Say farewell to another luxury resort. Leeward Resort Ltd. the owner of the Nikki Beach Resort & Spa in Turks and Caicos, has been placed into receivership. The resort, which offered 48 rooms and suites with luxury amenities, has been closed after being open less than tow years. The Nikki Beach brand remains afloat with resorts around the world including Miami, New York and Thailand. The British Caribbean Bank will manage the 430-acre resort and 110-slip mega-yacht marina and is hoping for a buyer. Since the Four Seasons Exuma was recently snapped up by Sandals there's reason to believe that their might be another hotel company willing to make a deal and pick up a resort which has been widely regarded as one of most exclusive in the Caribbean. Expansion plans for the resort had included condominiums, a spa, casino and new restaurants.

It looks like aging action hero Bruce Willis, 54, and his new supermodel wife Emma Heming, 32, are trying out to be the next Brad and Angelina. The pair just shot a sizzling cover feature for the new W magazine with a decidedly kinky S&M theme. (Click here for all the pix which fyi include a couple of rather risqué shots.) The couple, who got married married in the Turks and Caicos in March, are in amazing shape, which makes sense considering Heming is a lingerie model and they met at the Los Angeles gym of their trainer, Gunnar Peterson, in 2005. Photographed by Steven Klein, the saucy shoot is of course peppered with luxury clothing and accessories, including above a Dior leather jacket, Eres lingerie and half of a Giorgio Armani tuxedo. You can read the accompanying cover story here and learn about what went on behind the scenes at the shoot here.

The Gansevoort Hotel brand is opening its first island resort officially next month: Gansevoort Turks & Caicos. The hotel is located along the western section of Grace Bay Beach on Providenciales. Gansevoort Turks & Caicos is a 91-room property built around the 7,000 square foot infinity-edge swimming pool which has "lounging islands" for daytime sunbathing or romantic nighttime candlelit canoodling.

The resort has a fitness center, Bagatelle restaurant and beach lounge and the Exhale spa. Packages start at $295 per night but for big spenders you can opt for the high roller package which includes a three-bedroom penthouse stay, daily continental breakfast, catamaran excursion, day of golf, two 60 min massages at Exhale Spa, a bottle of Dom Perignon and chocolate covered strawberries upon arrival and two monogrammed Gansevoort TC bathrobes starting at $2,500 per night.

The Lusso Collection portfolio of multi-million dollar residences in the world's most desirable vacation spots has just announced an exclusive new membership club. The 30 properties in the Collection, worth an average of $4 million each, are located in luxe spots such as Cabo San Lucas, Aspen, Miami, Hawaii and the Bahamas (the Turks & Caicos property is pictured above). Each features an on-site concierge, pre-arrival grocery shopping and a chauffer service from the nearest airport. The new offering enables members to experience the properties for 21 days out of the year for a deposit of $325,000 and annual dues of $21,000. Only 50 of the Lusso 21 memberships are available. By year's end the company plans to expand its portfolio to 39 properties in 21 destinations, including Europe.

The gorgeous Grace Bay Club in the Turks and Caicos has unveiled plans for The Estate, a collection of 22 "custom-designed ultra-elegant residences" set to debut in November. The luxury resort is building the deluxe dwellings on its prime parcel of 11 oceanfront acres just steps from the beach. Each 4500-sq.-ft. unit will have four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a steam shower, a library/media room and wraparound terraces; floor plans are customizable. The Estate development also includes a multi-tiered oceanfront pool, luxury cabanas and a Personal Concierge program. Prices range from $2.8 million to $5 million-plus for a penthouse.

The luxe all-suite resort is also home to the "longest bar in the Caribbean", which stretches 90 feet across the Grace Bay Club beach with its cabanas and spa tents. Constructed of black marble, the infinity design "creates the illusion that the entire structure is floating above the Caribbean sand and extending indefinitely into the ocean." We're getting thirsty just thinking about it.

Check out the gallery below for more pix and renderings of the Estate project.

In February 2005, I wrote about the plans for the Ritz-Carlton's Molasses Reef on West Caicos in the Turks and Caicos islands. Three years later and the project is steaming toward a December 2008 completion date. The resort is on the 11-square-mile island of West Caicos, located on the western end of the Turks & Caicos Islands archipelago. Phase I of the development includes around 30 Ritz-Carlton branded Island Villas which are more than 85% sold out.The Island Villas start at $2.4 million with two- to three-bedroom and penthouse floor plans available. Phase II will include 45 more Villas and 10 four-bedroom Ocean Cottages, single-family residences managed and serviced by The Ritz-Carlton which have private swimming pools, and a beachfront location. Prices start at $6.5 million for the cottages.

All Molasses Reef property owners will have access to the concierge services and amenities available at the 125-room Ritz-Carlton resort, including on-site concierge, a fitness room with private trainers, pre-arrival butler service, 24-hour in-residence dining, complimentary cart shuttles to Molasses Reef resort facilities, and priority reservations at the Molasses Reef Spa. The resort will also have three restaurants and a full-service spa and is also expected to open at the end of this year.

One of the newest developments on the idyllic Grace Bay in Turks & Caicos is The Tuscany. The condo-hotel has 30 three-bedroom suites facing Grace Bay Beach. The suites have two guest bedrooms each with an adjoining bath, a master bedroom with a platform contoured soaking tub, over-sized shower and double vanity sinks, a kitchen, laundry area, and a living room area that includes an enclosed patio. Amenities at the resort include a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, lounge areas, tennis courts, a gym and concierge service. From August 1 through October 31, 2007, a seven-night stay costs $3,375. Rates soar to up to $1,000 a night during the holiday season. The condo-suites are also available for purchase.

The serene Turks & Caicos Islands are rapidly becoming the land of the large resort. The latest is the $100 million resort known as the Seven Stars. The 81-suite resort is planning to open for the winter 2007/2008 season. The resort is located along the beachfront on Grace Bay beach, one of the world's best beaches and home to other luxurious resorts. The resort is comprised of three buildings with one- two- and three-bedroom suites that have wraparound terraces, many with sea views, gourmet kitchens and expansive living areas with marble floors. The resort will also be home to Bice restaurant of New York and Milan, a large swimming pool, watersports center, spa/fitness center, clubhouse, lounge and business center with laptops for personal use. The resort is a condo property and recently launched phase 2 of the project which offers units ranging from around $1 million to over $5 million.

Picture this: sunshine, white sandy beaches and beautiful music floating across the water. This idyllic scene takes place at the third annual Turks & Caicos Music and Cultural Festival on Providenciales July 31 to August 7, 2006. It's a perfect excuse to head to the Caribbean during months when most people are headed to other climates and see acts such as Ludacris, Fantasia and Steel Pulse.  The Palms Resort offers a package to lure festival guests that starts at $300 per room per night and includes a seventh night for free when you stay for six. The Palms has luxury suites with balconies or terraces and a sparkling  $1.8 million infinity pool which is a great place to chill out away from the festival.

Another development in the hot Turks and Caicos Islands, the Alexandra Resort is located on Grace Bay Beach (voted one of the world's best beaches). The all-suite beachfront property has a free-form swimming pool with a swim-up bar, beachfront fitness center and tennis courts. Each suite is beachfront or ocean view and has a a fully-equipped kitchen and a private balcony. They have a new "Simply Love" package for couples that includes seven nights in a one-bedroom suite, a private dinner and bottle of wine at the resort’s Orchid Restaurant and a boat excursion to one of the cays surrounding the island. The package starts at $3,675 per couple. If you fall in love with the resort there are also residences available. Condos  range from 459 square-foot -studios to 3,840- square- foot penthouses with teak furniture, granite countertops, stainless steel kitchen appliances, and private terraces.

If the gray days of a far-too-slowly emerging spring are getting you down check out this article from Travel and Leisure (I read it out loud to my boyfriend while we were stuck in traffic on on L.A. freeway under cloudy skies).  Travel and Leisure is the first to check out the latest Aman resort, Amanyara in the Turks and Caicos.  As we've seen by the rash of developments being announced in the Turks and Caicos, the relatively unspoiled Caribbean islands are getting ready for their big moment. Amanyara represents the beginning of the trajectory from elite getaway to potential tropical saturation. But for now, the lucky few can enjoy the spectacular new hotel. The article lovingly details the unspoiled views, the lush vegetation and the decor which is minimalist and yet luxtacular, featuring materials from 39 countries.  The resort offers 40 shingled pavilions which are designed to offer ample outdoor as well as indoor space. The Amanyara experience is all about tranquility, from the reflecting pool to the non-check-in (you check in officially from the comfort of your own room) and the views of the unspoiled shoreline. There are also villas which will be for sale.

Could there be a complaint with such a gorgeous place? The author of the article, Peter Jon Lindberg, does say that this Aman, like the others in the chain, have a more Asian than traditionally Western tropical flair.  But if you wanted umbrella drinks and a water slide you'd be somewhere else.  From now until Halloween, pavilions cost $1,350 and villas cost $5,250. Rates include round-trip transportation to and from Providenciales International Airport, non-motorized water sports, tennis courts,  laundry, mini bar (except spirits) and all telephone calls.