Destination: Bahamas
I just got back from a December Nassau Paradise Island Meeting/Incentive Destination Program and LPIA is extremely impressive operationally as well as visually. The airport increased in size and the investments in the art, the retail stores and chain restaurant offerings are impressive. It is an easy flight from EWR and upon departure; you clear customs in the Bahamas.
The Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort is now Melia Nassau Beach Resort and is part of the Baha Mar Project. Melia Hotels is planning an extensive refurbishment of the 694 room property and the plan for completion is December 2014. They will be managing this process without closing the hotel down and they will be turning the hotel into an all-inclusive resort. I also visited the British Colonial Hilton located in downtown Nassau. This is a charming hotel with 288 guest rooms and 13,500 square feet of meeting space. It is very easy to get your group transferred from a half day of meetings at this hotel to the dock for team building events such as snorkeling or deep sea fishing in the warm Caribbean waters. The Bahamas has water temperature that ranges from 73 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter to 90 degrees in the summer.
Updates at Atlantis include a recent refresh of their Royal Towers rooms: room décor, new 42 in LG LED TVs, new bath/showers and stylish wicker seating on rooms with terraces. The suites at the Cove are spectacular; check the pictures out on the website.
What is Baha Mar? It is a Bahamas destination project which includes five hotels, a 200,000 convention center managed by Grand Hyatt, 30 restaurants, nightclubs, 100,000 sq. ft. casino, 72 par championship Jack Nicklaus golf course, shopping, entertainment, fountain and pool experiences and natural attractions. The hotels in the project include Baha Mar Casino & Hotel, Grand Hyatt at Baha Mar, Mondrian at Baha Mar and Rosewood at Baha Mar. I personally got to see this amazing build in process and I am thrilled with the portfolio of hotels which offer four distinctive brand offerings.
You will want to be first in line to book your group and events at one of the new Baha Mar hotels. Keep in mind that there are many fun events that you can experience in the Bahamas as well: Race Weekend and LPGA Classic in January, Rum Festival in February, Battle 4 Atlantis in November, Bahamas Bowl in December and more.
For me, this trip was outstanding opening my eyes to the hospitality of the people of the Bahamas, the food and best of all, the always beautiful turquoise waters. The Islands of the Bahamas offer 11 unique island destinations. Interested in more info? Call me as I want to share it with you. Be first to know and first to go!