Nassau, Bahamas is home to two of the Caribbean’s most prominent mega-resorts: the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, and the Baha Mar on New Providence Island’s famous Cable Beach. These big resorts can seem like destinations unto themselves, and are terrfic in their own right. But there are a host of boutique options to try in Nassau and Paradise Island, smaller, more intimate retreats for a different kind of Bahamas vacation. Here are some great options.
Graycliff: The Graycliff Hotel & Restaurant is located halfway up the hill from West Bay Street and Nassau’s busy waterfront — close enough to downtown to reach shopping, dining, and entertainment, but a world away in terms of vibe. An elegant oasis, the hotel incorporates a mansion built in 1740 for a notorious pirate, and has been an inn since 1844. The basement of the mansion contains one of the largest wine cellars in the Americas, while the courtyard grounds intersperse guest rooms and pools with the ruins of an Anglican Church burned by French invaders in 1703. In addition to dining and accommodations, Graycliff has its own chocolate factory, cigar company, and winery.
Island House: A pagoda-like great house welcomes guests to this boutique, 30-room luxury resort near Old Fort Bay on the west end of New Providence Island. The hotel’s deep community roots are reflected in a gallery of local artwork and a cinema open to guests and island residents alike; there are Asian and Italian restaurants on property along with a spa, fitness center, wine market, pool, and squash courts. A shuttle whisks guests to the nearby shore, where the Island House maintains a private beach club.
Compass Point Beach Resort: This west end resort needs no introduction to music fans, who know Compass Point as the residential style recording studio founded by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell. Jimmy Cliff, Robert Palmer, Grace Jones, AC/DC, and the Tom Tom Club were among the artists who lived and recorded here during the studio’s heyday in the 1970s and 1980s. The studio shut down in 2010, but the multicolored “huts” of the resort remained open — some beachfront, others elevated like treehouses. Indoor and outdoor dining, a beach bar, pool, and a thatch-covered pier with inviting lounge chair round out the modest list of amenities.
Bay View Suites Paradise Island: Tucked in among the big resorts and hotels on Paradise Island is the quietly charming Bay View Suites, which has one- and two-bedroom suites, townhouses and villas on four acres of garden-like grounds within an easy walk of the twin bridges connecting Paradise Island to New Providence Island and downtown Nassau. A courtyard pool offers sun and sanctuary to guests, while the island’s beaches, shopping and dining at the Marina Village, and casino action at the Atlantis casino are all close by.
A Stone’s Throw Away: The stairs leading to this boutique hotel overlooking downtown Nassau isn’t quite as impressive as Nassau’s famous Queen’s Staircase, but it hints at the great views you’ll get when you reach the top. Set back from West Bay Street on the quieter west end of New Providence Island, A Stone’s Throw Away has ocean and garden king room suites in a porch-wrapped building styled after traditional Bahamian mansions. Stays include continental breakfast served on the porch overlooking the ocean, and a grotto pool is a quiet sanctuary for guests.