The Cove Eleuthera

Summary: Just go. It's so peaceful and beautiful. Book the excursions. Order Chef Cora's torched lobster roll. Go to happy hour. Everyone is so incredibly nice. More info: We arrived at N Eleuthera airport, walked 20 steps, and our driver was right there ready for us. 30 minutes later I was eating a fried fish sandwich on brioche under an umbrella, and falling asleep on a chaise for the most peaceful nap listening to the calm waves lap onto the shore. Food: The seafood and sushi are so fresh. I can't speak for much else because I ate that the whole time. Pina coladas with shaved coconut and rum floater on top! I didn't even know I liked pina coladas. We ate Chef Cora's signature torched lobster rolls every day. The best rolls we've ever had! Take her sushi class! Excursion: We explored the island with MJ, who clearly has such a love for the land, the animals, and the environment. It was the most special day! Rooms: Beautiful. Clean. Luxurious. Better than any Four Seasons I've ever seen. The People: The staff at the Cove were friendly and helpful from start to finish. The management, the beach staff, servers, bartenders, boutique saleswoman, housekeeping... if you need it they will help make it happen!

My husband and I just returned from our stay at The Cove. Relaxing would be an understatement. This location and facility is just wonderful. Two private beaches with crystal clear water, an infinity edge saltwater pool, very friendly staff -- all highlights of our trip. The island itself is very underdeveloped for the most part. The Cove is an oasis like no other. We were told it was 70% occupied, but we felt like we were one of the only people there. I would give it 5 stars, but there were a few things that I felt like could be improved upon: -No mini fridge in the room--could have really used this. -They asked us twice if we were celebrating anything, so we mentioned our anniversary. But there was zero acknowledgement of that. I would have appreciated a complimentary glass of champagne or dessert. Why ask if you won't do anything? -They need better service at the beach. Three men sat in the activities hut all day long. Asked me if I needed water once that morning, then never checked on me again. I literally saw them sitting on their phones and chatting all day while I had to get up and ask each time I needed something. -The food was good, but not great. Outrageously expensive drinks. (My husband mentioned to a local resident that we were staying at The Cove and he replied "Oh, the really expensive place with the mediocre food and expensive drinks?" kinda...) Be aware there is major construction happening on the bluff adjacent to the property. It was loud. I know they cannot help that, but it appeared to be in the very first stages, so it may be going on for quite awhile. Just disturbed the quiet is all.

We just got back from 12 idyllic days at The Cove in Eleuthera. From the moment we arrived, the beauty of the resort’s grounds were serene and captivating. Lush, tropical landscaping, two private cove beaches, made it feel like we were in a private oasis that was breathtaking and calming, making it the perfect place to unwind. We stayed in one of the ocean front rooms which I highly recommend. Our large, beautifully designed room was spacious and featured a private deck just steps from the beach. Waking up to the beautiful view of the water and being able to walk directly onto the beach with beach chairs and bottled water waiting for us was delightful. The expansive bathroom is well designed and spa-like. The outdoor shower attached to the bathroom was an added treat. We loved the outdoor amenities offered by the Cove. We paddle boarded daily in the crystal clear turquoise blue water exploring the beautiful coves and admiring the soulful sea turtles who live on the tip of the peninsula between the two cove beaches. The clear bottom kayaks offered us a view of the beautiful sea life all around. The resort provided daily guided snorkels, so we could see the beautiful sea turtles and underwater creatures up close. We walked the resort's beautiful and well designed nature trail and learned about the plants of the island. A conch salad demonstration was offered during our stay where we learned and sampled the Bahamian cuisine. It was fantastic! The Cove offers daily restorative yoga classes, which was a wonderful way to start the day. Daily happy hour is not to be missed, held at the outdoor bar with live music and the sunsetting behind you, providing the perfect atmosphere to relax and unwind. We also enjoyed our cocktails and watching the sunset from the spectacular lookout at the tip of the property between the two coves. A bench sits at the tip of the lookout providing us with a private front row seat to the setting sun, magical. We ate on property almost every day. The food was delicious and creative, including fresh sushi that is both beautiful and flavorful. For us what really set The Cove apart is their staff. Every member of the team went above and beyond to ensure we had a truly memorable stay. The staff are incredibly warm, welcoming, and genuinely care about making our experience perfect. Their attention to detail and personal touch made the Cove an unforgettable destination which we plan to return to again.

We got back 2 days ago. Spent 8 nights. The location: -30 min south of ELH; -good for accessing Harbor Island, Spanish Wells. -Southern tip of island is about 2.5 hours. -On the west side of the island and behind some low hills- so wind at the Cove will be calmer for any wind out of the NE to SE. The Beach: -Two coves (North and South) split by a peninsula (which contains the main pool), -Rough sand with chunks of coral at both beach locations --The beach sand is just OK. The sand at the Cove is not even in same ballpark as Pink Sands Beach, French Leave Beach, etc. -A line of moss covered black limestone/coral is just inside the low tide water line that forces you to enter the deeper ocean water at certain locations -Chairs and beach umbrellas are numerous at the North and South coves, they were never more than 1/5 occupied The Pool -Unheated- this should be heated for this level/cost of resort -Saltwater -Chairs and umbrellas are numerous, they were never more than 1/10 occupied The Room -Oceanfront king (#17). Excellent room layout, ceiling fan, and A/C- and loved the front deck for lounging, loved the outdoor shower, the indoor shower was very large with shower heads at opposite ends, two sinks, and a separate deep soaking tub. The bathroom is a 10/10. -Bedding (pillow, duvet, sheet) quality was worse than the Westin Hotel on our trip down. I think the Westin has quality bedding. The Cove wasn't on the Westin's level. -Room water: the tap water is unpalatable (we were never told to NOT drink it out of safety concerns)- it tastes very sulfury. Free of charge glass water bottles are supplied. -In the bar/coffee area, there was a non working ice maker. The Grounds -Very nice quality daytime and nighttime appearance, on par with 5 star hotels in which we've stayed. The Staff -All very outwardly happy and always greeted us with a smile Non Beach/Pool Service -Welcome and Check-in process: Parking for rental car is super close, Shorter check-in than most, very nice staff. Bellman took our bags in a golf cart from our rental car to the room. -Room cleaning and Turn down service: Daily room cleaning was prompt and unobtrusive (we never ran into them). Turn down service was a little early (around 6pm) (I assume they anticipate you're out for the evening). Quality of cleaning was very good, however, replacement of drinking water bottles was not consistent. -Massage: We had excellent quality couple's massages twice (both my wife and I have had massages at multiple world spas, including 4Seasons, etc). There is no spa per se, just a room next to the Hospitality Room (next to the "front desk") in which the spa services are provided. Scheduling for our massages was "next day"- seems they were free with at least 36 hrs notice. Beach Service -Hugely lacking with respect to chair service -We spent at least 14 hours (over 6 separate times) at the beach chairs- we were given drinking water once and never solicited for bar drinks or food orders -Beach chair towel and personal towel are provided on the chair, but no one sets up your chair for your Beach Service: Activity desk (present on the south cove only) -Super easy to check out any water-related item you want [snorkel gear, floaty chairs, SUPs, one or two-person kayaks (the yellow 2-person ones have a clear bottom which I thought would be super cheesy but turned out to be super cool), etc.] -There are some big floating disks with a mesh bottom, anchored to sea floor, that are fun. -Then there's the "personal island"...which has two hammocks and is anchored about 50 yards off the beach-- umm, yeah, no thanks---$150/hour with 2 hour minimum- it's just not that special. -The guys working that desk were super helpful getting you on the water; however these are also the same guys responsible for getting water/etc. to the beach chairs; they were never busy enough with their activity desk to not serve the beach chairs. Pool Service -Very lacking -We spent at least 6 hours (over 4 times) at the pool are we given drinking water twice and twice solicited for drink or food orders -The other time we spent poolside, we were completely ignored by the staff -Beach chair towel and personal towel are provided on the chair, but no one sets up your chair for your Food -Overall: expensive, but you can expect this on Eleuthera, in general, and certainly at a place like the Cove -Remember 18% gratuity is included on every meal (and is added for the below estimates) -Expect to pay, for one person, for one plate, without alcoholic drinks: --Breakfast: $25-30 --Lunch: $30-40 --Dinner: $40-70 -Food quality: Mediocre. Again, both my wife and I consider ourselves reasonable, not overly critical, food evaluators. The sushi was not great both in imagination, fish quality and roll quality, I had a tuna poke bowl with fish that was not fresh (overly fishy, couldn't finish the bowl). The dinner entrees, in general, lacked spice and seasoning- the curried snapper was sadly bland...things along that general theme applied to the other entrees-- just disappointing overall. I would say we ate dinner there more than we wanted to, simply because there aren't many regional dinner options despite having a rental car. --A taxi ride to Daddy Joe's (5 min card ride) was $20 each way --Unca Gene's (Gregory Town) was the best dinner we had while on the island.

This is a sophisticated but low-key resort on a remote island. There are two beautiful beaches and the common areas are scrupulously maintained and include a gorgeous infinity pool, a library, a fitness center, and yoga studio. The food was excellent and offers a sushi menu as well as standard fare. The staff is gracious, polite and accommodating. We had an ocean front room with an enormous deck just a few feet from the beach. It was outfitted with a long built-in bench and a dining area. The room was enormous and included three showers- one was even outside. Furnishings were in excellent condition and made for extremely comfortable quarters. The property oversight falls to a delightful couple that keep a close eye on their guests to help ensure everyone has a memorable trip.