We've just returned from our second trip to FBV and am delighted to advise that it didn't disappoint. We take several holidays each year and have always been keen to try somewhere different each trip. Having stayed in Conch cottage last year, we enjoyed FBV so much that we decided, for the first time ever, to return to the same place. This time we stayed in The Point House and it was terrific. Donna is still there and is as warm, welcoming and helpful as ever. We were disappointed in the food last year but felt that this had really improved since our last visit. We went for one of the larger villas this stay so we could have our own kitchen and the combination worked really well. FBV is not cheap, but we feel that you pay for the seclusion and to us that's well worth it. We spent 6 nights and could count the number of other people there on our fingers. Staying at the quieter south end of the beach we quite literally had that whole half of the beach to ourselves for the entire stay. This is one of those rare gems that makes you feel at home whilst also being spoiled rotten. We will definitely be back for a third trip....

We stayed at Shane Shack, the best villa on the beach. The location is amazing, weather was good, and all in all we had a very relaxing time. However, since we paid $295/night plus taxes, energy charge, etc, etc, I had expected a bit more for my money. Although I loved our "shack" I felt that FBV wanted every penny they could get from me. Peanut butter sandwich $5, hot dog $10, supper for 2 = $100. Which I could live with if the pre-teen children staying down the beach hadn't been permitted to run screaming and yelling throughout the dining area constantly. Can of pop $2.25 at the honor bar, which, btw, charges $1 just to use the blender. Go towards town to any store and buy pop for 85 cents. We brought our own sandwich stuff, bought a loaf of bread, and saved hundreds of dollars not eating breakfast or lunch at the clubhouse. There are good restaurants towards town, the staff can point the way. The beach towels and beach chairs were of the lowest possible quality. Our bed was only made once. Night manager was extremely friendly, and we liked Donna, Cara made us feel very welcome, but other staff not too outgoing.But my biggest beef was that even though we were told we could get a ride to the airport 1 mile away, when the time came, they insisted we take a cab. $15 for 1 mile on top of our well over $1000 bill didn't sit well with me. I was just tired of the stinginess. I know that the other resorts offer their guest shuttles even though they are much farther from the airport, and their rates and meals are much less expensive. We did tour a couple of them, and they also were in beautiful spots. Bugs were not a problem except for the last night, before a rain storm came, the bugs came out. We did tour the island with a local we met, the islanders are very friendly, virtually no crime, but no streetlights either! I will go back to Fernandez Bay, but I will be renting a private house on the beach for much less money.

First off I have to say book your stay through Majestic Holidays Ltd. We have no affiliation with them but saw them mentioned in another review. If you book with Majestic you are not charged the mandatory room tax, levy, housekeeping gratuities and utility surcharges, they add up to over 10%. I guess it is because Majestic is a Bahamian company. They were great and kept us informed all the time.

Now for FBV, if you want activities to do all the time, or have kids, you may want to look elsewhere. We were looking for a place to do nothing for a week but play in the water and veg out on the beach or in the hammocks. We went in July and the water was unbelievable. Every day as far as you could see up and down the beach we rarely saw another person. If it got to hot (it did not) all you had to do was move 20’ up the beach and lay in the hammocks strung between the coconut trees.

Every day we would take the free kayaks and paddle up into the mangroves where we saw some baby sharks that came up to you.

We never had a bad meal or went hungry. The honor bar was really great too, with live music every night. During dinner we ate under the stars every night. My wife always gets eat up with bugs where ever we go. Simply some bug spray with Deet solved those problems (which only happened at sunset for about 1 hour). If you forget to bring your own there is a basket full of bug spray and sun tan lotion that guests leave behind that is free to use.

Each room has a refrigerator and I brought my own six pack of Pepsi since that is my only source of caffeine.

The rooms were nice, we stayed in the Conch, but the garden bath takes a bit to get use to (if you ever do).

The owners and staff were great and always made you feel like special guests.

We have been to the Caymans, Aruba, St Barts, etc but we have not found a place like this before.

We booked a week long vacation after reading some good reviews on TripAdvisor. Everything said about Donna previously is true. The woman is a real asset to the place and the Bahamian gentleman that makes the rum punch at the bar was a pure pleasure. The rest of the staff, particularly the wait staff were not as friendly. The place itself is nice, it was wonderful to have use of the kayaks and bicycles to explore the island of which the Hermitage was well worth seeing. The beach was secluded and the sunsets are indeed lovely. That said the whole experience was ruined by the outrageous charges for the meals which were truly sub par. We travel frequently and have paid less for 5 star hotels in the Carribean with far superior cuisine than Fernandez Bay. It was a slap in the face to get the bill on the final day and it ended up ruining our whole experience. Also, beware this is a family-owned resort . We were there during a holiday weekend and the visiting family and their friends took over the common areas without much regard for the guests who paid to stay there.