11 Best Hotels in The Exumas, Bahamas

The Staniel Cay Yacht Club is nothing short of legendary, once drawing such luminaries as Malcolm Forbes and Robert Mitchum to its property. It's now a low-key getaway for yachties and escapists. The cotton candy–color cottages, perched on stilts along a rocky bank, have broad ocean vistas and dramatic sunsets, which you can treasure from a chaise lounge on your spacious private balcony. Take a tour of the cay in one of the club's golf carts. Meal plans are available.

Sandals Emerald Bay is Great Exuma's most luxurious all-inclusive resort, with cream and aqua buildings facing a mile-long stretch of powdery white sand and a half-acre zero-entry pool in the center of the property. The room rate includes all food at the resort's 11 restaurants and all nonmotorized water sports. The resort also features a deep-water marina with 150 slips, two other pools, six bars, and a game room.

This luxurious 78-villa complex boasts one of the island's few spas, an infinity pool overlooking the ocean, and a poolside patio restaurant. A secluded patch of Emerald Bay Beach is right off the pool, and guests can use the kayaks and snorkel equipment. Rooms are elaborate and vary from one-bedroom garden-view villas to four-bedroom penthouses. 

Sitting right on the beach in Great Exuma, Paradise Bay is a charming boutique hotel with a cheerful Franco-Bahamian style. The resort is owned by a family hailing from Paris, and the French influence is evident throughout the property, but especially at the on-site restaurant, Cocoplum Bistro, which serves a fusion of Bahamian and French dishes. The resort has 11 cottages and villas, all of which are beachfront. The rooms are spacious and modern, painted in a calming color scheme of blue, white, and yellow. The two-bedroom cottages and the villas are equipped with a kitchenette. There's also a small pool with partial ocean views.

The perfect balance of luxury and casual chic, without the megaresort feel, this eighteen-room resort on 300 feet of narrow beach is a mile north of George Town. Decor includes luxurious, dark colonial-style furniture and woven jute beds. Pillow-top queen- and king-size beds, 400-thread-count linens, feather-down comforters, stone floors, and marble baths with glass-enclosed rain showers and double-vanity sinks round out the opulence. French doors open onto private patios or balconies that overlook the pool and a gorgeous white-sand beach. Marvel at the lodge's tiered, stained-pine cathedral ceiling. Augusta Bay Restaurant serves authentic Bahamian dishes.

Five spacious houses on the island, which is 1½ miles long and one mile wide, are separated by lush palm and hardwood hammocks and so far apart that you feel you have the island to yourself. Houses all have spectacular 360-degree water views from atop the limestone hilltops, and some come with 13-foot Boston Whalers. There is a small Dockside Grill for lunch, and a store selling drinks and snacks—as well as hot dogs and hamburgers for lunch during high season. Rates for houses are per week.

This gated residential community and resort is a world all on its own—with oceanfront residences, penthouses, custom homes, and vacation villas that are available as guest accommodations. The two-story villas painted in pastel colors have magnificent views of Elizabeth Harbour. Luxuriously decorated, the villas are serviced by housekeepers every other day. Guests may use the community's fitness center, tennis courts, and spa. 

One of George Town's most modern accommodations, Hideaways is all about light and color. The rooms and villas have a calming color scheme that includes beige and light blue, but the interiors are brightly painted, with wood furniture. Ranging from studio to two-bedroom options, most of the accommodations are on or near the beach and are in close proximity to the other amenities. Clustered on oleander-lined boardwalk paths along a lovely sand beach, the indulgence can definitely be justified. Each unit has a patio and a kitchenette or kitchen. Kayaks and paddleboats are free for guests. The huge circular poolside bar and patio attracts island crowds.

Surrounded by tranquil seas, lush landscapes, and remote island living, this stunning retreat, with six oceanfront cottages and a restaurant, offers the beauty of a tropical paradise and the remoteness of a private escape. The six oceanfront and ocean-view cottages are decorated with simple, contemporary decor, providing just what you need for a true Family Islands vacation. The on-site restaurant serves delicious Bahamian meals and specialty cocktails.

The first Exumas hotel and granddaddy of the island's omnipresent Peace & Plenty empire, this pink, two-story lodge is in the heart of the action in George Town. Rooms have private balconies overlooking the pool or ocean. There's no on-property beach, but its Beach Club on Stocking Island is a five-minute ferry shuttle away (free for guests). A poolside bar, named "Doc's" in honor of Lermon "Doc" Rolle, who held court at the poolside bar for over 40 years, offers an incredible view. The indoor bar attracts locals and a yachting crowd, especially during the National Family Island Regatta. Peace & Plenty also has five island cottages on Stocking Island for those who want to make Exuma their temporary home.