PATCI is almost ready — are you?” he asked, urging residents to prepare for the influx of visitors.
“For those of you that haven’t visited North and Middle Caicos, you will be pleasantly pleased to find one of the most welcoming ports of entry… For returning diaspora visiting this summer, pack a roll of Kleenex and a few towels… You are definitely going to be shedding tears of joy when you step on the ground and feel the transformation.”
According to Forbes, visitors arriving from New York, Georgetown, Caracas, London, and Miami will disembark at Clifford Gardiner Airport, then take a VIP shuttle to Bellefield Landing before boarding a luxury ferry for a 7-minute ride to Dellis Cay. Guests to Parrot Cay, Pine Cay, and other boutique properties are also expected to follow this route in increasing numbers.
Construction is now underway. With global hospitality clout, a loyal guest base in the hundreds of millions, and a growing wave of national pride, Waldorf Astoria’s arrival on Dellis Cay is no longer just a luxury investment — it’s a cultural inflection point for the people and promise of North and Middle Caicos.
Almost two million visitors recorded in 2025
PROVIDENCIALES, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS – The Turks and Caicos Islands saw an increase in stayover arrivals in December, seven percent higher than the corresponding period in 2024.
Preliminary data suggests that stay over arrivals by air for the month of December was 66,427 in comparison to 62,610 in December 2024.
From January to December 2025, preliminary visitor arrival numbers totalled 640,754; on par with the number recorded for the same period of 2024.
Stay Over Arrivals YTD December 2024/2025
The first quarter of the calendar year attracted the largest number of arrivals with visitor arrivals three percent higher than the first quarter of 2024. Reduced airlift from the United Kingdom and the United States, most notably the Virgin Atlantic and JetBlue services, was however felt from the second quarter (April to June). As a result, visitor arrivals dropped three percent in the second quarter.
By the third quarter of this year (July to September), geopolitical and economic conditions in the key source markets, namely the United States, led to further contraction of arrivals. In the last quarter of 2025, arrivals were impacted in October due to the passage of Hurricane Melissa but additional airlift from the USA and Canada resulted in an increase in arrivals in November and December.
Mr. Paul Pennicook, Interim CEO Consultant of Experience Turks and Caicos, said December’s increase in stayover arrivals is an encouraging indicator of the sustained interest in the Turks and Caicos Islands as a premier destination.
“While we note and continue to monitor geopolitical shifts that affect us, Experience Turks and Caicos is focused on increasing marketing initiatives in our primary source markets. We have spent the last two years investing in groundwork such as crucial travel advisor training to assist them in selling the destination more effectively. In the next fiscal, we will be building on those initiatives with co-op activities with partners as well as out of home advertising to increase visitation to our destination,” he said.
In Cruise, the preliminary count of passenger arrivals for the month of December 2025 was 129,346, a 22 percent increase over last December. This growth follows the berthing of 11 additional ships in Grand Turk this month.
From January to December, the cruise sector continued to outperform the same period last year, as the 1.3 million total cruise passengers recorded, marks a five percent Year-on-Year increase. 
The cruise sector experienced significant growth in the first quarter of 2025, with passenger arrivals surpassing last quarter by 53 percent. In the second and third quarter however, several cruise lines adjusted their itineraries as vessels were pulled from the fleet or from the Caribbean region, which resulted in fewer passengers.
Arrivals dropped seven percent and 10 percent in the second and third quarters, respectively. Double digit growth was recorded in the last two months of Quarter 4. This growth however, was not sufficient to outweigh the drop in arrivals experienced in October, following the cancellation of cruise calls due to the passage of Hurricane Melissa. Despite the late-quarter rebound, arrivals for the final quarter of 2025 closed six percent below the same period in 2024.
News
The Department of Trade, Industry & Fair Competition to Host Export Readiness Workshop Under the theme “Empowering TCI Businesses for Local Growth and Global Markets.”
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Wednesday, 11 February 2026: The Informal Settlements Unit (ISU) coordinated a multi-agency enforcement operation on Thursday, 29 January 2026, led by the Planning Department, with support from the Crown Land
Unit, the Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force, and security provided by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. The operation, carried out at three different locations in Providenciales, formed part of ongoing government efforts to address unauthorised development and illegal occupation of land in accordance with governing legislation.
The operation commenced in Blue Hills, where five Section 58 Enforcement Notices were issued on unauthorised structures identified on Block and Parcel 60502/48.
Enforcement activity then moved to a second location off the Leeward Highway near Caicos Lodge, where six Section 58 Enforcement Notices were issued on additional unauthorised structures on Block and Parcel 60802/66.
The final phase of the operation took place in The Bight, where three unauthorised structures were removed, with all debris cleared from the site in keeping with established safety and environmental protocols.
The Informal Settlements Unit remains committed to working alongside its partner agencies to support lawful development, protect public and private land, and ensure that planning regulations are enforced in a coordinated and transparent manner across the Turks and Caicos Islands. Similar joint operations will continue as part of the Government’s wider strategy to address unauthorised development and informal settlement activity.
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