Travel Review: Rosewood Baha Mar
We just returned from 5 incredible nights in Nassau, Bahamas for a joint family trip with our kids and our bestest friends and their kids (who are, you guessed it, our girls’ besties too). We stayed at the Rosewood Baha Mar- and based on all the replies for details/recommendations that came through as a result of the Instagram stories I posted while on vacay, it looks like this destination is on MANY of your lists, so wanted to share a few highlights and honest thoughts on our experience as I look back on the time we spent there.
Travel Review: Rosewood Baha Mar
How Did We Choose Rosewood Baha Mar?
My friend Ana who is a travel agent (follow her on Instagram at @thecraftedtravel ) booked this for us- she suggested it based on a bunch of factors - which I think are good to share here as I am sure many of you can relate! We wanted a direct flight from NYC, a high probability of amazing weather and kid-friendly activities. Plus, we needed room options to suit both the budget and comfort requests of not just one, but two families- which can get complicated! Multi-family trips- especially with kids in the mix- are not easy to plan- and despite hiccups and misconstrued text messages (which we can all now laugh about) along the way- all of us agree that Rosewood Baha Mar turned out to be the perfect family trip destination!
What is Baha Mar, Anyway?
If you aren’t familiar, Baha Mar is basically a compound located about 15 minutes from the Nassau airport (super convenient!) comprised of 3 hotels- the Rosewood which is definitely the most luxurious, the Grand Hyatt which is very family-oriented and home to kid-friendly pool details- like a shark tank you can swim right up to, and “cliff” jumps. Plus, the flamingos reside there- they have this fenced in little grassy area that is super cool. I don’t know as much about the SLS but the vibe from what I saw at the restaurants is definitely more sleek and sexy. The hotels are all connected by a casino- so you can go from one to the next without even really realizing you have crossed property lines. Guests at the Rosewood can use the pools and beachfront at the other hotels, but from what I gather, guests of the Grand Hyatt and SLS do not have access to the Rosewood pool and beachfront. During President’s Week, the Rosewood was at 100% capacity but to be honest, it never felt packed and busy!
Rosewood Baha Mar For Kids
The number one stand out element to us (because this was a family trip with the girls- age 5 and 9) is the Explorer’s Club (aka kids’ club). Our girls BEGGED to go daily- which has NEVER EVER EVER happened. You can sign your kids in and out as you wish- and each day is filled with diverse activities that take place both indoors and outdoors (which is nice because sometimes kids need a break from the heat- or at least mine do!). They went to one of the kitchens and decorated cookies, they fed flamingos, they made birds out of paper plates, and then some. Also, we got babysitters through the hotel 2 nights of the 5, and I loved that they arrived at our room with a bag full of craft activities and games for the kids.
Rosewood Pools & Beach
We also loved the set up of the Rosewood pools- lots of great shallow areas so the kids could go in on their own and we didn’t have to be nervous- plus, they have lifeguards stationed everywhere which is super impressive. Chairs can be tricky to come by- we befriended one of the women who worked in the area where we sat daily and she set up chairs for us each morning- but if you aren’t picky about being right up next to the water (we were because we had to keep an eye on the kids and they wanted to be in the pool constantly), there are more than enough lounge chairs to go around. And the beach is GORGEOUS- the water is so blue and super calm, and they have these giant disks anchored close to shore that you can swim to and sit on which I had never seen before at a resort.
Food Options at Baha Mar
As far as food- the hamburger and chicken sandwich on the poolside menu were delicious- and they have airstreams set up around the Grand Hyatt pool and beach area that are a short walk away with good options. Funny enough, the kids menu was not great- only 2 options- I think if my girls see another grilled cheese anytime soon they will revolt :) For dinners- we did Pizza Lab the first night- a casual pizza place- which was the perfect vibe after a long travel day. Then we went to Costa (high end Mexican- if you go, make a rez in advance so you can secure an outdoor table!) the second night, and Cleo (amazing Mediterranean) for an adult-only date on night 3. Night 4 we went to 3 Tides which is a seafood spot- the ambiance is eh- bright lights and service was a hot mess, but the food was actually great- light and fresh and so needed after 3 days of heavy meals! On our last night, we got a sitter again and did another adult date night at Katsuya- sushi- which was quite good (and had a great vibe- felt like we were in NY or LA, yet it wasn’t overwhelmingly loud or packed). On the nights we went out sans kids, we picked up pizza and pasta for them at Pizza Lab to enjoy in the room.
We made 3 dinner reservations in advance, but, as tends to always happen for us when traveling, we changed them all upon arrival. We didn’t have much of a problem making same-day reservations through the concierge, but we did have to sacrifice outdoor seating a few times as it was all booked.
Other Random Thoughts on Rosewood Baha Mar
I didn’t visit the spa or the gym (when I travel, THIS is always my workout plan of choice!) so can’t comment on those- however I peeked in at the gym and it looked more than adequate. They didn’t seem to have group fitness classes though- and while they have a tennis compound on the property and online there is a great overview of the options to play in clinics, etc- it was never really communicated to us how to get involved once we arrived so, even though I brought my gear, we never made it to the courts.
It is definitely expensive! Beyond the room rates- the cost to do anything at Baha Mar is crazy inflated. I guess they know they have you captive on the “compound”- which is not unlike pretty much every other high end resort, so we did expect this to some degree. From drinks at the pool to the over-the-top dining spots (we didn’t need such fancy dinners each night, but it sort of seemed like the only option available to us!), to the $26 bottle of Children’s Tylenol we had to pick up for Goldie when she had a fever on our first day- just keep it in mind, that’s all :)
Our return flight on Friday was majorly delayed, and the hotel let us stay in our room wayyyyy past check out which is such a huge gift! To be able to hang out comfortably until 5pm (initially we were gonna leave at 3- which they graciously extended) made all the difference in allowing us to really enjoy our last day of vacation. On those grand gestures, the service was top notch. Sure, in the smaller day-to-day details everything wasn’t always fast/smooth/clear service-wise, but it was really no big deal.
Overall Assessment of Baha Mar
It is an easily reached, all-encompassing destination that has EVERYTHING. Beyond the 3 different hotel options, Baha Mar really does cover all bases- beach, pool tennis, kids club, casino, dining options, etc. I see the Rosewood property as a great spot for a long weekend girls’ or guys’ group trip, a week long family getaway or a 3-night couples getaway sans kids. You could really be ANYWHERE though- the compound makes it feel like Vegas- you do sacrifice some of the rustic Island/Bahamian vibe for the convenience of an all-in-one experience, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes you want a trip where you arrive, throw on a swimsuit, and have everything right at your fingertips.
Feel free to drop any questions in the comments, and if you have been to Nassau and/or Baha Mar, would LOVE to see your thoughts/recommendations in the below as well! XX JF