ESCAPE TO THE BAHAMAS
Looking to add a tropical destination to your go-to list? Baha Mar on Nassau’s iconic Cable Beach is just a short flight from many US airports and offers something for every traveler. Lovers of nightlife and gambling, families with tots to teens, and couples looking for quiet escape and excellent cuisine will all find their place. The common thread through it all is glorious powder sand beaches, clear swimmable turquoise waters, reliably warm weather, and easy-going hospitality. Island life is good!
SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS
We stayed in The Reserve at Grand Hyatt, a luxury hotel within a hotel, providing enhanced services and amenities including a quiet entrance and relaxing, well-serviced lounge. Our one-bedroom ocean view residence was a show-stopper: 920sf of polished marble floors, design-forward furnishings, a large living room with separate dining and work areas, a powder room for guests, a spacious and private king bedroom with expansive ensuite bath including double vanity, double shower, freestanding soaker tub, and commode closet. And don’t forget the views! Every room at Grand Hyatt includes a full or Juliet balcony. Our oversized residence boasted a double length, fully-furnished balcony overlooking the resort and sea. Grand Hyatt Reserve delivers an exceptional experience.
There are two other hotels at Baha Mar on either side of Grand Hyatt. SLS brings a cutting-edge vibe and is well-suited to the reveler crowd looking for pool parties, music all day, and a club atmosphere. On the other side of Baha Mar is Rosewood catering to guests who seek quiet luxury. The grounds are lush and serene with cozy nooks to hide away and pools and beach areas reserved for the exclusive use of Rosewood guests. Music on the Rosewood property plays quietly in the background adding to the sense of calm and relaxation.
Calm before the Cocktail Hour: Rosewood’s gorgeous bar at Costa
WINE & DINE
Throughout the resort is a plethora of food and drink options from vintage trailers near the beach to swim up pool bars and fine dining. We secured dinner reservations at three popular restaurants during our stay: Marcus for Bahamian cuisine, Costa at Rosewood for Mexican dishes with an island twist, and Katsuya at Grand Hyatt for excellent sushi and other Japanese specialties. We also enjoyed the extensive daily breakfast at Regatta and tasty bites and drinks at the pools and beach. It is so relaxing not to cook on vacation and we rejoiced in being spoiled by the countless options at Baha Mar.
ACTIVITIES
You will be hard-pressed to try all the activities at Baha Mar on a single visit but what a great excuse to return! The grounds are beautiful and include multiple pools, a racquet club with grass, clay, and hard courts, croquet, bocce, basketball, and mini-golf. There is a Jack Nicklaus design golf course, a large casino, an array of shops, music venues and nightclubs, kids clubs, and an oceanfront water park with wave pool, thrilling slides, a lazy river, and more. And we haven’t even talked about the beach! Snorkeling, paddle boarding, boat excursions, and chaise lounging with waitstaff on the ready. Every guest will find their happy place at Baha Mar!
Getting there
International travel remains complicated with entry requirements changing frequently. But those who are willing to jump through a few hoops will be rewarded with the adventure of a unique place and people. Baha Mar’s Travel With Confidence commitment makes the choice even easier offering a complimentary private air return to the US or free extended stay for guests testing Covid positive prior to resort departure. This program is the first of its kind and is pure gold.
For our recent visit, we completed a health visa application three days before travel including the upload of vaccine cards and negative test results. There was a nominal $40 fee which provided insurance in the event of hospitalization in country. Once in The Bahamas, we had a rapid antigen test for interisland travel and another one for our return to the United States, both of which were handled seamlessly at the hotels. There were a few online forms for the return to the US but none so taxing that we couldn’t easily complete them at the pool or beach. Travel was easy in the Before Times so the extra effort makes it that much sweeter now. We know what we missed and we will do what is necessary to get back out in the world.
perk up
Booking your luxury stays with Kirsten Morrison Travel, an affiliate of Brownell Travel, gives you access to the Virtuoso Luxury Consortium and a variety of preferred partner programs including Rosewood and Grand Hyatt. For a nominal booking fee, our clients are treated like important guests and rewarded with complimentary amenities such as a $100 resort credit, a room upgrade at booking, complimentary breakfasts for two, wifi, priority for flexible arrivals/departures, and other perks to elevate your stay. When you are ready to up your travel game, let’s talk about our value add!