Pros

  • A short drive to golf courses and Grand Bahama International Airport
  • Spacious, self-contained, two-bedroom units with full kitchens
  • Heated outdoor pool bordered with loungers
  • Free bus to and from the beach
  • On-site bar, barbecues, picnic tables, and outdoor games
  • Free Wi-Fi throughout
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Cons

  • Removed location without much in walking distance
  • Maintenance issues are a concern
  • Tired and in need of updating
  • No restaurant or golf club
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Bottom Line

The Island Resort & Golf Club is a basic two-and-a-half-pearl timeshare with 31 units that feels more like a tired apartment complex than a resort. It’s located eight minutes from the airport in an area that was hit hard by 2004’s hurricane and was never revived. Units are spacious and comfortable, each with two en-suite bedrooms and full kitchens, but maintenance issues are a common guest concern. There’s a heated pool, a bar, outdoor games, and barbecue facilities, but no restaurant. Renting a car makes sense as there’s not much within walking distance, but a free daily beach shuttle is provided. Those seeking a more features-filled timeshare may want to try Flamingo Bay Hotel & Marina, which has access to facilities at Taino Beach Resort.

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Amenities

  • Cribs
  • Internet
  • Pool

Oyster Hotel Review

Island Resort and Golf Club

Scene

Timeshare property with worn exteriors, dated decor, and the odd homey touch

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. 

See More Scene

Location

In a quiet Freeport neighborhood, a short drive to golf courses, beaches, and the airport 

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.

See More Location

Rooms

Spacious and comfortable, but dated, two-bedroom, two-bathroom units with full kitchens

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. 

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Features

Heated outdoor pool, outdoor games, free Wi-Fi, free beach bus, and a bar -- but no restaurant

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.

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Oyster Hotel Review

Island Resort and Golf Club

Scene

Timeshare property with worn exteriors, dated decor, and the odd homey touch

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. 

See More Scene

Location

In a quiet Freeport neighborhood, a short drive to golf courses, beaches, and the airport 

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.

See More Location

Rooms

Spacious and comfortable, but dated, two-bedroom, two-bathroom units with full kitchens

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. 

See More Rooms

Features

Heated outdoor pool, outdoor games, free Wi-Fi, free beach bus, and a bar -- but no restaurant

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.

See More Features

Best Rates

Amenities

  • Balcony / Terrace / Patio

  • Beach

  • Cabanas

  • Cable

  • Cribs

  • Full Kitchen

  • Internet

  • Kids Allowed

  • Pool

  • Poolside Drink Service

  • Swim-Up Bar

Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.