Conveniently located 10 minutes from Nassau’s Lynden Pindling International Airport, Baha Mar is a 1,100-acre resort complex on Cable Beach in the Bahamas. So far this year it has achieved Preferred by Nature Certified Accommodation, the AAA Four Diamond Award, Best Hotels in the Bahamas from U.S. News & World Report, Smart Meetings Smart Stars Award as Best Island Hotel, and Cvent’s Top Meeting Hotel in North America.
1. Overview
2. Accommodations
3. Dining and Bars
4. Pools and Beaches
5. Spa and Fitness
6. Baha Mar Casino
7. Golf
8. Activities
Overview
The last time I was at Baha Mar was more than 10 years ago, and it was a construction zone. It is one of the most ambitious resort projects this side of Dubai with three hotels – a Rosewood, an SLS, and a Grand Hyatt (which I’ll review this week with Rosewood next). I was once told it’s usually the second or third owner that makes money on a hotel, and Baha Mar won’t be an exception. It finally opened in 2017 after one bankruptcy. A pandemic later, that is ancient history now.
When I hear a developer’s plans, it’s always interesting to see how they unfold, and so the first thing I can tell you is I was pleasantly surprised.
The Grand Hyatt alone has alone has 1,800 rooms, including 230 suites. It’s big, it works very well, with lots of small areas.
Baha Mar has over 45 restaurants and bars, so there is no shortage of options.
The Reserve, where I stayed, is an exclusive hotel within a hotel, with a private entrance check-in area with a lounge that serves coffee, snacks, and happy hour cocktails.
There is a very good butler service, and the text messages with my butler worked very well in terms of getting reservations, arranging transportation, and so forth.
Most of all, the resort is extremely well laid out.
There is a multitude of pools and beach areas. When I walked around the grounds, it never felt crowded, and there were plenty of places to sit and sun, with many smaller, discreet areas, as well as a few see and been seen places.
Accommodations
There is no shortage of suites at the Grand Hyatt, and from the basic types to the top suites, I found them all well-designed, with the signature suites offering terrific venues for business events, family gatherings, hanging with friends, or personal indulgence. The top suites (below) are all part of The Reserve, a hotel within a hotel, that provides you with a dedicated butler. On my trip, she helped make restaurant reservations, change times, and arrange ground transportation.
Chairman Suite
The 4,815 sq. ft. Chairman Suite has an oversized living area, full dining room, kitchen, media room, gym, and four bedrooms and five bathrooms.
Additionally, there is a large outdoor rooftop deck, perfect for al fresco dining, taking in the sun, or a dip in your private plunge pool.
Presidential Suite
The 2,548 sq. ft. Presidential Suite also offers a good venue for outdoor living with an extensive deck.
Monaco Suite
Also located in the Reserve, is the 2,330-sq.ft. Monaco Suite, with two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a pool table.
Riviera Suite
The 1,890 sq. ft. Riviera Suite features two bedrooms and similar spectacular ocean views.
View more suites at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar.
Dining and Bars
With over 45 dining options in the complex, there is something for every taste and mood, including multiple food trucks by the beach (poke bowls, burgers, tacos, flatbreads, etc.), snack shops located throughout the complex, and numerous restaurants and bars. Here are some of my favorites.
Marcus at Baha Mar Fish + Chop House
From celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson, this is a 400-seat dining facility. However, it is broken down between a covered upstairs dining and bar area (Marcus Up Top) downstairs featuring both inside and outside options, so it doesn’t feel that big, a theme applicable to the entire resort, save the casino floor. The focus is seafood, steaks, and Caribbean dishes (conch salad, jerk chicken), along with Samuelsson’s signature dishes like whole fried chicken.
KATSUYA by Starck
Step inside the Philippe Starck dining room. Master sushi chef Katsuya Uechi combines Japanese flavors with local ingredients in rolls, sashimi, and more. There is wagyu beef from the hot kitchen, seafood prepared on the charcoal robata or Katsuya’s tasting menu.
Shuang Ba
Shuang Ba is a formal Asian-themed restaurant just off the casino floor along the connector to the Rosewood focused on regional Chinese specialties. If you have a craving for Peking Duck or dim sum, this is the place to get your fix.
Six Noodle Bar
If you want a casual fix of Asian favorites, Six Noodle Bar serves hand-pulled traditional Chinese, rice bowls, and dim sum treats.
Café Madeleine
To take a break or grab and go, Café Madeleine offers artisanal desserts, fresh pastries, delicious cakes, French Macaroons, and house-made gelato. There are also freshly made sandwiches.
T2
For the cigar smokers and rum connoisseurs in your group, T2 is the product of Tiger Woods and Just Timberlake. There is both indoor and outdoor seating. Small bites include charcuterie and cheese platters, as well as dips and spreads.
Pools and Beaches
There is no shortage of pools. The Grand Hyatt has a half dozen separate and connected pool areas, each with various seating from recliners to daybeds. There are both bars and servers and activities, such as cliff jumping.
The Cable Beach front features white sand, with most guests staying directly in front of the hotel. If you walk about 20 yards to the other side of the pier, you will find space mostly for yourself.
Reserve guests have a private pool and bar area.
There’s also the Baha Bay Beach Club, which requires reserving loungers, daybeds, or a cabana and a minimum food and beverage spend. It offers an infinity pool with views out to the resort’s pier with a beach directly in front of you.
Spa and Fitness
The 30,000-square-foot ESPA includes 12 treatment rooms. There are dozens of treatments ranging from 20 minutes to two hours. There is also an extensive gym with cardiac and weight machines, including free weights. Personal trainers are available. There is a slate of fitness classes from yoga to Pilates and focus sessions on glutes and abs.
Baha Mar Casino
The largest casino in the Bahamas offers 19 live tables offering 18 different games, including blackjack, baccarat, craps, and roulette with Vegas rules and high-limit betting. There are 1,100 of the latest slot machines, and you can also wager and watch from a diverse betting menu of sports. If you want to try your luck by the pool, there is The Pavilion located within the Baha Bay luxury waterpark.
Golf
The Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, Royal Blue, was ranked #1 on Golfweek’s Best of 2022 list. Its only criticism was, “With a lack of drawbacks — perhaps the only one I can even muster is a lack of genuine beachfront views — there’s plenty to look forward to, for certain.” For those of you who like to use your driver, the course can play up to 7,189 yards with multiple tee-box options.
Activities
Baha Bay is the resort’s own 15-acre water park, which includes a variety of water slides, a wave pool, a flow rider, and places to eat. Depending on where you are staying and what level of accommodations, entry may be included. It is also a venue for group events and a great place to host evening parties.
The Current Art Gallery and Studio features local and regional artists as well as a multitude of classes, including botanical leaf printing, landscape painting, and acrylic pouring.
The Kitchen offers cooking classes for everyone, from kids (starting at age 3) to serious home chefs. There are also mixology classes.
Kids and adults can discover nature at the Sanctuary, including a flamingo meet and greet and close-ups with nurse sharks, stingrays, and green sea turtles.
Tennis players have the option of hard, grass, and clay courts. And yes, there is also Pickleball.
There is also plenty of shopping at the resort with no shortage of watch and jewelry options, including Cartier, Chopard, Montblanc, Rolex, Bulgari, and Tiffany & Co.
VIP Contact
Visit the hotel’s website at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar.
