Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach-An All Inclusive Resort Rating: 3.0 Pearls

Bahamas

The pool

A grid of paved pathways spreads out behind Viva Wyndham's cluster of buildings. The maze of 276 guest rooms, restaurants, and activities surrounding the beach and pool are trapped within this web. From beach towels to room décor, the entire place feels like it hasn't been updated in years, and the concrete, sparse landscaping, and weathered pastel buildings aren't particularly pretty. But for most guests, the beauty of Fortune Beach is all that matters.

The pool and restaurant buzz with conversations in Italian, French, German, English, and Spanish. Viva Wyndham is an Italian company that targets European travelers, more so than other hotels on Grand Bahama. Groups, families, and couples all come here to snap on the pink plastic guest bracelet and enjoy the ease of an all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink vacation. Rarely do guests bother to leave the hotel grounds. And the 10-minute drive to Freeport and Lucaya makes it more difficult to explore the rest of the island.

Especially taking into account that all meals and drinks are paid for, the Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach's rates are significantly lower than at other resorts in Grand Bahama. But for these savings you do have to make some sacrifieces -- don't expect a big beautiful pool, fine dining, attentive service, or perfectly clean guest rooms. (Though the hotel is making some strides to improving the rooms -- newer, renovated quarters feature a cool white color palate with pops of green, and cleaner, more solid amenities -- older rooms with tired bedspreads and accomodations do still exist. Be sure to request an updated room when booking.)

As is the case with most all-inclusive resorts, the service is not designed to take extra-special care of its guests -- though the servers in the restaurants and the bartenders certainly do try to make guests feel comfortable. But the overall standard of service at the Viva Wyndham falls below that at most other Bahamian resorts. For example, when I asked guest services (a desk akin to a concierge desk) if they would call a taxi on my behalf, they just pointed to a line of guests waiting to use the public phone -- at just about every other resort on the island, they made no issue of calling on my behalf. In addition, the staff rarely seemed to be well informed about its own activities and features -- even at the activities desk, no one could give me a reliable answer about how to participate in the trapeze lessons.

• Efficient check-in and ample staff to help carry bags, unlike some of the larger all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean
• Frequent complaints of poor response to maintenance issues (in my case, a broken phone that was never fixed)
• Early check-in, late checkout, and express checkout available
• Excursions desk can help arrange outside tours and activities
• No room service
• No poolside or beachside drink service

View on a Larger Map

Viva Wyndham is an isolated resort, set away from the rest of Grand Bahama's main attractions in Lucaya and Freeport. Inconvenience aside, this is still a much cheaper option than staying at Lucaya hotels like Pelican Bay Resort or the Our Lucaya Resort. If you're willing to plan ahead a bit and pay extra in cab fares, you can take advantage of Viva Wyndham's all-inclusive perks. You can spend a couple of days and nights out in Lucaya or around the island and still come out ahead when it's time to pay up.

• About a 20-minute drive from Freeport International Airport
• No shuttles into Lucaya or Freeport; a 10-minute cab ride will take you to more lively nightlife, shopping, dining, and other attractions.
• Substantial walk down the beach (or a cheap cab ride) will get you to Xanadu Beach.

The Deluxe Room

Colorful, outdated bed coverlets, periwinkle painted furniture, and airbrushed beach paintings (in frames painted to match the furniture) -- the rooms are cheery, but a bit out of date compared to many other resorts in the Bahamas. Overall, the rooms feel old and worn -- just look at these rusty hangers.

Some rooms have seen improvements. Renovated in 2012, these feature cool white color palates with pops of green and brown. The result is a brighter, cleaner living space, but guests still shouldn't expect luxury.

• Insect issues -- bugs in the toilet and ants on the floor (more of a problem here than at most other Caribbean resorts)
• Poor-quality beds: cheap, flat pillows; old bedspread (not a duvet)
• Small balcony in every room, but it's not very private -- balconies are directly adjacent to one another, separated only by a wooden lattice
• Small, old, tube TV
• Minibar stocked with soda and water only; no alcohol, unlike most all-inclusive resorts
• Wolfgang Puck coffee provided alongside the coffeemaker
• Basic bathroom; the shower doesn't have a ledge or shelf, so your tubes of shampoo and various toiletries will have to end up in a soapy pile on the shower floor.
• No exhaust fan to keep the bathroom from steaming up, like many other bathrooms in Grand Bahama
• Bath & Body Works toiletries -- a big step-up from the generic bath products found at most other hotels in the Bahamas in this price range
• Ongoing soft renovations may improve the outdated bedding and furniture.

The trapeze

• Smaller, less-elaborate pool than at most other Bahamian resorts -- I saw more flocks of birds swimming in it than guests
• Poolside dance and yoga classes (rather than on the beach, like at most resorts)
• On-site trapeze, knowledgable instructors and spotters available for two-hour periods designated for children or adults (no extra fee).
• Tennis courts (well lit at night) and archery targets clustered together at the back of the property (no extra fee for equipment or lessons)
• Small fitness center without no air-conditioning
• On-site theater hosts performances like not-so-family-appropriate lip-synched "Madonna Concerts" -- girls from guest services and the kids' club sashayed onstage holding towel boys and gym attendants on leather leashes -- every evening at 9 p.m.
• Evening disco for guests (and the hotel staff)
• Internet available in the lobby (not the rooms) at either on the provided desktops or via Wi-Fi

Fortune Beach

Fortune Beach is the highlight of Viva Wyndham, and it's where you'll find many guests sprawled on lounge chairs and enjoying the view. Though smooth, the sand is also flecked with cigarette butts and dead tree branches -- it's not the most beautiful beach on the island.

• Broad stretch of soft, white sand
• Small reef just off the beach that's great for snorkeling
• Local vendors at the beach (as is the case at most resorts on Grand Bahama)
• Water Sports Center provides plastic kayaks, daily sailing lessons, and water toys for no extra charge.
• The Dive Shop also provides free scuba gear and takes guests out on dives for an additional charge.

Dead bugs grace the toilet bowl

• Stray ants crawling in the room and even dead bugs in the toilet bowl -- naturally, bugs are a problem anywhere in the Caribbean, but the clean-up effort didn't seem to account for them
• Old, worn towels in need of replacement
• Rust on the hangers and other fixtures in the rooms
• Dingy water in the flower vase
• Birds carouse among the guests, food, and chairs at the Junkanoo Restaurant buffet as well as the pool.

A dish at Viva Cafe

• Junkanoo Restaurant, the central buffet, serves a substantial breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Toward the latter half of mealtime, however, the selection can become sparse and stale and a number of dishes seem to be creatively "recycled" from one meal to the next -- just as many other guests have complained.
• Viva Cafe (dinner only, reservations required) serves up standard Italian fare, but the salads tend to have an overly sweet vinaigrette and the pasta dishes aren't terribly impressive.
• Bambu (dinner only, reservations required) serves not-too-exotic pan-Asian of about the same standard as at Viva Cafe.
• For snacks or meals outside of the restaurant meal times, the Beach Bar serves up sandwiches and snacks -- none of which tastes very fresh.
• Pizza available until 2 a.m., from the Viva Cafe
• All meals at all restaurants are covered under the all-inclusive rate, excluding a few overpriced entree options at the Viva Cafe and Bambu that are charged extra to your bill.