Nassau Update: One&Only Ocean Club and a New Rosewood

Bustling, cosmopolitan Nassau is a world away from the tranquil and low-key out islands of the Bahamas. For many years, I have recommended the lavish One&Only Ocean Club, a beachfront resort of 107 guest rooms, suites and villas located on Paradise Island and connected by bridge to the mainland of New Providence Island. Opulent accommodations with personal butlers are complemented by Versailles-inspired gardens; Dune restaurant, where chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten serves French-Asian cuisine with Bahamian influences; and a spa with eight Balinese-style treatment rooms.

However, competition will doubtless now be provided by the new Rosewood at Baha Mar, a 190-room colonial-style resort set on the white sands of famed Cable Beach, just 10 minutes from the international airport. Part of a huge resort-casino development, the Rosewood features four restaurants and bars, three pools with 18 private cabanas, and a spa. At the time of writing, the property is expected to debut in early fall.