My husband, teenage son and I went to Baha Mar in the Bahamas for five days/four nights in April (aka Spring Break). Baha Mar is located just a short drive from the Nassau airport (less than 10 minutes). It is a collection of 3 hotels: The Grand Hyatt, SLS, and Rosewood. All three hotels have access to the same amenities. Although Rosewood may have a private pool. I am not sure. There were so many pools, it didn't matter. We stayed at The Grand Hyatt which is the biggest and most family friendly. Our driver on the way to the airport was telling us about the different hotels within the resort and mentioned that the SLS lobby turns into a club every night with DJ, dancing, etc. I was soooo glad I didn't book there. Clubs are not my scene anymore. I will say that I caught a glimpse of the lobby one day and it was quite beautiful. I am sure their rooms are equally as nice. So, if you are into more of a party scene, by all means, I would recommend it. But back to The Grand Hyatt. It is the most economical of the 3 hotels but don't let that fool you. It doesn't matter where you stay, this resort is expensive with a capital E. Pretty much on the same price point as Atlantis which is nearby. However, I knew it would be expensive going into the trip and was willing to splurge. This was our first trip leaving the country since the pandemic so I wanted to do something a bit extravagant. And it was on so many levels. Here are details of our trip and tips on how to have the best possible vacation while visiting Baha Mar.
Why I Chose Baha Mar
There were many reasons I chose this resort. Nassau is super easy to get to from the east coast (where I live). But with this ease, comes more crowds. And while I generally covet smaller resorts with lots of peace and tranquility, I knew that would not satisfy my teenager for this trip. So I found this place. It has a water park included in your resort fees. And I don't mean just a few water slides and a lazy river. I'm talking a water park bigger than Great Wolf Lodge but smaller than Disney's Blizzard Beach or any Six Flags water park. It had so much to do including multiple water slides, a wave pool, a surfing ride, and what they label as an Active River where you grab a tube and float (as opposed to a lazy river, get it?). I told my family I was going to go on the river and they almost didn't come with me because normally that would be boring, right? Well, they were glad they did. It turned out to be our favorite part of the park. The waves, small rapids, and waterfall most certainly provided a level of action you don't normally get on a lazy river. It was a blast.
There were multiple activities to entertain teenagers and adults alike. In addition to the water park, there was the sparkling beach, so many beautiful pools, and tons of restaurants. One pool even had cliff jumping. That's right, they have an 8 foot jump and a 15 foot jump. My son really enjoyed that. I, however, was too chicken to attempt it. What I did not account for at Baha Mar was the fact that there was nothing for teenagers to do after about 10:00 at night. There is a large casino in the lobby and multiple bars which my husband and I enjoyed including a cigar bar that caters to even the top level of cigar aficionados. But the pools all closed at dusk and kids weren't allowed on the casino floor. Even the mini golf wouldn't allow you to start after 9 pm. So that was a bit of a disappointment. Don't get me wrong, we all had a great time. My son told me he can't wait to come back with his friends when they turn 18 (yup, they allow gambling and drinking at age 18 in the Bahamas). He is at that "in between" age where he isn't a kid who goes to bed early anymore but also isn't old enough to partake in the more adult activities of the resort. So keep that in mind if you have teenagers as well.
Highlights of Day 1
1. Flamingo Cay. The flamingos were just beautiful. I got so much joy out of simply watching them every time I would walk by. And it was free so even better!
2. The ocean. Crystal clear, sparkling water everywhere. We even saw sea turtles swimming near the dock! The water was exactly as picture-perfect as I had hoped. And then to see sea turtles in their natural habitat, well, it was the perfect start to our vacation, to say the least.
3. Sugar Factory. It's a restaurant and ice cream shop and has been named "the most instagrammed restaurant in the United States" by Food & Wine Magazine. It was one of the best milk shakes I've ever had! Sorry I didn't get a pic. Don't miss out on this place even if you just go there for dessert one evening.
Day 2 Highlights
1. The pools. It was a bit chilly this day. The high was upper 70's but the wind was really strong. So we spent most of our time in the heated pools. Cliff jumping into the pool was a definite highlight for my son. The swim up pool bar with tropical rum drinks was my favorite part. Oh yes, and in one pool the hot tub water spills over into the pool so if you swim near the hot tub ledge, the water temperature is heavenly. Warmer than a normal pool but not a scalding hot tub temperature. Ahh, pure bliss.
Pro tip: get up early to get a pool chair. There were plenty of chairs available on the beach but the pool chairs were harder to come by.
2. Dinner at the sushi restaurant, Katsuya. The fun, hip atmosphere, attentive service, and upscale menu made this a restaurant we would definitely visit again. We absolutely loved the Yellowtail Sashimi with jalapeno, onion, and ponzo. Just thinking about it makes me want to eat it again. The spicy tuna crispy rice was interesting. I had never had crispy rice before. Both are pictured together below. The baked crab handrolls were also heavenly (not pictured, we ate it too quickly). But my absolute favorite part of dinner was dessert. The desserts were phenomenal and could rival any James Beard award restaurant. We got the matcha molten lava cake and a "chocolate fireball". They douse the chocolate ball in whisky and then flambee it so it melts and reveals ice cream in the middle. Beautiful presentation and a true epicurean delight.
Pro tip: make restaurant reservations early. I recommend calling the restaurant or submitting a reservation request if there is no availability online. The sooner the better!
Day 3 Highlights
Beach day. The ocean was gorgeous although still a bit chilly. I mainly rotated between reading my book and staring out to sea. Although, we did go in the water for a bit. We brought our own face mask and snorkel from home and took turns. There was something so peaceful yet exciting about being underwater and looking at the ocean life surrounding you. I followed a giant fish around underwater for quite a few minutes. It was almost like it was playing with me. Definitely plan to get some snorkel time in on your trip even if it's just off the resort's beach. It was one of my favorite activities. Side note: prepare yourself for all the constant calls from vendors selling snorkeling, banana boat rides, hair braiding, etc to the beach-goers. It was kind of annoying how relentless they were. But overall, still worth it to hang out on the beach for that postcard-perfect ocean view.
Dinner at Cafe Boulud. My favorite restaurant of the trip and most certainly the most expensive one. It is located in the Rosewood which is the most upscale of the 3 hotels. The restaurant was beautiful and the food was outstanding. To start, I got the Stone Crab chilled carrot soup with dill and mustard cream. Um, yum, more please. For my entree, I got the Scallops seasoned with vadouvan and topped with a delicious romanesco grenobloise sauce. Double yum. Chocolate Coulant with salted caramel and vanilla ice cream was the finale to a truly epic meal. I highly recommend this restaurant, in case you couldn't tell.
Day 4 Highlights
The Beach Club. This is a big resort. So there are a lot of people. I highly recommend, if you don't mind (another) splurge, rent a spot at the Beach Club. It is an exclusive area of the resort that allows you to reserve a chair, day bed, or cabana. But the cool thing about the Beach Club is that while it costs $100 per chair rental and $200 for a day bed, you get that amount in a food and beverage credit at the club. And trust me, you can easily spend that amount on lunch, drinks, and snacks throughout the day. Why does lounging around all day make me so hungry?! While they have servers walk around at all of the pool and beach chairs at Baha Mar, the service within the Beach Club is next level. Another perk of the Beach Club- private infinity pools overlooking the ocean with yet more phenomenal views. Look at my pic below- the beach club was fully booked that day and yet I am the only one in the pool! #worthit! Side note- the lobster roll was one of my top 3 all time favorite lobster rolls (and yes, I have been to Maine). Seriously, I highly, highly recommend reserving a spot at the Beach Club in advance!
2. Dinner at Marcus Fish and Chop House. Do you sense a theme here? Food in general but dinner in particular are almost always one of our daily highlights. We are foodies as heart and appreciate some fine dining. Marcus did not disappoint. Fun atmosphere, gorgeous ocean views, attentive staff, and delicious food. Bam! I highly recommend the corn bread with rum butter. Pro tip: make a reservation for before dark so you can enjoy the gorgeous ocean view while you dine. Although when we went, there was a full moon, so that was pretty cool too.
Day 5 Highlight. Sadly, the trip must come to an end. We decided to take one more stroll on the dock before leaving for the airport and I am so glad we did. We saw more sea turtles and even a sting ray this time. The turtles came to the surface quite a bit so I could see their cute little heads. Check out my video below. And now I have a new favorite animal. It was the perfect end to a wonderfully soul-satisfying trip.
Comments