Wyndham Nassau Resort & Crystal Palace Casino

Anchored by its casino (renovated in 2012), 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.

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.

The hotel underwent several renovations in 2012, including upgrading and expanding their casino, which now also acts as the main entry for the property.

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

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.

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.

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
• Fee for Wi-Fi

• 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), charged 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
• 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. The Crystal Palace Casino was renovated in 2012.

Though I didn't notice any glaring stains or dingy upholstery, there is a strong smell of cigarette smoke throughout the hotel.

• 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.