PRICE:
Frommer's Recommended

This big, flashy megaresort on the lovely sands of Cable Beach is so vast and all-encompassing that some of its guests never venture into Nassau during their stay on the island. The futuristic-looking complex incorporates five high-rise towers, each painted a shade of pale pink or pale lavender; a futuristic central core illuminated with sunlight streaming through massive greenhouse-style translucent domes; and a cluster of beachfront gazebos -- all linked with arcades, covered passageways, and mini pavilions. Guest rooms come in several different price brackets, ranging from standard island view to ocean vista, each with private balconies. Corner suites with lots of space are the way to go, complete with wraparound balconies and king-size beds looking out onto the water through floor-to-ceiling glass. Combination bathrooms (tub/showers) most often come with dressing areas and dual basins.

At press time, management was about three-quarters through a massive $30-million renovation of the interior -- which had been sorely needed, in our opinion, because the decor had tended to look a bit too jazzy, a bit too overheated and colorful, and a bit tired. As noted within our introduction to Cable Beach, this hotel will be the carefully planned centerpiece, between 2008 and 2010, of a radical expansion of the hotel lineup along Cable Beach, as envisioned by the Baha Mar Development Corporation. No other hotel on New Providence Island has been through as many changes to its self-image as this one, and thanks to the massive redevelopment of the terrain around it anticipated during the coming 3 years, it's positioning itself to give its biggest competitor, the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island, some fire-breathing competition.

Aside from a massive (and massively upgraded) casino, one of the two largest in The Bahamas, the complex contains a wide array of dining and drinking facilities. Three of its restaurants are among the best-recommended in New Providence. Newest and appealingly experimental, and a personal favorite, is Moso, an enclave of hip that assembles onto one menu the best dishes from around Asia and the Pacific Rim. Even if you're not a guest of the hotel, you might want to avail yourself of the drinking and dining options or the casino action here. As part of a deeply entrenched tradition, the hotel serves as the site for the electoral conventions of the two most powerful political parties in The Bahamas.

Facilities: 6 restaurants; 4 bars; outdoor pool; nearby golf course; health club; Jacuzzi; sauna; children's programs (4-12); business center; massage facilities; room service; babysitting; laundry service; dry cleaning; nonsmoking rooms; rooms for those w/limited mobility

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Bahamas 2008, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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