It works! Thanks for taking the time to post those pictures. The water of Exuma looks unreal.

Mason, fabulous pics! Thanks.

mason -thanks for the pics... one quick ? -- where is the beach you took a pic of... is it at the hotel, or elsewhere? it looks a little short and full of seaweed...I was envisioning a wide white sandy area....

The beach in front on the hotel is beautiful soft sand & shaped like an wide arc. Some of the pix are elsewhere on the island. I wanted to show how they all have that incredible color & no one there. Also I did do the Castaway Getaway (even though I was there w/just a friend) & I thought it was really cool to have an island to yourself for a day.If I was w/my hasband it would have been very romantic. Great picnic too.

My husband and I just returned from FS Great Exuma. We were there for a week. Prior to our trip, we were also concerned about the construction and some of the negative reviews on tripadvisor.com We agree there are some kinks that need to be worked out given the property just opened; however, our experience was very different from the Harper's Hideaway report. Overall, we enjoyed our stay. Staff was very friendly and property was very clean/nice (felt more upscale Palm Springs than tropical). Here are some thoughts based on questions posted:
1) construction - there is construction around the periphery of the hotel (at the end of the main buildings - near the tennis courts and around the golf course). We were told that the FS villas (around the tennis courts) would be completed end of this month. The villas around the golf course and marina will be under construction for the next couple of years.
2) food/dining - We felt the food options were limited as the week progressed; the food was mediocre. The breakfast buffet provided the best options. Also, we didn't have to wait for service as it proved to be spotty, more so at Il Cielo. On a couple of occasions, we were waited on by several people and we still had to follow-up on our orders. There seemed to be confusion as to their roles.
3) The hotel does offer kids activities/game room. I saw pails/shovels for kids. They also have a children's pool. In terms of excursions, there are snorkeling and sailing cruises offered. There isn't much on the island...it's relatively undeveloped.
4) I did not notice any medical services offered on the property.
5) Golf - The back 9 holes is very scenic along the ocean. There is construction of villas surrounding the course. We never heard any noises when we played.
6) Tennis - great facility...the courts are completed.
7) Beach - water was beautiful and calm.
8) Spa - facility was very nice and serene.
9) Fitness Center - Fitness room could be bigger with more equipment.
I hope this is helpful.

hi nikkil..Me and my family are going down april 17-24 and i was wondering if u every left the resort to eat out,seems alot of people have been complaining about the food.I also just read a review on tripadvisor that there was a bug problem,did u or anyone else encounter such a problem?How did you like the pools at the resort?One last question...did you notice a children menu at the restaurants?Thank you

Does anyone have a copy or link to the Harper's Hideaway report? Thanks.

Hi Joe555,

We never left the property to eat out. From what we could tell, there aren't any nearby options. The food wasn't four/five star dining but it was fine; we never felt like we had to leave the property in search of better food. There is a children's menu offered at the Sea Grill and In-Room Dining. They offer peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, pizza, hot dogs, chicken fingers, cookies, ice cream, etc.

The only time we ever encountered any bug problem was when we played tennis around dusk. Didn't have this problem the second time we played around the same time. Didn't hear of any other people complaining about bug problems.

There are 3 pools. The active pool which is the main pool is quite nice/clean with a shallow end that makes it attractive for kids. The nearby turtle pool for children also looked quite nice -- had cabanas & lounge chairs. No water slides at any of the pools. There is also a quiet pool a little further away from the action.

Dear Nikkil,

Thank-you for the honest review of your visit of the property - I was very concerned after reading Harper's Hideaway Review - who I usually find to be very accurate. I was trying to get a reservation in July for the beachfront suites - we are 2 familes who travel together - and I was told they are all sold out on that type of suite - which I found to be a little strange since it is so far in advance - but who knows? I was wondering if you could tell me if you were in or saw the beachfront suites - or are they not yet completed yet and the hotel was not telling me that information? Thank you and again for taking the time to fill us in on the Four Seasons in Exuma - I just returned from Jackson Hole - Four Seasons - a great resort!

hi nikkil...sorry but i have a couple more questions..do you think i should get a meal plan esp.if im going to eat and stay in the resort the whole week?and lastly what did you think of the rooms?

Hi Dawnd,

Unfortunately, we did not see any of beachfront suites. It was my understanding that all the rooms were completed except for the units for sale. We met some employees from the US who is currently working on the construction of the property and they informed us that these sale units will be completed by the end of the month.

Hi Joe555,
I don't know the details of the meal plan but I can definitely tell you that the food is expensive. My husband and I spent approximately $200-$300/day for food/beverages. Breakfast buffet is roughly $30 per person (including tax/gratuities), lunch entrees ranged from $12-$18, dinner entrees ranged from $20-$40.

Our partial ocean view room was nicely decorated and clean...dvd/cd player, Frette sheets and L'Occitane bath products. The room size was slightly smaller than I would have expected (not as big as the rooms at the FS on Big Island) but overall I was very satisfied. Our balcony was sandwiched between two other ones, separated by a wall -- not as private as I would have liked.

thank you nikkil for taking the time to answer my qyestions

If it weren't for the magnificent beach and crystal clear waters, this hotel would not garner much attention. We were just there for five nights this month and our experience was mediocre at best. Having stayed at a number of Four Seasons around the world, this one is not up to par. It started with our $800/night Oceanfront room. We were on the ground level and because the floors are tile, we could hear the people's booming footsteps in the room above us all the time. It was like the bass boost coming from a car. On our third night, the power kept going in and out on the island, causing the clocks, phone and A/C in the room to all beep very loudly and reset in the middle of the night. The Concierge is very poor. We tried to go on 1/2 day sail each day, only to be told they didn't have enough people to fill the trip! We had to go to the concierge desk to find this out. I second a lot of the other opinions - food is fair - very limited and expensive. There is an abundance of staff, but it basically amounts to a handful of "outside"(aka European and American) Four Seasons staff that have been brought in to train the local Bahamian staff. It's like Hospitality 101 all around the resort. It's never fun to be the "trainee's" subject. There was no "beeping" or construction interruptions. They are building some units on the bluff to the left of the resort, but we could not here it. The weather was fair - partly cloudy and VERY breezy. None of the guide books tell you March is the windy month. Also, there was an abundance of infants at the resort. Since the Kids Centre is available for 5+, I was amazed why so many people brought their screaming kids here. We left our kids at home to come here and relax. Looks like more and more of todays parents are traveling with their infants. Suggest they go to Atlantis or Disney. This is Four Seasons "light" at best. I think we just came too soon.

In fairness to the resort, I would like to let everyone know that the hotel did move us to a different room (a beachfront suite no less!) and did fall over us after the problems. When we mentioned to the food and beverage manager (who made a special point to come to our table during dinner one evening) that we wished hosekeeping left chocolates on the pillow at night, he had a tray of chocolates sent to our room with a personal note. All in all, this will eventually blossom and be a Four Seasons that we have all come to know and appreciate. As a new property relying on native staff, it is just going to take some time. I would definitely come back after looking back and seeing how they handled their growing pains during our visit. If you're thinking of coming, come - and if you have kids, you will not be alone :)

Hi,

I would like to know when you were moved to the Beachfront suite - how was that suite - did you have a wonderful view of the water - was the suite very spacious for you? It is good to know that they did respond and care about your problems that you had there - sometimes you cannot ask for more then that - as long as they tried to do the right thing - sounds like they just have growing pains at this time - thatnk-you for your honest feedback - it helps us all!!

We were moved to the suite on our third night. We thought there might just be an obese couple above us, hence the heavy foot noise, but we soon realized it was the construction of the unit. The 1BR Beachfront Suite is lovely, but not for $2k night. 2 Full baths and same exact view as regular Beachfront room.

Hi, we were thinking about going to Four Seasons Exuma this year but decided on FS Punta Mita instead. Happy we did! I have been following this thread as well as the reviews on tripadvisor.com which are just bashing the place! With prices that high, and the Four Seasons name, people have high expectations that are just not being met, and they only offered one slightly discounted rate. They made a big mistake not offering deeply discounted "soft opening" rates for a longer period of time because these bad reviews will really hurt them in the short term. I'm sure we will visit eventually, but probably not for a few years. Just not worth it at those prices. If you like the Four Seasons, go to Nevis or Punta Mita, even the brand new FS Costa Rica is getting better reviews and they only opened Jan 23!

If you do go to Exuma, I would highly recommend you go down to the Peace & Plenty and see the good Dr. "Lermon" at the bar. He is the best! After spending some time at his bar, you will barely be able to stomach the stiffs back at the Four Seasons bar. Zero personality, and in some cases, downright rude. When we go back, I will gladly trade the homestyle elegance and family charm of the P&P over the "elegance and luxury" of the FS.

Just got back today! Maybe I am less particular but I am a 4 Seasons traveler. I thought the rooms were good, the food was good, the staff very helpful, the SPA to die for and the gym very adequate (and I work out about 5 x a week). Yes March was windy but the sun was shining and that beats a cold day in NJ in my book! Lunch - do the buffet its fine and dinner you can do the more casual restaurant or il Cielo. Yes the nicer one is more expensive but there are ways around it - order appetizers and a salad etc. Are there growing pains, sure but not real noticible. The beach was absolutely beautiful - the water incredible! Don't like kids - go to the quiet pool or the beach! Relax, it's vacation and the sun is out!