Vegas-Like in Scale, Nassau’s Baha Mar Delights

My heart sank a little as I approached the Bahamas’ new Baha Mar resort, after the short drive from the airport. It was nighttime, and the brightly lit resort loomed dramatically ahead, looking far too large, glitzy and Vegas-like for my tastes. I was pretty sure I wouldn’t like it.

So much for trusting my first impressions. It took no time at all to reverse myself over the course of a four-night stay, in October while covering Ensemble Travel Group’s annual conference.

Development on a grand scale
Located on New Providence Island’s Cable Beach, Baha Mar is indeed big – 1,000 acres and 2,300 rooms – with a long, messy backstory to match.

Dominating the resort visually upon approach are the two towers of its largest hotel, the 1,800-room Grand Hyatt Baha Mar. Tucked between the Hyatt and the beach are two much smaller hotels: the more upscale 299-room SLS Baha Mar and the even more upscale 237-room Rosewood Baha Mar.

Among its Vegas-like features are the 100,000-square-foot casino, which anchors the Hyatt’s two wings, and a 200,000-square-foot convention and entertainment center. There is even a nightly fountain-and-laser show at the front of the property that is reminiscent of The Bellagio’s fountains in Vegas.

It also cost a Vegas-sized $4.2 billion to develop the resort. And while it took a long time to reach fruition – 12 years elapsed between the project’s announcement in 2005 and the day it received its first guests in April 2017 – by all appearances, the investment has paid off.

Today, Baha Mar boasts a full complement of high-end resort amenities, including: an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course; a nine-court tennis complex; an expansive fitness facility; two spas; a Kids Explorer Club; 40 food and beverage outlets, and space for dozens of luxury shops, now occupied by brands like Tiffany, Cartier and Lilly Pulitzer, with more to come.

Colorful art enlivens the lobby of Grand Hyatt Baha Mar’s West Tower.

What’s not to like?
For many resort guests, all those amenities, together with the buzz of the casino and attractions like a nightclub at SLS are precisely the appeal. But, I liked how the resort’s layout and the diversity of its facilities make it possible to sidestep the razzle-dazzle and enjoy a quieter experience.

When I snuck away from the conference to explore the Hyatt’s seven pool areas and adjoining beach, I was drawn to the peaceful Reflections pool, with its secluded cabanas tucked invitingly amid tall palms. Another favorite was the Drift pool, where “rain cabanas” are enclosed by showering curtains of water.

For families, the aquatic feature of choice is Dean’s Blue Hole – a pool with its own cliff jumps, waterfalls and a grotto where swimmers can see into an aquarium whose residents include sharks, stingrays and turtles. In addition, the resort’s Beach Sanctuary program offers wildlife and educational experiences, including hands-on animal encounters; daily feedings of sea turtles and sharks, and a flamingo habitat.

One thing I loved about Baha Mar is its eye-popping artwork. The resort is filled with hundreds of pieces of colorful art, most of it created by Bahamian artists and some produced on-site through a residency program. The pieces are part of an ambitious program to bring Bahamian art and culture into the guest experience through exhibits, workshops and lectures, while also supporting local artists and initiatives like repurposing hotel waste into art, said the resort’s Art Director John Cox.

One resort, three styles
The diversity of Baha Mar’s offering is embodied in its three hotels, each designed for a different target audience. Conveniently, guests can charge expenses throughout the resort to their room.

Even within the Hyatt, there are two distinct styles and two separate lobbies (not to mention 36 room types). The Hyatt’s West Tower features a family friendly, sea-sun-and-sand theme and is convenient to the convention center. The East Tower’s more ornate style appeals to casino-goers, including high rollers who likely will opt for accommodations in the seven-floor, all-suite section called The Reserve, which offers butler service, a private entrance and a VIP lounge.

Neighboring SLS Baha Mar and Rosewood Baha Mar have different vibes altogether. The SLS is all high-style, chic and buzzy, with a large lobby and lobby bar, the Bond nightclub, and an adults-only pool that hosts DJ’d private parties. The Rosewood is sophisticated and stately, with dark wood and marble-accented décor that evokes Colonial-era Bahamian elegance, afternoon tea service in the Library Lounge, and butler service.

Travel advisor perspectives
I asked travel advisor William Gearhart, president & CEO of Classic Travel & Tours, a full-service luxury agency in Metuchen, New Jersey, how he would match clients to the hotels. The Rosewood is suited to “old money” travelers, he replied; whereas the “hip, trendy-looking” SLS is more suited to “young money,” both couples and singles; and the Hyatt is best for families and convention attendees.

Gearhart, who stayed at both the Rosewood and the Hyatt, was favorably impressed with the resort overall. “I like the architecture, the upbeat feeling,” he said. “The pools are lovely. The service levels are great, and it’s not noisy.”

Travel advisor Julie Hill, CTC, of Colony Travel Consultants in Deptford, New Jersey, was already planning a return visit, having won a three-night stay. “I love the pool area,” Hill told me. “I like the fact that it doesn’t feel like people are sitting on top of you. And the wait service on the beach is fantastic.”

The one gripe I heard was the steep prices for food and beverage. Gearhart said he found the restaurants to be “very pricey,” though he deemed the food quality to be excellent, and more than one agent mentioned the annoyance of paying $6 for a Coke.

Hyatt’s Resort Manager John D’Angelo noted that there are four food trucks on the resort’s beach, part of an effort to “create good value for families.”

Overcoming its rough beginnings
Baha Mar opened in phases, starting with the Hyatt in April 2017, followed by the SLS in November 2017 and, most recently, the Rosewood in June 2018.

On its long road to completion, the project suffered from financing woes, construction disputes and delays, bankruptcy filings, and legal battles. The troubles went right down to the wire of more than one announced opening, leaving convention groups and thousands of newly hired staff high and dry without warning.

“There was a bad taste in people’s mouths from the first version of this property,” Hyatt’s D’Angelo told a group of journalists, adding that those challenges are all safely in the past. The turnaround dates back to 2016, when the resort was acquired by Hong Kong-based Chow Tai Fook Enterprises.

Baha Mar redeemed itself in the convention market after successfully hosting two prominent, 1,000-room-night groups (Cisco and IBM) this past spring, D’Angelo said. And leisure bookings were healthy enough during the resort’s first winter holiday season and this year’s spring break that airlines have been expanding their service to the Bahamas.