I Stayed At A White Lotus-Like* Resort In The Bahamas And It Was Divine

If you’ve met me, you know I’m not a fancy person. My preferred habitat is the dog park and my favourite travel destination is my hometown of Thunder Bay, Ont. But whomst among us has not fantasized about staying at a White Lotus-like resort? When the opportunity arose to visit the five-star Rosewood Baha Mar in Nassau, I could not say yes fast enough.

After a three-hour flight from Toronto and a 12-minute town car ride from the airport, I was ensconced in my new, fancy-person life at the Rosewood, where I spent the next three nights (the ideal amount of time to spend at any resort, in my opinion). Here’s what made my stay so incredible—and why this is the perfect destination for a special-occasion getaway.

What The Rooms Are Like At The Rosewood Baha Mar

Have you ever stayed in a hotel room so nice that you didn’t want to leave? That’s how I felt after I checked into my standard room, with its four-poster king-size bed, massive bathtub, comfy sectional and private ocean-view balcony. I could have settled in for the weekend with a stack of books and had a perfect vacation without ever venturing outside.

The standard rooms at the Rosewood Baha Mar are spectacular. (Photo: Courtesy of Rosewood Baha Mar)

What To Eat And Drink At The Rosewood Baha Mar

One major caveat before I get started: the food and drink options at the Rosewood Baha Mar are expansive and top-notch, but they're also expensive: everything is à la carte and priced in USD.

The afternoon tea service at the Library at Rosewood Baha Mar. (Photo: Courtesy of Rosewood Baha Mar)

The Rosewood itself has multiple restaurants and bars, among them a chi-chi Café Boulud outpost and the cozy Library bar, which also offers afternoon tea service during the day—including an extensive menu of Bahamian teas featuring local ingredients such as soursop leaves, guava, mango and tamarind.

The Breakfast Café at the Rosewood Baha Mar. (Photo: Courtesy of Rosewood Baha Mar)

However, my two favourite dining experiences were open-air. The lush Breakfast Café patio was the perfect place to start the day, and both the avocado toast and poached eggs with roasted mushrooms were standouts. I’m also still thinking about the mushroom tacos—and let’s be honest, the impeccable margaritas—I enjoyed during a leisurely lunch at the Mexican-inspired Costa.

The Breakfast Café at the Rosewood Baha Mar. (Photo: Courtesy of Rosewood Baha Mar)

For even more dining options, the adjacent Baha Mar complex has more than 40 bars and restaurants, several of which are helmed by celebrity chefs such as James Beard Foundation Award winner Marcus Samuelsson (the steak and seafood-focused Marcus Fish and Chop Shop) and long-time Chopped judge Scott Conant (Leola, an opulent Italian resto).

What To Do At The Rosewood Baha Mar

Alongside a spa and fitness centre, the Rosewood also boasts an ambassador flock of flamingos (the national bird of the Bahamas). Aside from their daily 9:30 a.m. parade, these divas are also available for meet-and-greets as well as a weekly yoga class.

During my 30-minute “flamingo encounter,” I was able to feed and pet the flamingos alongside their dedicated handlers. I was the only adult without children at my session, and I have zero regrets—it was a true delight to get close to these glamorous creatures.

This flamingo is ready for her yoga class to start. (Photo: Maureen Halushak)

I also signed up for a flamingo yoga class, during which an instructor led us through a gentle practice while a handful of birds mingled around the participants and occasionally struck yoga-like poses themselves. (Unsurprisingly, both of these experiences are highly Instagrammable.)

The weekend I visited coincided with the annual Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival. I attended the 2025 opening night celebration, which included an extensive array of food stations—including the freshest tuna sashimi I’ve ever tried—and a performance by ageless rock legend Lenny Kravitz. (For the record, he is 61, which I find impossible to believe.)

An overhead shot of the pool circuit and beach at the Rosewood Baha Mar. (Photo: Courtesy of Rosewood Baha Mar)

However, I spent the majority of my time at the Rosewood lounging either beachside or poolside. (My favourite pool was actually the hot tub, which was secluded and seldom occupied.) Daybeds and cabanas are available for rent, but I stuck with the complimentary loungers and never had trouble securing one, despite it being a surprisingly busy October weekend. (High season in the Bahamas runs from December to mid-April.)

Drinking a mojito on the beach while watching the waves roll in was, without exaggeration, my most zen moment of the past year. As it turns out, I might be a bit of a fancy person after all.

This trip was provided by the Rosewood Baha Mar. All recommendations are the writer's own.