Would you recommend Staniel Cay to someone for whom money is not an issue? We have friends with a lot of financial flexibility. I had mentioned what I has read about Staniel Cay (ie every cottage comes with a boat) They're very interested. But, now I'm concerned that it may be too rustic for them.

ttt

I've not been to Staniel Cay, but from what I've read and seen of photos, it's not a posh resort that would normally come to mind (like a Four Seasons or Sandy Lane or a Mandarin Oriental). The boat that it comes with is a simple boat to get you around the cays. So it depends on what your friends' expectations are.

There are some great photos of the cottage and boat from one of the posters here. Take a look at their trip report:
http://www.nbhtravel.com/StanielCay/stanielcay.htm

(I hope they don't mind me posting it. Their reports are fantastic and a great resource so I have it bookmarked. )

Wow! What a fabulous report.

I will pass this on to my friends. Would you (or anyone) happen to know of soemthing a little more upscale that comes with a boat?

Does Guana Island?

Outside of the Bahamas, both Bitter End Yacht Club (Virgin Gorda) and Club Colonna (Antigua) provide guests with access to their fleets of boats -- but in both of those cases, the boats are mostly sailboats, and are not "assigned" to the particular guest.

In the Abacos (Bahamas Out Islands), many -- if not most -- of the small hotels and villas make available dockage for their guests, with the expectation that the guests will be renting boats (usually in the 20-22 range, including the very pretty Albury motorboats). But the rental of the boats, and fuel, are not included. Some of the "higher end" properties in the Abacos include the Abaco Inn (Elbow Cay), Bluff House Inn and Green Turtle Club (both on Green Turtle Cay), and Dolphin Beach Resort (Great Guana Cay). But I will caution you that even the most high end property in the Abacos is quite rustic when compared to the likes of the Four Seasons Exuma.

mymoosie, thanks for linking that report on Staniel Cay! We were seriously considering SCYC for our 2008 Out Island trip (but chose Cape Santa Maria instead) -- but I'll have to think hard about SCYC for the next trip.

I have not stayed there but have run across the following home on Staniel Cay in my research for a future trip-

www.sweptawaybahamas.com

The owner seems to have two different size boats that you can rent in addition to the home if you like- seems reasonable.

Like Callaloo said, I have been the the out islands many times but have always rented a boat from a boat rental company - be it in Marsh Harbour, Treasure Cay or Elbow Cay. There are rental companies on Great Guana, Man-O-War, Green Turtle, etc. also with an assortment of rentals available. Most people who rent a home rent a boat or a golf cart also, depending on which island they are visiting.
There are not really any boat rentals on Long Island and I don't think there are on Eleuthera either just because(the waters around) those places don't really lend themselves to that kind of rental. Boats are available on Great Exuma and the waters there lend themselves to tourist navigation also.
There are some VERY upscale rental homes on Elbow Cay in the Abacos where one could rent a boat also and have a wonderful trip.

Guana Island does NOT come with a boat rental as part of its rates, but you can certainly hire a staff member to take you around in one.

Biras Creek on Virgin Gorda includes the rental of Boston whalers in their daily rates. It's a nice resort that has defined the "rustic luxury" of so many places these days.

I would definitely recommend SCYC! We spent a week there last summer and I would not describe it as "rustic" at all. Definitely not Four Seasons, don't misinterpret me, but our cottage was very nice and I thought the food was great. It's an incredibly laid back experience, that's the appeal. Most of the other guests, many of whom arrived on absolutely unbelievable yachts, seemed to have plenty of "financial flexiblity" - we definitely felt like the "poor folks". Frankly, to do it right requires some financial flexibility. One of the great parts of the trip was the 2 charters we added on and they pricey, but well worth it. Unless your friends "need" upscale luxury, I would highly recommend SCYC!

Another resort in that area is Fowl Cay (now Royal Plantation Island).

You have to fly into Staniel Cay, but they pick you up in a boat and drive you to the private Island. Each "villa" comes with it's own boat.

http://www.fowlcay.com/