Luxury Travel Advisor - September 2007 - (Page 38) HOTELS GRAND ISLE‘s Master Grand Penthouse has an expansive living room (shown here) with Emerald Bay views. GRAND SPA ISLE RESORT & For a quiet escape in a vastly underdeveloped area of the Bahamas, send your clients to the Grand Isle Resort & Spa (www.grandislevillas.com) in Great Exuma. This tucked-away community of luxurious ocean and golf-course villas is located within the unspoiled, 500-acre Emerald Bay property and occupies 13 acres. The 78 Caribbean villas, which will be fully completed by December, offer a variety of ocean views, water sports, a Greg Norman-designed golf course and a recently unveiled penthouse. Once Grand Isle’s brand-new spa is completed in the summer of 2008, the resort will be able to compete with some of Great Exuma’s other, and probably more known, luxury properties. When it comes to accommodations, we loved the Master Grand Penthouse, which has a wraparound balcony offering an incredible view of Emerald Bay. The $5.7 million room sits on the highest point of Emerald Bay, offering perhaps the best views anywhere in the Bahamas. Its four bedrooms and large living and dining area make it ideal for large families or groups. Note: Butler service is available for all accommodations at an additional cost. Activities are offered all year long and include water sports, the kids’ club and use of the property’s boat for fishing and snorkeling. We particularly enjoyed the snorkeling, as reefs and fish of all colors can be found only a 10minute swim from the property’s main beach. To make getting around the expansive property easy, all guests are provided with a golf cart, and a garage in which to keep it. Tip: Grand Isle is adjacent to the Four Seasons Resort Great Exuma at Emerald Bay, which offers minimal shopping and a casino. A walk along the beach to the Four Seasons took us 20 minutes, but a golf cart ride will get your clients there in less than 10. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are offered to guests and locals at Grand Isle’s Palappa Bar & Grille and also at Wahoo, a casual restaurant at the marina, just a golf cart ride away. We also enjoyed the in-room dining service, which is provided upon request. Tip: Suggest your clients try the Surf ‘n’ Turf with coconut saffron rice and seasonal vegetables. Holidays are the most difficult time to book rooms at Grand Isle; in all cases, agents should book several months ahead. Reservations can be made via any of the four GDS systems; however, travel advisors should contact General Manager Tracy Stoltz (tstoltz@grandislevillas.com; 242358-5000) with any VIP needs. —Joe Pike 38 LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR | September 2007 http://www.grandislevillas.com
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