(All photos taken by David Loftus for The Potlatch Club)
Eleuthera is known for its wild and pristine beauty, not to mention its more than 100 dreamy empty beaches. But a secluded hideaway, known as The Potlatch Club, might just be the island’s real scene stealer.
With 11 rooms, the tropical hideaway was once a private home, popular with New York socialites and celebrities such as Paul McCartney, who honeymooned there with his first wife, Linda, and wrote the Beatles song “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window” on hotel stationery.
After falling into disrepair during the 1980s, new owners and high school friends Bruce Loshusan and Hans Febles stumbled across the dilapidated property in 2016.
Fast forward seven years and a tip-to-toe renovation, and the island’s mid-century icon has reopened its doors as the chicest boutique hotel in the Bahamas.
Once a private home, the Potlatch Club is now a posh 11-room hotel
Location
Eleuthera is the longest island in the Bahamas, stretching 177 kilometres (110 miles) long and 3.2 kilometres (2 miles) wide, with 337 kilometres (210 miles) of gorgeous coastline. The island is divided into North Eleuthera and South Eleuthera and was founded in 1648 as the birthplace of the Bahamas.
The name Eleuthera is derived from the Greek word for “freedom”. There are no major resorts, high-end shopping, or even a single traffic light,w which lends the Bahamian beauty its quiet luxury feel.
With clear water and stunning beaches, the Bahamas are a snorkeler’s dream
About the Hotel
Fronting a seven-mile deserted stretch of pink-sand beach, and surrounded by 12 acres of lush landscaped gardens, the Potlatch Club is a small oceanfront resort where breezy coastal elegance meets timeless Caribbean architecture and friendly service.
The property’s original clubhouse retains its historic details, such as checkered floors, crafted in Nassau in 1919, and classic whitewashed arches hark to its storied past.
New villas and amenities such as a central beach pavilion, spa, and gym were introduced, and striped awnings and pops of pastel add whimsical seaside flare.
Guests will also find pink coral stone floors, coral stone finished bathrooms, designer furniture and original art to complete the beach-glam look.
Villa interiors are upscale, retro and beachy
Accommodations
A mix of historic and newly built whitewashed suites (3), garden cottages (3), ocean-facing cottages (3) a 1-bedroom villa, and the Pineapple House, a 4-bedroom , 4500-square feet, ocean-facing retreat that includes personlised butler service.
Some feature rooms have private verandas and terraces, and others have shoreline pavilions or gardens scented with jasmine and frangipani.
All feature coral stone floors, white-washed walls, hand-picked designer furnishings and original artwork.
Dining
The Fig Tree restaurant, which overlooks the pool and has a constantly changing menu, serves sumptuous breakfasts with local fruit and fresh ingredients, as well as seasonal farm-and-sea-to-table organic catch of the day, fresh veggies, and other carefully prepared meals.
Guests can also opt for lunch at the beach and Pavilion Bar, a laidback gathering spot.
Dine all day at the Fig Tree restaurant or by the beach
Spa
The tiny but effective two-room Acqua Spa offers massages in guest rooms or even on the beach. A day pass is available for non-guests to enjoy the spa with access to the swimming pool, lounge beds, umbrellas and watersports.
Excursions
Once checked in, The Potlatch Club offers three unique itineraries for guests:
On the Water: guests are whisked to remote islands and pristine sandbars via a private boat charter, with activities including swimming with turtles, snorkeling trips to glimpse colorful reefs, waterside picnics and fishing.
The Beaches of Eleuthera : an immersion into the island’s 100+ beaches and its long, scalloped coastline, complete with a picnic lunch or visit to a local restaurant.
A Visit to Harbour Island: the A-list resort just off the northeast coast of Eleuthera has charming local shops as well as buzzy bars and restaurants. Accessible only by ferry or boat from mainland Eleuthera, the island’s colourful colonial architecture has earned it the nickname, the ‘Nantucket of the Caribbean.
The clubhouse’s original checkered floors date to 1919
Getting there
The hotel is just a 20-minute drive from Governor’s Harbour Airport, an hour from the North Eleuthera Airport, or 50 minutes from Rock Sound International Airport.
American Airlines and Silver Airways offer daily flights from Fort Lauderdale, Miami & Nassau to North Eleuthera (ELH) and there are direct American flights to Governor’s Harbour Airport (GHB) from Miami.
From the UK, there are also regular connections via Nassau (NAS) to Governor’s Harbour and Eleuthera’s other airports with Southern Air Charter, Pineapple Air and Bahamas Air. The Potlatch Club has curated three special itineraries for guests.
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