Island Resort and Golf Club

The Island Resort & Golf Club is a simple and tired, yet comfortable time share. It's located in an area that was hit hard by a 2004 hurricane that took out the resort’s own golf club and most of the surrounding tourist highlights -- few of which have been revived. In fact, if it weren’t for the few cars parked out front, this place could easily be construed as derelict. Its street presence is anything but resorty, with an uninspiring, decades' old street sign, wild and unkempt surrounding grounds, and a once-white retro building facade that’s dirtied with age. Past all of that, though, is a pretty little welcome garden decorated with healthy pink conch shells. Other common areas include a pool, flanked by the resort building on one side, and a mini-rainforest on the adjacent land that kindly serves as a dense, green backdrop. Guests (largely American middle-aged and older couples) seem more like extended family and old friends who often congregate poolside for morning coffee. The scene feels more akin to a close-knit apartment complex than a resort: If Melrose Place retired to the Bahamas, this could be it. 

The quaint, open-air lobby resembles a teacher’s office, with a little desk, a notice board pinned with random messages, a whiteboard with drawn-on messages from past guests, and vacation quotations here and there. There’s a paperback exchange (with plenty of romance titles), and a sand-filled ashtray thick with cigarette butts. The poolside “Tiki Bar” is decked out in Christmas lights beneath a weathered shingle roof -- with Bahamian paraphernalia (like maps and sporting nostalgia) set under the glass bar top. 

Freeport’s Island Resort & Golf Club is nestled amongst green scrubland between two privately owned golf courses -- both a four-minute drive in either direction. The resort is located eight minutes from Grand Bahama International Airport. The island’s nightlife, entertainment, and shopping hub -- Port Lucaya Marina & Marketplace -- is around 12 minutes by car. It’s a 15-minute walk to the International Bazaar which, post hurricane, is only a restaurant, a liquor store, and a perfume factory. It’s a six-minute drive to Xanadu Beach and 20 minutes to Banana Bay Restaurant, which is well worth the trip for its spectacular setting, right on Fortune Beach. The resort’s location is isolated by Grand Bahama standards (there’s not much within walking distance), so renting a car makes sense, though a free shuttle bus does transport guests to and from Island Seas Beach four times a day.

Spread over three levels, units consist of two en-suite bedrooms with open-plan living and dining areas and fully equipped kitchens. Tidy presentation and quaint, homey attention to detail (like perfectly made beds and prettily folded towels) raise up these humble lodgings. However, decor is generic and dated, of the 1980s, island-hotel-chain variety, with faux flowers, empire table lamps, rattan furniture, tropical-inspired fabrics, and a drab green, brown, and blue color scheme. All units feature king and double bedrooms neatly dressed in comfortable bedding, en-suite bathrooms, and huge walk-in closets. Some bathrooms have been updated with spacious modern showers, while original shower/tub combos remain in the rest. Kitchens are old but functional, and equipped with all of the basic necessities for cooking and dining, including large electric stoves, large refrigerators, microwaves, toasters, coffeemakers, blenders, cookware, and even dish soap. 

Island Resort's features are humble and geared to fun-in-the-sun activities. The heated outdoor pool is a good size for swimming laps and is surrounded by lounge chairs and plastic tables with retractable sun umbrellas. There's an on-site bar, but no restaurant. A list of nearby eateries is provided in the lobby, and barbecues are available by the pool where large picnic tables make round-the-clock alfresco dining possible. Outdoor games on offer include horseshoes, shuffleboard, volleyball, and ping pong. A free beach shuttle departs four times a day for Island Seas Beach. There is also an elevator, a soft drink vending machine, coin-operated laundry facilities, and plenty of free outdoor parking, plus free Wi-Fi throughout. A courtesy phone and lending library are offered in the lobby, and off-site activities and tours can be arranged through the front desk.