When many of us think of the Bahamas, we immediately conjure up images of the pastel-pink towers that rise up over Paradise Island, across the bridge from Nassau. We can’t help it—we’ve seen the commercials for Atlantis; we’ve been to Atlantis and can attest to just how much fun it really is. It’ll always be a bucket-list destination for families.

But if you’ve been there, done that—or are just looking for a more unique experience in the Bahamas—we know just the place.

Welcome to Grand Isle Resort & Spa.

Located on Great Exuma, Grand Isle Resort & Spa offers exceedingly spacious villas with one, two, three or four bedrooms. All villas offer fully equipped kitchens, washers and dryers, and patios and/or balconies, many with close-up views of the Caribbean Sea. Each villa also has a garage with a complimentary golf cart for guests to use during their stay.

The oceanfront resort shares a beach with the adults-only Sandals Emerald Bay, but has its own corner of space that feels quite sequestered. Families can visit the Hummingbird Hut for complimentary water sports gear, including boogie boards and kayaks. Staff will often organize water sports games, either at the beach or at the pool.

Speaking of pools, there are two (one is designated for adults only and features day beds in the water). There’s also three onsite dining options (plus room service), golf, a spa, and fitness center. And when you’d like to venture out and explore the islands, there are plenty of excursions from which to choose.

Luxurious and expansive, the villas range from one to four bedrooms, with gourmet kitchens and washers and dryers. They also have balconies and/or patios overlooking the resort gardens or the shoreline, which starts out rocky at one end, then segues into a gorgeous one-mile stretch of sand along Emerald Bay.

Most of the units are stocked with games, plus a DVD player and movies. Games and DVDs can also be borrowed from the front desk.

Because each unit is privately owned, decor varies from villa to villa. When booking your villa, you'll be able to choose between a one-, two-, three-, or four-bedroom (penthouse) villa.

Note: Cribs and rollaway beds are not available at this resort.

One-Bedroom Villas
One-bedroom accommodations span 1,250 square feet on one floor. They sleep one to three guests, with a king bed in the bedroom. They have one bathroom.

Two-Bedroom Villas
Two-bedroom villas sleep up to five guests, with one bedroom with a king bed and in the other, a queen bed. They offer 2.5 baths—which means no fighting over the bathroom—and span 2,315 feet over two floors.

Three-Bedroom Villas
Especially ideal for families, the two-floor, three-bedroom, three-bathroom villas sleep up to seven people and are 2,370 square feet in size. Note that three-bedroom villas do not have tubs; the other villa options have both showers and soaking tubs.

Grand Penthouse
The ultimate villa at Grand Isle is the Grand Penthouse, with four bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, and extra perks such as an elevator, movie room, and surround-sound speaker system. Put on some beach tunes and take it all in from your balcony with views of the ocean. This villa spans—get ready for it—5,200 square feet!

Pools
The resort has two pools—one is family-friendly, and the other is for adults only. Complimentary towels are available by the pools.

Water Sports
Guests have complimentary use of kayaks, paddleboards, boogie boards and snorkel equipment. Complimentary life jackets are also available. Hummingbird Hut (next to the main pool) handles the water sports and also organizes family activities at busy times.

Theme Nights
Seasonally, the resort hosts theme nights throughout the week. These include beach bonfires on Thursdays, karaoke at the Palapa Grill on Fridays, and dive-in movies with popcorn on Sundays.

Excursions
The hotel concierge is happy to help guests arrange excursions. Many guests opt to do a half- or full-day boat jaunt to neighboring islands via tour operators such as Triple A Adventures.

Palapa Grill
The Palapa Grill serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Kids' menus with activities and highchairs are available.

Sandy Toes
Hop up to the bar for an island refresher—perhaps a Bahama Mama or Kalik Gold (local beer)—at this lively beach hut, where grilled specialties are also served. You'll find jerk chicken, ribs, fish, corn, coleslaw, salad and most importantly, Bahamian mac and cheese, on the menu. Enjoy your food at the bar, under one of the palapas, or take it to your beach chairs.

23 North
23 North (named for its map coordinates) is the resort's upscale dining option—but that doesn't mean it's too fancy for families. Everyone is welcome to dine at this dinner-only restaurant, where Asian-inspired cuisine is served in a minimalist-style environment. Highchairs and a kids' menu are available upon request.

In-Room Dining
Room service is available via the Palapa Grill, and coincides with the restaurant's hours.

All About the Extras

• Wi-Fi
  Wi-Fi is complimentary throughout the resort, and works best in the main resort areas, near the restaurants, reception and pools. We found in-room Wi-Fi to be spotty depending on our location in the villa.
• Babysitting
  Babysitting is available via a third-party service, recommended by the hotel.
• Fitness Center
  The resort's fitness center offers cardio machines and strength training equipment, with partial views of the ocean from its windows. It's accessible with a key card.

Getting There
The closest airport to Grand Isle Resort & Spa is Exuma International Airport in Georgetown, about 20 minutes away. There aren't many direct flights into Georgetown, which means you'll connect from a larger hub such as Miami International Airport or Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. All U.S. citizens need a passport to visit the Bahamas.

Getting Around
All villas are equipped with a complimentary golf carts, a fun way to get around the resort (though everything is easily walkable).

For Parents

• SeaStar Spa
  What's a beach vacation without a spa treatment? Make a reservation at the SeaStar Spa, where massages, body treatments, facials, and the like are available. Enjoy a treatment by yourself, with your partner or as a family—children's spa services are available. Pro tip: Book a deep-tissue massage; we've been to many resort spas, and the massage at SeaStar is one of the best (if not, the best) we've ever had!
• Dinner on the Beach
  Hire a babysitter and treat yourselves to a quiet dinner on the beach, with the sound of waves crashing (instead of kids whining) as the soundtrack to your meal.