Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Discontinued Programs/Partners > Starwood | Starwood Preferred Guest
Reload this Page >

GONE : Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort (left Starwood Dec 1, 2013) [Master Thread]

GONE : Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort (left Starwood Dec 1, 2013) [Master Thread]

 
Old May 20, 2007, 5:54 am
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Lafayette, CO, USA
Programs: SPG Lifetime Plat, AA Gold, UA Gold, DL Silver, HH Gold, Vail Epic
Posts: 9,096
Arrow GONE : Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort (left Starwood Dec 1, 2013) [Master Thread]

The opening date of the Sheraton Cable Beach Resort has finally been announced as June 12, 2007.

I figure that there will be a lot of discussion about this property, so I've started this as a master thread. There are some existing threads about the Baha Mar project that should bring a St Regis, W, and Westin to the area by 2011.

The Sheraton has been assigned a Category 4 status. There is a resort fee of $15 per person per night. Taxes total 12%.

The hotel has 694 rooms and suites split evenly among two wings. The first wing has been renovated, and their completion will mark the conversion from the Radisson Cable Beach to the Sheraton brand. The second wing is closing for renovations that are expected to last for the rest of 2007.

Downtown Nassau is about 4 miles away. Atlantis / Paradise Island is about 6 miles away. And the NAS airport is about 6 miles away. There is some great scuba diving around this island.

The hotel has a kids club, but it is not clear whether there is an additional charge. (It was free for Radisson guests.) Babysitting services are also available.

There is some conflicting information on the hotel's website about the charges for internet access. It sounds like it might be free somewhere in the hotel.

There are a couple neighboring resorts (Wyndham Nassau Resort and Nassau Beach Hotel) that are still related to this one, and I think that they probably allow dining at all of the resorts' restaurants to be charged back to the room.

The Wyndham contains the Crystal Palace Casino. Entertainers (such as Howie Mandel on June 23-24) come to the resort, and package rates may be available for such events.

There are some nice promo rates advertised on the hotel website's Hotel Offers page. $159 through July 7, for example. AAA rates also look good.

US residents must have a passport to visit the Bahamas. The Bahamian dollar is tied to the US dollar with a 1:1 exchange rate. US dollars are accepted. British driving rules apply, so drive on the left and look right when crossing a street.

Related websites:
http://www.cablebeachresorts.com/
sc flier is offline  
Old Nov 14, 2007, 5:17 pm
  #2  
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Nashville
Programs: DL DM 3 MM AA PLAT HH Lifetime Diamond Marriott Plat AMB lifetime titanium Hertz PC
Posts: 6,187
Arrow Sheraton Cable Beach Resort [Master Thread]

I was their about 2 months ago. They charged me a 35 resort fee, when we booked on points. We checked in early 10 am and left the same night about 8 pm. I was on a cruise, with a long excursion and thought this would be better and cheaper. It worked out well, hotel has a lot of construction, but it did not bother us.
troyintn is offline  
Old Nov 14, 2007, 6:04 pm
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: YKZ
Programs: AC MM SE, Marriott Titanium - Lifetime Plat 2nd Class, National Executive, Avis PP
Posts: 679
Mrs CC and I stayed here a few weeks ago on points. As a Plat, they upgraded us to a "Jr Suite" - a slightly larger room, right on the Ocean (it was smoking, but so new that you could not tell).

The $15 fee/pp per day resort fee we did get hit with - common on the island. That said, there was no bellman fee on my bill, so I am glad I still tipped them.

The construction could not be heard from our room, but we did notice it in the Lobby and the beach. Should be done in 2-3 more months.

Staff were good (despite many reviews I have read), but prices in Hotel were a little over the top, so we did not eat there. We did eat next door (where the casino is) and it was reasonable (for the island).
Captain Canuck is offline  
Old Nov 26, 2007, 11:17 pm
  #4  
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Austin, TX -- AA Life Platinum; QF Life Silver; UA Silver
Posts: 5,462
Stayed here last night on points+$ rate; I should have looked at the bill closer; got hit for $30 in resort fees but was there by myself.
hauteboy is offline  
Old Dec 3, 2007, 7:34 pm
  #5  
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: AA Lifetime PLT , BA Silver , BD RIP , HH Gold, SPG / Marriott PLT , EF Subscriber
Posts: 6,698
Sheraton Cable Beach Nassau Rip-Off

As this was close to the Airport decided to try this new property on Friday as I was in Transit to another Island

Arrived 8pm...

Departed 9am next morning

Charged $30 Resort Fee for use of Beach and Pool Facilities and Tips.

$4.75 Mandatory Bell Hop Charge, although I carried my own small bag.

I thought the Pirates had left New Providence Island

PS nice new Renovation though. Back to Hilton British Colonial and it nice lounge facilities next time.
UncleDude is offline  
Old Dec 15, 2007, 1:03 pm
  #6  
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,990
We're at Sheraton Cable Beach Resort Christmas through New Years.

Does anybody know:

Is this fee applicable to points stays? Is is $30 a DAY? ie: Am I going to get dinged $300 bucks for a free stay?

Thanks.
Flews is offline  
Old Dec 15, 2007, 1:12 pm
  #7  
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,990
Originally Posted by Flews
We're at Sheraton Cable Beach Resort Christmas through New Years.

Does anybody know:

Is this fee applicable to points stays? Is is $30 a DAY? ie: Am I going to get dinged $300 bucks for a free stay?

Thanks.
Found my answer. Which is yes - I am indeed getting dinged $300 bucks by Starwood for a "free" stay. It's in the "fine print" of the reservation confirmation.

Nice of Starwood to make this clear before we booked. Sheesh.
Flews is offline  
Old Dec 15, 2007, 10:04 pm
  #8  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: AA Exp, Starwood Platinum, Priority Club Platinum RA, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 318
That sucks. At least you know it ahead of time now instead of a surprise when you're about to leave.
studio253 is offline  
Old Dec 15, 2007, 11:50 pm
  #9  
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Programs: American Airlines, starwood
Posts: 206
I think it's just they way the Bahamas are now...the 15% gratuity for buying a candy bar in the gift shop and on walkup lunches by the pool to the electricity surcharge per person and housekeeping charges.
shar161 is offline  
Old Dec 16, 2007, 3:39 pm
  #10  
Original Member
 
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Central Pennsylvania
Programs: SPG/Marriott Lifetime Gold, Amtrak Guest Rewards, UA Silver
Posts: 535
Transportation from Airport to Hotel?

What are the options for transportation to and from the airport? (Such as hotel shuttle, taxi, airport shuttle, or other means?)

How much does the transportation cost per person?
DivMiler is offline  
Old Jan 7, 2008, 11:11 pm
  #11  
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: LAX
Programs: SPG PLAT, AA PLAT
Posts: 107
Sheraton Cable Beach, Bahamas trip report

We just returned from 12 nights at the Sheraton Cable Beach in the Bahamas. It was formerly a Radisson and reopened in June of 2007 as a Sheraton. As you can see in other threads, Sheraton has performed extensive renovations on the property and we stayed in the east wing, which only just opened. In fact, the first three floors of the east wind are still under renovation. The common areas appear to be finished.

Our room was nice and new. Not huge but comfortable. We were on the 8th floor and had a beautiful ocean view from a narrow balcony which had just enough room for two chairs. The bathrooms are small and there is no dressing area. Our room had a coffee maker and two complimentary bottles of water. There was a nice flat screen television and high speed internet access for $15 a day. If you go down to the lobby, the wireless access is free and fast.

Our floor was a nonsmoking floor which was ignored by one of the guests.

The hotel has 4 food outlets. Amici is their Italian/fine dining alternative. It has decent food and is attractive. Not great but fine. Bimini is the buffet and breakfast runs $22 for adults, $9.50 for kids, and there is a continental option which allows you to select from the cold part of the buffet for $13.50. The selection was good but service was the weak point of this restaurant. The hostesses were friendly but the wait staff seemed stressed and would often fight with each other. They generally weren't in a very good mood.
The Dolphin Grill is the pool/beach side restaurant. It is slow but the food is pretty good and the setting is nice. They had burgers, hotdogs, sandwiches, and some local items. No kids menu. There was no (or at best, extremely limited) pool/beach side service for food. You could order and take it back to your lounge but that wasn't a speedy proposition. The Caribe Cafe is a grab and go. They have bagels, muffins, danish, scones, yogurt, fruit, coffee, and juices in the morning. Sandwiches and salads, cookies, cakes, and ice cream from lunch time until early evening. Our family of five could have a good breakfast for $45.

Chairs on the beach and by the pool were plentiful, even on days when the cruise ships were in port. There were always plenty of towels. You had to check them out but it was easy. The beach was wide with soft sand and the water was clear, calm, and beautiful. It was a comfortable temperature. There were little pedal boats, canoes, kayaks, and snorkeling equipment for which there was no charge. There seemed to be no shortage. There were lifeguards at both the beach and the pool. The center pool was heated for our stay but they seemed to reduce the temperature after the first of January. The other two pools were not heated. There is a brand new, centrally located kid's club which has not opened yet.

The hotel is located adjacent to the Wyndham, the casino, and another, independent hotel. We were told that Westin is building a facility that will replace the other hotels and will open in 2011. Our in room guide stated that the resort will become its own area with 4 Starwood hotels and a 1,000 room Caeser's Palace, plus, of course, residences.

There are several restaurants that are a 15-20 minute walk from the hotel (Capriccio, Indigo, Androsia). Johnny Canoe is a short walk away but is closing due to the impending construction. There are two decent and fairly priced restaurants in the Wyndham/casino next door (Black Angus and Moso). There is an ice cream parlor called Crystal Sweets in the Wyndham.

You can take the bus to downtown Nassau for a dollar a person but it stops running around 6 or 7 at the latest so you need to taxi back. Taxi fair downtown is $15 for the first two and $3 for each additional person.

There are also some decent restaurants in the direction of the airport (Poop Deck, Mango) and the taxi fare is $12 for the first two and 3 for each additional. The airport is $15 for two and $3 for every additional.

There is no club, nor is it my impression that they plan to put one in.

The property is very relaxing. I feel like even when the remaining rooms are done there will continue to feel like there is enough space for everyone. The remaining construction did not bother us at all. The smoke alarms went off every once in a while. There is a shop in the lobby that is now open. There is a market a half mile away.

Service is almost always included on every tab (15%). The Sheraton charges a $15 per person per day resort charge and a one time bellman fee of $5.40 per person. If you have kids in the room with you, they do not pay the resort fee.

I think this covers it. I am not sure what it will be like during and after the construction. For now, it is really a nice spot.
Addicted to Points is offline  
Old Jan 8, 2008, 4:58 pm
  #12  
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: New York USA
Posts: 2,933
Did you go into the Casino at all? I've been there twice and it was in dire need of some updating. I'm curious to know if any improvements have been made.

Also, where will the new construction be for the additional Westin/Caesars properties?

Did the Sheraton offer an all-inclusive option while you were there? The Radisson used to offer it.

Thanks for the info!
flyerwife is offline  
Old Jan 8, 2008, 6:16 pm
  #13  
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,990
Mrs. Flews and I also just returned from a 10 day stay. We would agree with the OP's review, with a couple of caveats.

First of all, we had no in room guide and were told one didn't exist when we called down for one. Interesting that OP had one in what would appear to be the room virtually right above ours.

Second, we returned one afternoon to find our room door wide open. We complained to Guest Services in the lobby who told us it wasn't their problem and referred us to front desk. Which had a huge line-up. (While they have an SPG Gold/Platinum sign at the front desk, we were later told they never, ever staff it.)

I finally got the attention of one of the front desk people who spoke to the Manager who took one look at me, turned her back and walked away. I demanded to speak with the hotel Manager. I am still waiting for a response to this day.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Flews (a retired federal police officer) demanded Guest Services contact security, which they finally did. Security handled the situation very well.

We wish hotel management was as responsive. Like when we informed front desk upon our departure our discovery on checkout day that our water bottles had not been replaced, but rather refilled and the tops screwed back on. The front desk person replied that shouldn't happen. Duh. Mrs. Flews is writing to head office about that one.

By the way, what ever happened to the Sheraton Promise??? lol Clearly they couldn't live up to it and ditched THAT program in a hurry.

All in all we still enjoyed ourselves. Like the OP said, the facilities are very nice. We found the poolside entertainment a bit irritating at first - but Captian Kirk grew on us over time. We enjoyed the poolside restaurant for quality and value. We found some great local spots nearby - and I do mean LOCAL. Fry fish and conch, with all the trimmings, for $14!

In answer to the other questions, the Casino is fading and getting worse. It will be completely replaced with a new one in the redevelopment. Which, in answer to that question will be at the Nassau Beach Hotel footprint. It's being razed this month, and the buildings to the east of it are already down.

There seemed to be people with wristbands indicating all inclusive, however we could not find mention of it on the website or at the hotel. As I say, we didn't even have an in room directory - when I asked from desk how on earth I was supposed to order room service without a menu I was told to call the concierge to arrange for someone to read it too me over the phone!

Nice facilities. But the staff and management are in dire need of training! An intensive course in hospitality 101 would be a very worthwhile investment.

Cheers,

PS - I forgot to mention my Plat 'upgrade' got me to seventh floor ocean view, even though I learned later the guy checking in behind me demanded and got a great suite. Very irritating, since I was told there were no suites available! No wonder the Manager didn't have the guts to speak with me...

Last edited by Flews; Jan 8, 2008 at 6:20 pm Reason: Forgot an imporant point
Flews is offline  
Old Jan 9, 2008, 10:49 am
  #14  
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: LAX
Programs: SPG PLAT, AA PLAT
Posts: 107
I have to laugh about Captain Kirk. He was annoying at times but my children enjoyed some of the activities.

The Casino is a complete dive. I noticed that they were painting the outside of the building to eliminate the purple and mauve siding on the building, which leads me to believe that the ocean towers, as they are now called, will not be torn down. I was told by a local that the casino will stay and be renovated. The Nassau Beach Hotel will be torn down and become the Westin. I am curious to know if the plans for 2 additional Starwood properties is still in the works.

I did not have a hotel directory. I had a Bahamas guide. I was sent a room service menu when I called down and asked for one.

There were people staying on an all inclusive package. I was offered a breakfast inclusive package but it wasn't worth the additional cost. I was not interested in an all inclusive so I never inquired.

We were upgraded to a luxury ocean view and could have had a suite if we were willing to wait a couple of days. We were comfortable with our two rooms and decided not to make the move. We went to see a suite on the third floor west (which is a smoking floor). The smell in the hallways and in the room itself was disgusting. The carpet on the west side was already torn up. The hallway had no windows, unlike the 8th floor, and it was already very unappealing, just a short time after renovation. A newly renovated room was better then a smoking suite. I hope the rest of the property holds up until Sheraton can get a new manager in there to keep the property up and provide some control of the service. Sometimes service was great and sometimes, it was absent. We never encountered a problem as severe as the Flews.
Addicted to Points is offline  
Old Jan 10, 2008, 6:58 pm
  #15  
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,990
Originally Posted by DivMiler
What are the options for transportation to and from the airport? (Such as hotel shuttle, taxi, airport shuttle, or other means?)

How much does the transportation cost per person?
Taxi. There's no shuttle to the Sheraton.

It's $16-$18 one-way depending on the driver (posted rate at the airport is $15 lol). They might charge a buck or two for excess baggage.

So let's say $20 with tip!

Cheers,
Flews is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.