Originally Posted by jpeterson

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Just got back from 4 nights at Goldwynn. There are many exemplary features of the property that stand out to me: distance from the hubbub of downtown Nassau (it is technically walkable, though takes more than an hour; it is a quick 10-15 minute car ride, or a relatively short bus ride on the 10 or the 12–though I never got the chance to use New Providence’s transit system), pretty well-equipped and self-contained amenities, and attentive staff and service. The main downside I experienced was remoteness, meaning I used taxis which cost multiple $10s of dollars per direction (one way). Goldwynn does provide some discounts at partnering businesses, mainly restaurants, all of which are accessible on their website.

Rooms were spacious and airy, and featured all listed amenities as on the website (e.g., kitchenette, terrace, blackout curtains, etc.). The outdoors were really nice too. The infinity pool is not heavily used but is consistently used throughout the day. I was told the pool is open 24/7, but I was honestly too tired to test it out late at night, but it is lit and kept at 88°, so I’m told. There are limited beach chairs (on the beach itself), but it wasn’t all that busy when I was there so I never had any issue securing one if I wanted one. The beach chairs not on the beach are plenty and there is poolside service from one of the on-site bars available. There’s also a fully equipped-service spa and a restaurant on site, both detailed and operated as described on the website.

The beach itself is manicured each morning and is pretty pristine. To the west is the public beach, Goodman’s Bay Beach (and park), which attracts locals but only a handful at a time. The park itself, though, can get lively at nightfall since there is space to run around and it’s lit. Further west are a mix of some residential but more dominantly resort beaches, many of which are marked “Private,” but are not really enforced, not to mention that the mean high water mark is the legal limit for private property (i.e., walking along the beach or using the water is not itself trespassing). There are a number of jet skiing ventures interspersed along the beach and they are pretty active (read: noisy, if that’s something which bothers you) throughout the day, but only infrequently pass north of the Goodwynn’s marked swimming area. As you hit Bahamar, the beach gets considerably dirtier (with lots of single-use plastic and unrecovered waste that I noticed walking up and down the beach). This is even a factor along Goodman’s Bay Beach, but it reaches its maximum by Bahamar (which makes sense, it’s populated). The Goldwynn beach, as mentioned before, is pristine.

The water itself is clear and most of the marine environment consists of sand, algal patches, or sea grasses, somewhat inhabited by various fish. My snorkeling endeavors here (the equipment is available for guests to use for free) were much less fruitful than the reefs down south, like the BREEF Sculpture Garden and Coral Nursery, but nevertheless entertaining. I was told there is a transient hammerhead that likes to cruise by (but not instigate anything), but I wasn’t lucky enough to find them. I imagine the sea life is reduced due to the sheer population in the waters from Bahamar.

The main reason I even decided to go to The Bahamas was due to how cheap the flights and accommodations were. I wasn’t disappointed at all, but I will note that its remoteness (compared to the free and walkability-ness of some of the downtown hotels) meant I was paying more for travel costs on the island itself.