One&Only Ocean Club

Paradise Island

Ninety kilometers southeast of the Florida coast, lies the Bahamas archipelago with its string of magnificent islands poised in the Atlantic Ocean. Large stretches of fine sand, azure, turquoise or crystal clear marine water give the archipelago a Garden of Eden atmosphere, totally anchored in the collective imagination. Since the 1930s, the Bahamas has been an extremely popular seaside destination for the rich and famous. Recently, actors Johnny Depp and Nicholas Cage purchased private islands here for the modest sum of three million dollars. Numerous hotel complexes have been built along the beaches, in styles ranging from extravagant to intimate, in order to receive the millions of visitors who come here every year. An example of the success the islands have enjoyed, is Paradise Island one of the most visited. Formerly an unoccupied and called Hog Island, this magnificent stretch of land possesses a hotel dedicated to charm.

An intimate property with colonial charm

In 1930, the narrow, nine meter long Hog Island was a refuge for upper class Americans who made it their secondary residence. No one could have guessed that a few years later, this island with its highly uncomplimentary name would contain one of the most important tourist complexes in the Bahamas. In 1959, the American heir to the Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, Huntington Hartford, bought a part of the island put up for sale by its Swedish owner. The site possessed beautiful stretches of beach making it ideal for building a luxury hotel that would attract a great many visitors. And so, the exceptionally elegant hotel was built. With its romantic gardens inspired by Versailles, the Ocean Club offers incredible refinement in the heart of the Bahamian landscape. Far from the brouhaha of its nearest neighbor, the Atlantis-Paradise Island, the hotel’s colonial architecture provides visitors with charm and discretion. The eight cottages of the residence nestled alongside gardens, have an uninterrupted view of the turquoise waters of the ocean. It’s hardly surprising therefore that the Chef, Jean-Goerge Vongerichten chose the spot to open his first Caribbean restaurant, The Dune whose menu is a blend of French and American cuisine with distinct Bahamian influence.

The One & Only Ocean Club was used for the shooting of Martin Campbell’s film, “Casino Royale” in 2006. For the purposes of the film, the lobby of the hotel was transformed into a casino, and Villa 1085 was used to receive 007, James Bond himself.