Old Bahama Bay

Exactly what we hoped for!

My wife and I chose Old Bahama Bay for our Honeymoon and we are SO glad we did!! This was the perfect honeymoon getaway for us. We wanted to get away and stay away from the big resorts and Old Bahama Bay was the perfect fit. The rooms are just like the photos on the website and were very clean and very comfortable. We enjoyed the secluded beach. The food was great and we liked watching the boats/yachts come in to the marina. We would highly recommend Old Bahama Bay to anyone and we can’t wait to go back!

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

Make sure you take advantage of the kayaking, snorkeling and watching the sunrises and sunsets! They are beautiful.

The hotel was beautiful, but watch the mosquitos!!!

This hotel is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!However; it is a bit far from the airport. You MUST rent a car and purchase groceries because the resort food in quite expensive...

Loved It

One of the most relaxing vacations ever. Lose track of what day it is. Kids had a blast too.

Loved it

Had a relaxing time, which is what I paid for. The hotel and staff are really great. The rooms are beautiful and clean. The hotel is on the extreme far west end of the island so be prepared to be isolated from other choices to eat and drink away from the property. The food is good but choices are limited. As for rides to/ from the airport, the hotel will arrange that for you if you notify them prior to your arrival for free. It was the perfect week. I would go back for sure.

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

Stop and buy water/snacks at a market on the way in. Have ones/fives ready to tip the shuttle driver and bell hop when you first arrive to the hotel. If you are not renting a car, the hotel will arrange transportation to/from the airport for free if you contact them with your flight info. You can do this via email. If you want to trip to town you can get a card from the drivers because they are all taxi drivers and will return to take you to town (Freeport/Lucaya).

Nice for Snorkeling, not for food or excitement

I did a lot of research before coming to Old Bahama Bay, so I kind of knew what to expect. The surrounding area of the West End is a pretty poor area, a lot of construction and not much else. The food at Old Bahama Bay is really bad as well as expensive. The Straw Bar isn’t good, neither is Bonefish Folley’s. There wasn’t really any fresh fish, and all of the items on the menu were bland American fare (chicken strips, burgers, beef minestrone?!) We managed to get a few groceries before going to the resort, but it wasn’t enough, so we biked into town to get groceries. The good thing was the beach. The water is gorgeous, and manta rays and all sorts of fish swim right around you. Unfortunately once dusk sets in there’s not much to do but go to your room and wait until morning. The service and locals were pretty nice, and it’s surprisingly safe (compared to New York.) If you have big bucks and yachts this is the place for you. If you are looking to have tasty food and fun, maybe you’ll want to look elsewhere.

Traveler's tip on dining

Buy food before you go. I recommend eggs, butter, cereal, milk, salt and pepper among other things. You can bike into town and eat at Ella’s Takeout if you want some local good food for a good price.

Beautiful Hotel...Far away from Fun!

I stayed at the Old Bahama Bay the week of Memorial Day. The grounds are beautiful, the room was extradinary. However I have two complaints...(1)There are 2 restaurants on the grounds that have bad food!! The selections are close to nothing and besides a club sandwich which was $12 what is left on the menu is WAYYYYY over priced! The did have a bar called the Straw bar that sold light snacks the chicken strips there were great but everything else on the little menu was not desirable and the bar closed at 5:30pm!! There is no 7-11’s or small stores to buy snacks so ask the driver to take you to the market before you go to the resort you will be happy you did! (2)It was away from everything. This resort is very secluded, we rented a car which was $72 a day and that was cheap compared to catching a cab which was $75 each way.(to and from town) We went to Lucaya which is where the shopping and souveirs are. The best I can tell you is to try Nassau and if you are going to Freeport and wish to stay here, rent a car! Also only stay at this resort if you are just looking to relax not if you want to party. During our entire stay (5 days) I seen about 10 people the entire time.

Very Relaxing

My husband and I wanted to get away for a long weekend and do nothing but relax and this was the place! I can see where some people may call it boring, but if you truly want to sit by the pool or overlook gorgeous water while reading or relaxing, you will be happy at Old Bahama Bay. The grounds were very well kept and so were the rooms. We rode bikes every morning. I would agree with previous reviews that it would have been better to have a few more food options. The poolside bar had good food but it closed by 5pm, so you had to either eat early or go to one of the other restaurants. We stopped by a grocery store on our way there and got some fruit and snacks, so I would definitely recommend doing that...the drivers were happy to stop. Overall, we were very pleased and will definitely be going back!

Beautiful! We will definitely go back!

We loved everything about Old Bahama Bay! We had a wonderful, clean, comfortable, room right on the beach. It was perfect! We loved sitting at the Straw Bar in the evening...just wish it didn’t close at 6:00 pm. This was just about the most beautiful, peaceful, place we have ever been in the Bahamas.

Traveler's tip on recreational activities

Be sure to check out a bike and ride into town. There are no hills, so it’s very easy to ride a bike anywhere.

Wonderful stay but far from entertainment

We spent 5 wonderful days at Old Bahama Bay w/ a few exceptions. Room/view were beautiful, pool is fantastic & it was an extremely relaxing environment. However, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone looking for quality food, good ocean swimming or a lot of entertainment. We were very disappointed in the food. Since there aren’t other options w/in 45 minutes, you’re stuck with the 3 restaurants on site and we were tired of them quickly. The tiki bar by the pool had good burgers and grilled fish but isn’t open for dinner and the menu is small. Prices at the main restaurant were reasonable but food quality was poor. We decided not to go to the high-end restaurant because I assumed the food is prepared in the same kitchen as the main restaurant and therefore wouldn’t be worth the ridiculously high prices. Although the ocean is beautiful, it is very shallow and grassy so it is not ideal for swimming. They do have kayaks you can take out and you can go on a snorkeling excursion but swimming right off the beach wasn’t what I had expected. Finally, I was totally content to sit on the beach or by the pool to read and swim but my husband was bored. He was hoping for more activities and entertainment but there wasn’t much. In conclusion: beautiful hotel- the landscaping, the rooms, the view, the pool-it’s all excellent for a very relaxing vacation - but the food & ocean swimming were disappointments and if you can’t sit still like my husband, you’ll be bored.

Traveler's tip on dining

I would suggest renting a car from the hotel for a day to go to Port Lucaya. We went to the National Park and enjoyed the secluded, absolutely beautiful beach. We had dinner and lunch in Port Lucaya - two fabulous meals! I highly recommend East-some of the best sushi we’ve ever had!

Everyone should get away to Old Bahama Bay!

My husband and I wanted a private, quiet little get-away, and Old Bahama Bay hit the spot! The service was great, the food was great, and the privacy could not be beat. We will definitely go back!

Nicest Hotel Ever-Perfect

This hotel was absolutely perfect. My trip was end of March 2009. Grounds were beautiful. I had an oceanfront bungalow and you stepped out right onto the beach. This is the only hotel on this side of the island so it was like having your own private beach. Hammocks to lay in and soak up the sun. Staff was unbelievable. They took care of everything. I have traveled alot and do not go back to the same place twice, but I will go back to Old Bahama Bay. The photo’s are exactly how the resort looks. Only recommendation to the hotel, need a larger variety of food and it was not the best, but it was still worth it.

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

Not if you want to party.

The Most Beautiful Property We Have Ever Stayed At

This property is gorgeous! Our room was extremely large and the furnishings were amazing. The bed and linens were comfortable and we slept like babies. Our room was literally a few hundred feet from the pool and the ocean. Huge private, personal veranda right outside our room looking over the pools and ocean to relax, read and enjoy the water. Hotel staff were friendly and very accommodating. Property and grounds are exquisitely maintained. We will go back again and again. Because this property is on the west end of the island it lends itself to peace and quiet. One recommendation we have is that when the hotel staff picks you up from the airport, ask them to make a brief stop at a store for you to pick up snacks or beverages - they were more than willing to do this for us. There is a small store at the hotel, but selection is limited. Part of our stay included a small destination wedding and we have nothing but praise for the wedding coordination staff. Our wedding package delivered 100% of what we asked for and more. If you want to experience the beauty, friendliness and tranquility of the Bahamas, stay at Old Bahama Bay - you won’t be disappointed. Thanks for all the memories we made.

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

Pick up snacks, beverages, alcohol on the trip from the airport to the hotel. There is only a small store at the property with limited selection.

what a great find!!!

I was nervous at first when we drove out to the hotel, since it was a long ride and not a lot of great scenery. But once we got to Old Bahamma Bay, I was blown away. We were driven in a golf cart to our room and given a yummy fruit punch. When we opened the door, our room took my breath away. It was beautiful. The grounds were beautiful and we were close the amazing pool. I cannot complain at all about the service. Excellent staff. And the food and drinks! Unbelievable! My only gripe would be the number of restaurants. I wish there were more options for food. This is the kind of place to go to relax and get away from it all. If you want a party/club scene with lots of activity, stay in Port Lucaya or go to Nassau.

Traveler's tip on shopping

If you want to shop, the hotel will arrange for public transportation to pick you up and take you to Freeport. From there, take another bus to Port Lucaya. You can also get a taxi, but that’s more expensive.

Beautiful...Just make sure the kitchen is open!

We arrived at the West end of Grand Bahahma to a lovly resort. However, after we checked in, we were told that the resorts kitchen was under construction and two of the three restaurants were closed. A catered buffet was offered everynight...lets just say...I might as well have been on a bad cruise. How many nights could one eat ribs, chicken, cole slaw and potato salad? The staff was gracious considering the circumstances. I do feel the resort should have made us aware of the situation prior to our arrival/check-in and we should have been compensated for the inconveniece. The resort is 45 minutes from Freeport so we could not go elsewhere to dine unless we rented a car/hired a taxi. Old Bahama Bay has lovely rooms, grounds, pool and beach. Bicyles allowed us to go for daily rides about the West End of the island. Kayaks allowed us explore sand bars for shells. Kids loved the beach and swing set along with the poolside ping pong/pool tables. I would strongly recommend hitting a market for basic groceries. Bottom line...very nice resort but they fell short. I would not say that I would return...other place to explore. I would say to others go...it is peaceful, relaxing, staff is pleasent...just make sure the kitchen is open.

Traveler's tip on dining

Go outside of the resort and enjoy fresh seafood from Ella’s just down the road.

Resort very nice place to just relax.

The only problem we had was that We didn’t feel we were given the room and possibly the rate we applied for. We were supposed to get an Ocean view room. What we really got was a Pool View with a peak of the ocean behind the palm trees. It actually was very little ocean view at all-more small portion of the shore line. That said, there is also a price difference for pool view and ocean view. So I believe we were possibly shorted there also. We brought the subject up with the management (we had already unpacked), they offered to move us, but the offered room was not much better and a pain in the neck to pack up and move. So we declined. Again, that was the only problem. The purpose of our trip was to get away, relax, read a book, and unwind. Beach was not crowed, and you can defiantly relax at the Old Bahama Bay. Being out on the tip of the Island does have advantages in that regard. The Staff--were superb. The restaurant food was great and reasonably priced. Room and grounds were very well kept and clean. We were treated extremely well by everyone. Taxi to and from the Airport taken care of. Again--great place to sit back, enjoy sun, relax, read a book. Swim and Snorkel too.

Advice to travelers: Try not to come on Sunday--grocery stores close at noon. Do hit the City Market before going 35 miles out to the resort. Nice to have snacks, pop, water, and don’t forget coffee filters if you need those. Local Bus rides to town are an experience; just remember they are never the same price as the locals pay--Dollar higher each way. Same once you get to town to use that system.

Quiet get-a-way....this is it!

Hotel is isolated enough to provide relaxing quiet. Yet enough to do around to provide someting to do (bike, sunbath, snorkle). Take a ride along the local fishing village and visit with the friendly natives.

Stay away if you have kids....Not enough to do for the kids.

Not impressed

Very friendly staff BUT restaurant service SLOW. Go to the restaurant BEFORE you are hungry - It can take an hour to get a sandwich. Magagement seems to have NO interest in improving kitchen performance. Beaches are not cleaned. Landscaping is appropriate for a corporate headquarters, not for a Bahamian resort. Rooms are luxurious, but have a depressing brown color scheme - and for the same price (and some taste) could be so nice and welcoming. Showers and bathtubs have no grab bars.Elegant bowls used as sinks are so far back that it is difficut to reach them when brushing teeth. Prices for food do not include the usual 15% gratuity included all over Freeport but are 30% higher than in the rest of Freeport. The beaches have not the lovely white sand of Freeport- but coarse beige sand. Outrageously expensive and depressingly isolated - it takes an hour to get to Freeport.

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

Stay at Pelican Bay

Nice , quiet vacation- no crowds

Our stay was very pleasant. Beautiful decor in rooms, furniture is new. King bed was very comfortable and sofabed for the kids was fine. Free DVD rentals was a nice quiet activity in the evenings. Kitchen in room was most convenient- full size frig, dishwasher, microwave & 2 stove burner. Dishes provided. Hotel loaned pot, pan and spatula.

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

Definitely needed a rental car, as the hotel is very secluded and is about 45 min from Freeport. Can rent from airport or daily rental from hotel. We used our car to purchase groceries, go to Paradise Beach/Deadman’s reef, and to Freeport.

Check out your room before you say yes

I booked 2 hotel rooms through Expedia. The rooms were the same price and category. My friend’s room had a cooktop with microwave, a larger fridge, a jacuzzi tub with separate shower. Lovely decor and linens. Mine had a microwave and a small fridge. My shower/tub were combo. The electric plug to my fridge had a short - I lost a gallon of milk for my daughter the first night. My coffee pot was also intermittent. My room was very nice, pretty decor and good view but incomparison to my friend’s room, I had the bad room. Massage was good. Kids program was ok but they have nothing if you don’t book in advance and hound them to make sure that what you sign up for is going to happen. The pool was heated and wonderful. The marina is nice and the boats were beautiful. Excellent food at he restaurant.

Quiet and off the beaten track

Pretty location, marginal service. Nice room with lovely balcony and beautiful beach. Seems focused on marina, fishing and port-of-call customers. Limited other on-site activities and a solid hour from anything else on Grand Bahama - would have felt trapped without a rental car and spent a lot of time driving back and forth to Freeport and Lucaya. Lost power in a storm (exciting) but then hotel staff never arrived with lantern & mops they promised. Concierge not very familiar with anything offsite - couldn’t even tell us if airport/rest of island had power when we were leaving after the storm. Grand Bahama has seen better days. But a nice quiet place to decompress if you just want to soak in the sun.

Traveler's tip on dining

Best collection of restuarants in the Port Lucaya market

Not a high end Luxury Resort

The hotel’s advertising promises high standards of a top international resort. Don’t be lured by creative advertising.We reserved an Oceanfront Room and on arrival were shown to probably the worst room there, over the gym and housekeeping area where all the staff converge to eat,smoke and generally socialise.The room we eventually got was overlooking the pool and ocean,but not entirely oceanfront. We were pleased with the room size and quality. Some maintenance issues in the room need to be attended to lightbulbs missing, patio tabletops missing, washer/dryer unoperable. The hotel only has 2 restaurants plus the beachside grill which is only open for lunch. Aqua is for fine dining which was very good with very good service. The Dockside Restaurant leaves a lot to be desired with regards to menu, quality and service. We were there for 6 nights and soon tired of the same menu-a daily special would have been nice. As there are no other restaurants nearby you really don’t have much choice.It’s not entirely the relaxing haven they advertise as some of the boating sect can be quite rowdy.It’s also a 45min drive to the main town where there are several hotels and restaurants-taxi ride is $65 each way.Be warned that a huge development is about to start nearby, scheduled to take place over 10 years! We expected much more for the "luxury price" we paid for this resort, some of the issues we had to deal with made it feel like a cheap roadside Motel rather than a high end luxury resort.

Old Bahama Bay

My wife and I are age 60 and 58 respectivly and spent 6 days this February at this upscale getaway. If you seek gambling or more action this is not the place for you. It is quiet,dignified and relaxed. The staff is always available and extremely eager to please. There are 2 good restaurants on site , which you will use, as once you leave the grounds there is really nothing else for 25 miles or better. The rooms are very spacious and comfortable, and the pool is beautiful. The beach, while small, is steps away. We were completely at ease there and loved relaxing on the patio overlooking the Atlantic. If you do get bored you may always drive into Freeport and Port Lucaya for some new restaurants and shopping. Nature preserves and other outdoor locations are also not too far. Everyone on the Island was super friendly. Some places don’t look too inviting but we never felt unsafe or uncomfortable. It appears the national goal is to actually become the friendliest people on the planet to entice more tourists. If you lead stressful busy lives as we do, and need a week to relax and decompress, with some very pleasant and helpful folks, this is the place. We are not sure if we will ever return, but only because there are still so many places we want to see and so little time. If I was there right now I am sure it would be pleasant.

Probably not good for the kids. This place is focused on middle aged and older adults who want relaxation