Regent Hotels & Resorts is bringing its brand of luxury to the Caribbean with the opening of The Regent Palms Turks and Caicos on Apr. 2. Regent had previously taken over as manager of the property last September when it was The Palms, vowing to raise the level of luxury. "What we've done is taken a great resort and found ways to make it better," says general manager of the property, Diderik Van Regemorter. New touches include a 20 percent bump in staff, upgraded concierge services, spa enrichments and a revamped dining menu. The news adds to Turks & Caicos' ongoing mission to become the most luxurious destination in the Caribbean. In the last few years, it has been the site of projects headed by prominent names in luxury travel including Mandarin Oriental Hotel Groups, which has ongoing development in Dellis Cay, as well as the continuing Ritz Carlton project. Since the integration of Regent Hotels & Resorts and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, the Regent brand has seen a surge in hotel development. The Regent Beijing and Regent South Beach both had soft openings in Dec. and over the next three years, Regent will add seven new hotels to its current portfolio of eight throughout the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Of note is The Regent Dubrovnik, Regent's second property in Croatia. Slated to open in early 2009, the hotel represents Regent's dedication to the region, which has absorbed a tremendous influx of tourism over recent years. Stateside, new Regent properties will sprout in Bal Harbour, FL, this year, and Boston in 2008.