• Substack

Your IG Crush Has Probably Stayed At This New Caribbean Resort

W

hy we went to SLS Baha Mar

ThreadTherapy and I escaped from New York this past February, and headed down to the beautiful Bahamas for some much needed sun and relaxation. We were considering a couple of destinations: Tulum, Azores, and Miami, but we had just a three day weekend, and didn’t have much time to travel too far away, plus once we checked out the hotel’s IG, @slsbahamar, we knew the SLS Baha Mar was for us.

The property opened November 2017, with a reported budget of $4.2 billion, and boy does that show in the detail and expanse of the property. So we hopped on a 3 hour, direct flight to Nassau, and off we went. Keep reading for our full review of the SLS Baha Mar, Bahamas.

SLS Baha Mar Is Like An Adult Candyland

W

hy you should visit the SLS Baha Mar

The $4.2 billion war chest the developers had to play with resulted in some amazing amenities: 2 pools, a 100,000 square foot casino, an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus golf course, and 3 restaurants.

At just 3 hours with tons of direct flights, Nassau is so much more convenient than St. Barths, Turks or any of the other regular spots.

W

hat you need to know about SLS Baha Mar

The property itself is massive. There are 299 rooms, and if you include the 1,500 rooms at the rest of Baha Mar, you are almost guaranteed to find a room and a rate that works for you and your group. Coming in 2018, the Rosewood Baha Mar is going to be launching, and adding a more stately side of luxury that is less Vegas and more Monaco.

We loved the white-washed rooms, that very much reminded us of our stays in Santorini. Our room had a balcony with an amazing view, and for me, there’s no better way to take in my morning espresso than by gazing at the ocean and the tiny people below. The rooms were fully stocked with a Nespresso machine, and ours had an entire refrigerator, of which we had no idea what to do with.

W

hat to do at SLS Baha Mar

During our stay, we partook in plenty of pool time at the Privilege pool, which is adjacent from the main pool area, and adults-only. The pool had everything we needed: great music, poolside drinks and food (watch out though, prices are steep), and plenty of good people watching. On site there is a massive nightclub, Bond. The week prior to our arrival, Bond hosted the DJ Gianluca Vacchi, and if you haven’t seen this guy yet, he’s what I want to look like in 20 years.

When we had had enough of the music blasting at Privilege, we switched over to the main pool, grabbed a cabana and beasted on fresh fruit. I normally order the fruit just for the pictures, but it tasted so good I couldn’t resist devouring everything.

Ever since our wedding in Anguilla, I’ve fallen in love with paddle boarding. It was my first time trying it in 2013, and while I was definitely worried about face planting into the board, I was able to pick it up, just like riding a bike.

The SLS has plenty of paddleboards, along with snorkel gear, and nurse sharks, turtles, and sting rays, all within easy reach of the beach.

This is our new favorite hotel in the Caribbean.

W

here to eat at SLS Baha Mar

There are three full-service restaurants. Katsuya, a sushi restaurant, Fi’lia, an Italian restaurant, and Cleo, a mediterranean restaurant. We ate at all three, and like Cleo so much we ate there twice in one day, and unless you have a hankering for either sushi or Italian, I would just eat there your entire stay. Another good option is heading off property to Cafe Matisse or Crabs and Ting for a great fried conch. Cleo was mobbed come dinnertime, so make sure to book a reservation in advance, which conveniently you can do on OpenTable.

Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Lifetailored has partnered with Creditcards.com for our coverage of credit card products. Lifetailored and Creditcards.com may receive a commission from card issuers Additional Disclosure: This site has affiliate links. We may be compensated when users make a purchase or register to a third party website. For more details read our privacy policy.

More in Travel Guide