At the end of last month, I spent ten days at the Hyatt Baha Mar in Nassau, Bahamas. The Baha Mar is the newest resort in the area, with plans to eventually rival Paradise Island. There is a large hotel property next door that is being torn down to build an entertainment venue to include water attractions. The construction was ongoing during my visit, but didn't disrupt the peace and leisure of the six themed pools and beachfront of the Baha Mar resort.
I had two rooms while I was staying at the Baha Mar. One room was located in the east wing and the other in the west wing. Both rooms were attractive in their own way. I had a higher floor in the newer wing, providing exceptional views of the ocean and overlooking the entire property. The east wing room was equally nice, without the views. Both rooms had two queen beds. The rooms included a stocked minibar fridge, coffee maker, large flat-screen televisions, complimentary water (two bottles per day) and shower accessories.
The east wing bath was large, with a traditional tub that had glass shower walls as opposed to the old-school curtains. It was sort of a hybrid between old and new. The west wing room had a walk in shower and included a sliding door in the main room that opened the bathroom up. One could look out at the ocean from the shower, if so inclined. Both had ample room for shaving kits and gear. I think the west wing room was a lot nicer, overall. The view was just a bonus.
The cleaning staff were quick and professional. They left the rooms clean and were fast and efficient when they serviced the rooms. They are used to people on vacation coming and going while they are cleaning. Most hotels cater to business people and try to be in and out when people are at work. They also don't seem to like to be interrupted. Not the case with the Baha Mar, they seemed to be used to it and were quite accommodating.
The Baha Mar is a bit isolated from surrounding communities. While nothing is a "long drive" in the Bahamas, there is nothing withing reasonable walking distance of the resort. You need a taxi if you are going to go off the property. I did a few times during my visit. There are plenty of restaurants and shopping opportunities if you take a taxi or drive. If you rent a car, parking at the Baha Mar is about the most reasonable I have seen in a long time. Self parking was about ten dollars per day, which is the only cheap thing I recall about the resort. However, you really don't need to leave the resort. You can find plenty of options for dining, shopping and recreation without ever leaving.
I never quite figured out how to count in the Bahamas, but the "seventh floor" seemed to be one floor above ground level at the resort. If you walked out on the seventh floor, heading toward the ocean, there was an entire outdoor mezzanine area to explore. Here, you will find the large gym, spa and sauna. The gym was well equipped and included classes that you could sign up for. There was an additional charge of ten dollars for the classes. There were two large elevators located in the outdoor area of this level that delivered guests straight to the pool area. This allows visitors to access the pools and beach without having to walk through the casino. It was a nice shortcut. But how it can be called the "seventh floor" is still stuck in my head.
I mentioned the six pools. They included a rain pool, where you would find a couple of chairs beneath a shelter that had a rain button. Pushing the button would bring instant cool in the form of a rain shower on the sides of the shelter. One pool had a few large seating areas in the center, there was a forever pool that only had cabanas that required one to rent in advance. There was a pool with a swim up bar (my kind of pool..and the music fit my tastes as well). There was another nice pool that had windows into the adjacent refuge area where you could view turtles and sharks. There was also an area where kids could jump from a fake cliff into the pool. The pools were slightly unique and offered some respite from the heat. Beyond the pools were the beach and pier. Non-motorized sports were free, which included kayaks and paddle boards as well as snorkeling gear. There was also a small area reserved for flamingos.
The hotel had plenty of restaurants and bars to choose from. The food was pricey at all of them. On top of the sticker shock for food was a VAT tax and service charge, further driving up the prices. You had to forget the prices to enjoy the resort. It was pricey. My favorite spot was the Blue Note Bar, where guests were treated to live music each night. I recall two rotating groups performing, equally talented. It was a chill place to relax. The hotel also has a massive gaming floor for those into the casino scene. You pretty much have to cross the casino to get anywhere. I dropped a total of five dollars on the floor. I'm seriously not much of a gambler.
I have reviewed a couple of the restaurants and will eventually (hopefully) work my way through the restaurants and bars I dined at in future posts. For now, I will focus on the Baha Mar as a whole. It is an interesting property with plenty to see and do. Aside from the non-motorized water sports, pools and wildlife areas, the resort also has a private island with transportation from the pier hourly. The hotel has an amazing staff that is unbelievably large. The entire time I was at the resort there were workers busily trimming bushes or fixing buildings. The staff was also incredibly respectful, always eager to address guests in passing. The hotel caters to tourists on vacation. They place a high premium on guests and it shows. While this resort is expensive, it also came with plenty of extras. I was not traveling with children, but there was no shortage of things for children to do. An all around property for people of all ages.
All photos are my own. They may be reproduced with prior permission.