The Island House

Bahamas

Rooms

Floors

Pools

Restaurants

Location

seaside

key features

Kid-Friendly Grounds

Luxury Choice

Great Pool

Delicious Food

A serene boutique hotel in a lush garden setting away from Nassau’s crowds, with an artsy movie theater, an all-day pizza window, and a centerpiece pool you’ll never want to leave.

Junior suites start around $1035

Why we like it for families

Family-Friendly Luxury. When you look at photos of The Island House, you wonder whether you can really get away with bringing your kids. It has serene and sophisticated look about it in the photos. But The Island House is welcoming – not stuffy! It is a self-described “boutique hotel and gathering space” in Nassau. The hotel was designed with the local community and visitors in mind and makes clear everyone is welcome – kids included. It’s rare to find a space that can calm the nerves and also make clear that kids of all ages are welcome.
The Pool. This pool is calling your name. It may not have waterslides, or epic platforms, but it’s big and inviting – and often filled with happy pool floats. A great place to get away from it all.
The Food. A pet peeve of ours on vacation with kids is having to wait for hotel restaurants to open. One thing we love about The Island House is that food is always available. The cozy coffeeshop, Yellowbell, opens at 7pm. The on-site pizza window near the Italian restaurant serves pies from 12pm – 10pm, so whatever time your kids get hungry in the afternoon, a pizza is always only minutes away. There restaurant choices make it such that you can simply relax without having to leave the beautiful property.
The Community Connection. We love when travel brings us closer to a community, and The Island House sets out to do that. The cinema has a rotation of artsy films, blockbuster hits, and speaking and other community events. It’s a chance to show your kids that there’s more to the Bahamas than waterparks and megaresorts – you can also have a touch of sophistication and culture.

Location and Activities

The Island House is less than 10 minutes away from the Lynden Pindling International Airport. You can easily stop at one of Nassau’s grocery stores on the way from the airport for snacks, milk, and more. While it’s not beachfront, The Island House has access privileges at a local, private beach that’s just 5 minutes away. They will shuttle you over in a restored classic car that sits out front.

If you want a longer beachfront stay, The Island House partners with Highborne Cay in the Exumas and can arrange for you to spend a few nights closer to the water.

Tour of Amenities

Dining

Rooms

For Kids

Activities

When you arrive at The Island House, the first thing you will notice is the lush tree-lined property leading you to the main building. Then, the Asian-influenced architecture will draw you in, with peaked roofs and bamboo furnishings.
The focal point of the property is the grand pool right in front of the main building, lined with classic white lounge chairs and swaying trees. In the photos, it looks inviting and serene – which it is. But don’t let the peaceful vibe fool you: For kids, you’ll often find large, yellow duck floats ready and waiting for passengers.
Next to the pool is a large lawn, perfect for tossing a football or just for running around.
The Island House features a spa, a fitness and yoga studio, and an arthouse cinema with bean bags and recliner seats. The cinema has a showing every night, and members of the community often come for viewings. Sometimes, a children’s movie might be played in the afternoon as a bonus.
The Island House has 30 rooms and cottages, with posh interiors and very comfortable beds. The main building has mostly standard size rooms, but with an extra-large bathroom and stand-alone tubs that make the rooms feel spacious. We recommend these rooms when traveling with just one child. For larger families, our favorite rooms are the suites which sit in low-rise buildings lining the pool.
For a small hotel, the food options are plentiful. First, you’ll notice the coffee shop, Yellowbell, off the lobby, which serves pastries and light fare. The main restaurant, Shima, serves Southeast Asian cuisine. Just down the hill from the main hotel building, you’ll find a few excellent kid-friendly options that really sealed the deal for us in assessing whether this hotel is family-friendly. There’s a gourmet marketing with quick grab-and-go sandwiches and prepared foods; an Italian restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating; and a pizza window that’s open every day from 12pm-10pm! You won’t have to wait for any resort restaurants to open in time to feed your hungry kids
Room service is also available if you’re hoping to have a quiet breakfast in bed.

Best Rooms for Families

The hotel has 4 categories of rooms, ranging from Queen Rooms to 3-bedroom Apartments, but these ones have the best room configurations for families.

Queen Room

Best for families of 3-4
2 Queen Beds (no separate sleeping space for kids)
Large bathroom with bathtub
Expansive terrace with garden view + daybed

View on Hotel Website

King Room

Best for families of 3 (baby in crib)
One King Bed (no separate sleeping space for kids)
Extra Large bathroom with bathtub (room for crib)
Expansive terrace with garden view + daybed

View on Hotel Website

Junior Suite

Best for families of 3 (baby in crib)
One King Bed (no separate sleeping space for kids)
Extra Large bathroom with bathtub (room for crib)
Private ground-floor terrace with chair swing and direct pool access

View on Hotel Website

Suite

Best for families of 3-4
One king bed with sofabed
Spacious living room
Large bathroom with bathtub (space for crib) +Extra half bathroom
Private balcony with direct pool access

View on Hotel Website

Large room for families at The Island House Bahamas

Cottage

Best for families of 4+
Two full bedrooms (king, king) + pullout couch
Spacious living room
2 Large bathrooms with bathtub (space for crib)
Extra-large balcony with swinging furniture and pool view
*Note that since COVID the cottages have largely been booked by longer term guests and may not be available

View on Hotel Website

Two Bedroom Apartment

Best for families of 4+
Two full bedrooms (king, king or king, two towns)
Spacious living room + pullout couch
Full Kitchen and dining area
Large bathrooms with bathtubs
Extra large balcony with garden view
Note that since COVID the apartments have largely been booked by longer term guests and may not be available.

View on Hotel Website

Three Bedroom Apartment

Best for families of 5+
Three full bedrooms (3 kings, or 2 kings/2 twins)
Spacious living room + pullout couch
Full Kitchen and dining area
3 Large bathrooms with bathtubs (space for crib)
Extra large balcony with garden view
Note that since COVID the apartments have largely been booked by longer term guests and may not be available.

View on Hotel Website

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Traveler Reviews

Such a treat to find this hotel. Quiet, elegant with a fab cinema, gym, yoga studio and pool. Rooms are spacious and quiet, bathrooms are enormous and superbly appointed. Staff laid back and friendly. Food at Shima is fabulous. Location is excellent if you prefer a more sophisticated scene and don’t want to be in the centre of Nassau.

★★★★★ 5/5

Reviewed by Rachel E., August 2018 via TripAdvisor

Wow! This hotel was a fantastic stay. We ended up here for one night as our flight got cancelled and I am so happy we did. We had stayed previously at Baha Mar and it really turned us off from Bahamas. Price gauging at every turn, line ups everywhere and just really not our vibe.The Island House knows how to do it right. Beautiful grounds, great customer service from The moment you arrive, comfortable and beautiful rooms, GREAT food (best food we had for the whole week in Bahamas was at the Thai restaurant here), beautiful pool area and the private beach shuttle is a must. As frustrating as the cancelled flight was, I am happy it happened so we got to stay here as this really changed our perspective on our stay in Bahamas. We will only stay at the Island House when we come back. Thank you for a memorable visit!

★★★★★ 5/5

Reviewed by Cara H., July 2022 via TripAdvisor

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Other Hotels and Resources

Want to see more of what the Bahamas has to offer? Dive into our complete The Bahamas Collection for more family-friendly hotels in the Bahamas and must-do activities.

If you’re still in the ‘Hmm, which island?’ phase, our ‘Find Your Caribbean Island‘ page is designed to help busy parents like you sift through the noise and pick the perfect family getaway.

The Island House

Rooms

Floors

Pools

Restaurants

Location

key features

Kid-Friendly Grounds

Luxury Choice

Great Pool

Delicious Food

Why we like it for families

Location and Activities

Tour of Amenities

Dining

Rooms

For Kids

Activities

Best Rooms for Families

Is this the one for you?

Let’s get you there.

Traveler Reviews

Other Hotels and Resources

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