sc flier

archive.org is a good friend.
Here's a 2005/2006 Senses Spa price list PDF:
http://web.archive.org/web/200508240...PriceList5.pdf

Senses spa archived homepage.

Check out the whole old ourlucaya.com site for lots more information than what is now available at their standard Starwood websites.

There's info in the Island Activities section about golf, but I don't know any price info.

It may be a good idea to call down there to make spa reservations before arrival.

Yes, you can usually request change in US dollars. I would guess that the hotel could probably exchange any Bahamian dollars back to US for you at the end of your stay, too. Many area restaurants don't take AmEx, but we usually paid by credit card when we were there. There are some lunch places nearby where we strictly paid cash.

I doubt cabs wait outside of the Stoned Crab, but they can easily call one for you. We always heard good things about this restaurant and had planned to go once upon a time, but we never made it over there. If you haven't seen my past reviews of this property, be sure to search for them for my favorite restaurants in the Lucaya Marketplace. (or PM me)

No, I don't have the coordinator's email address. I would recommend trying the toll free phone number on the starwood hotel website.

Life_Platinum

My wife tells me that the facial she had was about what one would cost in New York City. When I gave her the day of beauty at the Senses Spa as a Christmas present, the Starwood Concierge helped me by having the spa services emailed to me. I then those what I wanted to give her from the list. However, beware, the Spa was fully subscribed and the only reason my wife was able to get a slot was that we had booked one about 2 months prior to our stay. When Mrs. L.P. tried to change her reservation, she was told there were not any open slots to which she could move. Hence, I would recommend you book before you leave home, and then if the time is inconvient, then try to change your times.

I did not notice any cabs at the Stoned Crab when we were there, but then we were not looking as we had rented a Chinese Semi-automatic to cruise the island from the travel agent across the street from the hotel, and then returned the car to the airport location. In our experience, dinner at the Stoned Crab was the best dinner we had on the island. If cabs are needed to be called from Our Lucaya, they can make it up to the restaurant in about 5 minutes.

As for the menu, we ate a number of meals on the hotel property or across the street at the shopping center. The one place we did not eat at that we wished we did was a seafood restaurant that was just across the street. We had planned to eat there on Sunday, but then found it was closed. Everytime we went by, it was filled and there were patrons waiting for a seat either inside or outside on the porch. It was directly across the street from the casino and was along the street rather than at the far end of the shopping center along the water. Sorry, but I do not remember the name (perhaps Pisces)

We used U.S. $$$ throughout, but when we booked the swimming with dolphins at the hotel, the only change they could give us was in Bahamian $$$. When checking out, we explained what had happened to the desk clerk, and they gladly took these $$$ and gave us U.S. $$$ in return. Also note that the hotel will provide you a bill in U.S. $$$, thereby avoiding the credit card charge of 2-3% for a foreign currency.

Fantastic grounds. Enjoy your stay. If you have any other questions, either look at our recent post of our stay or PM me.

adamak

Thank you for the archived site. It's great. We're going in 2 weeks, so not much hope in getting into the spa. But will try to book anyways. Hard to imagine why a spa resort is constantly booked full couple months out. They should have expanded the facilities then.

sc flier

This can be a pretty nice way to handle things. We did something similar on our first stay on the island. On our next to last day, we rented a car to drive out to Gold Rock Beach. The rental shop was off-site and picked us up at the hotel. The next day, we returned it to the rental shop and had them drop us and our luggage off at the airport rather than back at the hotel. This eliminated the need to hire a taxi to take us to the airport and helped us justify the cost of renting the car. Needless to say, returning directly to the airport would have been more convenient.

appreciative

Hi,

I'm hoping that someone can help me with two questions before my upcoming stay at the Westin Lucaya:

How is the per-person cost assessed?
I'm staying with two other people for 6 nights, so the $13/person/night service and resort fees can add up quickly. Is this the kind of thing where you need wristbands for each person to get around the resort (and thus pay accordingly)? Or is it unnecessary to mention all 3 people at check-in?

Is complimentary breakfast still being served?
I'm a Platinum guest right now, so I'm wondering what the options are. Some posts here say they used to offer it, so I'd like to know if anyone who stayed there recently can confirm they still do. If they do, is it open to everyone staying in my room or just me?

I'm obviously pretty new to these boards, so apologize if these questions aren't up to the usual caliber. Again, would appreciate any help!

adamak

I stayed there end of April. Was upgraded to Suite becuase of PL status. Need to ask for the 500 amenity points. Did not offer us free breakfast but I also didn't know to ask either. I thought the resort fee was per room and not per person but I could be wrong. They don't require you to wear wristband to move around the resort. However, they gave us 2 towel cards (1 per person) to exchange for pool tower. At the pool, they take your card, give you a wrist band. You must return towel to get the card back, and return the towel cards when you check out otherwise they'll charge $25/card. So if you don't tell them # of people, you may have issues at the pool.

Personally I thought it's kinda ridiculous to charge resort fee and make guests go thru the mundane towel exchange ritual.

Like all the reviews here and in TripAdvisor, this resort is so-so. Nothing special. Food is horrible and expensive. The English pub & several restaurants at the Market place were pretty decent but that's about it.

sc flier

Disclaimer: some repetitive info since I started writing this a while ago without posting it.

Welcome to FlyerTalk, appreciative!

I don't have any recent knowledge about breakfast, but I'll say what I think in regards to the fees...

The only time that wristbands are expected are when you get a beach towel and hang out at the pools. When you check in, the front desk agent will give you one "towel card" per person. You exchange this for a towel and wristband at one of the towel stands during the day. When you turn your towel back in, you get a towel card back. You're supposed to turn in your towel card when you check out or pay a fee of something like $25.

I think that the only purpose for the wristbands is so that they can monitor for outsiders coming to use their pools. So if your 3rd occupant doesn't get a towel card, then it could be awkward trying to hang out at the pool. I didn't find them to be extremely strict about forcing you to wear the wristbands, but it probably varies depending on what else is going on around the island. For example, if a cruise is in port, they might tighten down on the rules.

Nonetheless, if you work things right, it's probably not hard to score an extra towel card. Particularly if you can find an abandoned (truly abandoned, not just temporarily abandoned) towel laying around. I've got a couple old towel cards sitting around here somewhere since I somehow ended up with some extras on one of my trips.

I always found their system to be rather annoying since we wanted fresh towels early in the morning before heading out for scuba diving, and we often wanted to use the hot tubs in the evening. But the pool desk was only open from something like 8:30am - 6:00pm. So we needed a dry towel for the evening and another before the pool desk opened in the morning. Often we could reach clean towels inside the closed desk. (And without a towel card, of course.)

With all that said, avoiding the service fee is like not leaving a tip -- though in this case a "mandatory" and perhaps excessive tip. It's probably not hard to get away without mentioning the 3rd occupant.

HKBelonger

I'm thinking about taking advantage of the recent 25% off & 3x points offer here in a couple weeks (I know, Aug in the Bahamas).

Has anyone played the golf courses that are attached to the resort? I can't seem to find even basic information (course rating, greens fees, etc.) on any of the websites.

Also, they have an unlimited golf package that wouldn't help me with the 3x points, but if we're talking $200+ in greens fees might be worth it...

Thanks for helping a newbie.

UA 100K

Recent Westin Grand Bahama Island Our Lucaya Resort Stay Report
• Check-in: It took 15 minutes to check-in even there was no one in line. There was also a problem with the rate. I booked the summer escape (including breakfast) and they rate was $141 according to the person at the check-in. He said that this rate was for only person and as I was occupying the room with my finance I would need to pay a rate of $170 so both of us could have breakfast. I agreed not knowing that the charge for breakfast is only $20-23. Does not make too much sense for me that I have to pay $7-10 more for the same benefit.
• Room: The room was very nice. A typical Westin standard. The only problem was that there was never enough towels on the room and all the towels were moist – never really dry. It was just strange that the room service menu was just a few dirty sheets and it was not in a booklet like at the Westin Palo Alto.
• Pool/Beach: Overall the beach and the pool were nice. However the furniture was not Westin standard maybe more a Motel 6. All the chairs on the beach were rusty and the chairs at the pool were dirty and old. It is absolutely disgusting. There is no comparison to the Westin Bali I visited a month ago.
• Pool Bar/Restaurant: No hygiene exists at the Pool Bar. All the machines are rusty and dirty (especially the ice cream/soft cream) and I can not imagine any restaurant/bar inspector would approve them. I understand it is the Bahamas but at the end of the day it is a Westin Hotel after all. A few days earlier I stayed at the Westin Palo Alto and trust me none of the appliances were rusty or dirty. The Pool restaurant was not a great experience either. We were the only guests at the restaurant and 4 waiters/waitresses were sitting at the bar and chatting. I had to go over and asked them to bring us the menu. The menu was an absolutely joke – only 4 or 5 dishes. I ordered a Hamburger – it was uneatable (the hamburger across the street tasted 100 times better and was 40% cheaper)
• Breakfast: Not on a Westin service and quality level again. Again it was an extreme contrast to the Westin Palo Alto and Bali. The windows and around the windows were dirty and dusty. Paper napkins instead of line napkins. Food selection was plentiful but the quality was more on the level of Courtyard or Best Western Hotel then a Westin.
• Restaurants: There was not a single line mentioned on the website (neither when I called to reserve the room) that only 2 restaurants are open. The selection was absolutely mediocre. No real steak or fresh fish.
• Get walked: I was supposed to have an afternoon meeting outside the hotel until 6 pm. I left the hotel at around 11:30am. The meeting was cut short and I came back to the room at around 2pm. My Fiancé was reading a book in the living room and I was checking my emails on the desk. At 2:45pm somebody slide a piece of paper underneath the door. The paper mention that everyone has to move to the Sheraton due to weather conditions by 5pm. At 3:30pm I went to the front desk and asked why we have to move. The lady at the front desk told me that everyone has to move as a precaution. They should let customers now in the morning that they are moving people. At least it would give customers enough time to arrange other plans. I asked if they would adjust my room rate as I am going to be walked to another hotel. She told me that I have to continue to pay the same rate. I asked for the Front Desk Manager. After 5 minutes (no other customers were at the front desk) waiting a lady showed up and telling me she is the supervisor of the front desk. I explained to her that I am not willing to pay the same rate if I am going to get walked to the Sheraton. She told me that I have no choice and I will be charged the same rate. I asked her that she should check for me when the next flight is to the US. She told me that the only flight to the US is AA to Miami at 5:30pm and it is already sold out. I asked her how she knows this and she said that she checked earlier. “So”, she said, ”I have no choice then move to the Sheraton and pay the same rate as I paid at the Westin”. I told her that I do not believe her that this is the only flight back to the States. I am pretty sure that there is a Continental flight at 6:45pm. She said that I am lying. After this I asked her to call me either the GM, Hotel Manager, Room Manager or Guest Service Manager. She told me in my face that nobody can be reached and they are not interested in talking to me about my problem. I asked again and see if they could be reached by phone and she said the same sentence again and also said that even if they want to talk to me she could not reach them because they do not have cell phones/pagers. My fiancé and I was just shocked to hear something like this. I asked the other lady to give the SPG and Continental Airlines number. She said that she does not have it and cant get it. A Starwood Hotel does not even have the SPG phone number? I finally called Amex Centurion Card travel Service and they rebooked me without any problems on a FPO-FLL flight at 6:45pm. I checked out and the staff could have cared less.

adamak

Wow. This sounds pretty bad. I wonder how often this moving-to-Sheraton happens? Was the weather really bad / real emergency, but why will Sheraton be safer? Is this just a bait and switch everytime there is a storm?

I'd write a letter to SPG. This resort is a real disappointment. Its ground is pretty, but the continuous I-don't-care attitude here is killing the resort.

UA 100K

Got this answer toady from the PCO / Guest Affairs Admin. regarding my last stay I mentioned above:

"n an effort to show you that Starwood is concerned about our guest and the comfort and quality of their stay, As a Starwood Preferred Guest (Platinum) member, we would like to offer compensation for the experience encountered at the Resort. As a goodwill gesture 5,000 SPG points will be posted to your SPG account. Please verify your SPG account number via email to ensure the points are posted to the correct account."

This is unbelievable - 5K points only. The GM could not even take the time to reply. Avoid this place!!!!

djfn49

Just returned from 9 days at discussed property.
Much of this thread is correct; def well below Westin standards.

Auto 15% grat discourages any effort from housekeeping, wait-staff, etc.

All pools (both Westin & Sher) were not heated. Too cold for anyone to swim. Ocean was very rough at times and too dangerous for young children.

Told by pool staff initially that heaters were broken, but later told by same staff that management was "saving $" by not running heaters during low season.

As noted in earlier commnets, the food is acceptable but very expensive.

However the brutal service, (bordering on surly/nasty attitudes) from wait-staff ruined almost all our meals on the property.

Off property, service was much better.

Best staff was Denise at China Beach, Basil (Beach-Lifeguard) and some of the Kid's Club part-time members.

We will not return; there are too many better alternatives in the Carb.

DF

UA 100K

I send a complaint letter through spg regarding my stay. I got a letter from someone at the Westin hotel and they promised me 5000. Have not received it yet. I send a second letter to both spg and the general hotel email address regarding the points and the no response from the GM. Anyone guide me to the right person?
Thanks

ECOTONE

Being totally unfamiliar with the Bahamas, which airport does one fly into to stay at the Westin? FPO or NAS?

Silly question - but Google maps wasn't helping at all!!!

fireworksboy

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry7130e/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/104)

FPO.