Bimini Big Game Club Resort & Marina

The Bimini Big Game Club Resort & Marina is a resort built around the harbour rather than a formal beach-hotel routine. You stay among the marina, the pool and the island's easy-going outdoor life, with a restaurant, bar areas and plenty of places to sit outside when the day's plans are done.

English is spoken by the hotel team, which keeps the practical side of the stay straightforward. The resort dates back to 1947 and combines accommodation with marina life, fishing, boat excursions and access to Bimini's diving scene nearby.

Choose it if you like your hotel to have some movement around it: boats coming and going, meals overlooking the water and enough on-site distractions for a non-diving afternoon. It is less about polished silence and more about being part of the island's working waterfront.

You are in North Bimini, at Kings Highway in Alice Town, Bahamas. The resort is around 2.5 miles from the town centre, so the immediate setting is marina-side rather than central-town living.

Radio Beach is within walking distance, giving you a straightforward option for sand and sea without arranging transport. The waterfront deck at the Bimini Seafood Company & Conch Bar looks over the marina and bonefish flats, so the view is part of the location rather than something you have to go searching for.

The setting also works well for exploring beyond the resort. Excursions can be arranged for Atlantis Road, the Shark Lab and the Bimini Nature Trail, while bicycles, fishing and boat trips give you other ways to see the island.

The choice is broad, from standard rooms for a simple base to suites, studios, cottages and bungalows for travellers who want a little more space or a more self-contained feel. Double rooms cover both a double bed and twin-bed arrangements, while larger room and cottage categories accommodate groups of four or six.

Views are one of the useful dividing lines. You can choose between garden, pool, harbour, sea or general water views, and some rooms have a balcony. For a couple, a double room with a harbour or sea view puts the marina atmosphere directly into the stay; for a group, a cottage or larger room gives you more room to spread out after a day of diving rather than treating every bag as a piece of furniture.

Room facilities vary by category, so check the individual room card carefully. Air conditioning appears in selected doubles, suites and cottages, while selected rooms also include blackout blinds, a safe, television, hairdryer, iron and tea or coffee-making facilities. Cottages and some suites add a microwave. Private bathrooms, towels, toiletries and showers are available across the listed room types, and room service is available when you would rather keep the evening simple.

Three named food venues keep meals close at hand. Bimini Seafood Company & Conch Bar serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with local cooking on its menu and a choice between an air-conditioned interior and a waterfront deck shaded by umbrellas. The deck looks across the marina and bonefish flats, which is a useful upgrade from staring at the same four dining-room walls every evening.

Hemingway's Poolside Rum Club also serves breakfast, lunch and dinner outdoors, placing food and drinks beside the pool. Bimini Pizza is the quick, uncomplicated option when a pizza is more appealing than a formal meal. There is also a hotel bar and breakfast is available, while the resort's dining information includes vegan options.

The resort makes a bold claim for its bacon cheeseburger, calling it the best on the planet. That is a matter for your own post-dive verdict, but it at least gives the menu a talking point. The meal plan is not presented as a single all-inclusive formula, so check what is included with the room arrangement you choose.

The pool and outdoor pool facilities give you an easy place to cool down without leaving the resort, with pool and beach towels available. There is also a sun terrace, garden, outdoor furniture and a barbecue area, so the practical choice after a long day is clear: swim, sit down, and let the island do the entertaining for a while.

If sitting still lasts only ten minutes, the resort has billiards, table tennis, darts, a library and a picnic area. Cycling, hiking, fishing, snorkelling and water-sports facilities add more active options, while boat excursions and cultural outings take you beyond the property. The massage service is there for the shoulders that have been carrying dive gear all week; it is a service to arrange rather than an on-the-spot decision.

Families have a games room and babysitting, while the resort also offers a children's play area. For a couple, the more appealing combination may be simpler: a walk to Radio Beach, a swim, then a meal outside with the marina in view.

Wi-Fi is free throughout the resort, and the property has air conditioning, a reception desk and a safe. The front desk is open from 07:00 to 21:00; check-in runs from 15:00 to midnight and check-out is by 11:00. If you arrive after the reception desk has closed, this is worth settling with the resort before travelling rather than discovering it at the end of a journey.

An airport shuttle is available and can be arranged with the resort. Vehicle hire is also available, while parking requires an off-site reservation. Laundry, ironing, luggage storage, concierge assistance, excursion help and a wake-up service cover the small practical jobs that otherwise have a habit of eating into a holiday.

The resort accepts cash, Visa, Mastercard and American Express. The accommodation is non-smoking, and only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms. Connecting or adjoining rooms can be requested where available, which may help when booking for a group.