Paradise Island Harbour Resort

Billed as a superior 3 star, oversized pool snorkelling lagoon.

On our arrival, the reception staff said we could not have adjoining rooms, as we had booked and there was no way we would be able to even be on the same floor.

After a 20 minute wait, they told us that the rooms we would be getting, would not be ready for two hours.

I would not even rate this place as a 2 star - it was grubby, had very dated and tatty decor and the air conditioning when working, was very noisy and the staff could not have cared less.

The food was repetitive undercooked and poorly presented. The lighting in the dining room was very dull (I wonder why?).

The area by the pool was strewn with dirty food plates and food that the numerous cats were left to enjoy.

The outside bar was very smelly and the carbonated drinks were regularly flat, staff interest NIL.

The puddle that was the pool was very cold and was cleaned during the morning when people wished to swim.

The snorkelling area was littered with cans and debris not pleasant to be in at all. The so called entertainment was pathetic and when on succeeded only in blocking the foyer and access to the lifts.

I would not recommend this place to backpackers never mind a family.

A damp, musty, smelly, rusty, old 60's style hotel. I booked a 2 week holiday for my family and it was a total waste of £5,000! ($10,000) I wish I had read some of the reviews on it before I went.

The staff just weren't bothered. We had to fight to get the twin connecting rooms I had paid extra to secure in the UK. The air/con was incredibly noisy, (like you'd expect in some cheap 60's motel). The whole place was leaking. The ceiling collapsed in the Dive Shop. Nothing worked, the whole experience was terrible and I am in dialogue with my Travel Agent.

The pool bar stank of stale booze, the drinks machines were unhygienic and dispensing flat coke etc. Plus they were faulty and giving electric shocks.They played urban, street, hip hop sounds all day every day - 100 decibels - by the poolside, and then all night in the bar. What little entertainment was amateurish in the extreme.

A total rip off. The decor was bodged and painted over, check out the ceilings in the main restaurant. It’s a shame, they must have milked millions of dollars from the US and the UK tourists over the last 40 years, but have re-invested nothing back into the hotel. Check the decor inside the lifts for example.

It’s a sad, run down relic. No surprise that Holiday inn removed their name from ownership, it would damage their reputation.

Don't stay there - trust me.

I've just returned from a very comfortable stay at the Holiday Inn Sunspree on Paradise Island. I found all the staff to be helpful, and the rooms are great... this hotel has one of the most comfortable beds I've slept in in a long time. The all inclusive package is great value for money. This is a great 3 star property... it does exactly what it says on the tin!!!

We celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary at this hotel, because of mr Davis our trip was perfect. We were disappointed with our room at first, but Mr Davis upgraded us to a beautiful suite on the eleventh floor. We slept with the balcony door opened at night and enjoyed the ocean breeze and the sounds of the ocean. Clinton Davis has the most pleasing personality, he makes the stay at the Holiday inn Sunspree worth going for a visit.

We are planning our 32nd wedding anniversary at the Holiday Inn Sunspree because of Mr. Clinton Davis.

Work/pleasure have taken my wife and me to Nassau in September and November 2003. Each time we stayed in this resort for a few days. The room was excellent with great views over the harbour and the sunsets and twinkling lights at night across the water. The staff could not have been more helpful and everything was spotlessly clean. Reading negative reviews on this hotel make me wonder if we did not stay at the same hotel as those reviewers. Yes the beach is man-made, small and not where I would choose to swim, but the pool is a large interesting shape and clean. The staff and others try hard but the "entertainment" is nothing special and mainly takes the form of live background music. The variety of food available is such that we could always find something we liked. We really had no complaints and thoroughly enjoyed staying in this resort. We are looking forward to a few more days there in December.

The Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort is located in an excellent location. It is a few blocks from the beach on one side and a few blocks from the Atlantis Casino on the other. The hotel is a self contained vacation in and of itself. You can find just about anything you want there; food, drink, pool, spa, gym, etc. The staff was courteous, full of laughs and just plain good people. I would recommend the Holiday Inn to anyone who wants to vacation in the Bahamas.

Myself and 3 other friends stayed at this hotel last year for spring break and had a great time on the island and at the hotel. We bought the all inclusive package which was well worth it, if not for the drinks alone. The food was great- i miss that pasta bar they had during lunch, and the higher quality restaurant inside the hotel (must book in advance) had wonderful food, as did the outdoor restaurant. Beautiful pool, beach was a little tiny, but within a 5 minute walk of a HUGE beach so that wasn't even a big deal. All the bartenders and hotel personnell were wonderful, extremely friendly and helpful with regard to all aspects of our trip. We will definitely be going back.

A friend and I wanted an inexpensive fun in the sun trip in August.

Being from Miami, we thought it would be great to go to the Bahamas as it is just a hop away. I will just say this, you get what you pay for!

We went realizing that we were paying a low price and so of course, we didn't expect 4-stars or Sandals-quality. So if you go with an open mind like we did, you'll have a good time. The food is just OK. There are a lot of kids at the pool. Go to Cabbage Beach which is a 10-minute walk away. But I seriously recommend the snorkeling tour. It is awesome. For $35, we took a boat out to 3 reefs... including one with sharks! The fish are gorgeous and plentiful. And the snorkeling with the sharks was just plain cool. That said, if you want an inexpensive place to sleep after a day around the Bahamas, you'll get one. If you want service and to be treated like royalty, go elsewhere.

I had a blast staying here. It felt like we got the VIP treatment from all of the staff. I'll definitly makes plans to stay here again in the future

I am familiar with this hotel because I first stayed there on my first trip to the Bahamas. My girlfriend and I booked it and after one night there, we moved to another hotel on the beach side of Paradise Island.

People who are unfamiliar with Paradise Island do not realize that this hotel is on the harbor side and has no decent beach to offer. It's location makes it the least desirable hotel location on Paradise Island. Furthermore, it was in a terrible condition years ago. A year after this trip, following 4 more trips there, I moved to Nassau and lived there for 3 more years. I am not at all surprised that despite their claim of renovations a few years ago, it remains in terrible condition. It is a terrible shame that tourists are still being fooled by misleading brochures and travel agents. If there is mold on the ceilings and walls, it is no wonder that guests are experiencing coughs - mold like that is highly dangerous. Unfortunately, the government of the Bahamas is not very efficient when it comes to health standards and other functions. For example, their ambulance service is terribly inefficient and dangerously slow in response. Accident victims often die needlessly after waits of over an hour for the ambulance to arrive.

Tow trucks will arrive on the scene in 5 minutes. Even native Bahamians, if they can afford it, travel to the U.S. or Cuba for surgery. This being said, Paradise Island and Nassau can be a fun time, but you have to pay for what you get. Another alternative for budget hunters is to book a cheap flight to Paradise Island and then take a taxi across the bridge to Nassau and stay in an inexpensive motel on the harbor near the bridge for less than $100 per night. Paradise Island is close enough to walk or take a taxi. You will still save money, plus you can experience places on Nassau Island, like the Poop Deck restaurant overlooking the harbor and other places downtown that the locals frequent, the boating crowd, etc. and get to know a bit of the local culture, the food, meet people who live there, etc. Confine your explorations to the perimeter of the island, West Bay and Bay street, the areas that border the water. It is much more fun than just playing tourist on the beach and in the casinos. Of course, this advice is for adults, couples or singles, not people with kids in tow. People who actually live there rarely go to Paradise Island for an evening out. The population is racially mixed, although the 8% white population live and play along West Bay, the perimeter. If you drive across the bridge from Paradise Island to Nassau and go to the left and drive up West Bay you will see lovely mansions and restaurants.