I recently spent a (much needed) long weekend with dear friends in the Bahamas at the Four Seasons Ocean Club in Nassau.
We planned this trip six months ago and the requirements were these:
- easy to get to (i.e. direct flights if possible and a short trip from the airport to the resort. Nassau fit the bill – only an hour and a half from DC and Atlanta, 25 min to the resort from the airport)
- beautiful beaches
- warm weather but not too warm…and that was about it.
On our agenda: talk, swim, sun, cocktails, repeat. (Basically we just wanted a luxurious place to talk – lol). We are old friends who live in different cities now and what we needed was a solid catch up weekend with no interruptions.
We took a look at several options (Jumby Bay Jamaica, Little Palm Island) but they all failed our test in one way or another. None of us had ever been to this resort before so that made it a perfect choice as well…something new to experience.
The Ocean Club was great – we all gave it a 10/10 and said we would like to come back with kiddos as well. The water is absolutely gorgeous in the Bahamas – that is well known of course, but it really is incredible. We had no trouble getting beach chairs each day right in front (also a bonus – a pet peeve of mine is not being able to get beach chairs as a hotel guest).
The attendants were terrific – refilling our Arnold Palmers throughout the day (honestly they were amazing; we couldn’t figure out what made them so delicious but we all agreed they were high quality APs), bringing our cocktails and rosé in the late afternoons, and adjusting the umbrellas as needed.
RESTAURANT GUIDE
Graycliff Restaurant – set in a historic colonial mansion; delicious food (caviar! stone crabs!) and cocktails
Dune, by Jean-Georges, great spot at The Ocean Club and home of the amazing kale salad
Caf̩ Matisse Рthis was a colorful, fun spot with really good food Рpizzas, pasta, salads, seafood
Ocean Blu – casual spot at the hotel; I wouldn’t recommend dinner here if you aren’t staying at the hotel, but this was our daily lunch place and it was perfect
Costa at Baha Mar – we didn’t end up making it over here but I definitely want to try it when I go back. It is a high end Mexican restaurant located in the Baha Mar resort.
We never made it to the infinity pool (we are beach people) but it looked gorgeous. There are two other pools on the resort – an adult pool and a kids pool, plenty of tennis courts, a great spa (two of us had massages), as well as a gym (so we are told). A short walk down the beach was a water sports stand with jet skis, parasailing and other fun activities.
An Incredible Salad
We had lunch at the beachside restaurants (there are two) each day and the standout dish was the kale salad – which we ordered the first day and then continued to order with each meal including dinner because it was that good. We could not figure out what the secret was until we asked the head chef who told us it was an egg yolk and anchovies. Two things I might normally shy away from but this salad truly might be the best one I’ve ever tasted. Even my friend who is not a kale person devoured it. I’ve included the recipe below.
On Site Shopping:
One fun surprise was the merchants that set up in the hotel while we were there – during our particular stay, a woman was selling adorable handmade clutches, bags and wallets as well as necklaces, bracelets and other tropical jewelry. We all bought lots of her items for ourselves and to take home to family and friends. She even put our initials on the bags to make them more personal.
TRAVEL TIP:
Book the VIP fast track transfer service at the airport to avoid the lines, especially for departure. Check with the concierge about how to make the reservations – there are multiple services to choose from. We booked the departure only service and I think it was less than $100 per person and very much worth it to avoid the lines and potentially miss our flight.
BAHAMAS PACKING LIST
Dresses, swimsuits, jewelry, clutches, and shoes – all in a carry on!
Orange La Ligne Dress
Tohum Star Necklace
Clare V Silver Bag – can double as a beach bag
Madewell Crochet Cover Up
Farm Rio top and matching skirt
Madewell Crochet Cover Up
Loeffler Randall Raffia Espadrilles
Veronica Beard Striped Airplane Sweater
Cotton Beach Sarong
Celine sunglasses
Gucci Travel Sneakers
Gucci Beach Slides (rubber!)
Staud Swimsuit
Loeffler Randall Raffia Clutch with Crystals
Gold bracelet set
Me + Em Silk Cropped Shirt
MAC Lipglass in Cultured
History of The Ocean Club Versailles Gardens
-Travel and Leisure article describing the A&P supermarket heir George Huntington Hartford II’s (once one of the wealthiest men in the world) ownership and design of the property in 1960 that is now The Ocean Club Four Seasons.
“He wanted to create something exceptionally unique,” says John Conway, the Ocean Club’s general manager. Hartford, a much-publicized playboy, had a vision for a grand hotel on the island that could become a clubhouse for visiting movie stars and other high society friends. He hired John Volk, the architect behind some of the most distinctive buildings in Palm Beach, to design the accommodations, and imported European fountains and statues to dot the grounds.
