Grand Isle Resort & Residences

We chose Grand Isle Resort for our first trip to Exuma, expecting the convenience of a hotel—onsite dining, a gym, and some flexibility—but it fell short. The villa was spacious, though the promised “ocean view” was just a distant sliver. The gym was small with outdated equipment, but usable. Palapa, the poolside restaurant, offered bland, repetitive menus; conch fritters were doughy, and the Bahamian snapper was mostly bones and oddly deep-fried. The mahi sandwich was the only standout. 23° North was a birthday dinner disappointment. The steak was unevenly cut and inconsistently cooked, the grouper was just okay, and despite noting the occasion, we had to ask for a candle. Service throughout the resort was strong—unfortunately, the food didn’t match. One major letdown was the resort’s rigid 11am checkout. Unlike most hotels, they refused any extension. Worse, “bag storage” meant leaving luggage in plain sight by the front desk—completely unsecured. For a resort, this felt surprisingly unaccommodating. Also worth noting: the atmosphere leaned heavily family-oriented, with kids everywhere—not ideal for couples seeking a quieter stay. Next time, we’ll choose one of the many oceanfront private villa rentals. At least expectations there are clearer—and often better met.

It is an amazing place; people here are incredible. I have been in several islands, and you can feel here very nice, everybody is very kind, polite, educated, it is a great place to come if you like beech holidays.

Very beautiful! The only thing lacking was the service at the Palapa restaurant. It was so slow I thought they may be getting the food off site? Most of the waitresses had no sense of urgency at all. Even with that restaurant being below par, we would still come back and just be prepared with more groceries. It was very relaxing.

Perfect stay! Wonderful staff, amazing food, service was the best

Grand Isle is beautiful! Stunning! The views, the people, the resort! Absolutely amazing!

This resort is beautiful. It has everything you want for a relaxing and luxurious vacation! The restaurants on site are excellent, especially 23. The people that work there are friendly, and the condos are gorgeous. I already want to go back.

We loved everything about the property

Very well appointed large suites with terraces and fully equipped kitchens. Gorgeous mile-long beach with turqoise waters. Friendly staff. Good fitness room 24/7. The Greg Norman golf course which had been advertised was unfortunately closed!!! Will reopen when owners of neighbouring Sandals hotel will have renovated property, a few years down the road? Only weakness is Palapa (main) restaurant, with limited menu and insufficient choices for breakfast, including tiny choice of fruit, yoghurt and cereals and no possibility of ordering eggs separately. 23° restaurant is good and relatively high end but only open for dinner a few days per week. I would advise renting a car to be able to move around large island, drive to town to shop (about 15 kms) and eat out for variety. A day boat trip to the extraordinary beaches of Stocking Island is a must! Overall, a great vacation.

We enjoyed everything this resort had to offer. Absolutely recommend this place for anyone who wantes to relax and have fun during their vacation. We loved the big suite, the good food and drinks at both restaurants, the pool, the gym, the shop and the best part was the amazing private beach. The one thing that could have been better is the price. It is a bit pricey.

The resort is beautiful, but since the Sandals closed the marina is very quiet. Golf course is closed. Nothing is close by to walk to.

Grand Isle is a nice quiet resort. The condos are nice, but definitely need some repair and upgrades in certain areas. The staff was friendly, good housekeeping. Restaurant service was quite slow. We were disappointed as the golf course right beside was closed during our stay, and that was one of the main reasons we booked this place. All in all, we would visit again, as long as the golf course is open.

It was an amazing stay! The staff all around was great! Ceyon was hands down the best staff I have ever had at a hotel. Hotel was amazing. Only thing and that goes for the island is food could be a lot better.

The restaurant for Christmas Eve, Grill On 23, had terrible service. One server was rude and intentionally refused to take our order. After waiting for 30 minutes, despite the restaurant being half empty, she finally started taking our order but deliberately skipped one of us, even if he ordered, leaving them without dinner.

We stayed in a 2 bedroom unit and it was pleasant. We never figured out how to use the vent on the stove and the shower in the master bathroom broke and wouldn’t go off on the second to last day. We reported this to maintenance but they were unable to fix it. So; cold showers for us! There did not seem to be a whole lot to do or see at the property and we were not counseled on activities or excursions. We spoke to Freeman (the fitness instructor) who told us about a tour company and we booked a tour the second to last day (it was very windy and rainy so this was the first opportunity we had to do something like this). We enjoyed the tour very much. We found the staff at the resort pleasant but not over friendly. The beach in front of the resort was not cleaned up (debris) until someone in our party complained. I would not return.

What a beautiful and very very clean resort!!!

Beautiful island, the staff was quite friendly.

Beautiful beach!

The house is beautiful, with a large living area and a nice view. The kitchen has everything you need for cooking, modern appliances, water fountain…etc. We enjoyed canoeing around (there are 12 canoes accessible right down the house), nice swimming pool and well designed external showers. The bedrooms are confortable. There’s enough space to park several cars in front of the house. Adding to the perfectly designed house, John is a very nice host, very responsive to our needs and sharing useful tips. It’s a 5 stars rental !

My wife and I vacationed at Grand Isle Resort and Residences in August of 2024. The one-bedroom villa was nicely appointed and was roomy. The full kitchen included all the the utensils and tools needed to cook meals. There were large windows in the living room and bedrooms that allowed plentiful natural light. The bedroom was large and the bed was really comfortable. The bathroom was large as well with a large jetted tub, double vanity and a tile and glass shower. There was ample closet space and a washer and dryer. The on-site restaurant (Palapa) had good food and the service was good as wel. The beach was really nice with white sand and turquoise/blue water. We enjoyed our 5 night stay and would return if we were to visit Exuma again.

Truly blown away by how fantastic this place is for couples and families. All villas, not hotel. Excellent finishes on the villas: marble, wood, high end all the way. The two pools are both great, either for families or singles. The beach is white sand and the water turquoise. We ate at 23 North and Palapa. Great service, well done and ample food. This really is five star and I am a tough grader.