Don't expect rum drinks and steel drums. If you do then I suggest bringing your own. Once you realize that your dreams of being secluded on a tropical island are realized don't go screwing it up! Take a chair down to the beach, sit, read, and repeat for seven days. Cook whatever you can find at the store down the street and relax. Dining there isn't what you would call five star, and the resort down the street isn't the answer to fine cuisine no matter how big or overpriced it is. This place was great, and I was convinced of it after I realized this was the peace and quiet I signed up for! Also, I woke up about 4:30 am the first day due to an early bed time and I gasped at the view of the sky and the shooting star that flew over the palm tree in front of me. I'm not sure if that was a crafty arrangement by the owners but it was a great touch. To be completely unbiased if you need to go and eat head over to Bottlecreek Lodge, do some fishing with Cpt. Jay. Learn the ropes from him and his family but staying at the Hollywood beach suites was a great time. My wife and I spent seven of the most quiet days of our life there. Get to North Caicos before the development fully sets in.

We just spent our 10th anniversary with 3 other couples at Hollywood Beach Suites, and I must say it was exactly what my husband and I were looking for. Very private and secluded - away from the hustle and bustle. I loved having NOTHING to do and being able to enjoy the view, take walks, kayak and ride the bikes. I loved that we had 4 couples in our group and we had the place all to ourselves. It may not have been quite so much fun had we not known the people in the next suite. I would call the rooms/ building "rustic". Honestly, they could use a little updating, but we didn't go there looking for the most cutting edge and chic place. The view, the seclusion and the quiet private environment are what sold us on this place. We went in December and had strong winds while we were there, and it was very comfortable with the windows open and the breeze blowing through. It may have been a bit hot during the summer months, but I haven't been that time of year, so I am just guessing.
You must also remember that you are on a relatively poor island with limited natural resources, so your water pressure will come and go, and such. I loved this aspect of being on this island and truly getting a sense of what it is like to be a local on a little Caribbean island! The local groceries stores have limited choices, but work to supliment things you forgot to get at IGA on Provo. DON'T GET IN A TAXI AT THE AIRPORT WITHOUT FINDING OUT WHAT THE PRICE SHOULD BE AHEAD OF TIME. On the way there the cabby charged us $30 PER PERSON! On the way back is was $12 per person. They also charge you 60 cents per minute to stop at the grocery, so have your list ready and split in two. Buy Beer in Provo.. it is $15 per 6 pack on North. We enjoyed riding bikes to KJs and Big Josh McINtosh's, etc.

We biked/drove to 3 Mary Cays. It was wonderful, but if you aren't a biker (5 miles each way) take the car. I loved the bike ride!

GET A RENTAL (pay the extra $10 a day for the more expensive rental place -much better cars than the other option - because with the less exp. one you may not get breaks that work), and make a day trip to see Mudjin Harbor and explore the caves on Middle Caicos. We really enjoyed having a car to get around and explore the island, and we even hit the pool, bar and restaraunt at the St. Charles resort.

Here are our thumbs ups:
- Alveda (the Property Manager) is wonderful!!! She cooked us a good meal, caught snapper for us, made us fried plantanes, brought us bait, and even took us to church with her. When our chartered fishing trip got cancelled due to high winds/seas, she even took us and showed us good spots for fishing on our own. She will do anything for you!! Even invited us over to her home one night! I really hated saying goodbye to her.
- If you have a group of 4 couples and don't want to be bothered by other people this has plenty of seclusion - you can be as loud as you want, and still each have your own private space at the end of the night.
- Big Dog - the local security was so much fun to have around. He even escorted us down the beach to eat at the Silver Palm (Karen there is PHENOMINAL - you MUST try her cooking and her Champagne Mojitos!).
- It was fun to have the kayaks and the bikes.
- On a clear night you can sit out there and see more stars than you ever dreamed was possible.. we saw some 15 shooting stars in one night!!
- We enjoyed having little coolers to take to the beach.. and even packed our lunches in them for our day long trip to Middle Caicos.
- You can't beat opening that bedroom door in the morning and looking out at that view!!
- Even though we could use our US cell phones, we got the Property phones, anyway, because they cost less and were easier for us to call home to the kids on. Plus Alveda could get in touch with us more easily, and we with her when we needed to

Some areas that the owner could improve on/things you need to be prepared for:
- The outdoor lighting does not work. We really would have liked to spend more time on the deck and outside at night, but it was really dark until the last night when the MOON was so bright it lit the whole island. The grill on site is really nice, but when the sun goes down early, you are trying to cook on it by flashlight in the pitch black dark.
- The furniture in the suites was fine and nice enough, but the building itself could use a little updating and work. Again.. if you are looking for 5 star, this isn't for you, but it was exactly what we were looking for.
- This is a very low-key and completely NON-touristy island!! Call ahead if you want to go out to eat somewhere, so they are prepared for you. Especially in large numbers (like 8). There isn't a lot of night life, but we provided our own.
- There were little sugar ants that wandered in, so make sure you put your food away well. We just sprayed with the bug spray they have there, and had no problems with it.
- Because, again, you are on what I would call a fairly remote island, your internet access is a bit shotty. We discovered that the router was in suite #2 - in the top of the closet/laundry room, and so the couple that was part of our group would go in and reset it when we had trouble with it. You wouldn't be able to do that I guess if you didn't know the people next door to you, or if it was empty.
- The beach is beautiful, but if you want to be able to lay out on the sand in the sun all day, you need to walk down the beach to the west a bit and find the spot where there are no trees, because a good portion of the day this spot right in front it shaded.

For what we wanted and needed it was perfect - our group was perfect for it, and we took turns cooking some WONDERFUL meals in our little kitchens, so it IS possible to cook in the little kitchen despite what other posters have said about that.

Honestly, I have had trouble reinserting myself back into our lifestyle here since leaving. Wish I could figure out how to put the for sale sign in the yard and pack up our kids and go live there.

Upon our arrival to Hollywood Beach Suites it was evening, but we were still able to see what a beautiful place we had picked, even under darkness.
We entered into a screened-in porch that looks out onto the grounds, deck and turquoise waters. There were two bicycles and chairs on the porch, as well as a table and chairs just outside of the porch.
The suite is perfect for two people, and maybe 1-2 small children. The kitchen is small, but fully functional with all tools needed for cooking. Livingroom and bedroom are very nice with comfortable furniture, the bedroom is a nice size, it has a king-size bed and more than enough drawer spaces, there was plenty of room to move around. There is a washer/dryer combo in the unit that worked nicely. The bathroom is small, but definitely adequate for all of our needs.
The unit was EXTREMELY clean!! Cleaner than some of the 5-star hotels we have stayed at.
The beach is literally steps from the suite. The beaches are well maintained, and the sand is like powder! The waters are various shades of turquoise and just magnificent. For our daily walks on the beach we always encountered the same few people. One could literally walk for miles and never see another person, it's that quiet!
The grounds at the Suites are very well maintained. There were people doing various jobs almost every day during our stay, but were very quiet, and I didn't always realize that someone was working. There is a very nice stainless barbque grill on grounds that we used a few times that works great.
The property manager Alveda is just absolutely awesome. She is a native to North Turks, so she knows where everything is, and all of the local scoop. She is an extremely knowledgeable and professional lady (an also an awesome cook :)
Jane in reservations is fantastic. She emailed everything to us regarding excursions, maps of the islands, transportation options getting to North Caicos from Provo, a guest packet for the property that outlined everything, included all pertinent phone numbers, and also answered any questions that we had within 24 hours.
The island of North Caicos is not a place to go if one is looking for a large resort atmosphere and night life. It is a very laid-back place that visitors should go for quiet, privacy, and relaxation.
We have found paradise, and already are looking at when we can return early next year. I cried when I got on the plane to return to the States.

I have to say that we also expected more from this small and private resort but you have to look at the positive side as well. North Caicos is a beautiful island with very little tourism so you cannot expect that accomodations are up do date. In the overall our stay was o.k. If you like to have a beach just for yourself and don´t care to much about the accomodation than this locations is right for you. Withby beach is really beautiful . Alveda cooked for us once and the dinner was indeed really tasty. I am sure in a few years they will update the suites.