8 Best Hotels in Eleuthera and Harbour Island, Bahamas

Set atop a rocky cliff on Whale Point, Ocean Tally is a luxurious bed-and-breakfast surrounded by Eleuthera's natural beauty. This adults-only property features three cottages, each with its own sun terrace that has views of the property's private beach. The rooms are spacious, airy, and with a TV, kitchen supplies, and a private bathroom. You can choose to have breakfast on your private deck, on the outdoor dining deck, or in the common area in the lighthouse. There's also an on-site bar where you can grab drinks and food.

Immaculate and generously sized cottages, some octagonal—all with large private porches—have sweeping views of the ocean. The resort has also introduced spacious luxury suites with patio or garden views. The Rainbow Room restaurant is one of the island's best, and islanders drive great distances for a meal here, especially when the famed Doctor Seabreeze or other local musicians strum away and sing island tunes on weeknights (in high season). A sublime beach is a short walk down the paved road along with a tennis court, and a small pool is on the property. The helpful staff will arrange fishing trips and adventure tours.

Originally deeded in 1796 and built by Thomas W. Johnson, Briland's first doctor and justice of the peace, this handsome B&B, in a garden filled with bougainvillea, royal poincianas, and hibiscus, thrives thanks to the loving preservation work of genial innkeeper John Hersh. The guest rooms are sweetly furnished with a distinctive array of antiques and local artwork and overlook either the harbor or the garden. The inn’s supremely stylish suites have grown to include two cottage accommodations, and there’s a full on-site staff, including a chef who will also prepare in-house dinners, box lunches, and picnics. The property includes a huge courtyard that features a pool and a tiki bar.

Those looking for history and luxury will find much to like about this historic building constructed in 1944 by the first premier of The Bahamas, Sir Roland Symonette. The resort still maintains its historical charm while welcoming modern, eco-friendly additions like solar water heating, solar lights, energy-saving refrigerators, and an outdoor organic garden. Each guest room at the two-story limestone inn has a full kitchen, in-room safe, air-conditioning and a mahogany deck. It's a short walk to the beach.

Sparse white walls and crisp white linens evoke a timeless, understated chic at The Landing, which is acclaimed as much for its singular style as for its superb cuisine. Each of its guest rooms is simply decorated in a colonial plantation style in the Captain's House, built in 1820, and the main house, built in 1800. Want a memorable harbor view? An antique telescope peers out of a lookout nook from the Attic Room, which also has a gleaming white bathroom complete with a sumptuous white chaise lounge. Soothe yourself in the garden's tranquil pool when you're beached out—and don't miss the sybaritic outdoor shower, cleverly designed around the roots of an ancient fig tree.

These quaint cottages are nestled into a hillside with an extraordinary view of the Atlantic. Each unit comes with a small kitchenette, satellite TV, and a deck, perfect for watching the sunrise. Proprietor Rose Gibson also runs a restaurant steps from the cottages, where you'll find Bahamian specialties like fresh grouper and conch.

This quiet seaside inn on gorgeous, rolling grounds feels far removed from the rest of the island, which is precisely the point. This is not a place you'll be waited on hand and foot. Rather, longtime guests appreciate the lived-in quality of this rambling 1938 New England–style beach house, where you have the run of the place and can be left alone to mix a drink at the honor bar or relax poolside. Guest rooms are simply furnished in a comfortable contemporary style, and bathrooms display colorful tile work and Fresh bath products. At dinnertime, chef Krishna Higgs serves French and Bahamian cuisine, with a focus on local seafood.

Each of the rustic cottages on this property, owned by the Percentie family, is named after a different island of The Bahamas. The native theme continues inside the lodgings, where each individually decorated room features a private bathroom, flat-screen TV, and tea and coffee maker. There's no lobby to speak of, since the room where you check in also doubles as the famous Ma Ruby's restaurant, but the place is full of local charm and just a short walk from the pink-sand beach. Juanita Percentie, "Ma" Ruby's enterprising daughter, also rents a luxurious five-bedroom beach villa nearby, complete with a romantic rooftop bedroom, gourmet kitchen, and waterfall pool with swim-up bar.