Our specific impression of Pelican Bay was similar to our impression of Grand Bahama Island as a whole: It’s a beautiful place to relax and enjoy sun, sand, and good company. But as soon as you start looking closely, it won’t take you long to see that both infrastructure and attitude are a bit frayed and in need of an upgrade.

If little things bother you and you absolutely insist on everything being shiny-clean and perfect, then don’t go to Pelican Bay. Don’t go to the Bahamas, either, for that matter.

But if you can overlook a few annoying details and go with the flow, give Pelican Bay (and Grand Bahama Island) a try. It’s kind of funky (in a good way), although a bit rough around the edges.

For perspective, we are a couple in our late 30’s who spent a wedding anniversary there from 3/12/08 to 3/18/08.

I think we really wanted to like Pelican Bay and give it five stars, but the longer we stayed, the more the rating began to dip. We had a great time just relaxing and essentially “doing nothing,” but were ready to hit the road after six days.

The positives: We got a killer price booked through Expedia, at nearly 1/3 the quoted rates on the hotel’s site. Upon arrival, we asked for and received an upgrade to a suite, and this is a big bonus—a private porch overlooking a stunning view of the bay, a spacious sitting room and separate king bedroom, both furnished with the coolest eclectic art we have ever seen in a hotel room. Our suite also included an in-room Nespresso espresso maker (a huge amenity if you are a coffee junkie), plus pastries delivered through a locked box in your door every morning. The property has three pools, ranging from a bar-area pool to a quieter heated pool, with another in between. You are within walking distance to everything you’d want to go to in Lucaya, and the general area is clean and safe.

The negatives: Simply put, the staff is flighty, but this attitude is not out of line with what we experienced throughout the island. The cleaning service was hit-or-miss. We were given coupons for “free” drinks at the bar and told after we ordered that we had to pay for them because there was a limit as to what type of booze you could order. One of the bathroom sink drains was broken, and the suite’s hot water was powered by a puny in-room heater tank that made it a rush job for two vacationers to take showers without running the tank dry. On one occasion, we were given a pool towel that actually had blood on it. The one and only time we asked for help with dinner reservations (for our anniversary at the nicest restaurant on the island), the desk person said she’d take care of it, and there were no reservations waiting for us when we arrived at the Ferry House. We were charged for mini-bar items upon checkout, even though we did not even break the seal on the refrigerator. It goes on like this; you get the idea….Although we must admit, sometimes, such flightiness worked in our favor: We had drinks in the dining room that were never charged to our final bill. And once we got a knock on the door, with a cleaning lady delivering an armful of fresh towels that we had “requested” (we had not).

One final note—a construction alert! The day we arrived at Pelican Bay, they were just starting to set up a construction staging area, complete with chain-link fencing, bulldozers, and lots of heavy equipment. They were moving entire palm trees while we were there, and the door attendant/greeter told us it was just the beginning of a year-long construction project that would be adding a gym, restaurant, and administrative offices. I’m not saying it should preclude you from going, but in our opinion, it now becomes imperative to book a suite that faces AWAY from the parking lot and out towards the bay.

We stayed at the Pelican Bay for 7 nights in January for our honeymoon and it was as perfect as all the reviews we had read beforehand suggested. We stayed in a suite and it was great having a bit more space with a living room. The four-poster bed was lovely (although possibly a bit tall for us shorter people to climb into!). The grounds of the hotel are very nice and it is nice that the hotel has a bit of character to it with all the different colours. Sadly we didn't end up swimming in the pools as it turned cold whilst we were there, this however didn't ruin our holiday as we still walked on both the Westin beach and Taino beach (a short ferry ride away) and it was great to be so close to the market place with all the lively happenings going on there. The free breakfast each day was much appreciated - with the complimentary breadbasket in your room and a buffet by the pool you certainly won't go hungry. Having read a few negative reviews about the hotel restaurant Sabor I must admit I am surprised. We ate there twice, once for lunch and once for dinner and both times the food and the service was outstanding. The cocktails are also delicious!! We loved out time at the Pelican Bay and having seen the westin/sheraton when we arrived I am definitely glad we weren't staying there - it looks so unwelcoming and I believe it is quite a bit more expensive. If we ever go back to Freeport there is no question that we would stay at the Pelican Bay again.

Our vacation in Lucaya was close to perfect.....travelled with my husband for a quick getaway for 4 nights. The service at the Pelican Bay Resort was excellent...all the staff were very courteous. If you're looking for a glamorous hotel with all the trimmings, this is not it...go to the Westin across the street instead, which is on the beach. The hotel is facing the marina, not the beach and is close to everything in Lucaya...the ferry to Taino Beach, the Port Lucaya Marketplace,Westin and Sheraton hotels. We were upgraded to a King Deluxe room which was nice. Taino Beach was absolutely beautiful, and the Taino Beach restaurant had great veggie burgers(we're vegetarian)...we had lunch all three days at the Taino Beach restaurant, since it had great food, and was right on the beach. The Pina Coladas were nice and fresh too. Check out these restaurants, especially if you're vegetarian: La Dolce Vita and Cappucino's(awesome papardelle with truffles and saffron). China Beach at the Westin was ok at best, and very expensive for the quality of food....not to mention the hostess knew we wanted a table with ocean view, and led us to a table inside...when we asked if we could move to another table, she disappeared! Not a nice experience. We had a horrible experience at Zorba's on our first night...the hummus was wierd(not smooth), the fries tasted like they're frozen, and the falafel was ok...maybe the meat dishes are better. Overall, the hotel is great, only bad things were we sometimes got lukewarm water in the shower, and the floor isn't exactly clean(I'd wear slippers in the room). Overall a wonderful vacation, we did some spring breakers everywhere, but nothing crazy happened...but beware vegetarians...not much selection of food other than Italian and Chinese...would highly recommend Pelican Bay Resort at Lucaya.

We just got back from this resort last night and had a wonderful stay. The hotel is absolutely beautiful and has a great location. Close to the marketplace and anything you might need, also just a (free) 5 minute ferry ride from Taino beach. Very clean, quiet, perfect for a relaxing getaway!