HotelChatter

Pineapple Fields is also in Governor's Harbour just down the road from the Quality Inn Cigatoo. It sits on 80 acres of land just steps away from beach. Open for just over a year, Pineapple Fields has completed about all of its planed 32 condo-hotel units.

While we thought the place was great as is, the plans for future additions sound pretty spectacular as they will include a botanical garden, a spa, an equipment rental shop and yes, a real pineapple field. We'll have more on Pineapple Fields later including a chat we had with the general manager David Barlyn.

Room Reaction:
We were assigned a room on the upper floor of what looked like a charming two story house with plenty of decks and outdoor patio. Each of these houses hold four units a piece--two on the second floor and two on the bottom. We suggest an upper floor for the views.

When we walked into our room/apartment, we were pretty shocked. We're used to staying in cramped hotel rooms with crappy views but here we had our own kitchen, a living room area, a full bathroom and a bedroom with a huge closet and king bed and a spacious back deck with views of the beach.

Amenity Assessment:
While The Cove prides itself on serenity and peace away from TV and phones, Pineapple Fields put two TVs in their units--one in the living room area and one in the bedroom. At first, we thought we would never watch them, not with the killer view of the Atlantic Ocean. But we gave in and watched a few episodes of Degrassi Junior High--The Next Generation. We love us some Canadian teen dramas.

The units also feature DVD players (you can rent movies from the front desk), stereos and phones. There are more helpful amenities like a flashlight for when you walk at night (it can get pretty dark there) and a beach chair in the closet.

In the kitchen you had everything you would need to cook for a few days such as a stove, refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, and even plates, glasses and utensils.

The best part? A washer and dryer in the unit.

Internet Connect:
Sadly, no internet at all. The best bet would be to head to the library in town which has wireless inside.

Dining: Since the units come equipped with a full kitchen, you can pick up groceries at the store in town or at the Banks Road Deli, which is attached to the Pineapple Fields registration house. The deli is like a mini-grocery store that sells all the essentials (pasta, sauces, etc) and has a wall of Pinot Grigio bottles, our fave wine.

But whether you plan to cook your meals or not, you must must must stop in at Tippy's, the restaurant across the road (more like a paved path) on the beach.

Tippy's opened five years and has quickly become the hot restaurant on the island. The decor is very beachy with open windows and doors and wooden tables, chairs and benches but the food is spectacular. Tippy's is also a welcome change from the fried everything that other island restaurants serve. The fish specials are not to be missed but we particularly liked the island greens salad with goat cheese and the French onion soup.

Another bonus? The place has had a celeb draw. Lenny Kravitz dines here, as does Patti LaBelle who's played songs at the piano. Matthew McConaughey and Mariah Carey have both hung out at Tippy's (separately.) But Tippy's is not some Hollywood hotspot. To us, it felt like the perfect place to drink Kaliks all day long.

Bottom Line:
Need say more here? When we come back to Eleuthera, we're coming to Pineapple Fields. One-bedroom units in the high season (now through May 15th) start at $240 a night.

Related Stories:
· Eleuthera Hotel Guide [HotelChatter]