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Baha Mar resort in the Bahamas offers guests a complete package with beautiful hotel rooms, delicious restaurants, and a front-row view of Cable Beach. This Baha Mar Guide will help you decide where to stay in Baha Mar, what to do, and where to eat.
Where Should I Stay in Baha Mar?
Choosing a place to stay in Nassau is easy. There are two main hotel complexes: Baha Mar or the Atlantis. If you prefer a laid-back atmosphere, I suggest choosing Baha Mar.
Baha Mar is a large complex of three hotels on the famous Cable Beach:
- The Grand Hyatt Baha Mar is a beautiful large resort with excellent service and is the best Baha Mar hotel.
- The Rosewood Baha Mar is a sophisticated and quiet hotel offering relaxation with a beautiful ocean view, great for couples.
- The SLS Baha Mar is an upscale hotel for those looking for a lively atmosphere.
These hotels are all interconnected. It’s easy to walk from one to the other whether you are inside the hotel or enjoying the pool or beach. Baha Mar is also home to a water park to compete with the Atlantis hotel.
While staying at Baha Mar, we elected to stay at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar using credit card reward points. Our stay was during Christmas, which was an extremely busy time of year. Every lounge chair was taken at the pool and on the beach. We opted to relax on a grassy area with a few of the ocean to escape the crowds.
Grand Hyatt Baha Mar
We checked into our room at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, and I was pleasantly surprised. It looks nice in pictures, but the room was larger, and the décor is better in person. We stayed on a high floor, giving us an ocean view from bed. Waking up and seeing the ocean was spectacular. The rest of the room was wonderful too. The bathroom was quite large, with a separate shower and tub (with a view of the ocean) and a separate room for the toilet. The bathroom also contained two sinks making it ideal for couples getting ready together. The furnishings were fitting for the location and gave the room a feeling of beach sophistication.
What are the Best Baha Mar Restaurants?
There are 40 or so restaurants at Baha Mar. This guide to Baha Mar will walk you through some of the best restaurants at Baha Mar.
Food Trucks at Baha Mar
At least 10 of these restaurants are Airstreams on the walkway between Cable Beach and the three hotels. For me, this was a novel and genius idea. These mini Baha Mar restaurants and bars offer a wide variety of food giving options to even the pickiest eaters. The food prices are a little high for the equivalent of a taco truck, but less than the traditional restaurants at the hotel. Interestingly, the restaurants, as far as I can remember, only allow you to charge your meal to your room. This system ensures that only hotel guests are eating at the restaurants keeping the wait time for your food to a minimum.
Traditional Restaurants at Baha Mar
When looking for the best Baha Mar restaurants, there are numerous options at different price points. For example, you can choose between a couple of SBE Baha Mar restaurants – Katsuya (sushi), Cleo (Mediterranean), or Filia (Italian), or Shuang Ba (high-end Chinese), Cinkō (Asian Latino grill), Stix (noodle bar), and Café Madeline (French restaurant great for breakfast, pastries and lunch). Katsuya was one of the best Baha Mar restaurants. Sushi is one of my favorite things to eat, so I can be a bit partial.
For those looking for their daily coffee fix, there is also a Starbucks in the Grand Hyatt.
We ate at most of these restaurants except 3 Tides and Cleo. We skipped Cleo because we have eaten there numerous times in Los Angeles. The dinner restaurants were all good, but surprisingly, none were exceptional. This may have been because of the large Christmas crowds. My favorite breakfast was Café Madeline. I suggest you try the avocado toast or a croissant.
Baha Mar Tips
Order the spicy tuna on crispy rice at Katsuya. The warm crunchy crispy rice topped with a flavorful spicy tuna mixture is a fan favorite.
Baha Mar dinner reservations are a must. The hotels get crowded, and making a reservation prevents any dinner time stress.
Contact the hotel concierge by email in advance and ask that he/she help you set up your Baha Mar dinner reservations and/or activities. The hotel concierge was extremely helpful in securing our restaurant reservations which were difficult to obtain over the Christmas holiday.
Night Life and Pool Parties at Baha Mar
A guide to Baha Mar must include things to do from morning till night. A stay at Baha Mar can be lively with a visit to any one of these places while on property.
Jazz Bar: Before dinner one night, we went to the Jazz Bar for a cocktail. The live music at this piano bar was very entertaining. The singer and the musicians are talented and put on a good show. I recommend going to the Jazz Bar for a drink before or after dinner.
Manor Bar: The Manor Bar at the Rosewood is just what you would imagine a library bar would look like, but it has ocean views. The bartenders make fancy concoctions and smoky drinks. It’s worth stopping in for a unique drink and snack before dinner.
Baha Mar Casino: There is a full casino at Baha Mar. You can choose from a variety of gaming tables, slot machines, and the Sports Book to place your bets.
If you’re in the mood to party it up, head to Bond at the SLS. Bond is a club with live acts several times a week. If you’re more interested in day-time action, the SLS has you covered with its pool parties. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I did not get a chance to check out either when I stayed at Baha-Mar.
The Best Activities and Things to do at Baha Mar
ESPA Spa
After five days on a sailboat rocking about, I needed a massage to start the rest of my vacation. The spa was delightful, clean, and relaxing. I left the massage feeling rejuvenated.
Bah Mar Tip: Check the iPad in your room for daily specials at the spa. When booking your appointment, let the guest services person know that you are booking the special. The day I had a massage, the special was an hour and a half massage for the price of an hour massage. Good deal!
Things to do at Baha Mar
- Baha Bay, Baha Mar water park, a luxury beachfront waterpark set on 15 acres, and enjoy beachside tranquility, catch an endless wave at the surf simulator, or ride one of 24 waterslides.
- Jack Nicklaus Signature designed 18 hole golf course
- ESPA spa (see discussion above)
- Racket Club
- Cable Beach: The beach has soft sand, and the ocean is clear blue. For safety reasons, there are buoys to keep the swimmers and motorized activities away from one another. The beach can get crowded making it difficult to find a lounge chair. Unfortunately, there were so many people packed into such a small area, it made it hard to relax.
- There are six pools, plus a 15-foot jump into Dean’s Blue Hole. Take the plunge, it’s fun even for adults. If you plan to relax by the pool, you may have to get up early to scope out a lounge chair. There were actually signs prohibiting people from placing towels on the lounge chairs early in the morning to reserve them for the later part of the day. This was a bit annoying, but I found another way to deal with the crowds. I stumbled onto a sandy space between the pool and the beach. Oddly enough, even though we could see the ocean, there was hardly anyone in this huge area giving us an opportunity to relax in a quieter setting.
- Gym: There is a well-appointed gym with cardio equipment facing the ocean and open spaces to exercise outside.
- If you are traveling with kids, there are lots of activities away from the main areas to keep them busy, including a nurse shark sanctuary.
- There is a complimentary rental program offering stand-up paddleboards, single and double kayaks, water hammocks, floating lounges, personal floats, snorkels, and masks.
- Motorized watercraft rentals include Jetsurf boards (there is a motor on the surfboard) or dive on powerful Seabobs.
- If you are a water park fan, there is a also
Swimming with the Pigs in the Bahamas
There are numerous options for activities beyond just swimming or paddling boarding in front of the hotels. I wanted to swim with the pigs and did hours of research to find the best tour. Without boring you with all the research details, I found Exuma Escapes, which offers swimming with pigs and nurse sharks (not at the same time) and visiting the iguanas. You can make this trip by boat (full day). To make this the ultimate luxury active experience from Nassau, explore seven different Bahamian islands by chartered plane and boat to swim with the pigs, snorkel a plane wreck, swim through an underwater cave, and feed iguanas. These are all popular activities on any Bahamas trip.
This excursion was high on my list, but due to bad weather, we canceled our trip. So if you go, let me know how it is. I particularly liked the company we booked (Exuma Escapes) because, in addition to the great tour options, we were able to cancel and get a full refund. Given this is an expensive excursion, especially if you do it by plane, I was happy to be able to get my money back.
Overall, if you are traveling to Baha Mar, you can expect large crowds regardless of your hotel of choice. It’s a popular destination and easy to get to from the east coast of the United States. If you go with the flow and don’t get bogged down by the little annoyances, you will have a good time.
If you are heading to the Bahamas, boating in the Exumas makes for a fun vacation, or head to the Florida Keys where you can spend all day on or in the water. Don’t forget to check out my guide to the best restaurants in Baha Mar.
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like these beach destinations:
The Ultimate Guide to Punta Mita, Mexico
The Best Things to Do in Norsara, Costa Rica
The Best Things to Do on the Water from Miami to Key Largo
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Hi what was the weather like in december? warm enough to get into the water
Yes, the weather is on the warmer side in December, but not super hot. We spent most days in our bathing suits in and out of the water. It gets cooler at night.
Did you happen to find this area too close to the airport? I really don’t want to listen to planes all day and night.
Baha Mar is about a six mile drive or about 15 minutes from the airport. I don’t recall hearing planes during my stay.
Is the walk to the beach far? Do they have golf carts to take you from hotel to the beach?
The hotels are on Cable Beach. When you walk out of the hotel, walk past the pool areas and then you are on the beach. You do not need a golf cart to get the beach.
Thanks for all the wonderful tips! My daughter is going over April break and we are trying to prepare as much as possible.
Hello,
Thank you for this post!
I am headed to Baha Mar this week with my husband. I am interested in the area you mention here…
Do you have any more details on where to find this area by chance?
“I stumbled onto a sandy space between the pool and the beach. Oddly enough, even though we could see the ocean, there was hardly anyone in this huge area giving us an opportunity to relax in a quieter setting.”
Happy to help. Head straight out the back of the Hyatt hotel towards the ocean. We found the area you are looking for between the hot tub near the beach and the actual beach. I hope you have fun!
Oh my gosh, thank you so much! I really appreciate your help. We are celebrating our 15th anniversary, so I welcome this tip to make the trip that much better! 😀
Congraulations, and have a gret time!
Doing some research for a girls trip to the Bahamas later this year and came across your post. Very helpful! Thank you. Looking forward to my first Bahamas trip.
Swimming with pigs sounds so cute! But there are other things that I would like to as well, so saving this article! Great work!
Thank you!
Such a beautiful destination!!
Baha Mar sounds like an amazing place to visit!
Great post! Baha Mar seems to be an interesting place to stay. Swimming with pigs and nurse sharks sounds awesome. I have not been to this part of the world, and would love to some day. 🙂
Amazing Post. Baha Mar is such beautiful place to visit. Thank you for sharing.
Would love to go to Baha Mar, good time to read this when it’s freezing outside! Dreaming I am here right now!
I am so happy you are dreaming of visiting Baha Mar!
The last time I visited the Bahamas was a couple of years ago. Baha Mar, is giving me a new reason to go back.
Terrific!
I haven’t been to the Bahamas in ages! I visited via cruise when I was a sophomore in college and had a great time. I’ve heard of (and been to) Atlantis, but I’d never heard of Baha Mar. I will definitely have to check that one out if I ever go back! Xx Sara
I’d love to go to the Bahamas this summer and stay at Baha Mar! Thanks for the tips!
I hope you get a chance to visit!
Baha Mar sounds like a wonderful place to stay! It sounds like a great place to unwind and I’d love to swim with the pigs! What a shame you had to cancel your tour! Thanks for the great guide!
It was unfortunate the weather did not cooperate. However, I have an excuse to go back!
Great post! The Caribbean is one of my least explored regions, would love to get there one day!
Thanks, Ellen!
I would love to swim with the pigs! Thanks for the tips on where to stay. It’s so hard choosing the right accommodation at a new location.
You’re welcome!
Baha Mar sounds like an amazing place to stay at. I especially love that they have a spa!
I did too!