It took me a while to come to the “How do I write this?” The waters are an astounding jewel-like emerald color, that blends to a deep blue on the horizon. The hotel is amazingly beautiful with ultra-modern european fixtures, blending with an appropriate island theme. You also wind up in a position of “where do I begin?”
Then, while lying next to the infinity pool that blends seamlessly into the emerald water of the Bahamian shores, it got to me….Relaxation
That’s what Resorts World Bimini, on the most western edge of the Bahamian island chain, is all about.
If you’re looking for Las Vegas excitement, this isn't the place. If you’re looking for the 24 hour day non-stop hustle of New York City, this isn't the place. If you’re looking for the mountain peaks of Lake Tahoe, this isn't the place.
Resorts World Bimini is kind of akin to the great Timothy Leary quote, "Turn on, tune in, drop out”
Because in Bimini, there’s nothing but relaxing to do. No Cirque du Soleil, no constant bombardment of shows to see, no comedy or magic shows from has-been’s, no tigers, nothing. What’s there to do? Not a damn thing, and I like it, and so will you.
"DKim, So what do I do there? What do I do all day?”
Glad you asked. After you get up from a good night’s rest on the super nice mattresses at the Resorts World Bimini Hilton Hotel, you go down to the coffee bar in the main lobby or in the main restaurant, The Tides, or the smaller, more simple, Hemingway’s. After that, head to the roof top pool, the all new spa, or the pool that runs along the length of the hotel with a swim up bar. But if you find yourself in any of those instances, you’re going to grab yourself a Bahama Mama, Pina Colada, or a simple Cuba Libre. You’ll be doing that quite often, and the bartenders are quite generous….nudge-nudge, wink-wink.
After a few beverages, and some relaxation, you can cross the street to the infinity pool overlooking the emerald Bahamian water, where you can’t tell where the pool ends and the ocean begins. You’ll relax some more, but you will also grab another beverage and have a lunch that consists of a tasty burger and fries, or be smart and get an order of fresh locally made conch (pronounced “konk”) fritters and some fries or onion rings, and then, you guessed it, relax some more.
Come dinner or evening time, you can have a gourmet meal at The Tides or a wonderful sushi meal at The Sushi Bar, which has the distinct honor of having chef Hung Huynh, the winner of Top Chef III who while on the show may seemed not so nice, but actually is quite personable and I even observed him personally serving some Pho to a couple at their table near me. Chef Hung, if you are a fan of Top Chef, as I am, has the most incredible palate, creativity and amazing knife skills. I had some yellowtail sushi, but it was the pad thai that blew me away. Pad thai is a dish that can be good or bad, typically is monotone in flavor. However, every bite of this pad thai had a slightly different flavor profile, a little heat in one bite, a little tart or sweet in the next that can only be accomplished by attention to detail in preparation by the chef or sous who is taking care to layer the flavors, and not just simply tossing it all in together.
After dinner, you can then go to the casino (which is open during the day and not so busy) where there are multiple TV’s, from small to monstrous, showing all the sports networks to go along with their sports book (yes, they have sports betting), as well as all the usual table games with 3:2 Blackjack, $10 craps with 3x4x5x odds and many of the other usual banked card games. All the slots are new and range from .01 to $100. The high limit room is about 1/4 to 1/3 of the total slot count, which is 160 total machines, and there is a HL card room for the big BJ and Bac players. Everything is in US Dollar.
If you want to venture out, forget your car. You’re going to get a golf cart and you can drive it all over the seven miles of the island. Yup, seven whole miles. While driving around, you’ll find a few beaches, local groceries which are very small, as well as the local liquor stores. You’ll also find local restaurants and bars/clubs, which are quite welcoming to non-natives, just mind your manners, of course. It’s a beautiful little island, it’s very quiet and I never felt unsafe. With a total population of about 2,000 people, everyone knows everyone or are related, so that’ll keep crime down for sure.
The bottom line is this, I am VERY BAD at relaxing. I own my own business, I am always on the go, on my phone, on the internet or doing something, doing nothing is something I don’t do well, but at Resorts World Bimini, doing nothing is very easy to do. You truly are on, as they say, “Island Time.” You’re going to go there and just chill. You spend your day, living like a king, relaxing in the sun, looking at the pool or sea, with a cold beverage in your hand and spending your night with an excellent meal and playing in the casino like a rockstar.
Would I go back? You bet, every chance I get.
You should too.