For my third visit to the mega-resort, Baha Mar, in the Bahamas I stayed at the SLS Baha Mar in a two-bedroom suite, an impressive, and spacious accommodation.
If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support LiveAndLetsFly.com.
If you haven’t followed us on Facebook or Instagram, add us today.
Location
On Cable Beach in Goodman Bay, the Baha Mar resort complex is a short drive from the airport (about 15-20 minutes.) The drive itself, like the rest of the Bahamas, is stunning and worth your attention on the way to and from the property. The tall, pink resort is positioned separately (though connected through interior corridors) to the rest of the Baha Mar facility and is home to 299 rooms and suites rising high above a world-class beach. SLS has its own entrance and driveway.
Address: 1 Baha Mar Blvd, Nassau, Bahamas
Phone: +1 242-788-8000
Property
The Baha Mar resort is a multi-billion-dollar sprawling complex comprised of three hotels, Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, Rosewood Baha Mar, and SLS Baha Mar. I have stayed at the Grand Hyatt twice before, but have never tried the SLS before. It positions itself as a hip, upscale resort with its own pool, separate beach, and chic bar. Like the Rosewood, SLS guests can use all of the facilities in the complex except for the Rosewood whereas Grand Hyatt members can only use the (very large) primary pool areas.
Monkey Bar is the lobby watering hole and was well attended throughout my four-day stay. Cleo is a Greek restaurant with a tapas style approach. I’ve eaten there a few times over the years including this visit and it’s always been of high quality. It’s also one of the healthier options at Baha Mar.
There was a fitness center that I didn’t capture imagery of during my stay. There was also a purported art gallery on site but I couldn’t find it during my stay.
Pool
Leading out from the lobby past Monkey Bar and Cleo is an outdoor seating area and then steps down to the pool.
During the day, a bar at the end of the pool is staffed and servers visit the loungers and cabanas and there’s frequently a DJ.
Beach
Behind the pool bar, a hidden pathway leads to the beach and other resort pools. The below photo doesn’t demonstrate how hidden the path really is. Along the walkway, the resort aquarium which features interaction with stingrays and turtles is along right right, a handful of bars, eateries, and shops along the left.
To the west (left facing the water) of the pier is a beach reserved for SLS customers. I was only able to use the beach once during my visit for about 45 minutes but I didn’t see any servers and I do not believe full service is offered. That said, the beach was quiet. My only complaint was that the loungers were a considerable distance from the beach and that separated guests (like me) from their belongings at a significant distance. I had my headphones and phone with me at the time and I didn’t love how far away it was.
Two Bedroom Suite
I was assigned room 1622, a two bedroom suite. Access is by wristband touch, it was a little finicky but I was never locked out. The room opened to a brief foyer with space for a suitcase, and then to the kitchen (left), and living room (ahead.)
Kitchen
I wasn’t sure just how similar the suites would be to the Grand Hyatt but I found this one to have many of the same qualities as my last visit. The kitchen included a hob (hot plate stove), coffee machine, fridge, freezer, microwave, dishwasher, and apartment sized washer and dryer.
I didn’t do much cooking but I love this feature for those who are traveling with family or an extended stay. It reduces food waste and helps avoid late night room service orders. A dishwasher is a pretty impressive feature.
Worth noting, staff replaced bottles of water in every room, every day, twice daily. Because it was a two-bedroom suite, that was up to (12) waters a day.
Laundry
Who wants to do laundry on vacation? Me. “Want” might be the wrong word. I appreciated having the ability to freshen up and dewrinkle clothing. This particular visit was not a vacation for me and due to the heat and business attire, touching up some outfits was required.
Living Room
Everything in the living room was large. The couch could have easily accommodated five, the TV was big enough for movie night, even the desk had plenty of room. There was also a balcony with outside access from the living room. Both bedrooms could be closed off by pocket door for privacy.
My view was of the new water park, Baha Bay. This is available to guests for an additional charge as well as off-property guests.
Guest Bedroom
The guest bedroom was the same size as the master bedroom but featured two twin beds rather than a king. It had its own bathroom (below) TV, desk, seating, floor-to-ceiling windows, and balcony.
Guest Bathroom
The guest bathroom featured a small closet, single vanity, toilet, and a large shower. Toiletries are mounted on the wall. Wood blinds can be raised or lowered but frosted glass was in place for privacy.
Master Bedroom
The master bedroom was similar to to the guest bedroom in setup but everything had just a little more space.
In the closet space between the bedroom and the bathroom was a vanity my daughter would have loved.
The minifridge was fully stocked as were wine and snacks above. The menu was available via a QR code on the top of the bar cart, however, it had been defaced and would not scan so the costs remained a mystery.
Master Bathroom
Iradecent colored doors demarcated the oversized shower and the toilet. I always appreciate a closed-door water closet that doesn’t preclude someone else from using another part of the bathroom. The master bathroom was technically also a single vanity but ran the length of the bathroom so there was a lot of space if a few people were sharing the area.
Value
Depending on the cost for a particular stay, the SLS could be an overall great value. This suite was one of the larger ones I’ve encountered in North America and was built smarly with families in mind. The costs for a standard room at SLS range from $280-$400, this suite could be considerably higher depending on the date of the stay. That said, when comparing the cost of two rooms, the two-bedroom suite may not only add cost savings but also added space.
What do you think? Have you stayed at SLS Baha Mar? How was your experience?
For a blog whose main focus is loyalty schemes, it’s quite surprising that the review doesn’t even mention the fact that SLS belongs to one of the biggest hotel groups in the world, namely Accor, which, to give readers an idea of scale, has a room count that’s more than 300% higher than Hyatt’s. The fact that you do prefer Hyatt shouldn’t have stopped you from chatting with hotel staff as to the sort of upgrades and other perks available to Accor elites etc, not to mention the fact that your 4-night stay would have probably been sufficient to earn you silver status (qualification is by nights or spend, and the spend requirements aren’t very high).