Bahamas Travel Guide
Beach, Casino, Eat, Repeat. Living on the East Coast and looking for a quick weekend getaway or a family friendly resort? Look no further than the Bahamas. I’ve traveled to the Baha Mar on a couples trip, family trip and a bachelorette party. Here I've compiled my honest reviews of where to stay, and of course where to eat.
To Stay.
Baha Mar: A few acres of luxury, fun and sun. The resort has all you need within one property. Within the Baha Mar are three resorts: Grand Hyatt, SLS and The Rosewood.
Grand Hyatt: Stay here for the pools and a Vegas-like experience. The moment you walk into the resort, it screams Vegas. The lobby and hotel decor is almost identical to The Wynn. It takes a long time to walk from one side of the resort to the other. The entire lobby is a casino. The hotel does have some chic and delicious restaurants like Katsuya. I wouldn’t recommend going here for a relaxing weekend getaway. Go here for the lively restaurants, beach and if you like to gamble. It’s been two years and the service (especially house keeping) is mediocre. There were many days in which house keeping just didn’t come.
SLS: Has an uber chic vibe with poolside beats. All that you'd expect from a new SLS. For the experience when comparing it to the Grand Hyatt, SLS is very expensive. If you’re staying at the Hyatt, you can use all the same facilities as the SLS. While staying at the Hyatt, you can reserve chairs at their pool and share the same beach. The SLS Pool Party pool receives no sun the entire day, as the SLS hotel blocks the sun. To me, this just isn’t worth it.
Rosewood: Step away from the madness and into the Rosewood. If your pockets are deep and you’re looking for a more relaxing vacation vibe— Rosewood is for you. It has a completely different feel from SLS and Hyatt. Very quaint and the service is top knot here. The private beach also makes this hotel worth it. Restaurant selections at this hotel are slim— but your lobby connects to the Grand Hyatt so there are plenty of places to eat!
The Cove at Atlantis: For a chic, adults only and less “Vegas” like experience we enjoyed The Cove at Atlantis. With a live DJ spinning beats and poolside gambling — we had an amazing time.
To Eat.
Cafe Matisse: My favorite restaurant in Bahamas. Charming outdoor courtyard that is uber romantic. Come here for a beautiful atmosphere paired with delicious Italian food.
Da Poke Bowl Shack: Located on the path to the beach at Grand Hyatt— these poke bowls are spectacular!!! I ate here almost everyday.
Sliderzz: Burger shack located on the Grand Hyatt beach had incredible mini hamburgers, veggie burgers and crab cakes!! You MUST go. Crowd pleaser.
Cleo: Yummy Mediterranean located in the lobby of SLS. Enjoy sharable plates, mezzes, flatbreads and handcrafted cocktails in a warm and intimate, yet energetic atmosphere.
Filia: Great Italian restaurant. Order the tableside cesear!
Katsuya: Not as good as their LA restaurant, but the crab hand rolls don't disappoint.
Ive been dying to check out these restaurants, but haven’t gotten around to them:
- Dune
- Greycliff
- Cafe Martinique
- Fish
IMPORTANT BAHA MAR NOTES:
The service at Baha Mar is beyond awful. They didn’t check us into our room until 6PM, when check in time was at 3PM. We had a dinner reservation at 7PM…. we were also staying in a Suite
It took over 20+ emails to make a dinner reservations for a large party at Cleo. Most challenging experience
Was basically impossible to get in touch with anyone at the SLS concierge
When I stayed at the Grand Hyatt, our rooms were dirty and rarely cleaned. We had to beg for housekeeping to come everyday. For a hotel priced at $500+ a night, I expect better customer service
The entire Baha Mar property is way overpriced, you better saving your dollars for a more special “less commercial vacation”
Heading to Baha Mar on a Bachelorette Party? Check out our full itinerary here…
