A favorite for bahamas vacations and a landmark of hospitality in Nassau since 1901, the British Colonial Hotel reopened as the British Colonial Hilton Nassau in October 1999. Hilton's 18-month, $ 68-million restoration converted the Timeless classic into a thoroughly modern luxury hotel. At the same time, the renovation preserved the hotel's historic resonance and enhanced its tropical charm.
The British Colonial has reigned continuously over the waterfront for 100 years, longer than any other hotel in town. Its classic-colonial architecture, prime eight-acre location on the site of Old Fort Nassau, and beachside swimming pool provided some of the most memorable backdrops in James Bond movie history. The hotel played key rolls in 1965's Thunderball and 1983's Never Say Never Again.
Today's British Colonial Hilton claims the only private beach at Nassau's city center. An ideal home base for vacationers, it offers not only the beach and a freshwater pool but lush tropical gardens, a full fitness center, and an on-site scuba-diving and snorkeling facility.
Equally suited for business travelers in "the Zurich of the Tropics," the hotel presides at the heart of Nassau's financial district, just 20 minutes from the Nassau International Airport.
The city itself has been reborn in recent years, due to millions of dollars in civic upgrades. The spruced-up Old World-style plaza - flanked by Nassau's Nineteenth-Century parliament buildings - brings a new sense of vibrancy to a downtown that still employs horse-drawn surreys and directs traffic with bobbies in trim white jackets and colorful pith helmets.
Of course Nassau still boasts the other attractions that make it one of the world's best vacation destinations: a well-preserved history, lively nightlife, great shopping, and amazing beaches. From the Hilton, guests can walk to duty-free shops, the Bay Street Straw Market, and Government House. A five-minute taxi ride leads to championship golf courses, two world-class casinos, and unlimited water sports.
The hotel's own renaissance encompassed all seven floors of the building, everything from the 291 guest rooms and 7.500 square feet of meeting space to the five restaurants and bars.
The 58 sixth-and seventh-story accommodations come with oversized desks, data ports, fax machines on request, and nightly turndown service - plus exclusive access to the Executive Lounge, a comfortable spot for a private check-in and checkout, complimentary breakfast, evening hors d'oeuvres, and drinks on an outdoor terrace
