About this hotel
General information
Grand Isle Resort & Residences is a villa resort on Emerald Bay, on the island of Great Exuma. Its 78 villas and penthouses have one to four bedrooms, each with a full kitchen, its own laundry and private terraces, so a stay feels less like a hotel room and more like a house by the sea. Interiors run to marble bathrooms, granite worktops and custom-made furniture.
Life centres on the 23° North Beach Club, right on Emerald Bay Beach: some 2,800 m² with an oceanfront infinity pool, a heated pool, private cabanas and daybeds on a coral-stone patio. Around it are three restaurants, SeaStar Spa with Elemis products and a fitness centre that never closes. In the evenings guests gather for films by the pool or around a fire pit on the sand.
Location
The resort lies on Emerald Bay on Great Exuma, in the Exuma chain. Exuma International Airport is about 20 minutes away by car, and the resort arranges transfers on request; small daily flights reach Exuma from Nassau, and there are flights from Miami too. The marina at Emerald Bay, with berths for yachts up to 79 m, is about 800 m away — a ten-minute walk.
Spa
SeaStar Spa uses Elemis products and builds its menu around the sea: seawater thalassotherapy, scrubs with algae, coconut, frangipani or ginger, body wraps, facials with seaweed-derived ingredients and massages, including side-by-side treatments for two. Treatments can also be booked in the villa, on the beach or by the pool.
Sports & leisure
The fitness centre, overlooking Emerald Bay and the pool deck, is open around the clock and runs instructor-led classes. Kayaks, paddleboards and snorkelling gear are free for guests, with shallow underwater trails starting right off the beach, and there is volleyball on the sand and in the pool. Through the resort guests can arrange:
- kitesurfing lessons, private or in a group
- a three-hour ATV tour of the island, starting and ending at the resort
- diving with local dive operators at blue holes and wrecks, with instruction for every level
- bonefishing on the flats with a local guide, and catch-and-release reef fishing
- self-planned drives around the island, and birdwatching on freshwater ponds and tidal flats
For children
There is no formal kids’ club, but the Hummingbird Hut team runs island-style play for children, and the resort calendar adds family evenings — films by the pool, s’mores at a beach fire pit and family bingo.
Restaurants & bars
Three restaurants and the beach club bar cover the day, and the resort’s chef can also cook a bespoke menu in the villa.
- The Grill House at 23° North — Bahamian cooking from local produce, the catch of the day and prime cuts; dinner inside or out on the deck under the stars
- Palapa — island favourites, American classics and seafood served al fresco by the infinity pool over Emerald Bay, from breakfast to dinner; a poolside bar for tropical cocktails, and Palapa Pizza, which also delivers to the villas
- Sandy Toes Jerk Hut — a beach shack of reclaimed timber a few steps from the loungers: jerk chicken and pork, burgers and cold drinks
- the 23° North bar — opens at noon for pool service and stays open into the evening
Swimming
Emerald Bay Beach, with pale sand and clear water, starts right at the 23° North Beach Club; loungers and umbrellas are free for guests, and the club has private cabanas and daybeds. There are two pools — an oceanfront infinity pool and a heated pool overlooking the beach — one of them for adults only, and both are open around the clock.
Pets
Only certified service animals are allowed on the property; the resort asks to be told in advance.
Rooms
78 villas and penthouses with one to four bedrooms — from single-storey one-bedroom villas to a two-level four-bedroom penthouse — facing the garden, the ocean or the marina, or set right on the oceanfront.
Every villa has a kitchen with a Sub-Zero fridge, oven, hob, dishwasher, microwave and a coffee maker with complimentary coffee, a washer and dryer, central air conditioning, cable TV and LCD TVs in the bedrooms, free Wi-Fi, a safe, en suite marble bathrooms and a balcony or terrace.
One Bedroom Garden View
A single-storey villa facing the garden: a bedroom with a king bed, a living room with a sofa bed, a kitchen, a whirlpool bath and a balcony or terrace. Sleeps up to three.
One-Bedroom Ocean View
The same single-storey one-bedroom villa with an ocean view: a king bed, a sofa bed in the living room, a kitchen and a balcony or terrace. Sleeps up to three.
Two-Bedroom Ocean View
A two-level villa with ocean views: a king master with a whirlpool bath and its own terrace, a second bedroom with a queen bed, two and a half bathrooms, a kitchen and a terrace off the living room. Sleeps up to five.
Two Bedroom Oceanfront
A two-level villa on the oceanfront with the same layout: a king and a queen bedroom, two and a half bathrooms, a kitchen and terraces off the master and the living room. Sleeps up to five.
Two Bedroom Penthouse Grand Villa
A single-level penthouse at the resort’s highest point, reached by lift: two bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a media room with surround sound, natural stone floors and wrap-around terraces. Sleeps up to six.
Three Bedroom Marina View
A two-level villa looking over the marina: three bedrooms and three bathrooms, living and dining rooms upstairs with balconies, a terrace off the master and a work nook. Sleeps up to seven.
Three Bedroom Ocean View
A two-level villa with ocean views: three bedrooms, the master with a king bed and its own bathroom, a kitchen, and upstairs living and dining rooms with balconies. Sleeps up to seven.
Three Bedroom Oceanfront
A two-level three-bedroom villa on the oceanfront: a king master with its own bathroom, a kitchen and balconies off the living and dining rooms. Sleeps up to seven.
Four Bedroom Penthouse Ocean View
A two-level penthouse at the resort’s highest point, with a private lift opening into the great room: four bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms, a media room, a large kitchen, a dining room for 12 and an oceanfront balcony of about 100 m². Sleeps up to ten.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Actual room layout, furnishings, décor, views and amenities may differ from those shown and may vary between rooms of the same category. Hotel and room descriptions are based on information provided by the property and are believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but are not guaranteed. The hotel may renovate or change its rooms, facilities, restaurants and services at any time without notice. The final details of your stay are confirmed at the time of booking. See our Terms of Use.