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Sort of Semi-Live Report on the Wyndham Nassau Resort

Where: West Bay Street at Cable Beach, Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas

The Wyndham Nassau Resort in the Bahamas would be considered a large hotel if it weren't dwarfed by the mega-magnet Atlantis a few miles away. It has 850 rooms spread over several towers: intimate it is not. This is the real hub of activity on New Providence Island itself, mainly due to its hopping 24-hour casino. College kids psyched to be getting legal (and free) cocktails mix it up at the craps tables with grizzled commercial construction tycoons from New York and Miami.

The Wyndham has a symbiotic relationship with its two neighbors: the Cable Beach Hotel on one side and the Radisson Resort on the other(see yesterday's Good Rate--Bad Rate), with the three siblings sharing facilities and the beach. This works well for all concerned: the Wyndham has the best restaurants by far, but it has the worst beach by far. In fact there isn't much of a beach there at all--just a seawall and a tiny crescent of sand. Thankfully the Radisson has a great beach just a few steps away.

There are plenty of beach chairs all around, so no chair hog fears here. We were intrigued by this pictured roped-off area for Gold and Platinum members of Wyndham's frequent guest club though. Do these elite members feel all smug and superior when they're the only ones with a hammock? Or does it feel like being in a fishbowl, surrounded by curious onlookers? I guess we could have asked, but that would have meant getting up from our own comfy spot under a palapa and trying to converse over a white rope with someone on the other side.

When it comes time to book your room here, you will probably want to pony up the extra dough to get an ocean view room. Some listed as "island view" would definitely qualify as an "anti view" room. Go for the all-inclusive plan as well. Prices in the Bahamas are high all around and this hotel is no exception. Restaurant and bar prices are high, plus the 15 percent gratuity included on everything you order results in service that is wildly inconsistent. Paying as you go is going to cost you more unless you're a tea-totaler on a diet.