Nassau
At last New Providence Island has a gourmet B&B, A Stone's Throw Away, Tropical Garden Rd. and West Bay St., in Gambier (tel. 242/327-7030). As conceived by its French and Belgian owners, this is the newest boutique hideaway for discerning visitors, including some "off-the-record" celebrities. Surrounded by verandas, the three-story structure, containing 10 bedrooms, is built in the British colonial style. Bedrooms offer views of the garden, the island, or the ocean. The B&B is decorated in a sophisticated, modern style.
Paradise Island
New restaurants are on the boards at Marina Village at the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort & Casino, Casino Dr. (tel. 242/363-3000). The restaurants, all of which should be operational by the time you wing your way to The Bahamas, include Sea Fire, Café Martinique, Camines, and Bimini.
In accommodations at the Atlantis, the latest offering is The Cove, all in coral pink with oddball turrets. This tower contains 600 suites plus a new deluxe gaming area and a revamped spa. Think South Beach meets Las Vegas. The views from the bedrooms-- even the bathrooms-- are the most spectacular on island. On site is the Mesa Grill with an open kitchen. This is the deluxe part of Atlantis, designed for mature adults.
Destroyed by a hurricane in 2005, the Paradise Cove Beach Resort, Deadman's Reef (tel. 242/349-2677) is being reconstructured in its tranquil position a 15-minute drive west of the airport. The family-run property offers two 2-bedroom cottages, with more under construction. Each unit comes with a full kitchen and a large screened porch, and the accommodations are built on stilts rising above the beach, where you can swim, go kayaking or snorkeling. Guests gather at the on-site Red Bar for tropical drinks, a limited menu, conch burgers, and one of the island's best piña coladas.
Cable Beach
After being shut down for a long time, Compass Point Beach Resort at Love Beach (tel. 242/327-4500) has staged a comeback. Its 18 brightly colored huts on the water were inspired by the island's junkanoo music. Within easy access of Cable Beach, it makes an idyllic gateway. You're given a choice of accommodations ranging from studio "huts" to elevated, 2-bedroom accommodations with a sea view. All the bedrooms have private patios, balconies, or porches facing the ocean. The on-site restaurant serves excellent Bahamian dishes, along with international specialties, and there are two bars featuring wide-screen TVs.
Grand Bahama
Coral Beach Hotel, Royal Palm Way (tel. 242/373-2468), enjoys prime beach frontage only a 15-minute walk from the Port Lucaya Marketplace. All the accommodations come with a garden view and have conveniences such as a small refrigerator, microwave, and phone. On site are amenities such as 24-hour security, an outdoor swimming pool, a convenience store, beauty salon, and fitness center, as well as laundry facilities.
The Ocean Reef Yacht Club, Bahama Reef Blvd. (tel. 888/790-5264), caters mainly to yachties but welcomes all vacationers to its 60 individually owned townhouses and apartments which are rented out when the owners are away. Opening onto a marina and the water, the club lies half a mile from a good beach and a 10-minute drive into Port Lucaya. Rental units come in various shapes and sizes, the least expensive being the narrow, yet-comfortable efficiency units. All of the accommodations have fully equipped kitchens or kitchenettes. Three meals a day are served at Groupers Bar & Grill in an outdoor setting (the namesake grouper, of course, is a specialty, but so is Bahamian lobster).
Abacos
On Winding Bay on Great Abaco Island, The Ritz-Carlton Abaco Club (tel. 800/241-3333) is one of the greatest venues for escapists in The Out Islands now that the Ritz-Carlton people have moved in and taken over the Abaco Club. This elegant compound is a private club open to everyone for a first-time visit (membership is required after that). Still growing, the club will encompass a "village" of seventy 2-, 3-, or 4-bedroom cottages on the water, each with large verandas, spacious interiors, and a beautiful tropical landscape. The property sprawls across 534 acres on a scenic peninsula with two miles of white sandy beach. The private golf course on the grounds marks the debut of the world's first Scottish-style links course in a tropical location.
Eleuthera
Construction is underway on the Cotton Bay Hotel in South Eleuthera (tel. 800/255-4539). The Cotton Bay Club enjoyed great renown in the 50s and 60s before its decline. It is expected to make a comeback with 69 rooms within 20 villas, including four deluxe suites within an all-new clubhouse. South Eleuthera has been lacking in first class or deluxe hotels for years, and this boutique hotel is expected to put the area back on the map for the upmarket, discerning vacationer.
The Cape Eleuthera Resort at Powell Pointe (tel. 242/422-9977) has opened for business, with a completely rebuilt and fully equipped marina. For the inaugural season, nineteen 2-bedroom fully furnished townhouses are available for rent. Each is comfortably furnished in a tropical motif. A full array of sports activities are offered, including biking, snorkeling, scuba diving, and sea kayaking. On site is the Barracudas Beach Bar and Grille, plus a bakery-deli coffeehouse.
Construction continues on the Current Club at the southernmost top of North Eleuthera, a major $8 million development, consisting of villas in the little settlement of Current. The owners plan to open a resort comprising of 34 condo hotel units, a marina, and a restaurant. The old dock was severely damaged when Hurricane Andrew swept through in 1992. It is being rebuilt. The villas themselves will consist of 2- and 3-bedroom units, and amenities will include swimming pools, a fitness room, and even a business center.
South Andros
The hot spot of the area is a restaurant and bar called The Point, outside Congo Town (tel. 242/369-4977). Native-born son George Farrington settled here after a decades-long career in a New York bank. When he couldn't find a place to get a good steak, aged rum, a vintage bottle of wine, and a good cigar, he decided to open The Point. It has become an overnight success, drawing visitors from the Emerald Palms Beach Resort. Fishermen returning from a day at sea sit on the porch overlooking Johnson Bay, and swap tall fish tales. Sometimes George brings in a rake Â?n scrape (folk music) band or a junkanoo troupe to entertain the crowds. Arrive at 5pm and you'll get free conch fritters and chicken wings, plus two drinks for $5.
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