Wyndham Nassau Resort & Crystal Palace Casino Rating: 3.0 Pearls

Bahamas

Book now by phone with Hotels.com – Call 1-800-246-8357

Wyndham Nassau Resort & Crystal Palace Casino

Anchored by its casino, the Wyndham Nassau Resort caters mainly to adults. Young families are few, and the scarce features for them are overshadowed by the extensive pool bar and outdoor dance club. Cigarette smoke -- or at least its smell -- seems to circulate throughout the property, wafting into the lobby from the Crystal Palace Casino below and, in my case, up into a 16th-story guest room.

Overall, the Wyndham lacks the grandeur and freshness of the neighboring Sheraton. Both resorts share several facilities and are connected to each other by long hallways -- meaning that you still have easy access to the casino from the Sheraton -- and both have a prime location on Cable Beach, considered one of Nassau's best beaches. But getting to the beach from the Wyndham can be a hassle, as it requires wandering through hotel's confusing, podlike network of towers, glass-encased hallways, ramps, and elevators. And on just about every dimmention, the Sheraton bests the Wyndham. The only advantage to the Wyndham is its food and casino, but you can access these from the Sheraton just as easily.

View on a Larger Map

Next door to the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort on Cable Beach (one of Nassau's best beaches), the Wyndham is in the center of New Providence Island's northern coast. It's reached by a scenic trip along posh West Bay Street, a mix of mansions, luxury condos, and shopping centers -- not terribly different from driving through Palm Beach in Florida.

• Connected by a walkway to the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort
• Walking is possible but not advisable: Sidewalks are inconsistent, and much of the walk is cramped along the shoulder next to heavy traffic on one of the island's throughways. At night, especially, this is not a safe bet.
• A few not-so-noteworthy restaurants -- like Androsia and the Swiss Pastry Shop are within walking distance.
• $1 public bus also stops along the road; otherwise most off-site restaurants and attractions are at least a $10 cab ride away.
• Five- to 10-minute drive to attractions in downtown Nassau

Cable Beach

A long, mediocre stretch of Cable Beach extends along the Wyndham and adjoining Sheraton hotel properties. The sand was soft, but patches of the beach in front of the Wyndham were strewn with garbage and dead tree branches. This lack of maintenance might be charming in an off-the-beaten-path kind of beach, but for a resort of this supposed caliber, the beach just seemed neglected.

Even the Crystal Beach Club area for Diamond and Platinum members -- a kind of VIP beach area -- was unimpressive. It was basically just a roped-off patch of sand, no cleaner than the rest of the beach, and didn't border the water at all. The only clear benefit seemed to be the padding and shaded canopy on the beach chairs.

The rest of the Wyndham's beach chairs looked like they needed to be replaced. The chairs were randomly clustered along the beach and had sagging nylon seats.

The Ocean View Room

Guest rooms at the Wyndham Nassau are not luxurious. The carpet is a bit dingy, as is the furniture. But the bathrooms are spacious and most rooms have a nice view from the balcony.

• Cramped standard rooms -- the mini-fridge door slams into the bed, and the armchair inconveniently squeezes between the wall and bed.
• Large, LG flat-screen TV with cable and pay-per-view movies
• Huge, clean bathroom; unlike most other hotels in Nassau, the vanity, sink, and closet alcove are separate from the shower and toilet (meaning there's much more counter space)
• Empty mini-fridge; not even a bottle of water
• Coffeemaker with Wolfgang Puck's Estate Grown Coffee and a small selection of teas
• In-room Internet, $15 per day
• Don't even imagine that a renovation will occur, as the property is slated to be razed by 2014

The casino

• Pool and swim-up bar
• Outdoor dance area, next to the pool
• Several meeting rooms, event halls, and ballrooms
• Desktop computers in the business center, available (with Internet) for 50 cents per hour
• Large gym with plenty of equipment; large windows face the grounds outside, but large pillars and plenty of trees keep the gym feeling somewhat dark inside.
• Occasional fitness classes; Mondays and Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and Fridays at 6:30 p.m.
• Spa, but only massages are available -- "body polish, Swedish massage, and reflexology"

The casino is similar to most other Bahamian casinos -- fun, at times, but nothing like the Vegas Strip. Its empty atmosphere and lack of amenities make it feel like a cheaper version of Atlantis, the nearby mega-resort.

Though I didn't notice any glaring stains or dingy upholstery, there is a strong smell of cigarette smoke throughout the hotel. There is a general lack of maintenance since the entire resort is coming down within the next few years.

Flamingo Pool Bar & Grill

• Excellent, but pricy, Seaside Buffet, including made-to-order omelettes, waffles, and pancakes for breakfast as well as whole-wheat bread, sandwich fixings, and fresh fruit and vegetables for lunch.
• Starbucks on-site with pastries, muffins, and packaged sandwiches
• Black Angus Steakhouse, an American chain, serves premium-quality steaks at premium prices ($34 to $58 for each steak; sides cost another $8).
• Moso serves average pan-Asian.
• Outside the hotel, there are a few restaurants within walking distance, but the best food is about a $10 to $20 cab ride away, closer to Nassau and Paradise Island.