We were warmly greeted at reception in the rather Grand Manor House area of the hotel. Check-in formalities were quickly and pleasantly despatched, including the issue of a wrist band that forms part of the on-site security. The folder for our room keys says "Slip into Something More Comfortable", so let's see what that means. It turns out that slipping into our King sized bed, with good quality linens, in a quite spacious room is indeed a comfortable experience. The nicely decorated room has a generous list of facilities to make our stay comfortable. Safe, TV, Fridge, Coffee Percolator, iron and board. Plus a nice bathroom with a first for me, a double headed shower. The balcony had room for table and chairs but, as well as a view over the resort, it has an amazing view over the powdery white sand beach and the multi shades of blue sea. Sunrise from this balcony is very comfortable on the eyes, perhaps that's what they mean. I think you can tell a lot about a hotel by the way they respond to issues. When we returned to our room to find an annoying noise of water dripping, the very pleasant lady who took my call had it all fixed within 30 mins. Great service. After our travels we decided to grab (the included) beach towels and take a couple of the many loungers around the pool to relax. There's also a separate lap pool if you want to do some serious swimming, but after considering it for at least 2 seconds we headed over to the Senses Spa for a couples massage. Our 50 min session in the expert hands of the masseuses left us feeling very (it's that word coming again) comfortable. There is also a well equipped gym in this part of the hotel. Walking along the pristine beach (the tractor rakes it clean each morning), we worked up a bit of an appetite. There are plenty of dining options on the resort, we have tried China Beach (Chinese cuisine), Wille Broadleaf (buffet) and the cafe. All had pleasant service and good quality food, although the price of wine at China Beach might make you swallow harder than you will eating your food. As well as the section of Lucayan Beach immediately in front of the resort you can take a long stroll to the right as you look at the sea. You can walk at a gentle pace for about 30 to 40 mins along one of the nicest beaches on the island before reaching the next canal that blocks further progress. There is a small spot just the other side of the Memories resort that means clambering over some rocks if the tide is in, but at low tide enough beach is exposed to avoid these rocks. Various water sports are available from the Grand Lucayan's beach. This is a popular venue for Weddings and Renewal of Vows, taking advantage of the beautiful surroundings, including the great lawn and the Gazebo, but it was very quiet when we stayed here. It also has conference facilities but the resort is big enough to absorb these numbers without seeming crowded. It's normally at this point in a review that I point out all the mobility related issues, but not in this review. Grand Lucayan is largely flat anyway but a great deal of trouble has gone in to having lifts or ramps in the right places to make this a wheelchair users dream location. Wheelchairs and a porter can be requested as needed, plus they have a tie up with a local mobility company who will hire out electric scooters as required. Security of the guests is also taken seriously here, with a guard at all points of entry to the resort. So did we slip into something more comfortable, yes I think we did. A very enjoyable and relaxing stay that we would definitely like to repeat.
Note: When booking this hotel the headline rate normally has two percentage based charges added to it for Facilities and Service, tax is also then added. Be sure to understand the final price before booking.
