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Eleven Experience Bahama House

Christine Drinan, Founder

2 years ago

You know the Bahamas for the beaches and the surreal blues where you can’t find where the sea ends and the sky starts. Then there’s swimming with the pigs, which really is quite the experience. But maybe the most elegant part of the Bahamas is Harbor Island, which is like the Nantucket of the Caribbean. Here’s where to stay in the Bahamas.

Overview

The Bahamas is made up of over 700 individual islands and cays, but perhaps the most authentic of these is Harbor Island. Located in the northeast corner of the Bahamian archipelago, Harbor Island is a quaint 3.5 miles wide by 1.5 miles long. The few streets on the island have historic Bahamian homes, and Eleven Bahama House is in a refurbished building from the 1800s. This is where to stay in the Bahamas if you’re looking for an intimate boutique-hotel experience. It’s possible to buy out the entire hotel for a family event. There are plenty of chill-out spaces throughout the Bahama House compound. These are optimal for friends and family, especially for late nights over cocktails and conversation.

Right in the center of town, Bahama House is an easy walk to all the restaurants, shops, and nightlife that Harbor Island has to offer. In U.S. vacation terms, Harbor Island is like the Nantucket of the Bahamas. In other words, it’s elegant, and slightly highbrow, but at its core it represents a good unpretentious time.

The Rooms

There are eleven rooms at Bahama House, and they’re all unique. When Eleven refurbished the hotel, the team stayed true to the original footprint of the home from the 1800s. So instead of creating standard hotel rooms, each room has its own charm and character. The design is signature Eleven Experience, which combines elegance with an understated rustic luxury. That doesn’t mean though that the finishes are not top of the line; the designers spared no expense in every detail. There’s a clear aesthetic that flows through all the Eleven hotels. However, they also integrate local artisans and influences. For example, the shell boxes and many of the fixtures were sourced from the island, and have that Bahamian feel.

What’s also very Eleven at Bahama House is the technology. The place uses James Bond-like key pads to enter your room and the sound system throughout is top-notch. Even the pool is wired underwater with speakers, so you won’t miss your favorite Coldplay tune.

Some rooms are best suited for the kids, your nanny, or your teenagers. The point of the rooms kind of becomes moot when you’re doing a buyout of Bahama House. With eleven rooms, it could easily be converted to a villa compound rental for a group of friends or a family.

Dining

Eleven has a private chef and a full staff who create cuisine for in-house guests only. Breakfast is always the start of the day, and other meals may be arranged separately. That’s part of what’s special at Bahama House: you can’t just walk in off the street for a drink or a bite. This is where to stay in the Bahamas to feel like you have your own private villa. That’s even the case if you’re just renting one room. Eleven doesn’t mess around with the food; there’s always a top chef in residence to blow out your breakfast. Also, après-beach is a thing here, where there’s always a lavish spread of food after a day out on the town. The tiki bar is prime for chilling out and enjoying the company of friends.

Part of the reason why Bahama House doesn’t have a restaurant is because the food on Harbor Island is excellent. You are right in the center of town, in walking or buggying distance to the best spots to eat. Harbor Island is where you get out and see the town, experience the atmosphere and eat in the restaurants.

Activities

As part of the Eleven Experience portfolio, the DNA of Bahama House is adventure. This is where to stay in the Bahamas if you’re looking to explore the islands with the best guides. Fishing and skiing are core to all Eleven Experience destinations. So here, bone fishing is a big draw. Bahama House has its own rib boat that provides a comfortable ride even for those who are prone to getting seasick. On the boat, you can get to the less-traveled parts of the Bahamas to fish, as well as the more touristy sites, like swimming with the pigs. This activity may be better in photos, as you end up trying to avoid swine excrement in the water most of the time.

The most compelling activities in my opinion when you stay on Harbor Island are the long stretches of pink sand beaches. There’s nothing quite like them, and Harbor House is where to stay if you want to enjoy their unspoiled state.