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The Bahamas’s Nassau and Paradise Island imply one thing very particular to most individuals: Atlantis, water slides, spectacle, scale. Before I reconnected with this locale, I had lingering ideas of the hair braids and dolphin swims of my awkward tween days.
And but, tucked quietly on the identical sliver of land are two sublimely luxurious resorts that really feel like they belong to a completely completely different world — and to my extra mature, travel-conscious self. Time is treasured, so why schlep far for mediocre stays when you possibly can get someplace quick that you just by no means wish to depart? This island is ready to shock you, because it did me.
On this four-night journey, I hotel-hopped — a journey development we’ll see extra of this 12 months — and did two nights at The Four Seasons Ocean Club and two at Rosewood Baha Mar. Each supplied its personal distinct eating, excursions, and facilities, however they got here collectively to create an unexpectedly pleasant winter getaway that’s simply accessible from the South. The Nassau airport is a breeze to get out and in of, and also you clear U.S. customs and immigration there on the way in which again.
The Jungly and Boutique Ocean Club by The Four Seasons
I left Nashville at 7 a.m. on a freezing November Sunday. After a fast layover in Orlando and a 20-minute airport shuttle, I used to be sitting wedged between an infinity pool and the turquoise ocean in 80-degree sunshine, ordering an ahi tuna bowl and a mezcal margarita. I met {couples}, younger households, and long-time resort-goers from the East Coast, and so they all stated the identical factor: this can be a hidden tropical gem that’s a lot simpler to entry than many notice.
Staying at The Ocean Club, a Four Seasons resort, required a right away reset of expectations. This is just not a vertical, high-rise property constructed to impress with measurement. It’s boutique and sprawling, unfolding horizontally throughout 35 lush acres with simply over 100 rooms. There’s a motive savvy vacationers hunt down Four Seasons properties worldwide: the service, the bedding, and the provisions are unmatched.
The resort first opened within the early Sixties as a glamorous, personal escape envisioned by Huntington Hartford II, who imagined Paradise Island as a jet-set various to the French Riviera, solely nearer to house. From the start, it has attracted artists, aristocrats, and celebrities who sought class with out fuss. That legacy nonetheless hums beneath the floor at the moment, particularly below Four Seasons’ stewardship, which has preserved the soul of the property whereas elevating each fashionable element.
I’m reminded of that lineage virtually instantly, noticing dozens of mismatched framed pictures that casually chronicle the resort’s cultural footprint. Cindy Crawford’s marriage ceremony, The Beatles filming on property, and the enduring James Bond legacy. This is the place the Vesper martini entered popular culture, immortalized by Casino Royale, which was filmed there and endlessly tied the resort to Daniel Craig’s Bond.
But the Ocean Club isn’t caught up to now. If something, it feels remarkably present, particularly in its intersection with trend, artwork, and design. Local expat artist Jane Waterous’s spectacular three-dimensional puff-paint creations adorn the partitions, as do her son’s artworks. It’s a real feast for the senses, from the well-known martini flights to the candy-colored sunsets, to the spiny native lobster I ordered twice.
What makes the Ocean Club so compelling, although, is how a lot there may be to do and the way little stress there may be to do any of it. You can transfer always or by no means. There’s a hidden, lagoon-style children’ pool, an out of doors “jungle gym” set beneath palms, a completely stocked indoor health heart, and probably the most spectacular tennis applications you’ll discover on the island. The spa is small and tranquil, with remedy rooms nestled into outside alcoves.
DUNE, the resort’s signature oceanfront restaurant, is led by Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and presents a menu that balances Italian and seafood-forward components, completely suited to the setting. And his molten chocolate lava cake is non-negotiable. Poolside menus shine simply as brightly, providing recent salads, bowls, fish tacos, and smoothies.
Families are quietly well-supported right here, too. Babysitters may be organized, there’s a children’ camp in the course of the day, and — maybe the most important unadvertised perk — Ocean Club friends have full entry to Atlantis’ waterpark, with transportation included. It’s this duality that makes Paradise Island distinctive: whole pampered serenity while you need it, and full-scale journey while you get the urge.
I ventured off property as soon as to go to the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, an impressively various assortment showcasing highly effective modern Bahamian artwork inside a restored historic villa. It’s a straightforward and enriching cease, and plenty of select to pair this with a go to to close by Graycliff, one of many world’s largest personal wine cellars, which holds upwards of 250,000 bottles valued at greater than $20 million.
All-Day, All-Night Fun at Rosewood Baha Mar
After two quietly indulgent nights on the Ocean Club, I shifted gears for the second half of my journey and pulled as much as the Rosewood: a refined retreat set inside the bigger Baha Mar ecosystem. With entry to a formidable lineup of eating places, bars, and experiences all inside strolling distance, this cease is for the epicures, those who like to “put it all on red,” and the dance-floor magnets.
Upon strolling by means of the large open-air foyer, my gaze was instantly drawn … all over the place. While teams of golfers unwound within the heat, wooded Manor Bar, I poured from a pot of well-known Bahamian tea and picked at delectable finger sandwiches at afternoon tea within the pastel-floral library.
Night one, I dined at Costa, set dramatically over koi-filled water in a collection of dreamy little huts that really feel as in the event that they’re floating. The Mexican, seafood-forward menu felt vibrant and recent, and the environment was rivaled solely by that of Chef Daniel Boulud’s close by French restaurant, the place I indulged the next night time. Café Boulud delivered a very completely different temper. Exceptional steaks, steamy seafood pastas, and glamorous interiors.
Between meals, Rosewood and Baha Mar provide no scarcity of the way to unwind or keep energetic. There are a number of swimming pools scattered all through the property, together with a large tucked-away sizzling tub that looks like a secret oasis. The spa deserves all the celebrities: the therapeutic massage I had there was genuinely the most effective of my life.
You can kayak, paddleboard, snorkel, and discover the encircling waters, however probably the most unforgettable expertise by far was my boat tour: The Ocean Guardian Experience. Offered simply as soon as a month, this immersive, expert-led half-day outing takes you to some snorkel stops (with a gourmand picnic lunch) to study marine conservation. It’s so unimaginable, individuals journey from all over the world for it. Educational, transferring, and breathtaking abruptly, it was the clear spotlight of my journey.
If the Ocean Club is about stillness and legacy, Rosewood is about selection, vibrancy, and indulgence —and collectively, they make a surprisingly good pairing. Beyond the resort you select, there may be a lot to see, eat, and do on Paradise Island, whether or not you come for the Junkanoo competition, a bunch golf journey, or an extended romantic weekend to reconnect. Take the journey. You’re a direct flight or a straightforward connection away from this sudden gem of the Caribbean.
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