10 Reasons to Choose the Grand Lucayan

PHOTO: The Serpentine Pool weaves along the beach.

Located on Grand Bahama Island, the Grand Lucayan Beach & Golf Resort offers 542 rooms in a spectacular setting. Among them are 51 suites and 23 Lanai Suites, luxurious two-level and multiple-room arrangements with private ocean views and there’s more to come as a “Club Deluxe Level” with a penthouse suite is now under construction on the 10th floor of the Breaker’s Cay hotel.

The resort strives to offer something for everyone, from budget travelers to those who seek a comfortable, inclusive experience. Here are 10 reasons you will love your visit to the Grand Lucayan.

Rooms with Killer Views

The resort offers incredible vistas to rooms above the 6th floor (palm tree-top level), with roomy terraces crafted to showcase an endless bright blue sky and azure ocean. The rooms are built for privacy, with two layers of curtains to allow a shaded gaze at the water or a deep sleep at night.

Accommodations in the modern Art Deco-style 400-square-foot guestrooms include free wireless Internet access, a flat-panel television, a roomy king- or two queen-size beds, a dining nook with a two-seat table, a coffeemaker, a chaise with connecting ottoman, and a mini-fridge. The bathroom includes a full bath and shower, hair dryer, retractable clothesline, complementary hotel bar soap, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, shoe mitt, and makeup mirror. Guests who want a night in can enjoy 24-hour room service.

The 800-square-foot Ocean View Suites also include one bedroom, a dining room and a lounge area with a sofa and chairs, a breakfast nook with a microwave and full refrigerator, a powder room, and an expanded terrace with ocean views.

The 900-square-foot Lanai Suites have space for six to 10 guests and contain two bedrooms, two bathrooms with separate powder rooms, roomy living areas with a kitchenette and two full terraces set up with chaises for daily or nightly ocean views.

Comfort and Convenience

Service at Grand Lucayan is excellent; staff is friendly and helpful, willing to accommodate or instruct guests on how to achieve their ideal stay at the resort. Guests can choose more or less inclusive packages for their stay, and hotel managers will help guests customize their trip with information on island excursions.

Those who choose more hands-on packages have the best of the resort to enjoy: soft beds, great views and warm waters combine with the laid-back feel of the Caribbean to create an ethos of calm at the resort.

Leisure, for Business or Pleasure

The resort is set up to accommodate both family and business groups and offers all-inclusive packages as well. The resort offers event catering and a loyalty Points Rewards program through American Airlines AAdvantage program, United Mileage Plus, Best Buy Reward Zone and others. The upper floor of Manor House contains two large conference rooms, and the Conference Center, adjacent to the infinity and lap pools and the fitness center, has 16 conference rooms.

Five Ways to Take a Dip

PHOTO: A lap pool is available for exercise and ocean views.

If the waves call out from the balcony, guests can have a swim in no time. The beach is steps away from the Breaker’s Cay hotel, and guests can use the towel card they receive at check-in to borrow beach or pool towels.

Grand Lucayan has three pools: its three-part, 300-square-foot Serpentine Pool, weaving along the beach adjacent to the hotel, a curvy Infinity Pool hugging the Convention Center near the Senses Spa, and a 90-square-foot heated lap pool for those who wish to exercise. Swimmers can warm up in one of two outdoor hot tubs by the beach.

Relaxation and Extras

The Senses Spa has eight treatment rooms, wood saunas, a steam room and a hydrotherapy tub. It offers aroma facials, full-body massages and body wraps, as well as the cleverly named “Bahamian Wrapsody,” which involves lime exfoliation and a wrap made from local ingredients.

Access to the fitness center is free for guests, who can take part in yoga, Pilates, spinning classes and more. The center includes dozens of exercise and weight machines and exercise balls.

The resort offers free parking (special prices on martinis and tapas on “Ladies’ Night” every Friday; and a Junkanoo parade on weekends. The Kids’ Club at adjacent Memories Resort is open to Grand Lucayan guests, at an additional fee.

Dining

Four restaurants offer a choice of world cuisines, from pan-Asian to Caribbean with a Jamaican focus, to Mediterranean with a local twist. China Beach brings the flavors of Vietnam, Thailand, Korea, Indonesia and Malaysia, alongside a spectacular view of the ocean at sundown. Entrees are $20-$30. Come for dinner Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday.

Willy Broadleaf, located under the hotel building, is the spot for a full buffet breakfast with fresh fruits and pancakes, cereal, toast, and omelet options until 10:30 a.m. On Sundays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., the restaurant offers a generous champagne brunch with savory foods at themed booths stretching across the dining room. Meals are $25 for adults, $12.50 for children ages 5-12.

Churchill’s, a Mediterranean-style cuisine curated by Michelin-star chef Gianfranco Chiarini, offers the highest-end offerings of seafood, meat, and pasta in the $15-$40 range. Iries Caribbean Seafood, open for lunch and dinner, offers local dishes with an open, breezy ambiance.

Nightlife

Poolside drinks and snacks are available at Hammerhead’s Beach bar, next to the Serpentine Pool. Manor House’s Havana Cay offers wine, cocktails, and a Cuban or Dominican cigar from the built-in humidor. Also at Manor House is Churchill’s bar, with smooth, live jazz in the evenings.

Bet On It

The 3,500-square-foot Treasure Bay Casino, open 24 hours, is located near the resort and has 400 slot machines and 30 gaming tables with a variety of card games. Guests can also join the Player’s Club, for cash, hotel, and meal deals. Next door is Club Cove, a cabaret nightspot.

Play Ball

Grand Lucayan has four full-size tennis courts with three surfaces available as well as an 18-hole, 120-acre golf course designed by the renowned Robert Trent Jones Jr. Additionally, the resort has shuffleboard, foosball, ping-pong, and a giant chess set for guests to try out, and water sports are offered on the beach by a nearby vendor.

Entertainment On-Site and Off

PHOTO: The Manor House provides evening entertainment.

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings movies are played on a screen on the great lawn in front of the Manor House lobby, and Wednesday night is Fish Fry, a Bahamian tradition. The resort offers a Fish Fry right on property, but local stands also line the beaches nearby.

There are a number of excursions available outside the resort, and staff emphasized on a recent visit that they encourage guests to explore beyond its bounds. Next door is the Marketplace, a tourist’s haven for restaurants, jewelry, and local crafts. The front desk in Manor House’s lobby will order taxis from the resort to locations farther away, and can help make reservations with island adventure companies.

Note: This article is from the Caribbean: How the Islands are Building for the Future supplement.