Baha Mar Bahamas Moment of Zen
Few places are as abjectly at odds with our brand of uncommon travel as Baha Mar “Resort” in Nassau, The Bahamas. Quotation marks are required in reference to this place. I mean, it’s gargantuan. A monument to modern excess, the complex is more akin to a small city than a simple resort.
To whit, there are three properties within the singular resort complex. (A fourth is set to debut in a few years.) Total rooms: 2,200. Sprinkled in and among the hotels are 45(!) different restaurants. FORTY-FIVE! Of course, there’s also a sprawling championship golf course here. Oh, and did I mention the 15-acre water park or the mammoth casino? At 100,000 square feet in size, it’s the largest gaming facility in the Caribbean region.
What’s not to like, right?
Well, for those of us culturally curious/adventurous travelers more inclined to authentic travel experiences, there’s actually quite a lot not to like about Baha Mar.
That’s not to say, though, that it’s all bad… Yeah, even for me!
Take, for instance, the resort’s art collection. As noted previously, Baha Mar houses the largest collection of Bahamian art found anywhere in the world. Truly incredible pieces adorn common spaces found all throughout the resort city. This definitely makes attending conferences here, as I do fairly frequently, a bit nicer.
Then, there’s the Manor Bar. Tucked away from the cacophonous casino, Manor Bar exudes an air of sophisticated calm. It also serves up some incredible cocktails and a fine selection of rums and rhum agricole expressions. Among the bartenders, Bo (not his real name) really stands out for his warmth and mixological talents.
Finally, there’s Costa, a Mexican restaurant that in charm and temperament seems miles away from Baha Mar’s so touristy you might as well be on a cruise ship vibe. Staff are charming, food is lovely, rum selection is decent, if almost entirely limited to Brugal 1888…
Costa was the last place that I stopped in at for a bite before leaving BM City. My three-night stay coincided with yet another huge conference. Long days of seminars and meetings amid insanely over-air-conditioned environs had me feeling more than a little worn out.
Sitting at the bar at Costa, though, 1888 in hand, put me well at ease. I sighed following a long sip, sat back, and looked up. This is what I saw; what I felt…
Your monthly moment of zen…from The Bahamas.
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